Rich and Poor

Fiction. Finalist for the 2016 Quebec Writers' Federation Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction. The Globe 100: Best Books of 2016 Selection. Who hasn't, at one time or another, considered killing a billionaire? Following on the critical success of his novel POLYAMOROUS LOVE SONG (BookThug, 2014), Montreal-based writer and performer Jacob Wren picks up the mantle of the politically and economically disenfranchised in RICH AND POOR—the story of a middle-class, immigrant pianist who has fallen on hard times, and now finds himself washing dishes to make ends meet. Wren capably balances personal reflections with real-time political events, as his protagonist awakens to the possibility of a solution to his troubles and begins to formulate a plan of attack, in which the only answer is to get rid of "the 1%." RICH AND POOR is a rare work of literary fiction that cuts into the psychology of politics in ways that are off-kilter, unexpected, and unnerving. This compelling, fast-paced, and energizing read may just become the new Bible for adventure-seeking, politically active and/or interested readers who rowdily question their position among "the 99%."

"For far too long, literature has deemed it inconvenient to speak about the rich and the poor. Jacob Wren's intriguing novel calls into question this very notion. The fascinating result resides in the author's intelligent use of class struggle as a narrative principle to drive the novel. The two men, who assume the contrasting roles, have the ability to analyze their actions and the facts of all that is around them, while at the same time remaining unaware of the nature of the forces they answer to."—Sergio Chejfec