What I Lived for

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Summary: This is what men think
Review: Ladies if you have ever wondered what it is like to be a man read this book. This is an amazing potrait of the good and bad in every male. How could she know?

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Summary: Corky -- what an annoying character!
Review: Maybe I just wasn't in the mood to read about someone as self-centered and obnoxious as Corky, but after a while I just didn't care what happened to him and stopped reading. Oh well, maybe I'll try again at a later date.

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Summary: Oates makes a bad Tom Wolfe
Review: Oates attempts a spiralling, stream-of-conscience style that reads suspiciously like a craven imitation of Tom Wolfe. She tries to pull off the highwire stunt of writing from a man's perspective, but the voice rings false. Ideally, a novel presents a seamless front to the reader; we should have no idea how it was constructed. "What I Lived For," unfortunately, reveals all of its machinery.

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Summary: Just another brick in the wall - a foreigner's perspective
Review: Oates fans will see familiar territory here: Alcoholism, emotional detachment, failed relationships, the dull thud of time as it drags us through a suburban existence. This is Oates' obsession, recycled for the ten-thousandth time.
What's new to this novel is Oates' ability to cause the reader to abandon moral outrage and identify completely with the main character, Corky Corcoran. He's shady and often crosses over into lewdness that embarrasses the reader. But - why is this? - you start to like him. You give in, not because he deserves your love, but because you want to give it to him. Only Oates could pull it off.
I'm an avid reader of the novelist's work, and this book is by far the best. Months after reading that final line of that exhausting novel, I still miss Corky Corcoran in my life.

Rating:
Summary: Buy this book
Review: Oates fans will see familiar territory here: Alcoholism, emotional detachment, failed relationships, the dull thud of time as it drags us through a suburban existence. What's new to this novel is Oates' ability to cause the reader to abandon moral outrage and identify completely with the main character, Corky Corcoran. He's a really shady guy and often crosses over into lewdness that embarrasses the reader. But - why is this? - you start to like him. You give in, not because he deserves your love, but because you want to give it to him. Only Oates could pull it off.
I'm an avid reader of the novelist's work, and this book is by far the best. Months after reading that final line of that exhausting novel, I still miss Corky Corcoran in my life.

Rating:
Summary: Ulysses
Review: this book is one of the greatest of all the postmodern american novels. it is a modern day take on james joyce's ulysses and it is astoundingly well written. the highest of accolades for this book and its author!

Rating:
Summary: Ulysses
Review: this book is one of the greatest of all the postmodern american novels. it is a modern day take on james joyce's ulysses and it is astoundingly well written. the highest of accolades for this book and its author!

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Summary: COMPELLING!
Review: This is a very powerful book. I read the first chapter three times before I continued, because I was amazed at what I was reading. The writing is so strong, the character so well written, I feel like I know him and like him for all his flaws. I loved this book, because of it I have gone on to read 10 more JCO novels and this one is still one of my favorites.

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Summary: OH! CORKY
Review: This is an excellent novel. Joyce Carol Oates takes everyday people and shows them in their glory and their faults, which makes you feel like you know them. WHAT I LIVED FOR covers a period in the life of Corky Corcoran, local bigwig, city councilman, and man-about-town. The book has a wonderfully vivid prologue which sets the mood for Corky's adult life. Fitted into the story, but not as a main pont, is the questionable death of a former, quasi-girlfriend and the ensuing police investigation. Corky deals with his married lover, his mentally-imbalanced stepdaughter, and his dearest childhood friend, all in an affable manner. The ending is emotional, but the epilogue is excellent, setting everything straight. Ms. Oates is talented, very versatile and a joy to read.

Rating:
Summary: OH! CORKY
Review: This is an excellent novel. Joyce Carol Oates takes everyday people and shows them in their glory and their faults, which makes you feel like you know them. WHAT I LIVED FOR covers a period in the life of Corky Corcoran, local bigwig, city councilman, and man-about-town. The book has a wonderfully vivid prologue which sets the mood for Corky's adult life. Fitted into the story, but not as a main pont, is the questionable death of a former, quasi-girlfriend and the ensuing police investigation. Corky deals with his married lover, his mentally-imbalanced stepdaughter, and his dearest childhood friend, all in an affable manner. The ending is emotional, but the epilogue is excellent, setting everything straight. Ms. Oates is talented, very versatile and a joy to read.