Fast

by Stephen F. Cea

Overview

Its a fact: no mans story begins or ends with his birth and eventual death. Thats just the span of a lifetime. A mans story begins with the commingled influences of the past and ends with the effects of his existence on the future. While sitting in his prison cell contemplating life, a man considers the events that led him astray. Those events span a forty-year period, starting with early childhood into the present day. In a way, this mans story is a dark coming of age narrative that may or may not have a happy ending. Fast is a modern interpretation of Faust, except that instead of the hoofed personification of evil, it is modern society itself that beguiles the protagonist. People react to their particular realities in a manner characterized by Sartre as Being-in-Itself because they dont have time to reflect on their decisions, instead of by Being-for-Itself, which requires a conscious evaluation before making those determinations. In other words, it can be a moments hesitation that leads to the decimation of our souls. Which path would you choose: damnation or salvation? What if you unknowingly already made your choice years ago?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781532035012
Publisher:	iUniverse, Incorporated
Publication date:	02/17/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	526 KB

About the Author

Stephen F. Cea was born and raised in New York City. He received a bachelor of arts in English and political science from St. Johns University. He later moved to the suburbs of central New Jersey where he attended Seton Hall Law School. He practiced law in the private sector for twenty years before deciding to start a new career in the public sector.

Editorial Reviews

2018-08-21

A boy growing up in New York City becomes riven between good and evil in this debut coming-of-age novel.

The story opens with the unnamed narrator as an infant, timid in nature and emotionally attached to his teddy bear. His father is quite the opposite. Recently released from prison and the son of an Italian immigrant prizefighter, he is tender toward his family but has a brutal temper when crossed by others. When the narrator is being bullied at school, a man in a red sweat suit arrives, douses the culprit in gasoline, and threatens to torch him. The narrator suspects that the "red stranger" is connected to his father, and his innocence begins to slowly recede. After developing a proclivity to play truant from high school, the narrator has a chance encounter with his teacher Delbar Pahlavi, who introduces him to the joys of classic literature. The narrator's family moves to New Jersey, where he adapts to suburbia; finds a girl, Alex; and, in time, becomes an attorney. It is at this point in his life that the "red stranger" returns, offering the possibility of great wealth, to be accrued from fixing horse races. The lure of the dark side is devilishly tempting. Cea offers a contemporary take on the classic German Faust legend, in which a demon lures the dissatisfied protagonist into temptation. This is intelligent, weighty writing. When describing his grandfather, the narrator notes: "He wasn't courageous, just fearless. His demeanor was of a quiet confidence. Some people may have mistaken him for complacent. That wasn't it either. He was just satisfied with the way his life turned out, and completely happy." The portrait is followed by a pleasingly serene account of the family making wine together. These tender observations are counterbalanced by searingly pitiless passages, as when the narrator's father urinates on a corpse, commenting: "I told him I was going to piss on his grave. I'm just saving myself the trip." Cea proves expert in celebrating and berating the cult of masculinity in equal measure. On occasion, the author shoehorns in a philosophical debate, such as a protracted conversation between a priest and a physicist regarding Creation. Although engaging, this is somewhat incongruous to the developing narrative. But this proves only a minor distraction from a thoroughly engrossing novel.

Vivid storytelling in a Faustian tale, with a few meanderings.

Kirkus Reviews