The Easy Way Out

There is plenty to mull over in this challenging and topical story by a talented and thoughtful writer. - Books + Publishing

Steven Amsterdam has certainly not taken the easy way out with his new work of literary fiction. The author of What the Family Needed and Things We Didn’t See Coming has taken a long and unflinching look at one of the most important issues for us as human beings; how will we deal with our own death? As a palliative care worker Amsterdam has had to face death many times, this experience radiates off the page of this astonishing novel which looks unflinchingly at the issue of terminally ill patients choosing how and when they will die. There are many voices discussing euthanasia today but very few do it with the light touch that Amsterdam brings to his work. The characters in “The Easy Way Out” are complex and fragile. The narrative dances between humour and pathos never lingering too long in either camp. Heartbreaking, funny, life-changing and sexy. This book raises important questions that we must all one day face and it does it without a hint of sentimentality. This is a book I wish I had written, a book I urge everyone to read. - Krissy Kneen, author of AFFECTION, TRIPTYCH and STEEPLECHASE

In this captivating novel, Steven Amsterdam explores the philosophical complexity of end-of-life choice without ever losing the urgency of an absorbing plot. The Easy Way Out is written with insight, humor, and brio. - ANDREW SOLOMON award winning author of FAR FROM THE TREE, THE NOONDAY DEMON and THE RECKONING

Amsterdam is so damn good. He is up there with the best, Delillo and the like, original as Tsolkias, but most importantly he is a master storyteller in his own right, assured and compelling, he somehow articulates things you know deep down but never been able to put your finger on. I never want to stop reading him. - ANNA KRIEN - bestselling author of NIGHT GAMES, INTO THE WOODS and US and THEM

Although it may not seem so at first, Steven Amsterdam’s third novel illustrates yet again his ability to mingle relatable human drama with mild speculative themes.

The dramatic pivot of the novel arrives when the moral and ethical waters become muddied for Evan. A turning point comes for the nurse, who begins to understand that he is capable of providing a deeper, in his eyes, more humane form of advocacy.

The Easy Way Out is a perfect storm of a novel. Superbly written and instantly engaging, with great characters and a killer (excuse the pun) premise, it also benefits from a fascinating real-world hook: Amsterdam has been employed for many years as a palliative-care nurse. - Sydney Morning Herald