Lightning on the Sun: A Novel
Lightning on the Sun: A Novel by Robert Bingham, published by Doubleday on April 18, 2000, is a compelling narrative that follows Asher, a man in dire straits in Phnom Penh. Facing a lack of work in UNESCO monument preservation and struggling both spiritually and financially, Asher turns to the local heroin trade, enlisting the help of journalist Reese and his former love, Julie. The story unfolds as they attempt to transport drugs to New York, where demand is high, but unforeseen complications arise when Julie decides to take matters into her own hands.
Readers will find a richly woven tale that explores themes of psychological tension and moral ambiguity against the backdrop of diverse settings, from the chaotic streets of Phnom Penh to the vibrant nightlife of New York. The novel delves into the lives of its flawed characters, capturing their desperation and the dangerous choices they make. With 304 pages of intricate plotting and vivid descriptions, this first edition presents a unique blend of psychological fiction and general narrative, reflecting the complexities of modern life and the consequences of ambition and desire.
Official synopsis Publisher
Asher is in trouble. He’s washed up in Phnom Penh, the UNESCO monument-preservation work has dried up, and he’s at the end of his spiritual and financial ropes. But highest-quality heroin is wonderfully cheap in this dangerous and corrupt part of the world.
So with funds borrowed from the loan-sharking massage parlor owner Mr. Hawk and the aid of journalist and “citizen” Reese as an unwitting mule, he plans to move some weight to New York, where supply will happily meet demand.
His partner in this plan is Julie, his once and future love, a beautiful Harvard-educated dabbler in trendy nihilism and fashionable marginalization, currently working behind the bar at Stopless, a downtown strip club. It’s all been carefully worked out, but when Julie decides to improvise, the plans swiftly and dangerously unravel in ways that will put the lives of these three complexly flawed young Americans in mortal danger.
Robert Bingham’s Lightning on the Sun is a beautifully plotted and written novel with the fast-paced suspense of a thriller and the moral resonance and exotic setting of one of Graham Greene’s classic works. The novel’s sense of place, whether steamy Phnom Penh or bustling New York or a leafy New England prep school, is unerring, as is its sense of postmodern moral compromise and the disillusioning ways of the world. It offers an exhilarating read; the literary legacy of one of his generation’s most gifted writers.
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