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emmastia's review against another edition
2.0
This was modern satire, but I didn't love it at all. I thought I would enjoy it a lot more - I expected something more like [b:The Russian Debutante's Handbook|210817|The Russian Debutante's Handbook|Gary Shteyngart|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172725497s/210817.jpg|28227], but was quite disappointed in that respect.
lmrajt's review against another edition
3.0
This is really a 3.5. The Ask was a nice, easy read with absurd, train-wreck characters and a pretty simplistic plot. I wouldn't read it again, but I did enjoy it...mainly because it was funny. Like really REALLY funny. Lipsyte definitely earns a coveted spot on my "Authors with Whom I'd Like to Have Dinner " list as a result.
mgeryk's review against another edition
2.0
I'm about to say some things I think I'll hate myself for later.
Namely, that I read this book, and upon finishing, thought: "This is definitely a man's book."
Which I hate saying, frankly. Although certainly I think there are themes and stories that have more resonance with either gender, I really hate categorizing myself as that kind of reader. Let's get this straight: I like Moby Dick as much as the next dude.
But Milo? The protagonist of this book? I think he's something of a douchebag. His wife? Not a fan. Even the kid Bernie, I didn't like.
Satire, okay, I get it--and the writing is clever. Clever enough to get me to finish the book, so there you have it. Call me conventional, I like my protagonists to have some likeable qualities, not be the kind of people I'd avoid in my actual life like the plague. I truly get the feeling that a male reader would respond more positively to this whole shtick.
Namely, that I read this book, and upon finishing, thought: "This is definitely a man's book."
Which I hate saying, frankly. Although certainly I think there are themes and stories that have more resonance with either gender, I really hate categorizing myself as that kind of reader. Let's get this straight: I like Moby Dick as much as the next dude.
But Milo? The protagonist of this book? I think he's something of a douchebag. His wife? Not a fan. Even the kid Bernie, I didn't like.
Satire, okay, I get it--and the writing is clever. Clever enough to get me to finish the book, so there you have it. Call me conventional, I like my protagonists to have some likeable qualities, not be the kind of people I'd avoid in my actual life like the plague. I truly get the feeling that a male reader would respond more positively to this whole shtick.
kiterature's review against another edition
1.0
I absolutely did not like this book. It was crass, rude, and the satire was not even funny. I would not recommend it.
candecast's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
pyrrhicspondee's review against another edition
3.0
I did not understand the motivations of any of these characters. Which isn't necessarily bad, except in this case it was. Great writing, though.
zachkuhn's review against another edition
2.0
I learned that sometimes when you wait years for a book you're going to be disappointed.
tdstorm's review against another edition
4.0
The protagonist of this novel is an interesting guy. He's witty, well-educated, liberal, and relatively self-aware, but he's also a jackass. Lipsyte does a good job keeping him a real person, even while the comedy flattens many of the supporting characters. In fact, some of the funniest characters are the least complex. Bernie, the protagonist's son, is hilarious, as are his coworkers Horace and Vargina. I don't have complaints with these characters; I'm just noting that comedy seems to rely on a fair share of one-dimensional supporting cast members.
What Lipsyte doesn't do with his protagonist is imbue him with unrealistic amounts of eagle-eyed hindsight. I like that. Too many first person narrator's have excessive psychological insight. Lipsyte's guy is damaged and things are falling apart around him. As with any narrator who would relay his own downfall, he has a humble, self-deprecating voice. But it's not a wise voice. And that's refreshing.
It's also somewhat refreshing that Lipsyte doesn't feel the need to redeem his character or to have the plot arc curl back up toward a restorative ending. But in the end, it kind of feels like the author is resisting that urge, like he's refusing to give us any redemption because too often stories deliver such redemption. I admire that impulse to fight what's been done, but the price is an ending that feels inconclusive and a character that hasn't really transformed much. I admit, though: I'm a sucker for positive transformation in stories.
The NYT blurb on the back cover of my edition is a good summation of this one: "This book is a success: not only the belly-laughs but also the sadness attendant upon the cultural failure it describes."
What Lipsyte doesn't do with his protagonist is imbue him with unrealistic amounts of eagle-eyed hindsight. I like that. Too many first person narrator's have excessive psychological insight. Lipsyte's guy is damaged and things are falling apart around him. As with any narrator who would relay his own downfall, he has a humble, self-deprecating voice. But it's not a wise voice. And that's refreshing.
It's also somewhat refreshing that Lipsyte doesn't feel the need to redeem his character or to have the plot arc curl back up toward a restorative ending. But in the end, it kind of feels like the author is resisting that urge, like he's refusing to give us any redemption because too often stories deliver such redemption. I admire that impulse to fight what's been done, but the price is an ending that feels inconclusive and a character that hasn't really transformed much. I admit, though: I'm a sucker for positive transformation in stories.
The NYT blurb on the back cover of my edition is a good summation of this one: "This book is a success: not only the belly-laughs but also the sadness attendant upon the cultural failure it describes."
dbj's review against another edition
3.0
3.5, if I could give halfs. Mostly bleak and depressing, but also often very funny.
nick_jenkins's review against another edition
5.0
A wow from start to finish.
Home Land, Lipsyte's previous novel, has stayed with me mostly because of the comedy. I think this one will stay with me for far more than that.
Home Land, Lipsyte's previous novel, has stayed with me mostly because of the comedy. I think this one will stay with me for far more than that.