An Unexamined Life

Gareth Young’s second novel spices up echoes of Kafka’s The Trial and Nabakov’s Lolita with a pinch of erotica as he crafts a compelling tale of the relentless and inevitable decline of a modern day Don Giovanni.

Joe Kay is released from a career that had long since lost its meaning by inheritance and seeks solace in his marriage, but when he discovers that a decade of neglect had allowed his vows to drain away he allows his libido to lead him astray. He accumulates an online roster of virtual mistresses, starts sleeping with a stripper and plays strip-Twister with a neighbor. Eventually a high school girl who frequents his favorite coffee shop and his daily fantasies exploits his clumsy infatuation and seduces Joe. Has he finally found a home for his faithless heart or would his newfound loyalty falter and lead Joe and his lovers deeper into disaster?