Cross-posted from Goodreads:
I bought this book after it was included in The Rejectionist's (www.therejectionist.com) "Totally Random Big Gay Reading List." She described the book as "More funny and more poignant than anything you will read in this century." Also, I loved the title and cover.
I hate summarizing books but essentially, this is a book about an 18 year old man who feels very disconnected to life--the lives he sees going on around him, the potential future lives laid out before him, even his own life as he is living it in this very moment. It's about him trying to figure out how and if he can ever be a part of the world he feels so separate from.
I struggled with the first sixty pages. I had a hard time settling into the narrative voice and did not find it at all funny. I had the sense that I was reading things that were *supposed* to be funny, but I just wasn't hearing them that way. Also, this is very much a book about New York City and many of the NYC references and details were lost on me.
But right around sixty pages in, James (the mc) begins seeing a therapist and it's as if (for me, at least) a veil has been lifted and the reader suddenly has unfiltered access to James's inner thoughts and feelings. He suddenly came alive for me.
I can't agree with Le R that it's more funny than anything I'll read this century but I'm very, very glad I stuck with it. It truly is one of the most poignant books I've read and I folded down many page corners and underlined many lines.
Highly recommended for anyone who has ever felt alone and separate from the rest of the world. If you find the beginning a little slow and distant, keep reading. It's worth it.
B&N | Amazon | Indiebound
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