The Men Can't Be Saved : A Novel

“A 21st-Century Catcher in the Rye that examines the ‘genius’ worship & toxic masculinity still dominating the advertising world today. [A] muscular novel . . . startlingly funny thanks to an unforgettable narrator [with a] Jupiter-sized ego.” — ESQUIRE“A knockout . . . . Purkert chips away at the ugly, entwined hearts of masculinity & capitalism.” — THE MILLIONS, Most Anticipated Books of 2023°°°A knockout debut novel that tackles a haunting question: What do our jobs do to our souls?Seth is a junior copywriter whose latest tagline just went viral. He’s the agency’s hottest new star, or at least he wants his coworker crush to think so. But while he’s busy drooling over his future corner office, the walls crumble around him.When his job lets him go, he can’t let go of his job. Unfortunately, one former colleague can’t let him go either: Robert “Moon” McCloone, a skeezy on-the-rise exec better suited to a frat house than a boardroom. Seth tries to forget Moon & rediscover his spiritual self; he studies Kabbalah with an Orthodox rabbi by day while popping illegal prescription pills by night. But with each misstep, Seth strays farther from salvation—though he might get there, if he could only get out of his own way.In his debut novel, Purkert incisively peels back the layers of the male ego, revealing what’s rotten and what might be redeemed. Brimming with wit, irreverence, and soul-searching, The Men Can’t Be Saved is a startlingly original examination of work, sex, addiction, religion, branding, & ourselves.°°° Ben Purkert is the author of the poetry collection For the Love of Endings. His work appears in The New Yorker, the Nation, & the Kenyon Review. He is the founder of Back Draft, a Guernica interview series focused on revision & the creative process. He holds degrees from Harvard & New York University, & he currently teaches at Rutgers. Men Can’t Be Saved is his 1st novel. * A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF SUMMER 2023 * NYLON * THE MILLIONS * LITHUB * DEBUTIFUL * AND MORE! * "Blistering . . . Mad Men ambition meets an epic, existential meltdown." — VANITY FAIR, 20 Best Books of 2023 "[Purkert is] a sharply funny observer of male foibles, 20-something angst, and the modern workplace." — WASHINGTON POST "A 21st-Century Catcher in the Rye . . . startlingly funny." — ESQUIRE "I laughed more times than I can count . . . A phenomenal debut novel by one of my favorite writers." —CLINT SMITH, #1 Ne w York Times bestselling author of How the Word Is Passed A knockout debut novel that tackles a haunting question: What do our jobs do to our souls? Seth is a junior copywriter whose latest tagline just went viral. He's the agency's hottest new star, or at least he wants his coworker crush to think so. But while he's busy drooling over his future corner office, the walls crumble around him. When his job lets him go, he can't let go of his job. Unfortunately, one former colleague can't let him go either: Robert "Moon" McCloone, a skeezy on-the-rise exec better suited to a frat house than a boardroom. Seth tries to forget Moon and rediscover his spiritual self; he studies Kabbalah with an Orthodox rabbi by day while popping illegal prescription pills by night. But with each misstep, Seth strays farther from salvation—though he might get there, if he could only get out of his own way. In his debut novel, Purkert incisively peels back the layers of the male ego, revealing what's rotten and what might be redeemed. Brimming with wit, irreverence, and soul-searching, The Men Can't Be Saved is a startlingly original examination of work, sex, addiction, religion, branding, and ourselves. Now in paperback, a knockout debut novel that tackles a haunting question: What do our jobs do to our souls?“Blistering... Mad Men ambition meets an epic, existential meltdown.” —VANITY FAIR, 20 Best Books of 2023 “[Purkert is] a sharply funny observer of male foibles, twenty-something angst, and the modern workplace.” —WASHINGTON POST “A 21st-Century Catcher in the Rye... startlingly funny.” —ESQUIRE “I laughed more times than I can count... A phenomenal debut novel by one of my favorite writers.” —CLINT SMITH, #1 New York Times bestselling author of How the Word Is Passed Seth is a junior copywriter whose latest tagline just went viral. He's the agency's hottest new star, or at least he wants his coworker crush to think so. But while he's busy drooling over his future corner office, the walls crumble around him. When his job lets him go, he can't let go of his job. Unfortunately, one former colleague can't let him go either: Robert “Moon” McCloone, a skeezy on-the-rise exec better suited to a frat house than a boardroom. Seth tries to forget Moon and rediscover his spiritual self; he studies Kabbalah with an Orthodox rabbi by day while popping illegal prescription pills by night. But with each misstep, Seth strays farther from salvation—though he might get there, if he could only get out of his own way. In his debut novel, Purkert incisively peels back the layers of the male ego, revealing what's rotten and what might be redeemed. Brimming with wit, irreverence, and soul-searching, The Men Can't Be Saved is a startlingly original examination of work, sex, addiction, religion, branding, and ourselves. A knockout debut novel that tackles a haunting question: What do our jobs do to our souls? Seth is a junior copywriter whose latest tagline just went viral. Hes the agencys hottest new star, or at least he wants his coworker crush to think so. But while hes busy drooling over his future corner office, the walls crumble around him. When his job lets him go, he cant let go of his job. Thankfully, one former colleague cant let him go either: Robert Moon McCloone, a skeezy on-the-rise exec better suited to a frat house than a boardroom. Seth tries to forget Moon and rediscover his spiritual self; he studies Kabbalah with an Orthodox rabbi by day while popping illegal prescription pills by night. But with each misstep, Seth strays farther from salvationthough he might get there, if he could only get out of his own way. In his debut novel, Purkert incisively peels back the layers of the male ego, revealing whats rotten and what might be redeemed. Brimming with wit, irreverence, and soul-searching, The Men Cant Be Saved is a startlingly original examination of work, sex, addiction, religion, branding, and ourselves. “I laughed more times than I can count . . . A phenomenal debut novel by one of my favorite writers.” —CLINT SMITH “Nails down the hypocrisies of modern masculinity and capitalism with the graceful hand of poet.” —ALEXANDRA KLEEMAN “Purkert’s writing is a gift and it shines through these pages.” —HANIF ABDURRAQIB    A knockout debut novel that tackles a haunting question: What do our jobs do to our souls?       Seth is a junior copywriter whose latest tagline just went viral. He’s the agency’s hottest new star, or at least he wants his coworker crush to think so. But while he’s busy drooling over his future corner office, the walls crumble around him.    When his job lets him go, he can’t let go of his job. Thankfully, one former colleague can’t let him go either: Robert “Moon” McCloone, a skeezy on-the-rise exec better suited to a frat house than a boardroom....