Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Grady Tripp: "I'd spent my whole life waiting to awake on an ordinary morning in the town that was destined to be my home, in the arms of the woman I was destined to love, knowing the people and doing the work that would make up the changing but essentially invariable landscape of my particular destiny. Instead, here I was, forty-one years old, having left behind dozens of houses, spent a lot of money on vanished possessions and momentary entertainments, fallen desperately in and abruptly out of love with at least seventeen women, lost my mohter in infancy and my father to suicide, and everything about to change once more, with unforeseeable result.
And yet for all that I still had never gotten used to the breathtaking impermanence of things.
The only part of my world that carried on, inalterable and permanent, was Wonder Boys."
[pg. 45...300 pages makes all the difference]
And yet for all that I still had never gotten used to the breathtaking impermanence of things.
The only part of my world that carried on, inalterable and permanent, was Wonder Boys."
[pg. 45...300 pages makes all the difference]
the whole time it’s like “alright, but how the hell are you going to pull off the ending?” and then he pulls off the ending
Overall I enjoyed it, quite similar to the movie which I watched around 3 years ago but surprisingly remembered everything. The main difference is the detail of Grady's ex-wife Emily and her family as well as Grady's overall douche-ness. James Leer is my favorite dramatic sad boy.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
[Spoiler Alert]
"I wondered if perhaps it were all dawning on him at last; if he were beginning to realize that, having engaged, the night before, in activities as diverse as being dragged bodily and giggling from a crowded auditorium, committing grand larceny, and getting a hand job in a public place, he was now on his way to spend Passover, of all things, with the family of his dissolute professor's estranged wife, in a dented Ford Galaxie within whose trunk lay the body of a dog he had killed."
This book is as much of a roller coaster as the quote above suggests. Which is interesting in itself, because really, this book isn't really about anything at all. It isn't about a war, or a plague, slavery or something else as monumental and moving. It's really just about a man, Grady Tripp, who is spiralling out of control. And it's about the people he meets on the way down, some of whom, eventually, succeed in dragging him back from the depths of depravity into real life once more.
Having never watched the 2000 version of this book, featuring Michael Douglas and Robert Downey JR, I didn't have any idea of what to expect. Sometimes, throughout the book, I often had to stop and think about how absurd some of the situations were, despite them seeming quite normal throughout the progression of this story. The story line itself is interesting and something that really lets Michael's personality shine through. There are elements to the characters and to his descriptions of writing that seem too stark and raw to be works of the imagination. These moments are what makes the book and what makes Grady such a great character.
The writing is what makes this for me. Michael handles sex and drugs with the same care and grace as he handles a religious ceremony. Everything has a charm to it and a sympathetic note and, as always, Michael gives the Jewish undercurrents of his stories the respect and attention that grounds it. It's so easy to get lost in the whirlwind of adventures that each ceremony acts like a stone, solidifying an otherwise unbelievable train of events.
However, unlike The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Klay, that extended from childhood to old age, this book only achieves in giving us a snapshot of an otherwise suburban life. There isn't the substance that I have witnessed in Michael's writing before, nor is there is that epic factor which drives character development. This is why, although I enjoyed this immensely, I can't give it a five star review. And really, wanting more of a book isn't too bad of a reason for not giving it full marks.
"I wondered if perhaps it were all dawning on him at last; if he were beginning to realize that, having engaged, the night before, in activities as diverse as being dragged bodily and giggling from a crowded auditorium, committing grand larceny, and getting a hand job in a public place, he was now on his way to spend Passover, of all things, with the family of his dissolute professor's estranged wife, in a dented Ford Galaxie within whose trunk lay the body of a dog he had killed."
This book is as much of a roller coaster as the quote above suggests. Which is interesting in itself, because really, this book isn't really about anything at all. It isn't about a war, or a plague, slavery or something else as monumental and moving. It's really just about a man, Grady Tripp, who is spiralling out of control. And it's about the people he meets on the way down, some of whom, eventually, succeed in dragging him back from the depths of depravity into real life once more.
Having never watched the 2000 version of this book, featuring Michael Douglas and Robert Downey JR, I didn't have any idea of what to expect. Sometimes, throughout the book, I often had to stop and think about how absurd some of the situations were, despite them seeming quite normal throughout the progression of this story. The story line itself is interesting and something that really lets Michael's personality shine through. There are elements to the characters and to his descriptions of writing that seem too stark and raw to be works of the imagination. These moments are what makes the book and what makes Grady such a great character.
The writing is what makes this for me. Michael handles sex and drugs with the same care and grace as he handles a religious ceremony. Everything has a charm to it and a sympathetic note and, as always, Michael gives the Jewish undercurrents of his stories the respect and attention that grounds it. It's so easy to get lost in the whirlwind of adventures that each ceremony acts like a stone, solidifying an otherwise unbelievable train of events.
However, unlike The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Klay, that extended from childhood to old age, this book only achieves in giving us a snapshot of an otherwise suburban life. There isn't the substance that I have witnessed in Michael's writing before, nor is there is that epic factor which drives character development. This is why, although I enjoyed this immensely, I can't give it a five star review. And really, wanting more of a book isn't too bad of a reason for not giving it full marks.
This was such an incredible book to read, in part because I found myself constantly engaging with the book, arguing with Grady Tripp's actions and rolling my eyes when he made yet another bad decision. Chabon's writing is truly fantastic, I never wanted to put this book down.
I think I may have liked the idea of this book, more than the actual novel itself. It's a great story, but I just couldn't get into how it was told. This is one I may have to try reading again sometime to see if I can appreciate it more.