Online Poker as Self-Destruction: Alexander J Allison’s “The Prodigal” Reviewed

The Prodigal by Alexander J Allison Civil Coping Mechanisms; 190 p.  Martin, the twenty-one-year-old protagonist of Alexander J Allison’s novel The Prodigal, has much in common with many of his literary peers. He’s emotionally numb, depressed, and spends more than a little time online; he’s privileged, in a way, but would prefer not to acknowledge that. But Martin also has distinctive interests: largely, poker, both online and in situated in dimly lit London casinos. The novel’s title echoes Martin’s strained […]

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