Call Me Stan is a ludicrous epic and a tender-hearted romp—an easy-reading humanist adventure that feels as if Monty Python rewrote Virginia Woolf's Orlando.
— Sean Michaels, author of The Wagers and Giller Prize-winner Us Conductors.
"Stan is a tour de force, a rich and vibrant novel that marries deep history, character, and perspective to give us a new view of the world and how we can live in it. And it accomplishes these deep intricacies with a narrative so engaging, characters so 'relatable,' while being so different that we feel our good fortune in encountering it. By opening a window on history, Wilson opens a window on ourselves - our assumptions about the world and how we, as human beings, might choose to live in it. Only a perspective like Stan’s can reveal for us the possibilities when we let go of our assumptions." — Laura McRae, author of Distributaries and Were There Gazelle
NEW - YouTube review on A Novel Review Podcast, September 2024
"Absolutely LOVED this book! Witty and heart-wrenching, Call Me Stan is a masterfully written piece of magic realism with a singular spin on the immortal narrative. ... From the first page, I was hooked. Stan is an irreverent, relatable, and irresistibly complex narrator. ... Through his exceptional rendering of Stan and attention to the minutiae of historic detail, Wilson creates an intimacy, immediacy, and electricity that followed me around even when I wasn't engrossed in the time-melt of his book. Absolutely recommend!"
Hollay Ghadery, author of Fuse, on Goodreads and Instagram, January 2021.
"I loved this book and can truly say that once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down. In fact, I was thrilled when I got to the end of the book and read in the author's bio that he is working on a sequel. ... The book is funny but is threaded with loss and tragedy. The writing is snappy and the plot is well-paced. All the historical details seem deeply researched and thoughtfully arranged. In its scope, it reminds me of Gore Vidal's "Creation" ... All in all, I highly recommend this for anyone who likes historical fiction that is serious but doesn't take itself too seriously."
Matthew Sullivan, author of The Garden of Flowers and Weeds, on Goodreads, June 2022.
"Wilson has applied his sharp wit and impressive grasp of socio-cultural history and human behaviour to frame this entertaining tale. ... How Stan actively chooses to engage with the world around him is, in part, the brilliance of the book. Tongue-in-cheek asides, such as Stan’s disappointment when he realizes that he somehow missed “the Fall of the Roman Empire” ... are both droll and waggish. But there are also moments of tenderness ... in addition to moral quandaries positioned to provoke thought about such things as politics, power and antisemitism. This is a clever and incredible book by a provocative and gifted writer."
Lucy E. M Black, author of Stella's Carpet, The Marzipan Fruit Basket, and Eleanor Courtown, on Goodreads, June 2022.
"Probably one of the most surprising books I've ever read. When I pick up a book that is 400 pages, I always think, phew, this is going to take a while, but was I ever wrong! This was the most fun read. It made me think and it made me laugh and I am so excited to talk about it."
Alison Gadsby, host of Junction Reads, on Instagram, June 2022.
"Guernica Literary Prize winner K. R. Wilson's sophomore novel Call Me Stan: A Tragedy in Three Millennia is as ambitious as it is memorable, following the titular hero through centuries of history. ... At its core, Call Me Stan also explores its hero's mixed blessing, which trades life everlasting for constant chance and the inevitable loss of everyone he connects with."
Introduction to Open Book author interview, January 2021.
"Wilson's (An Idea About My Dead Uncle) latest is great for readers of historical fiction, especially ancient military fiction, or those who prefer character driven stories. Good for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Ken Follett, and Robert Harris."
Library Journal review by Elizabeth Masterson, September 2021
"I thoroughly enjoyed every journey ..."
Historical Novel Society review by Katie Stine, November 2021.
"[A]n epic, fascinating read."
Wayne Ng, author of Letters from Johnny