New Jersey author J.C. Mercer makes his literary debut with MAYS LANDING – a very strong start for a new author. J.C. earned his BA from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and his MFA from Columbia University in New York.
Mercer takes on vey risky subject matter for a debut novel – suicide, mental illness, drugs, homelessness, the alienation of certain group of people and the emotional and physical price resulting from not being part of ‘the world as we live it’. But his writing technique is so secure that he walks through all this material and makes us more sensitive and understanding of these exceptions to normalcy.
Listen to the magic of how he brings us into this strange world, from the opening of his book: ‘The nurse told me I had been dead for over four minutes. As a third-year medical school dropout, I feel fairly qualified to state categorically what a crock of s**t that is. Even after “clinical death,” typically defined by the cessation of vital functions such as heartbeat and respiration, brain death doesn’t usually occur for a good five or six minutes later, when the brain runs out of oxygen and becomes irreversibly damaged. In truth, the exact moment of death is somewhat arbitrary and basically occurs when in the opinion of the attending physician there is nothing left that can be done to revive the patient and the pronouncement of death is made, along with the current local time, which then goes on the official death certificate. Doctors love to perpetuate tales about bringing patients “back from the dead” to elevate their self-perceived godlike status, as if those present in the Bellevue Hospital emergency room on Manhattan's East Side that rainy autumn evening were witnesses to some divine miracle. Likewise for all those so-called out-of-body and near death experiences you may have heard about, such as feelings of euphoria, walking through a tunnel toward a bright light, or visions of your grandparents or favorite uncle beckoning you to join them in the afterlife. Spiritually reassuring no doubt, but all with very earthly scientific explanations.’
The author offers a very fine synopsis: 'Parkhill Mays is a third-year medical school dropout from a prestigious university who wakes up from a failed suicide attempt in Bellevue Hospital in New York City. There he meets T-Bone, a self-described "human lab rat" who takes the vulnerable Mays under his wing. Living beneath the streets of the city they make ends meet selling sperm and other body parts and as paid participants for product and pharmaceutical trials, culminating with an extended Phase III clinical trial for a new anti-depressant wonder drug. We gradually learn more about Mays' mental illness and the reasons behind his suicide attempt as he struggles to find a place between his new underground existence and the "topside" world he left, finding love and fighting his own inner demons in his quest for peace and meaning in his life.’
Writing of this quality is a signal to take heed – there is an important voice rising among us. Grady Harp, April 16
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Mays Landing Kindle Edition
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Parkhill Mays is a third-year medical school dropout from a prestigious university who wakes up from a failed suicide attempt in Bellevue Hospital in New York City. There he meets T-Bone, a self-described "human lab rat" who takes the vulnerable Mays under his wing. Living beneath the streets of the city they make ends meet selling sperm and other body parts and as paid participants for product and pharmaceutical trials, culminating with an extended Phase III clinical trial for a new anti-depressant wonder drug. We gradually learn more about Mays' mental illness and the reasons behind his suicide attempt as he struggles to find a place between his new underground existence and the "topside" world he left, finding love and fighting his own inner demons in his quest for peace and meaning in his life.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateMarch 28 2016
- File size746 KB
Product details
- ASIN : B01DKVYI9O
- Publisher : J.C. Mercer (March 28 2016)
- Language : English
- File size : 746 KB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 285 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 0997453028
- Customer Reviews:
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Customer reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
16 global ratings
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Top reviews from other countries
- LucidityReviewed in the United States on April 6, 2016
4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly different and well-written
Verified Purchase“Mays Landing” is by far one of the most original and intriguing reads that I’ve read in the past few months and even though this type of book is far from the kind of books that I usually find myself reading, I am still ultimately quite impressed and glad that I had a chance to read it.
I dare not give away any spoilers, and I think the book summary does a great job of setting up the premise and giving readers some clues as what to expect, so I will end this review based on my own personal interpretation of the story.
I consider the read to be a very raw, emotional and even gritty book yet there’s also another side to that; many of the scenes are built upon a dark and gloomy foundation, but I ultimately consider the read to have a bit of an uplifting and even thought-provoking feel simply because I look at it as a person’s journey of introspection and the search for self-redemption. I’m not entirely sure whether that is what the author was aiming at, but either way it certainly had me thinking deeply and even caused me to become a bit emotionally involved in certain scenes. - and even left me with some thoughts to ponder upon after I finished the book. I had to give a few pages a re-read to fully understand what the author was trying to express, but other than that, I think the overall read is well-refined and of a high quality.
- SEBReviewed in the United States on April 22, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Stark, Dark, Gritty and Great!
Verified PurchaseWe first meet Mays Landing’s main character, Parkhill Mays in Bellevue Hospital after a failed suicide attempt. His hospital roommate T-Bone convinces him to flee from the hospital and quickly introduces Mays to life underneath NYC’s subway system. T-Bone shows Mays how to make quick cash by donating sperm and signing up for clinical trials and product testing. Along the way, they meet other homeless, mentally ill and broken people living painful lives of despair and uncertainty.
Mays Landing is without a doubt one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. As a former resident of NYC I was well aware of the huge homeless population, but I'm embarrassed to say that I didn’t give it a lot of thought at the time. It was just there…in the background. J. C. Mercer has taken this heartbreaking subject and brought it front and center. And it’s not a pleasant look. Yet, although the topic is a difficult one, it’s an extremely important one. Mental illness has increased to staggering proportions in the U.S., yet it still often goes ignored, undiagnosed and untreated. A shameful commentary on our government and society as a whole. Our returning veterans? Don’t get me started!
Mercer’s writing is engaging and incredibly descriptive. Although the plot is most definitely dark, gritty and at times violent, I breezed through Mays Landing in a day since the subject matter and writing style compelled me to do so easily. I see many more books coming from this author in the future.
Whether you take away a cautionary tale of what life might very well look like for many of us in the coming years, the shocking role that Big Pharma plays in our lives or a glimpse at life through the eyes of one incredibly damaged young man, you’ll appreciate what the author has done in this book.
- quirruReviewed in the United States on April 27, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars An unusual story of introspection after hitting ground 0.
Verified PurchaseMays Landing by J.C. Mercer is a book that tells the dark story of a previous medical student that has a suicide attempt and how his life turn to be after getting interned at a mental hospital. He makes connection with another inmate that is used to live on the street of New York City, and the novel develops in how many things they have to do to be able to survive including getting involved in medical trials to try new medicines. In this case, they are trying an anti-depressant drug that you may think will take them out of their mental illness. The main character named Parkhill Mays, lives a journey of introspection and darkness all explained as the “underground” life he is living, but that makes you think about the mental state all of the time, how to regain hope after being in ground 0. Absorbing story; with many twist and dark humor.
- LHarrisonReviewed in the United States on April 6, 2016
4.0 out of 5 stars Unexpected Twists!!
Verified PurchaseI was hooked by the first chapter and didn’t want to get off this fantastic ride until it ended. This author has done an outstanding job of creating his characters to make them seem very real to his readers, like a fly on the wall watching every twist and turn I literally couldn’t put this book down. You may think you know what’s going to happen next but think again, this story will bend and sculpt your mind right to the bitter end. Kudos JC Mercer, Well Done!!!