The Fuck-Up

“A Trainspotting without drugs, New York style.”

—Hal Sirowitz, author of Mother Said

“For those who remember that the eighties were as much about destitute grit as they were about the decadent glitz described in the novels of Bret Easton Ellis and Jay McInerney, this book will come as a fast-paced reminder.”

—Time Out

“Touted as the bottled essence of early eighties East Village living, THE FUCK-UP is, refreshingly, nothing nearly so limited…. A cult favorite, I’d say it’s ready to become a legitimate religion.”

—Smug Magazine

“Having ‘grown to tolerate all of New York’s degradations,’ Arthur Nersesian’s main character is irresistibly charming, funny, and real. Nersesian’s writing, reminding me at times of John Patrick Shanley and Gogol, is beautiful, especially when it is about women and love. THE FUCK-UP is a terrific success.”

—Jennifer Belle, author of Going Down

“Not since The Catcher in the Rye, or John Knowles’ A Separate Peace, have I read such a beautifully written book…. Nersesian’s powerful, sure-footed narrative alone is so believably human in its poignancy…. Nersesian mixes ‘F’ trains, lumpy couches, SoHo lofts, dive bars, lonely divorcees, porn theaters, posh brownstones, embezzling employers, ritzy Hard Rock Cafe parties, deceitful, would-be kept starlets, bathroom-stall poetry, free Mercedes-Benzes, and even Mormons. Whew! I couldn’t put this book down.”

—Grid Magazine

“Fantastically alluring! I cannot recommend this book highly enough!”

—Flipside