The Sacrificial Circumcision of the Bronx

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“Nersesian is this generation’s Mark Twain and the East River is his Mississippi.”—Jennifer Belle, author of High Maintenance“Nersesian is a first-rate observer of his native New York.”—Publishers Weekly"The unquestioned authority of Moses is difficult to fully grasp today -- this unimaginable, outsized character whose outrageous deeds seem the stuff of novels. And that is how Nersesian is tackling him, by blending fact with fiction. Historical events and persons are interwoven with a fascinating apocalyptic story and literary license, at last revealing the tumultuous life and legacy of Robert Moses. Faced with such a daunting subject matter and multi-volume work, Nersesian’s narrative is masterful."—Brooklyn EagleThe Sacrificial Circumcision of the Bronx is the highly anticipated follow-up to The Swing Voter of Staten Island—the first two installments in Arthur Nersesian’s series of novels offering an alternate history of New York: The Five Books of Moses.Robert Moses was responsible for creating contemporary New York’s infrastructure, but he did so at the cost of destroying neighborhoods. In this novel, Robert has looted his brother Paul’s share of the Moses family fortune, repeatedly blocked his attempts at gaining public office, thwarted his career in the private sector, and set in motion events that decimate Paul’s home life.Paul Moses’ deep-seated rage metamorphoses into an act of terrorism committed against his brother and against a city that he once cherished. Although it can be read as a stand-alone novel about Robert and Paul Moses, The Sacrificial Circumcision of the Bronx is also a memory play that follows Uli Sarkisian—the hero of The Swing Voter of Staten Island—en route to solving a massive historical crime, while desperately struggling to escape from becoming another one of its victims.Arthur Nersesian is the author of eight novels, including the smash hit The Fuck-Up (more than 100,000 copies sold), dogrun, Suicide Casanova (Akashic Books), and, most recently, The Swing Voter of Staten Island, the first volume in The Five Books of Moses series. He lives in New York City.From Publishers WeeklyThe sum is greater than the parts in Nersesian's frustrating second of a five-novel series (after The Swing Voter of Staten Island). A dual narrative charts the lives of Paul Moses and his infamous power broker brother, Robert: Paul follows his girlfriend into the Mexican revolution, and his involvement sets his life's course; his adulthood is marked by a series of setbacks stemming from his connection with the anarchist movement. Robert, meanwhile, is a mama's boy who uses family wealth and connections to begin his ascent to power. A second narrative takes place in the postapocalyptic America of The Swing Voter of Staten Island and features a former FBI agent as he tries to escape a subterranean purgatory while his mind is invaded by the memories of Paul Moses. There are some interesting elements at play, but Nersesian's prose doesn't exhibit its customary zing, and the characters never quite come alive. The novel is somewhat redeemed by the two narratives' late-book connection, but the flat nature of the bulk of the novel may prevent all but the most insistent adherents to Nersesian's dyspeptic vision from finding the experience rewarding. (Oct.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review"The unquestioned authority of Moses is difficult to fully grasp today -- this unimaginable, outsized character whose outrageous deeds seem the stuff of novels. And that is how Nersesian is tackling him, by blending fact with fiction. Historical events and persons are interwoven with a fascinating apocalyptic story and literary license, at last revealing the tumultuous life and legacy of Robert Moses. Faced with such a daunting subject matter and multi-volume work, Nersesian's narrative is masterful." --The Brooklyn Eagle, Oct. 24, 2008