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brinysea's review against another edition
3.0
Some very funny lines and some poignant bits but ultimately I just didn't find myself very engrossed in the characters.
cmcarr's review against another edition
3.0
Russo has a great writing style and this book is quite entertaining. It took me a bit to get into his tone of voice, but once I found it I was laughing along.
myra_c's review against another edition
3.0
i loved the humor, but the story line didn't explore the layers of storylines quite enough to make it a truly sophisticated read. still, it was funny and very well-written. i'd read his books again.
jaywhistler's review against another edition
4.0
A great book to read if you are a writer or a college prof, or if you just want some hilarious insight into a mid-life crisis. Warning: if you tend to read in bed, you make wake your partner with spontaneous outbursts of laughter.
bobbo49's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Academia as comedy - with some good observations about life in general:
Only after we've done a thing do we know what we'll do, and by then whatever we've done has already begun to sever itself from clear significance, at least for the doer.
Which is why we have spouses and children and parents and colleagues and friends, because someone has to know us better than we know ourselves. We need them to say, "I know you, Al. You're not the kind of man who."
or, quoting H.L. Mencken: "For every complex problem there's a simple solution. And it's always wrong."
Only after we've done a thing do we know what we'll do, and by then whatever we've done has already begun to sever itself from clear significance, at least for the doer.
Which is why we have spouses and children and parents and colleagues and friends, because someone has to know us better than we know ourselves. We need them to say, "I know you, Al. You're not the kind of man who."
or, quoting H.L. Mencken: "For every complex problem there's a simple solution. And it's always wrong."
spinstah's review against another edition
2.0
I red this immediately after Empire Falls, as it was the choice for my other book club's meeting that month. This took me a while to get into, and ultimately I can't figure out quite how much I liked it. This one is the story of the chair of an English department at a college in rural PA. He's the kind of guy who likes to cause trouble and do wacky things, and the books follows a few days in his life that are extra wacky. If you can suspend your disbelief long enough to allow for a few exceptions to what you generally expect to happen in life, you will probably be OK with this book.
rmuthiah's review against another edition
4.0
Hilarious book about a professor and his colleagues. The wit of the main character kept me thinking that the author must have quite a wit to be able to think up all these thoughts and conversations. Underneath the humor sometimes pain and hurt lurked, but sometimes love and caring.
dianametzger's review against another edition
2.0
Probably felt like a hilarious revelation back when it first came out, but I don't think it stands the test of time. Crazy misogynistic, but I guess we're supposed to swallow that bc it's from the middle-aged man's POV..ok. Funnier in retrospect, bc I felt it to be tediously slow as I was reading it.
lizaroo71's review against another edition
3.0
I love Russo's writing and the way he creates memorable characters with rich lives. But, the setting of this novel makes it more relevant to me as it is a small liberal arts college with our main character, Hank Devereaux Jr., as an English professor.
I was laughing at memorable conversations between the colleagues. I made note of several observations about the politics within this contentious group (it's the same in high school).
I found the story meandered at times, but I liked the characters enough to stick with them.
Not my favorite by this author, but a solid story.
I was laughing at memorable conversations between the colleagues. I made note of several observations about the politics within this contentious group (it's the same in high school).
I found the story meandered at times, but I liked the characters enough to stick with them.
Not my favorite by this author, but a solid story.