The Franchiser (Dalkey Archive Essentials)

A tragicomic journey across America as one man attempts to create a fast food empire, and a legacy to leave behind.

From the prolific and peerless Stanley Elkin, The Franchiser follows Ben Flesh—one of the men “who made America look like America, who made America famous.” He collects franchises, traveling from state to state, acquiring the brand-name establishments that shape the American landscape. But both the nation and Ben are running out of energy. As blackouts roll through the West, Ben struggles with the onset of multiple sclerosis, and the growing realization that his lifetime quest to buy a name for himself has ultimately failed.