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Summary: Kramer vs Kramer goes to England
Review: I'm not sure why but I did finish this book which is a complete rip off of Kramer vs. Kramer but without the heart. Tony Parsons' writing can be poignant at times but he seems too interested in making this a commercial success. There is much that is trite, cliched and has been done many times before. If you are rewriting a classic you need to do it with syle. Tony Parsons does not. The final scene with the girlfriend (and why he is so enamored with her is beyond my comprehension) is borrowed from The Graduate but it is unbelievable and ridiculous. There is a poignant scene with his son and his father in a hospital room that was the best thing about this book. This book annoyed the heck out of me. It is a mediocre effort at best.
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Summary: Excellent rites of passage book for adults!
Review: This book was one of the most fantastic and enticing books I've read in soooooooo long! I loved this book. I related to this story and found it almost invasive because of its reality. The truth that our relationships can change in the blink of an eye is always in our minds, but this book pushes into the forefront and makes it difficult to ignore all that we take for granted.
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Summary: excellent book
Review: beautiful, beautiful book. provided an exceptional amount of insight into relationships, life, etc. etc. if you are a 20+ year old male you will enjoy this book.
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Summary: About A Father
Review: What can you say about a novel that's almost perfect in every respect?In Man and Boy, Parsons has created a situation that occurs too much in our society today - a couple splits up and a child is left in the middle. However in this case, the father doesn't just give up. He is forced to rise to the occasion of fatherhood and deal with all the consequences this holds. It's easy to assume that this story would fall into one of two categories - it could become either a "Mr. Mom" story or one in which the normal roles of post-divorce parenthood play themselves out. Luckily, Parsons does not follow either of these to avenues, instead choosing a more difficult but rewarding path for his characters. And he handles all this with a great deal of humor and wit, writing a very funny, often heartbreaking story about the trials and tribulations of raising a child alone. I laughed, I cried...no, really! All said, Parsons never really takes the easy way out, never falls into the trap of conventional outcomes and stereotypes. In the end, the reader is left with an emotionally gratifying story. Strongly recommended if you're a fan of Nick Hornby's About A Boy.
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Summary: Process
Review: Tony Parson's book, "Man and Boy" is charming in it's simplicity, profound, and funny at the same time. Narrated by a young father in the throes of change, it is utlimately a story of what matters in life: family, learning to "let go" of a loved one, and developing one's own value system and knowing what is right. Writing about how one action affects another, how one thought can change one's perspective, the story is about the process of maturing, of knowing oneself. The book is touching and funny; and it's very true to life. Highly recommended.
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Summary: cliche ending
Review: I thought the book was very good overall. The story was instantly engaging and it had a good pace. The characters were complex and very human. I was very disappointed in the ending. It was as if Parsons decided he was through writing this story and had to end it quickly. I think this book is a good read for a man or a woman.
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Summary: A Great Book for Fathers
Review: This book, while often predictable and formulaic, is also sweet, funny, insightful and wise. It tells the story of a young man becoming an actual man. In the beginning, Harry is a nice guy, but bored and feeling entitled and dissatisfied. While he has a beautiful wife, adored son and good job, he somehow doesn't think that is enough on the eve of his 30th birthday. When he loses just about everything, he begins to see that life isn't about what you have, but instead about what you value and how to protect it, even when you don't feel like it, and he begins to grow into a true man. I loved the characters of Harry and his father, but the women characters were often poorly drawn. However, this is the story of Harry's awakening, and his lack of insight into the women in his life is not surprising. This book will make you laugh and cry. It is a first novel, and I look foreward to Mr. Parson's future efforts.
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Summary: All but the ending
Review: I loved almost every page of this book---but was disappointed by the Hollywood ending. The relationship between father and son was realistic and tender. I liked the contrast of the other relationships written with loving details. But the end-----why did he go there ---when things were going so well.
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Summary: overrated
Review: Most "Brit Lit" is quite good, and this book has gotten rave reviews. So why was I so disappointed while reading this, to the point of returning the book at the end? Its not a keeper I would ever want to read again or keep on my shelf. There are sporadic flashes of brilliance in the writing- some lines that grab you- but who on earth are these people whose reviews listed on the jacket all state that they wept numerous times and laughed out loud while reading it? Oh for god's sake. If you want to read about a 30 year old male who screws up his life and marriage, then plays victim for the remainder of the book, conveniently forgetting why he arrived at this state, and occassionally has a few insightful moments but ultimately learns nothing from his past, in a story that is largely dull and uninteresting, then buy this book. You have been warned. Even the premise of this book- that the protagonist learns to be a father, and fathers can be every bit as nurturing as mothers, is weakened by the ending when he concedes his duties. Finally, the 5 year old boy of the title must be some sort of child genius, coming forth with profound insightful remarks one doesn't expect from most teenagers, let alone tykes. Even these failings would be acceptable if one truly "laughed out loud and cried" while reading this dull work, instead of feeling cheated by the author, the publisher, and the press reviewers at the end.
Rating:
Summary: A must-read!
Review: A definite thumbs-up! Being a reader who expects nothing other than fairy-tale endings, I was amazed that I was able to accept a novel that did not end that way - not in the conventional sense, anyway. The prose is simply written; yet the story touched at the very core of my emotions - sadness, happiness, sympathy, anger - you name it, I felt it. Parsons beautifully captured the realistic nature of human relationships; namely between a dad and his son; and between a son and his dad - a relationship often (sadly) overlooked. Recommended highly for anyone - sons, daughters, mommies, daddies and even singletons!
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