The Land Beyond

By Matt Rader

Tolerance and flexibility are traits unheard of by Marvin Matthews. As such, it should not be surprising that his first experience in Japan (chronicled in The Bridge Across the Pacific) was miserable-miserable due to his utter refusal to adapt to life in a different country. His terrible attitude toward all things Japanese, in fact, eventually resulted in his sacking from his job as an English instructor and his departure from the country in disgrace. Sadly, this does not prevent him from returning to Japan, this time as a high school assistant English teacher. Unfortunately, rather than learning anything from his previous experience, Marvin stubbornly adheres to his dubious set of values, which includes relentlessly demeaning anyone and anything Japanese. Worse, he develops a bad case of "My Japan," meaning that he believes himself to be the ultimate expert on all matters in the country, and he belittles those who dare offer contrary views. His objectives in Japan remain unchanged from those of his first failed venture: do as little work as possible and bask in the admiration of beautiful young Japanese women. Not surprisingly, he finds himself struggling to achieve these goals just as much as he did during his initial go in the country. In The Land Beyond, Marvin is a nastier piece of work than ever. He continues, however, to be a recognizable character. Readers are almost certain to have met a Marvin at one point or another-the person who is almost always wrong, but never doubtful, and seemingly incapable of learning from his numerous mistakes.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1470173808
• ISBN13: 9781470173807
• Release Date: March 2012
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.7" x 6.0"