Adam Gordon is a brilliant yet deeply unreliable young American poet on a prestigious fellowship in Madrid, grappling with his identity and artistic purpose. Sustained by strong coffee and self-prescribed tranquilizers, his so-called “research” soon evolves into a restless meditation on authenticity—what it means, whether it’s possible, and whether he possesses any himself.
As Adam stumbles through social encounters and literary obligations, he becomes increasingly aware of the distance between himself and the world around him. It's not just his shaky Spanish—it’s the growing suspicion that his relationships, reactions, and even his poetry may all be acts of performance.
Wickedly funny and incisively written, Leaving the Atocha Station is one of the most acclaimed debut novels of recent years: a brilliant, searching exploration of art, self-deception, and the creative impulse.
“Packed full of gags… Intensely and unusually brilliant.”
Geoff Dyer, Observer
Physical Info:5.08 x 0.39 x 7.80 inches | 192 Pages | Paperback
Granta Books