Glyph - Paperback

by Percival Everett (Author)

In paperback for the first time, the much-beloved satirical novel The New York Times praised as "both a treatise and a romp"


Baby Ralph has ways to pass the time in his crib--but they don't include staring at a mobile. Aided by his mother, he reads voraciously: "All of Swift, all of Sterne, Invisible Man, Baldwin, Joyce, Balzac, Auden, Roethke," along with a generous helping of philosophy, semiotics, and trashy thrillers. He's also fond of writing poems and stories (in crayon). But Ralph has limits. He's mute by choice and can't drive, so in his own estimation he's not a genius. Unfortunately for him, everyone else disagrees. His psychiatrist kidnaps him for testing, and once his brilliance is quantified (IQ: 475), a Pentagon officer also abducts him. Diabolically funny and lacerating in its critique of poststructuralism, Glyph has the feverish plot of a thriller and the philosophical depth of a text by Roland Barthes. If anyone can map the wilds of literary theory, it's Ralph, one of Percival Everett's most enduring creations.

Front Jacket

With this wildly inventive new novel, Percival Everett has created his unlikeliest hero to date. Mute by choice, and able to read complex philosophical treatises and compose passable short stories while still in the crib, baby Ralph does not consider himself a genius-- because he is unable to drive. Plenty of others, however, want a stake in this precocious child prodigy. Among the most fiendish are Dr. Steimmel, the psychiatrist to whom his bewildered parents first take him, and her assistant Boris; Dr. Davis and her illegal chimps; and not-so-sweet Nanna, the secret agent. All have plans for Ralph, and no one wants to share the poor infant who misses his mother and does not take kindly to his new role as "Defense Stealth Operative." Throughout the ensuing nation-wide chase of which he is the center, Ralph ponders on the theories of literary form-- and comes to some surprising conclusions of his own that perhaps only a baby could dream up.A narrative to question narrative, a highly original analysis of analysis, Everett's tour de farce prompts one to acknowledge that his is the true genius.[Image]Pictured above, Percival and his mule, Thelonious Monk.Percival Everett is the author of 12 other books, including "Watershed," "Frenzy," and" Big Picture," He teaches at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Back Jacket

Praise for "Glyph"
Carol Muske-Dukes ""Glyph" is an answer-- and an antidote-- to not only what ails the Academy, but what ails a society without the self-knowledge to satirize itself. Percival Everett's infant genius protagonist vaults out of the playpen like Voltaire in flaming diapers-- to dispatch Theory's charlatans, kidnappers and con men in this brilliantly, wildly parodic romp. Deconstruct THIS!!!"
Terry McMillan "I think Percival Everett is a genius. I've been a fan since his first novel. He continues to amaze me with each novel-- as if he likes making 90 degree turns to see what's around the corner, and then over the edge. I think he has a following, but not large enough. He's a brilliant writer and so damn smart I envy him."

Author Biography

Percival Everett is the author of more than twenty books. He is the recipient of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and the PEN Center USA Award for Fiction. He teaches at the University of Southern California and lives outside Los Angeles.