''The Harder They Come'' is a novel by

T. Coraghessan Boyle Thomas Coraghessan Boyle, also known as T. C. Boyle and T. Coraghessan Boyle (born December 2, 1948), is an American novelist and short story writer. Since the mid-1970s, he has published sixteen novels and more than 100 short stories. He won the ...

published in March 2015. It is loosely based on events in the life of Aaron Bassler, who, like Adam Stensen in the novel, was for 36 days in 2011 the subject of a

manhunt Manhunt may refer to: Search processes * Manhunt (law enforcement), a search for a dangerous fugitive * Manhunt (military), a search for a high-value target by special operations forces or intelligence agencies Social organisations * Manhun ...

Mendocino County, California Mendocino County (; ''Mendocino'', Spanish language, Spanish for "of Antonio de Mendoza, Mendoza) is a County (United States), county located on the North Coast (California), North Coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United Sta ...

Plot

''The Harder They Come'' follows the unfolding relationship between Sten Stensen, his son Adam, and Adam's girlfriend Sara Hovarty Jennings in modern-day Northern California. The story alternates between their three points of view. The story begins with Sten, former Marine and Vietnam veteran, killing a mugger while on a vacation cruise in Puerto Limón (Costa Rica). The story then moves to California, where Sten is unable to understand or help his schizophrenic son, who considers himself a "mountain man" modeled on his hero

John Colter John Colter (c.1770–1775 – May 7, 1812 or November 22, 1813) was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806). Though party to one of the more famous expeditions in history, Colter is best remembered for explorations he made ...

. Meanwhile, Adam begins a relationship with Sara, a believer in the

Sovereign citizen movement The sovereign citizen movement (also SovCit movement or SovCits) is a loose grouping of litigants, activists, tax protesters, financial scheme promoters and conspiracy theorists, who claim to be answerable only to their particular interpret ...

, whom he considers to be a kindred spirit due to her own problems with the law and her professed belief in the illegitimacy of laws and law enforcement. His paranoia worsens, leading to Adam shooting two people and escaping into the mountains to avoid arrest.

Praise

Michiko Kakutani Michiko Kakutani (born January 9, 1955) is an American writer and retired literary critic, best known for reviewing books for ''The New York Times'' from 1983 to 2017. In that role, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1998. Early life ...

of the ''New York Times'' called ''The Harder They Come'' "stunning" and "a masterly — and arresting — piece of storytelling, arguably Mr. Boyle’s most powerful, kinetic novel yet". Kakutani continues, ''The Harder They Come'' reaffirms Boyle's "fascination with characters who pit themselves against their neighbors, the system and nature; freedom as both a founding principle of America — and an invitation to rebellion and self-indulgence; and the dark fallout of ideological certainty and obsession."

References

External links

* 2015 American novels Novels by T. C. Boyle Ecco Press books {{2010s-novel-stub