Death of the Great Man: A Novel

When Peter D. Kramer wrote about his work with psychiatric patients in books like Listening to Prozac and Should You Leave?, Joyce Carol Oates said, "e;To read his prose on virtually any subject is to be provoked, enthralled, illuminated."e; When Kramer switched to fiction, Publishers Weekly wrote, "e;The depth, quality, and ambition of Kramer's prose will surprise those expecting a superficial crossover effort."e;In his new novel, Death of the Great Man, Kramer uses those literary skills to introduce readers to an unforgettable character, Henry Farber, a well-meaning psychiatrist forced into hiding when the nation's chief executive-a narcissistic autocrat in his disastrous second term-is found dead on the consulting room couch. From an isolated bungalow, Farber sets out to clear his name while offering an intimate view of a flawed populist leader. What begins as comic mystery and political satire matures into a moving journey of self-exploration and a commentary on the fate of truth-telling in an era when lying has become a norm in public life.