{"product_id":"rasputin-swims-the-potomac-9781837267460","title":"Rasputin Swims the Potomac","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the critically acclaimed author of \u003ci\u003eBilly Lynn's Long Halftime Walk \u003c\/i\u003ecomes a novel that is stranger than real life, but only just; a triumphant and terrifyingly relevant satire of modern-day American politics\u003c\/p\u003eIt's time for a new season of \u003ci\u003eThe Real West Wing\u003c\/i\u003e, and viewers are looking forward to watching the President run for his third term, recently cleared by the Supreme Court. There may or may not be a new weeping sickness sweeping the nation, and an unlikely hero is recruited to join the President's campaign - mystical pro-wrestler Rasputin. (\u003ci\u003eThat \u003c\/i\u003eRasputin? Maybe .) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn intriguing and diverse cast of characters spanning the political spectrum including a reporter with the same name as a Supreme Court judge, a former country music teen star and a wayward First Lady find themselves spinning into spandex-clad destiny no number of executive orders can control. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHilarious, compelling, and tragically relevant, \u003ci\u003eRasputin Swims the Potomac\u003c\/i\u003e is both an escape and a warning, a scathing satire that explores the twists and turns of American democracy as it hurtles toward authoritarianism.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Fiction is truer than real life in Rasputin Swims the Potomac, an audacious, rip-roaring, and terrifying good time. Don't read ABOUT this book - it will sound too crazy! Dive in and see for yourself . . . Ben Fountain is a prophet, comic genius and a master storyteller.\" -- \u003cb\u003eMARIA SEMPLE\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhere'd You Go, Bernadette\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eGo Gentle\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Fountain turns this scathing satire to the most relevant story of our time: the twists and turns of American democracy as it hurtles toward authoritarianism\" ― \u003cb\u003eLitHub\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Fountain goes on to have about as much fun as you can have with the 26 letters of the alphabet . . . A comic masterpiece. The current administration is finally getting the book it deserves\" ― \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, Starred Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9781837267460\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 416\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: Main\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 07 Jul 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Canongate Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: Edinburgh, United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 21.4(H)x13.5(L)x3(W)422\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 422\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003eBen Fountain is the author of  the novel, \u003ci\u003eBilly Lynn's Long Halftime Walk\u003c\/i\u003e, which won the 2012 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, the 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction and the 2012 Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize, and was shortlisted for the 2012 National Book Award. In addition, he has received the PEN\/Hemingway Award, the Barnes \u0026amp; Noble Discover Award for Fiction, an O. Henry Award and two Pushcart Prizes. He was also shortlisted for the International Author of the Year Award in 2012. His acclaimed short-story collection \u003ci\u003eBrief Encounters with Che Guevara\u003c\/i\u003e was published in  2013. His fiction has been published in Harper's, The Paris Review, Zoetrope: All-Story and Stories from the South: The Year's Best, and his nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times among other publications. He lives in Dallas, Texas.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ebenfountain.com\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003eFiction is truer than real life in\u003ci\u003e Rasputin Swims the Potomac\u003c\/i\u003e, an audacious, rip-roaring, and terrifying good time. Don't read ABOUT this book - it will sound too crazy! Dive in and see for yourself . . . Ben Fountain is a prophet, comic genius and a master storyteller. -- MARIA SEMPLE, author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette and Go Gentle\u003cbr\u003eFountain turns this scathing satire to the most relevant story of our time: the twists and turns of American democracy as it hurtles toward authoritarianism *  * LitHub *  *\u003cbr\u003eFountain goes on to have about as much fun as you can have with the 26 letters of the alphabet . . . A comic masterpiece. The current administration is finally getting the book it deserves *  * Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review *  *\u003cbr\u003eIf you, like me, remember busting a gut and cringing in horror (sometimes within the span of the same sentence) while reading Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Fountain's astute satire of George W. Bush-era jingoism, then you'll know how ready I am for his latest, in which a truth-averse U.S. president seeks a third term with the help of a mystical pro wrestler named Rasputin. If anyone can capture the stupefying stupidity of today's politics, Fountain can -- DAVID ADAMS, Reviews Director *  * Publisher's Weekly Summer Picks *  *\u003cbr\u003eTimely and terrifying, Fountain's version of the current and potentially future state of American politics and culture is simultaneously wild and absurd yet eerily plausible -- CAROL HAGGAS *  * Booklist *  *\u003cbr\u003eA brilliant satire from Fountain. . . . More than a laugh riot, this offers an unflinching view at the bottomless depths opened by a president \"whose ego has wormholes Freud never dreamt of.\" It's a mordant and chilling portrait of a national hellscape *  * Publisher's Weekly *  *","brand":"Ben Fountain","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48979751698649,"sku":"9781837267460","price":34.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9781837267460.jpg?v=1784470233","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/rasputin-swims-the-potomac-9781837267460","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}