American mermaid : a novel / Julia Langbein.
"A brilliantly funny and razor-tongued debut which follows a writer lured to Los Angeles to adapt her feminist mermaid novel into a big-budget action film, who believes her heroine has come to life to take revenge for Hollywood's violations. Penelope Schleeman, a consistently broke Connecticut high school teacher, is as surprised as anyone when her sensitive debut novel, "American Mermaid"-the story of a wheelchair-bound scientist named Sylvia who discovers that her withered legs are the vestiges of a powerful tail-becomes a bestseller. Penelope soon finds herself lured to LA by promises of easy money to co-write the "American Mermaid" screenplay for a major studio with a pair of male hacks. As the studio pressures Penelope to change "American Mermaid" from the story of a fierce, androgynous eco-warrior to a teen sex object in a clam bra, strange things start to happen. Threats appear in the screenplay draft; siren calls lure people into danger. When Penelope's screenwriting partners try to kill Sylvia off entirely in a bitterly false but cinematic end, matters off the page escalate. Is Penelope losing her mind, or is Sylvia among us? American Mermaid follows a young woman braving a world of casual smiles and ruthless calculation, where she discovers a beating heart in her own fiction--a creature she'll do anything to protect. By turns both a comic and fabulously insightful tale of two female characters in search of truth, love, and self-acceptance as they move between worlds without giving up their voices"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780385549677 (hardcover)
- ISBN: 0385549679 (hardcover)
- ISBN: 9780593470145 (trade paperback)
- ISBN: 0593470141 (trade paperback)
- Physical Description: 329 pages ; 25 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Doubleday, [2023]
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Mermaids > Fiction. Women > Fiction. Screenwriters > Fiction. |
Genre: | Humorous fiction. |
Available copies
- 3 of 3 copies available at Kenton County.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 3 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
Show All Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Covington Branch | LANGB J (Text) | 33126025072970 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
Erlanger Branch | LANGB J (Text) | 33126025072996 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
Independence Branch | LANGB J (Text) | 33126025072988 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
A former English teacher whose feminist novel about a fierce mermaid is lured to Hollywood to assist in the taleâs big-budget action film adaptation, but is alarmed when she believes her character has come to life to exact revenge. - Baker & Taylor
"A brilliantly funny and razor-tongued debut which follows a writer lured to Los Angeles to adapt her feminist mermaid novel into a big-budget action film, who believes her heroine has come to life to take revenge for Hollywood's violations. Penelope Schleeman, a consistently broke Connecticut high school teacher, is as surprised as anyone when her sensitive debut novel, "American Mermaid"--the story of a wheelchair-bound scientist named Sylvia who discovers that her withered legs are the vestiges of a powerful tail--becomes a bestseller. Penelope soon finds herself lured to LA by promises of easy money to co-write the "American Mermaid" screenplay for a major studio with a pair of male hacks. As the studio pressures Penelope to change "American Mermaid"from the story of a fierce, androgynous eco-warrior to a teen sex object in a clam bra, strange things start to happen. Threats appear in the screenplay draft; siren calls lure people into danger. When Penelope's screenwriting partners try to kill Sylviaoff entirely in a bitterly false but cinematic end, matters off the page escalate. Is Penelope losing her mind, or is Sylvia among us? American Mermaid follows a young woman braving a world of casual smiles and ruthless calculation, where she discovers abeating heart in her own fiction--a creature she'll do anything to protect. By turns both a comic and fabulously insightful tale of two female characters in search of truth, love, and self-acceptance as they move between worlds without giving up their voices"-- - Random House, Inc.
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR â¢Â "Sublime." âNew York Times Book Review
"Brilliantly sharp, funny, and thought-provoking, the gripping story of a woman trying to find her way in our chaotic world." âMadeline Miller, bestselling author of Circe
Broke English teacher Penelope Schleeman is as surprised as anyone when her feminist, eco-warrior novel American Mermaid becomes a best-seller. But when Hollywood insists she convert her fierce, androgynous protagonist into to a teen sex object in a clamshell bra, strange things start to happen. Is Penelope losing her mind, or has her fictional mermaid come to life, enacting revenge against societyâs limited view of what a woman can and should be? Â
American Mermaid follows a young woman braving the casual slights and cruel calculations of a winner-take-all society and discovering a beating heart in her own fiction: a new kind of hero who fights to keep her voice and choose her place. A hilarious story about deep things, American Mermaid asks how far weâll go to protect the parts of ourselves that are not for sale.