Rating:  Summary: another winner from Perrota Review: I love this guy! I keep hoping to run into him in public, because I would love to tell him how much I like his books. this one has his typical excellent characters, with their slight wackiness, which makes them all ring true to life. When he writes about embarrassing moments in high school, my own memories come back too. this is a quick read, but very well written and very entertaining.
Rating:  Summary: Perrotta's third book is fast-paced and hip. Review: It's always exciting to have a new favorite author. With his third book, "Election," Tom Perrotta is firmly established as an expressive and creative writer of the highest order. One of the remarkable things about "Election," is that the narrative shifts among the main characters. It's not that the characters' versions of events conflict - the telling of the story moves from one to another effortlessly, as if the characters were trading riffs at a jam session. It's not surprising that "Election," is soon to be a film; the cuts are built-in as the perspective changes from narrator to narrator. I found it disturbing that most of the men in the story have frighteningly sexist beliefs - I kept wanting to scream at them. Eventually I admitted to myself that there are plenty of men that are really like this. A school election is at the center of this novel, and the events take place against the backdrop of the 1992 presidential campaign. Perrotta knows that we know all about the sexual shenanigans and duplicity that are taking place in the 'other' election. Sex seems to be on the minds of most of the characters, most of the time. This is a great book, and a quick read. You'll find yourself wanting to read or reread his previous books, "The Wishbones," and "Bad Haircut.
Rating:  Summary: Marvelous fun Review: It doesn't get any better than this in the modern fiction realm. The black humor, the characters that just materialize in front of you as you read this novel; Tom Perrotta is the real deal.
Rating:  Summary: An Allright Book When Compared to the Movie Review: This might just be because I saw the movie first. Or, it may not.
But I liked Alexander Paynes brilliant film a heckuva lot more than the book. First reason is Perrotta makes his characters seem like everyday people with flaws. This isn't my problem.
My problem is that the chracters are made out to be UGLY people.
Almost every detail he gives about the characters make them seem ugly. This isn't what human life is like. The MOVIE made the characters seem like people in a movie. Which, frankly is what I prefer. The book is interesting though, I just don't think it holds up next to the movie. The movie is told with a characters name as the heading on the title and their points of view.
Through this system of writing we meet Jim McCallister,Tracy Flick,Paul Warren,Tammy Warren,and Lisa Flannigan. McCallister or Mr.M is a teacher at a New Jersey High School. Tracy Flick
is a student who slept with her English teacher and is running for president of the student body. Paul is a jock that decides to run for president after Mr.M's pressuring(which i'll explain in a moment). Tammy is Paul's lesbian sister who decides to run after Paul (unknowingly) begins dating Tammy's "girlfriend".
And of course Lisa Flannigan is the girlfriend of Tammy. Now
Mr.M wants to derail Tracy's campaign due to a subconscious hatred of her overachieving and the fact that she slept with his best friend. So, he recruits Paul. Paul is kind of dumb, but he's popular so he seems like a perfect candidate. The rest i've explained above. Another problem I had with the book was the ending. The ending of the movie was a bit more believable then the end of the book. The notion in the movie of life kind of ending and then kicking back into gear is better than the notion of the book involving reconciliation with a few people rather than just one. But that's just me. B-. PS, I gave the movie an
A-.
Rating:  Summary: Unflinching and hysterical Review: I am a new fan of Tom Perrotta, but one who is gaining loyalty. 'Little Children' left me wanting more and 'Election' delivered. It is a riotous look at a high school election gone horribly wrong and the lives that become tangled up in it. The cast of characters are at once utterly real and complete caricatures. Their actions are believable, their thought processes complete and yet they are exaggerations of the people we know in daily life (not to mention a whole lot funnier). 'Election' is a breeze at 200 pages but a very worthwhile read. It would be the perfect book to bring on a plane, for a day trip to the beach, or a nice rainy day entertainment. If you haven't read anything by Perrotta yet this is a good place to start, and if you have it'll make the hunger for his next book more intense.
Rating:  Summary: Casting My Vote Review: I loved this. Simply told, with a bevy of narrators telling the story in different voices, Election (the book) was every bit as enjoyable as Election (the movie). Normally, books far exceed the cinematic versions that are made of them, but in this case the book and the movie are equally high-quality. If you liked the movie, you'll like the book.
The only differences are the ending, and the progress of Tammy, and both the book's ending and Tammy's situation were much more believable in the text.
I have just taken Perrota's other books out of the library (yes, Amazon, some of us still go there) and am eager to read them all.
Rating:  Summary: wickedly entertaining! Review: A fresh book, easy to read and compelling. Perroti not only creates his characters, he sets them off so that they live on their own, not bound by the text of the book. In other words, Perroti creates the plot; the plot does not create the characters. One can easily argue that he is not only an exceptionally talented storyteller, but also a weaver of lives and events into a living tapestry. One will surely enjoy digging into this daring novel, a modern soap opera and a classic satire rolled in one.
Rating:  Summary: quick & cute Review: Tracy Flick wants to win her highschool presidential election, & she'll be beyond bothered if anyone else tries to get in her way. This amusing little book (large print, 200 pages) is told through the various perspectives of those caught up in the election & gives a humorous look at the lives of those affected.I hate to say I liked the movie better than the book- but, I did. While the book is charming & funny- the character's actually have less depth than they do in the movie- & the laugh's are much fewer. The book also lacks emotional resonance, whereas the movie actually gets you more riled up about the election & what happens to those involved. It's a quick, easy read & it does provide some amusement- but I'm going to have to say, (and it pains me to do so) that you're better off watching the movie.
Rating:  Summary: Good summer read Review: I've read The Wishbones and Joe College, and Election is along the same lines. Characters I can really relate to (sometimes painfully so), easy to read, and really funny in places. Nothing groundbreaking or too challenging, just good fun and hard to put down.
Rating:  Summary: Spectacular! Review: I read this book after multiple viewings of the excellent film adaptation, and I must say, Tom Perotta knows people. This book reads like a favorite junk food, yet it is actually filled with depth and thought. Good stuff, everyone should see AND read Election.
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