SKU: 68767938246

The Californians

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The Californians"The Californians is an absolute pleasure from end to end, a thrilling, century spanning, wholly American tale of art and money, family and land, treasure and time. A brilliant read for fans of Anthony Doerr, Dana Spiotta, and Don DeLillo." Matt Bell, author of Appleseed For fans of Trust and North Woods, a daring novel that spans 100 years of American history, from the early days of cinema to the rise of digital community art, about parents and

"The Californians is an absolute pleasure from end to end, a thrilling, century-spanning, wholly American tale of art and money, family and land, treasure and time....A brilliant read for fans of Anthony Doerr, Dana Spiotta, and Don DeLillo."--Matt Bell, author of Appleseed

For fans of Trust and North Woods, a daring novel that spans 100 years of American history, from the early days of cinema to the rise of digital community art, about parents and children, the drive to create even in times of crisis, and the inheritance of grand western dreams.

It's 2024, and Tobey Harlan--college dropout, temporary waiter, recently dumped--steals from the wall of his father's house three paintings by the venerated and controversial artist Di Stiegl. Tobey's just lost everything he owns to a Northern California wildfire, and if he can sell the paintings (albeit in a shady way to a notorious tech bro) he can start life anew in a place no one will ever find him. It's a risky move, but his father barely seems to like them--as long as Tobey can remember the artworks lived in the shadows of a hallway or partially obscured by furniture. Still, Di Stiegl has always been a touchy subject in his household, and he doesn't quite know why.

A hundred years before, Klaus Aaronsohn--German-Jewish immigrant, resident of the Lower East Side--inveigles his way into a film studio in Astoria, Queens. In love with silent cinema, Klaus will restyle himself Klaus von Stiegl, a mysterious aristocratic German film director. In true Hollywood fashion, he will court fame, fortune, romance, and betrayal, and end his career directing Brackett: a radical, notorious 60s-era detective show.

Weaving between them is the story of Diane "Di" Stiegl: Klaus's granddaughter and the woman whose art seems to haunt Tobey's father, who claws out a career as an artist in gritty 1980s NYC. As America yields the presidency to a Hollywood cowboy, as Diane's grifter father and free-spirited mother circle in and out of her life, Diane will reflect America's most urgent and hypocritical years back to itself, uneasily finding critical adoration as well as great fame and wealth.

A dazzling novel for readers of Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter and The Candy House by Jennifer Egan, The Californians is an ambitious and sweeping journey across a century. Nuanced and textured, gloriously funny, a critical portrait of the collective American consciousness that has brought us to today, it showcases Brian Castleberry as an inventive, stylish storyteller and a sharp observer of the human condition.



Author: Brian Castleberry
Publisher: Mariner Books
Published: 03/11/2025
Pages: 384
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 1.30d
ISBN: 9780063213333


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 10/01/2024 pg. 2
Publishers Weekly 01/06/2025
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2025
Booklist 02/01/2025 pg. 46

About the Author
Castleberry, Brian: -

Brian Castleberry's first novel, Nine Shiny Objects, was a New York Times Editor's Choice selection and was longlisted for the PEN/Faulkner Award. His other work has been published in the Southern Review, Narrative, LitHub, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere.

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4.5 ★★★★★
Based on 15 reviews
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Ryan of the East Coast
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
Source material for Nolan's trilogy is powerful writing and art...
Format: Paperback
The Long Halloween is great, but I actually had more fun reading through Dark Victory. It's a crime mystery that consistently had me guessing through to the conclusion about who The Hangman's true identity was. What I really loved most was the evolution of the characters' personalities--from Jim Gordon to Harvey Dent to Bruce (who really is more in his iconic "Batman" persona here)--that began in Batman: Year One to Batman: The Long Halloween and into Batman: Dark Victory. It really does work like a trilogy. It's also notable to include Gotham city's underworld itself as a character of its own. Batman begins (pardon the pun) in Year One with a quest to sort of rid the city of the mafia, which is and has been the main criminal body up until this point. In The Long Halloween, the mafia begins to lose power because of the rise of the Batman's presence. During that time, some of the most insane and dangerous criminals escape Arkham Asylum and begin quietly terrorizing the city anew, spreading like a virus. Slowly, the "freaks"--as the mafia calls them--start to gain more and more power by simply being a more unorganized crime source (as opposed to organized crime). Characters like Pamela Isley, Solomon Grundy, Mr. Freeze, the Penguin, Scarecrow, the Joker, and others, establish and strengthen their grips on Gotham's criminal underworld. It's nice that these villains--these "freaks"--also aren't the main conflict in Dark Victory (or The Long Halloween or Year One, for that matter); they appear when it is effective for them to appear, slowly taking more prominence in the setting of the story as it progresses. The main conflict has to deal with the solving of the mysteries behind The Hangman killings. The Long Halloween and Dark Victory are, primarily, crime mysteries, which is what makes them interesting. What makes them great literature, however, is the creative team that is Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. Loeb's writing is really well-crafted here: the entire arc unfolds at a consistent pace and he balances out dialogue with Batman's internal narration very smoothly. And, as I mentioned previously, personality and narrative arcs of the main characters (Gordon, Batman, and Dent) have fully matured by this point in the trilogy, leaving the supporting characters a chance to evolve and come into their own. Much of these progressions are not just depicted by the writing, however; Tim Sale (who worked previously with Loeb on The Long Halloween) elevates and perfects his artwork in this story. There's not a change in the look of the characters, so you know it's definitely his style, but you sense immediately (especially if reading Dark Victory right after finishing The Long Halloween) the new level of attention paid to composition of the drawings. Shadows and silhouettes, contrasts between setting and characters, everything adds to the mood and atmosphere of the characters and the scenes they're a part of. In terms of the print itself, the paperback is excellent. This and The Long Halloween have really nice paper, which I'll catch myself sometimes randomly sniffing in the middle of a read to enjoy the new paper smell. The ink is really crisp, the colors pop, and the design of the book itself is laid out very clearly. There aren't page numbers or a contents page, but every issue is separated by chapter pages that include gorgeous, high-contrast artwork to help distinguish which issue you're on. Additionally, the print comes with an introduction by David S. Goyer, who co-wrote the Nolan film trilogy. Overall, I can't stress enough how gorgeous this trade paperback is and how excellent and top-tier this story arc is. I really enjoyed it just as much, if not more so, then The Long Halloween. No other Batman story arc has topped my enjoyment of this particular trilogy. Highly recommended in addition to Batman: Year One and Batman: The Long Halloween.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2019
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Kris
Alexandria, US
★★★★★ 5
I love this comic book!
Format: Paperback, Format: Paperback
I love DC comics and obviously the Batfam are some of the most well known and loved characters within the DC universe. I love the art style and story in this comic. If you are debating whether or not to purchase this comic, DO IT!
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Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2025
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Alex Lamberd
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
One of the best Bat stories that I've read.
Format: Paperback
Coming off from The Long Halloween, Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale give us the sequel to their popular story tale in which we see Batman go at it with another year long mystery, while also giving us an origin story for the first Robin, Dick Grayson. After reading this book, I have come away having with even more love of the Dark Knight's mythology, while coming to see this as my favorite Batman story that I have read, even if it doesn't stand as well on its own. ON the narrative side of things, Loeb delivers a story fairly similar to the one he gave in The Long Halloween, though I feel this one is a bit more polished than Halloween was. Some have said that the retreading of plot structure have limited the way Loeb's later works are read, but I myself have no problem with it (for the most part), Loeb manages to do enough differently that you don't feel like you're reading the exact same story. The real big negative I'd have to give this graphic novel is that it really doesn't stand as well by itself than if you had read The Long Halloween. While I myself read that story before coming in to this one, I did see many connections that I would assume would through off any newcomers who hadn't read the prior story. But I will say that this is the story that had me invested the most emotionally. Without giving away any spoilers, that last page in the novel gave me such a cathartic experience that I really came to appreciate certain aspects of the Dark Knight's mythology, and how themes of loneliness were touched upon in a very genuine way. Looking at the art for the novel, Sale's work has improved much from The Long Halloween. I always mention in reviews concerning Sale that I was originally not a fan of his art, but after going through his work, you can't help but admire the level skill he manages to put in his drawings. There is a very big noir feeling in this novel (a plus for ) that is just delivered so well that any preferences in art I may have against Sale are put away in admiring the way he plays with lighting in the story. My biggest complaint for the art, which is a more of a personal thing really, is that I do not like the "pixie" costume they gave Robin (which is his default costume that many would associate him with). I have never really liked this costume, probably never will, but again, this is just me. Overall, I would say I really enjoyed the novel and would have to recommend it to any fans of the Batman (although I'd make sure you have read The Long Halloween first). This has come to be one of my most favorited Batman stories I've read, and I hope others will receive the same level of satisfaction that I have.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2014
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Logan Fogg
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
MUST READ
Format: Kindle
Best Batman! This and the long Halloween are peak! Listening and reading the dc high vol on spotify is amazing
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Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2025
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Harrison Nowak
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 4
Good sequel but not as good as the original.
Format: Paperback
Pretty good read only down side is it doesn’t quite live up to Long Halloween.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2026

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