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This Boy's Life: A Memoir |
List Price: $13.00
Your Price: $9.75 |
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Product Info |
Reviews |
Rating: Summary: got it for christmas. Review: if you give an author a piece of yarn, he will weave you a story.
Rating: Summary: Pretty Good..A Bit Boring Review: This book was pretty good but boring at times. This ISN'T one of those books where you say 'It was better than the movie!'. The movie, This Boy's Life, with Leo Dicaprio and Robert De Niro in it, is much better.
Rating: Summary: This Boy's Life- A Memoir Review: Recently, for school, I read This Boy's Life- A Memoir, by Tobias Wolff. This Boy's Life, is a coming of age story following Toby from boyhood through prep school. The novel starts off in Florida with Toby, aka Jack, his mother Rosemary, and her boyfriend Roy. As part of an effort to start a new life and be rid of Roy, Rosemary and Jack move to Utah. However, in life, things don't always work out, and Roy followed them there.
Roy is a two-faced man. While in front of Jack he puts on a good face, but as soon as Jack leaves the room, he is yelling at Rosemary. Since there is no strong parental figure in his life, Sister James, a nun at Jack's school, tries to take on that role. Because Sister James cares for him so much, Jack begins to resent her too. He doesn't feel that he needs the care or attention.
Now, Roy is out of the picture again, and Jack and Rosemary are on their way to Seattle. Marian, a housekeeper, and Kathy, a secretary are now introduced to us as fellow borders in the new apartment complex. These two also recognize the real Jack, and they do what they can to help to keep him in line. These women also introduce Rosemary to Dwight, a well-to-do, well-dressed man from Chinook.
Eventually, once Jack and Rosemary move in with Dwight, he proves too good to be true. Immediately he begins abusing the two, both verbally and physically. After awhile, Jack gets sick of this and decides to get out, but not before fighting, acting out, and causing a lot of trouble.
What is Jack's plan for the future? To go to prep school. After all, his father and older brother did. The elaborate scheme he follows through with is amazing. And, it paid off. After stealing transcripts, writing recommendations, and even interviewing with an alum, Jack got into Hill.
His mother, Rosemary, was also able to get away from Chinook, and find a new job.
The story began in 1955, in Sarasota, Florida. They then ventured out to Salt Lake City to try for a better life. Roy followed along, and things went badly. Then Rosemary met Dwight, once she moved to Seattle. Her and Dwight got together, `fell in love', and she and Jack moved in with him and his three children in Chinook. All of this moving, love, abuse, and life, helped bring together the themes of the novel. The themes being hope, Toby always had it. He always new that his life could be better, and he took matters into his own hands in order to make things happen. Friendship is another big theme throughout the novel. You always need to have someone you can trust, someone you can depend on. Even though Jack didn't always hang out with the good crowd, they were always good, true friends.
This Boy's Life- A Memoir, is the perfect title for this novel, since it is based upon true life, and it is like Wolff is looking in on Jack's life, and having it be all too familiar. He follows young Toby through all of his ups and downs. I really liked this book, and I definitely recommend it. To find out if they ever really escaped Dwight, if their family ever got back together, and anything else, you are just going to have to read the book. - A.Corry
Rating: Summary: I love this Story Review: It has been about 10 years since I've read this book. First, my Freshman High School teacher read it out loud to us, and then she got it on the Sophmore reading list. I laughed out loud, and wondered at the world of boys (has it really changed all that much?) I think Mr. Wolff has a talent for writing "boys" stories and though it maybe exagerated at times, nonetheless has a great feel to it.
I really recommend it for all ages.
Rating: Summary: A Haunting Memoir Review: My first Wolff book, Old School, was disappointing thanks in part to all I had heard about Mr. Wolff's writing. I appreciated the good writing but was disapointed in the plot line, so vowed to pick this book up and give Mr. Wolff another try. I was very pleased I did.
One's first thought after reading this book is: How could someone with such a messed up up-bringing turn out so well? It must be like the blues - you have to have a tough youth to make it in the memoir category.
This is the story of Mr. Wolff's youth where he follows his mother from one abusive man to another. Much of the book is centered on the years with his first step-father who is: a) a drunk; b) abusive to him; and, c) constantly accuses him of being a liar, a fraud and a cheat in one form or another. It turns out that the step-father is right. However, most of the time young Wolff gets away with his drinking, stealing and fraud, thanks in part to his mother's belief he can do no wrong.
One of the most impressive things about this memoir is that Wolff gives himself no quarter. Not only does he recognize the bad things he does, he recognizes his bad motives and bad thoughts - even those that do not get acted upon. He is brutally honest about himself. Also, without saying outright, he recognizes his mother's weakness in picking men.
Again, Mr. Wolff's writing is terrific. It is fittingly stark for the portrayal of the subject matter. The descriptions of the other characters in his life and Chinook and Concrete (the towns in which he lived and went to high school, respectively) draw a perfect picture.
This memoir is well worth the time. It will stay with you for long after the reading.
Rating: Summary: "The human heart is a dark forest." Review: Wolff's memoir of his life as a boy is tragic in itself, but Wolff does an excellent job of presenting his hardships through humor and sharp wit. In an attempt to escape the reality that is his life, Wolff created extravagant plans to escape, and though most of his attempts were unsuccessful, he succeeded in creating a world in which he fancied himself to be in charge of his destiny.
Wolff represents many children who grow up in dysfunctional families, turning to alcohol and a life of misdemeanors in order to gain attention, and ultimately, acceptance. He lies, steals, cheats, and gets into trouble as a form of rebellion at having to deal with a broken family and an abusive stepfather.
Everyone can find something to relate to in this memoir. Although it has a great deal to do with his bad home situation, it also has a great deal to do with childhood in general. The lessons that Wolff learned as a boy can carry over into our lives, as well:
"Like anyone else, she must have wanted different things at the same time. The human heart is a dark forest."
"I learned a couple of lessons. I learned that a punch in the throat does not always stop the other fellow. And I learned that it's a bad idea to curse when you're in trouble, but a good idea to sing, if you can."
Other timeless words of wisdom are prevalent throughout the book, and Wolff's memories of his childhood are both entertaining and thought-provoking. As depressing as his situation was, Wolff does an excellent job of bringing back the memories of his childhood and causing the reader to sustain an emotional attachment to the characters of the book. It is written as though it came from the boy himself, rather than the grown-up version of Tobias Wolff.
An excellent read - highly recommended.
Rating: Summary: Better than the Movie- a good read Review: I was compelled to read this book after watching the movie recently on HBO. Since I liked the movie, I knew the book would even be better and would shed more light on the characters and this book did. The movie has skipped a lot of parts and have repackage the story to fit a cinematic format, but nevetheless, I thought the movie did a pretty decent job in adapting it to screen.
The book starts out with ten year Wolff and his mother stuck on the side of the road because their car has overheated again and while waiting for the engine to cool off, they witness a truck going over a cliff because it has lost its brake. The beginning is allegorical of their story as they struggled thru abusive men, poverty and self doubt. But once in a while Toby and his mother would have some happier times although brief and few. I admire how Wolff never second guess what happened between his mother and the men whom she had relationships with, including his own father. He just gave enough details that you have to come up with your own conclusion. It isn't a really a happy book and at times you feel an overwhelming pity for Toby and his mom and wished things would be better in the next chapter but it never really did. Their lives was a constatnt struggle. The only thing that seem to hold them is each other and the perpetual belief that something better is around the corner. It's funny how we tend to have this sweet, nostalgic picture of the 50's of a sturdy, working dad, mom in the kitchen getting the meal ready and strong, gorgeous, all american kids that say "awh shucks" and "gee Wally" a lot. I think "This Boy's Life" was how things really were for a lot of single,poor women and their earnest little boys. I love reading this book, I started it in the morning and finished it by the next afternoon, this is always a hallmark of a good book and a good author. I hope you read it and enjoy it as well.
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