Brilliance: A Novel

A stylish fictionalization of the relationship between Thomas Edison and J.P. Morgan that explores the cost of genius and ambition as Edison becomes entangled in Morgan's world of power, money, and corruption

Short of money, the inventor Thomas Edison is captivated by the charismatic figure of J.P. Morgan, the “world’s banker.” Accepting Morgan’s glittering offer of almost unlimited cash in return for helping him change the way the world does business, Edison sees himself descend from being the godlike inventor of electric light to being complicit in the invention of the electric chair. Ever more enmeshed in Morgan’s personal life, he becomes infatuated by a world of privilege and power, where duty and desire, faith and immorality are thrown into conflict, ultimately threatening his own spiritual and creative survival.

Witty, magical, furious, Brilliance, Anthony McCarten’s ambitious new novel, brings to life the birth of the modern era and provides an indelible portrait of the times in which we now live.

About the Author :
ANTHONY McCARTEN is a fiction writer, playwright, and poet. His debut novel, Spinners, won international acclaim, and was followed by The English Harem, award winning Death of a Superhero, and Show of Hands, all four books being translated into fourteen languages. McCarten has also written twelve stage plays, including the worldwide success Ladies' Night, which won France's Molière Prize, the Meilleure Pièce Comique, in 2001, and Via Satellite, which he adapted into a feature film and directed, premiered at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. Also a filmmaker, he has thrice adapted his own plays or novels into feature films, most recently Death Of A Superhero (2011) which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Anthony divides his time between London and Los Angeles.

Review :

PRAISE FOR ANTHONY MCCARTEN'S WORK:
One of New Zealand's most exciting literary exports. -- International Herald Tribune
A master storyteller. -- FAZ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)

PRAISE FOR "BRILLIANCE"
Anthony McCarten's sharp, dazzling novel about the inventors and millionaires who colluded to bring electric light to the world is more than a great, entertaining read--it's also a sly, contemporary take on the complicated often corrupting effect of money, marketing, and hype on creativity. -- Karen Karbo, The Gospel According to Coco Chanel
A truly remarkable book! -- Historical Novel Society, UK
McCarten's Lively prose style is pleasure to read. -- The Times Literary Supplement
You can be sure that Brilliance will appear at a screen near you. In the meantime, read. -- E&T Magazine
A great tale, well written and...dare I say it, illuminating." -- New Zealand Listener
I really, really enjoyed this. It's a new novel from author Anthony McCarten and the first of his I've read. It's beautifully written, witty and clever and the historical element gives us a pretty decent portrait of the current economic times. It's clever, it's a page-turner, an easy read with language and prose that oozes authenticity and descriptions that delight and amuse..." -- What Sarah Reads
Did inventor Thomas Edison and banker J.P. Morgan first meet in a bath in Saratoga Springs? Did Morgan possess, indeed cultivate 'a postulated, bulbous magma of warty tissue with the texture of a cauliflower' instead of a nose? Yes and yes if New Zealand novelist, playwright and film director Anthony McCarten's affably ironic new novel is to be believed. His use of such eloquent details and imaginings add pleasing texture to the story - a parable on Wall Street's tendency to co-opt and corrupt idealism - notably in the case of Edison, whose wives used Morse Code to counter his deafness; who existed on a mono-diet of milk; ando

BRILLIANCE
Anthony McCarten's sharp, dazzling novel about the inventors and millionaires who colluded to bring electric light to the world is more than a great, entertaining read--it's also a sly, contemporary take on the complicated often corrupting effect of money, marketing, and hype on creativity. Karen Karbo, The Gospel According to Coco Chanel

A truly remarkable book! Historical Novel Society, UK
McCarten's Lively prose style is pleasure to read. --The Times Literary Supplement
You can be sure that Brilliance will appear at a screen near you. In the meantime, read. - E&T Magazine
A great tale, well written and...dare I say it, illuminating." New Zealand Listener
I really, really enjoyed this. It's a new novel from author Anthony McCarten and the first of his I've read. It's beautifully written, witty and clever and the historical element gives us a pretty decent portrait of the current economic times. It's clever, it's a page-turner, an easy read with language and prose that oozes authenticity and descriptions that delight and amuse..." What Sarah Reads
Did inventor Thomas Edison and banker J.P. Morgan first meet in a bath in Saratoga Springs? Did Morgan possess, indeed cultivate 'a postulated, bulbous magma of warty tissue with the texture of a cauliflower' instead of a nose? Yes and yes if New Zealand novelist, playwright and film director Anthony McCarten's affably ironic new novel is to be believed. His use of such eloquent details and imaginings add pleasing texture to the story - a parable on Wall Street's tendency to co-opt and corrupt idealism - notably in the case of Edison, whose wives used Morse Code to counter his deafness; who existed on a mono-diet of milk; and who often appeared blind to the creat