title: The Best of Youth: A Novel
author:  Michael Dahlie 
description: Dahlie spins a strange tale of a sensitive and bright but naive young man who is drifting in life. After his parents untimely death, Henry Lang inherits $15 million. Financially set, Henry struggles with social and romantic interactions. He is a writer, trying to live an ideal young persons life in New York City, but things arent quite falling into place for him. Henrys navet gets him into a few unfortunate but amusing scenes, one with some extremely costly goats and another involving transportation of firearms. These lighter events are counterbalanced by the quiet depression that permeates the first half of the novel. The pace of the story picks up substantially in the second half, as Henry contracts to ghostwrite a young-adult novel for an unstable, drug-addicted actor. This peculiar partnership sets in motion a series of calamitous events that ultimately push Henry into action. Along the way, Dahlie offers a biting take on the motivations of some authors entering the young-adult field. --Eve Gaus
zlib_text: 
  
  
  ![Image](images/cover.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  THE BEST OF YOUTH
  
  
  a novel
  
  
  MICHAEL DAHLIE
  
  
  ![](images/logo.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Dedication](contents.xhtml#dedi_01)
  
  
  for Allison and for Evan
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Contents
  
  
  [Cover](cover.xhtml)
  
  
  [Title Page](title01.xhtml)
  
  
  [Dedication](dedi01.xhtml#dedi01)
  
  
  [ACKNOWLEDGMENTS](ack01.xhtml#ack01)
  
  
  [ALSO BY MICHAEL DAHLIE](also01.xhtml#also01)
  
  
  [Part I](part01.xhtml#part01)
  
  
  [Chapter 1](ch01.xhtml#ch01)
  
  
  [Chapter 2](ch02.xhtml#ch02)
  
  
  [Chapter 3](ch03.xhtml#ch03)
  
  
  [Chapter 4](ch04.xhtml#ch04)
  
  
  [Chapter 5](ch05.xhtml#ch05)
  
  
  [Chapter 6](ch06.xhtml#ch06)
  
  
  [Chapter 7](ch07.xhtml#ch07)
  
  
  [Chapter 8](ch08.xhtml#ch08)
  
  
  [Chapter 9](ch09.xhtml#ch09)
  
  
  [Chapter 10](ch10.xhtml#ch10)
  
  
  [Chapter 11](ch11.xhtml#ch11)
  
  
  [Chapter 12](ch12.xhtml#ch12)
  
  
  [Chapter 13](ch13.xhtml#ch13)
  
  
  [Chapter 14](ch14.xhtml#ch14)
  
  
  [Chapter 15](ch15.xhtml#ch15)
  
  
  [Chapter 16](ch16.xhtml#ch16)
  
  
  [Chapter 17](ch17.xhtml#ch17)
  
  
  [Chapter 18](ch18.xhtml#ch18)
  
  
  [Chapte