{"product_id":"kapitoil-a-novel-isbn-9780061873218","title":"Kapitoil: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“A brilliant book. Karim Issar is one of the freshest, funniest heroes I’ve come across in a long time.” — Ben Fountain, bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eBrief Encounters with Che Guevara\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“An innovative and incisive meditation on the wages of corporate greed, the fundamental darkness of its vision lit by the author’s great comic intelligence and wit.” — Kathryn Davis, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Thin Place, Hell: A Novel\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eVersailles\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWith a fresh and singular voice, Teddy Wayne marks his literary debut with the story of one 26 year old Middle Eastern man’s attempt to live the American Dream in New York City. Like the award-winning \u003cem\u003eNetherland\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Reluctant Fundamentalist\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eKapitoil\u003c\/em\u003e provides an absorbing look into American culture and New York finance from an outsider’s perspective.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Sometimes you do not truly observe something until you study it in reverse,\" writes Karim Issar upon arrival to New York City from Qatar in 1999. Fluent in numbers, logic, and business jargon yet often baffled by human connection, the young financial wizard soon creates a computer program named Kapitoil that predicts oil futures and reaps record profits for his company.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt first an introspective loner adrift in New York's social scenes, he anchors himself to his legendary boss Derek Schrub and Rebecca, a sensitive, disillusioned colleague who may understand him better than he does himself. Her influence, and his father's disapproval of Karim's Americanization, cause him to question the moral implications of Kapitoil, moving him toward a decision that will determine his future, his firm's, and to whom—and where—his loyalties lie.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\"Sometimes you do not truly observe something until you study it in reverse,\" writes Karim Issar upon arrival to New York City from Qatar in 1999. Fluent in numbers, logic, and business jargon yet often baffled by human connection, the young financial wizard soon creates a computer program named Kapitoil that predicts oil futures and reaps record profits for his company.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt first an introspective loner adrift in New York's social scenes, he anchors himself to his legendary boss Derek Schrub and Rebecca, a sensitive, disillusioned colleague who may understand him better than he does himself. Her influence, and his father's disapproval of Karim's Americanization, cause him to question the moral implications of Kapitoil, moving him toward a decision that will determine his future, his firm's, and to whom—and where—his loyalties lie.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“What a wonderful character Karim is—the hapless, hilarious, math-obsessed hero of Teddy Wayne’s first novel. KAPITOIL is a delight. Who knew oil futures could be such fun?” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJoshua Henkin, author of SWIMMING ACROSS THE HUDSON and MATRIMONY\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“KAPITOIL is an unlikely Cinderella tale, narrated by Karim Issar, an equally unlikely and endearing Cinderella.  Set in those bygone days at the tail-end of the 20th century, when the shadows of the Twin Towers were still draped across the landscape, Teddy Wayne’s debut novel is an innovative and incisive meditation on the wages of corporate greed, the fundamental darkness of its vision lit by the author’s great comic intelligence and wit.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKathryn Davis, author of THE THIN PLACE, HELL: A NOVEL, and VERSAILLES\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[A] brilliant book.  Karim Issar is one of the freshest, funniest heroes I’ve come across in a long time... In its honesty, humor, intelligence, and hard-won wisdom, \u003ci\u003eKapitoil\u003c\/i\u003e is ‘Karim-esque’ to the nth degree, and that is a very good way to be.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBen Fountain, bestselling author of Brief Encounters with Che Guevara\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Teddy Wayne’s debut novel is an innovative and incisive meditation on the wages of corporate greed, the fundamental darkness of its vision lit by the author’s great comic intelligence and wit.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKathryn Davis, author of The Thin Place, Hell: A Novel, and Versailles\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This wonderfully assured debut novel, at once poignant, insightful, and funny…is a delight. Best of all, however, is simply being inside Karim’s head as he ponders Jackson Pollock’s paintings, baseball, programming, and the mysteries of love and life in the U.S. ” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[Karim]’s a type—the nerdy and needy young immigrant—that we’re all familiar with but that no other writer, as far as I know, has invented such a funny and compelling voice and story for.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJonathan Franzen to TheDailyBeast.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNamed one of the top ten first novels of 2010 by Booklist! “[A] funny and incisive novel of one young man’s heady introduction to American culture.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eKapitoil\u003c\/i\u003e is set before 9\/11, but its depiction of the reckless excess that lies behind our current debacle groups it with Adam Haslett’s \u003ci\u003eUnion Atlantic\u003c\/i\u003e and Jonathan Dee’s \u003ci\u003eThe Privileges\u003c\/i\u003e...an unusually enjoyable experience.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Independent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Wayne has written one of the best novels of my generation.... Why did 9\/11 happen, and why do we continue to respond so blindly? Wayne answers these questions better than Mohsin Hamid or Joseph O’Neill, the best authors of this genre until now.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[A]t once a thought-provoking meditation on late capitalism, and poignant coming-of-age story.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlackbook\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Every once in a while, you encounter a character in a work of fiction who feels like such a real person, such a friend, that once you finish the book, you miss having him around. Karim Issar, the protagonist of Teddy Wayne’s captivating debut novel Kapitoil, is such a character.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSalon.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Flat out top-notch. Kapitoil makes you see America and the English language more clearly than ever before, and Karim Issar, the book’s protagonist, is one of the most interesting characters we’ve had a chance to spend time with.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMcSweeneys.net\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“KAPITOIL is one of those uncommon novels that really is novel.  Though the storytelling is conventional, it is satisfyingly so, and the book’s estimable young narrator is a human type whom nobody until Wayne was ever inspired to write about.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJonathan Franzen, bestselling author of The Corrections\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The novel is wise and humble, funny and sweet, so incredibly touching.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMarieClaire.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A book ripe with beauty and potential....Karim Issar is a character readers will remember, and readers had better prepare themselves to remember the name of Teddy Wayne as well. It’s one they’ll be hearing again and again in the months following Kapitoil’s release.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBomb Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Funny, intelligent and poignant...With Wayne’s clever prose and simultaneously romantic and skeptical viewpoint, Teddy Wayne is undoubtedly an exciting new voice on the scene—and \u003ci\u003eKapitoil\u003c\/i\u003e is a book that is not to be missed.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBookPage.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[A] strong and heartfelt debut novel… It’s a slick first novel that beautifully captures a time that, in retrospect, seems tragically naïve.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[An] affecting, timely, and frequently hilarious debut novel.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Brilliant...The beauty of Kapitoil, Wayne’s debut novel, is that it tackles broad and serious themes with humor and an eye for detail. Karim’s carefully articulated voice is a thing of beauty....Teddy Wayne = a major literary talent.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHouston Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44887935647973,"sku":"NP9780061873218","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780061873218.jpg?v=1730227774","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/kapitoil-a-novel-isbn-9780061873218","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}