In a malarial outpost in the South American rain forest, two misplaced gringos converge and clash in this novel from the National Book Award-winning author. Martin Quarrier has come to convert the elusive Niaruna Indians to his brand of Christianity. Lewis Moon, a stateless mercenary who is himself part Indian, has come to kill them on the behalf of the local comandante. Out of this struggle Peter Matthiessen creates an electrifying moral thriller—adapted into a movie starring John Lithgow, Kathy Bates, and Tom Waits. A novel of Conradian richness, At Play in the Fields of the Lord explores both the varieties of spiritual experience and the politics of cultural genocide.
“Inventive and extremely well-written. . . . Incredibly moving. . . . A remarkable performance.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“Matthiessen has produced, in expertly crafted and sometimes deeply affecting prose, an entertainment full of glittering color, nose-to-nose conflict and heroic gestures.” —The Washington Post Book World
“A work approaching the highest art, of the most serious purpose.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“A haunting novel. . . . A sardonic wit and a huge fund of compassion illuminate its pages.” —Newsday
“A brutal yet compassionate narrative . . . that will remain long in the reader’s mind.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune
In a malarial outpost in the South American rain forest, two misplaced gringos converge and clash in this novel from the National Book Award-winning author. Martin Quarrier has come to convert the elusive Niaruna Indians to his brand of Christianity. Lewis Moon, a stateless mercenary who is himself part Indian, has come to kill them on the behalf of the local comandante. Out of this struggle Peter Matthiessen creates an electrifying moral thriller—adapted into a movie starring John Lithgow, Kathy Bates, and Tom Waits. A novel of Conradian richness, At Play in the Fields of the Lord explores both the varieties of spiritual experience and the politics of cultural genocide.
Praise
“Inventive and extremely well-written. . . . Incredibly moving. . . . A remarkable performance.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“Matthiessen has produced, in expertly crafted and sometimes deeply affecting prose, an entertainment full of glittering color, nose-to-nose conflict and heroic gestures.” —The Washington Post Book World
“A work approaching the highest art, of the most serious purpose.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“A haunting novel. . . . A sardonic wit and a huge fund of compassion illuminate its pages.” —Newsday
“A brutal yet compassionate narrative . . . that will remain long in the reader’s mind.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune
