America Fantastica

In a world where lies take on various forms, deception, hoaxes, and scams are synonymous with malevolence, while the lies we tell ourselves often become our dreams or, more kindly, our delusions. However, the power of creative storytelling can elevate one to the status of a fabulist, and with unwavering dedication, even transcend into the realm of art – what we call fiction.

For over five decades, author Tim O'Brien has embarked on a journey through the intricate web of lies, primarily in the context of the Vietnam War. O'Brien's personal experience as a soldier in Vietnam between 1969 and 1970 served as the foundation for his first book, "If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home" (1973), a gripping account that bore the autobiographical truth of a soldier's life during wartime.

However, O'Brien's subsequent works embarked on a more surreal path, intertwining memory with imagination to uncover a different facet of truth. He illuminated the subjective truth of a soldier, one composed of a mosaic of gossip, gallows humor, wishful thinking, and the trauma-induced distortions of reality.

In "How to Tell a True War Story," from his influential collection "The Things They Carried" (1990), O'Brien transcends the importance of factual occurrences, asserting that "a thing may happen and be a total lie; another thing may not happen and be truer than the truth." This theme is further explored in his 1978 masterpiece, "Going After Cacciato," a novel blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. This work expertly braids two narratives, one anchored in the grim reality of war, the other unfurling a soldier's daydream of pursuing an AWOL private across the globe. The novel challenges us with questions like, "What had really happened and what merely might have happened?" and "To what extent can one inhabit a world of speculation?"

In his earlier works, O'Brien's writing is empathetic, underscoring the role of illusions as an escape mechanism, a refuge for survival. His characters, though haunted by the horrors of war, are still depicted as youthful, their lies often borne out of necessity.

However, as O'Brien's main characters aged alongside the author, his exploration of dishonesty became more stern. "In the Lake of the Woods" (1994) delves into the life of a Senate candidate with a dark secret – involvement in the My Lai massacre. This work paints a grim picture of cover-ups and false narratives, both in personal lives and politics.

Now, after a 21-year hiatus from novel writing, O'Brien returns with "America Fantastica," a novel that brims with cynicism about the pervasive lies of the 21st century. Boyd Halverson, the novel's antihero, is a skilled confidence man whose life is marred by deceit. His past is riddled with fabrications, including faking military service to secure a job and win the love of a billionaire's daughter, Evelyn. But when Boyd threatens to expose his father-in-law's unethical dealings, his own history of falsehoods comes to light, shattering his career and marriage.

After this humiliating fall from grace, Boyd retreats to the small town of Fulda, California, where he manages a J.C. Penney. Yet, the allure of pseudologia fantastica, pathological lying, lingers, and Boyd finds himself succumbing to its contagion.

The novel oscillates between absurdist satire and a scathing critique of a society marred by falsehoods. Boyd's downward spiral culminates in a decision to rob a local bank, setting in motion a series of events that introduce us to a motley crew of criminals and misfits.

Douglas and Lois Cutterby, the corrupt bank owners, must reckon with their own transgressions. Randy Zapf, Angie Bing's felonious ex-boyfriend, embarks on a violent road trip in pursuit of her. Henry Speck, dispatched by Dooney's son-in-law to teach Boyd a lesson, adds another layer of complexity to the narrative.

Amidst the chaos, a certain unnamed "draft-dodging hotelier," a thinly veiled reference to a prominent political figure, appears throughout the novel as a symbol of the nation's deep-rooted mythomania and the rise of disinformation, likened to a contagious virus, much like the coronavirus pandemic that makes an appearance towards the novel's end.

"America Fantastica" showcases a writer who has evolved from subtlety and ambiguity into a more direct form of polemic. Antic, hammy, caustic, and often humorous, the novel is a departure from O'Brien's traditional works. Still, it shares a common thread with his war novels, appreciating the pleasure of storytelling, the art of fabrication, and the irresistible allure of spinning a tale.

Boyd's misdeeds pale in comparison to the audacity of true criminals. O'Brien crafts a story of redemption, one marked more by world-weariness than optimism. In the end, Boyd's struggle to become an honest man highlights the dullness of reality compared to the thrill of deception.

O'Brien's "America Fantastica" is a thought-provoking reflection on the power of lies and the allure of storytelling. It serves as a testament to the enduring art of fiction and its capacity to captivate even in the midst of chaos and deception.