Book Review: WONDER BOYS

I remember seeing the movie many years ago and wondering what the book was like, and I also remember wondering why people thought Katie Holmes belonged in the movies. I still wonder about that. Anyway, I was browsing at the library when I came across this one, and recalling my recent enjoyment of GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD, I decided to give it a shot.

And I was not disappointed. Michael Chabon's second novel is a joy to read and funny as hell, and his characters are utterly compelling (although in this novel, very few of them are likeable). The story spins out over a single weekend, and it's hard to imagine how so much damage--emotional, physical, psychological, and automotive--can be crammed into such a short period of time. Grady Tripp, our narrator, is a self-involved, self-destructive pothead (who also teaches and writes), and as he carries us with him on his journey he lays waste to all those around him, especially those he purports to care about. He is a creep and an asshole, a rotten friend, and a lousy teacher.

But he is, after all, a human being, and that is what I loved about this book. Grady is no hero, for sure, but since we are privy to the workings of his mind, we get to see him trying to do the right thing from time to time, even if he screws it up royally. In fact, all of the characters are deeply flawed in one way or another, but they are also vibrant and alive and aggravating and confusing, just like the rest of us. Although I wouldn't want to spend any time with any of these people in real life, I was glad I got to hang out with them for a few hundred pages.