''Big Bang'' is a 2019 novel by American writer David Bowman, published almost seven years after his death. The introduction is by

Jonathan Lethem Jonathan Allen Lethem (; born February 19, 1964) is an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. His first novel, ''Gun, with Occasional Music'', a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, was publishe ...

and was excerpted in '' The New Yorker''. It is Bowman's fourth book and the only one not published in his lifetime. Bowman worked on it for more than a decade. Its working title was ''Tall Cool One''. The novel is set in the 1950s and early 1960s, and includes John F. Kennedy,

Norman Mailer Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, activist, filmmaker and actor. In a career spanning over six decades, Mailer ...

, Pat Nixon,

E. Howard Hunt Everette Howard Hunt Jr. (October 9, 1918 – January 23, 2007) was an American intelligence officer and author. From 1949 to 1970, Hunt served as an officer in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), particularly in the United States involvem ...

Carl Djerassi Carl Djerassi (October 29, 1923 – January 30, 2015) was an Austrian-born Bulgarian-American pharmaceutical chemist, novelist, playwright and co-founder of Djerassi Resident Artists Program with Diane Middlebrook, Diane Wood Middlebrook. He is b ...

, Marilyn Monroe, Willem de Kooning, Ngo Dinh Diem, a pre-fame

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

, Lee Radziwill, Benjamin Spock, and other politicians, writers, celebrities, and notables of the era. Bowman had referred to ''Big Bang'' as a "nonfiction novel."

Critical reception

In its review of ''Big Bang'', '' The New York Times'' called Bowman "an abundantly talented writer." ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' wrote that the book "is sui generis, the kind of novel that invents its form out of its own frenzied convocation of voices and moments: the 20th century in all its majesty and fear." Critics have compared ''Big Bang'' to Don DeLillo's ''

Libra Libra generally refers to: * Libra (constellation), a constellation * Libra (astrology), an astrological sign based on the star constellation Libra may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Libra'' (novel), a 1988 novel by Don DeLillo Musi ...

'' and '' Underworld''. DeLillo, as a young adman, appears as a character in Bowman's book.

References

Works cited

* Novels published posthumously 2019 American novels Novels about the assassination of John F. Kennedy Little, Brown and Company books {{US-novel-stub