An Underachiever's Diary

Rating:
Summary: A very entertaining and funny novel.
Review: An Underachiever's Diary was a very good novel. Not since Catcher in the Rye have I had so much fun reading a novel. I never wanted to stop reading it. The book is about a young man named William, who is a complete loser throughout his whole life and trys his best to not be in the shadow of his own younger twin brother Clive, who is a very successful person. The sad thing is that William has had bad luck ever since his birth in the hospital room. It is funny, however, how he never tries to become like his brother even though he idolizes him and just when things start to go right for him, he gets messed up again. He is like a modernized Holden Caulfield. Overall, this is a very good book to read and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Novel Underachieves
Review: Anastas is a very careful and clever writer who succeeds in creating a distinct voice for our underachieving main character William. In itself this is an accomplishment, but it is not enough to make a successful novel. Conflict and plot are also needed and sadly "An Underachiever's Diary" has little of either. There is an attempt at the latter, towards the end, when the protagonist joins a murky cult in San Francisco. But the action seems rushed and contrived and its climax unsatisfying. There is no Raskolnikov finding peace or redemption here. Just more of the same: William is still a flaccid loser and a promising novel concludes with a whimper.

Rating:
Summary: Humor saves an otherwise hideous self-pity party...
Review: Benjamin Anastas's novella (these 'little' novels seem to be all the rage these days) is a sometimes funny, sometimes very droll, sometimes (FEW times) poignant fictional autobiography of a twin named William, who, although first out the womb, is the apparently weaker twin - hopelessly chasing twin brother Clive through childhood, adolesence and young adulthood. I had a good deal of trouble getting caught up in the story of William, I think in large part because his droll wallows through self-piting exercises of "Clive got the A's, I did my best to fail" sorts of scenarios were eventually a bit tiring. What keeps one reading on is that in fact, the writing is well done, and quite humorous. In ordinary circumstances a human being who was this ridiculous would be rightly ignored and certainly not put to paper (there was nothing to learn form William's experiences), but because Anastas gives his 'anti-hero' such a wonderful droopy dog sense of humor, we are not sucked into the void of William's justified (occasional) despair. The book is worth the read in large part because it is brief (you can kill it in an evening) and so the humor does not go stale.

Rating:
Summary: Humorous Look At Sibling Rivalry
Review: Cast in the shadow of his successful, handsome, well-liked twin brother, the main character of this novella takes you through the unfortunate events that have made up his life. A quick read that will make you laugh out loud.

Rating:
Summary: A REAL Under Achiever
Review: For some reason the title pulled me to this book. I guess I should have been warned with the "underachiever" in it. But, I had faith that Anastas could pull it off. I was wrong. Another tale of a boys life through the hardships of growing up. I don't understand how so many people can continue to write about the same old stuff and think that it is even remotely new to the readers.

Rating:
Summary: Much better than TV (Even Passions on NBC)
Review: Funny and smart, this novel/novella is probably the book that I've recommended more than any other. Most first-person narratives lose me, but not this one. There's actually a strong plot, a few gags, and mucho hilarious observations. Plus, the blank cover looks good on a coffee table.

Rating:
Summary: Books for Fun
Review: Imagine the fictionalized late-sixties Wonder Years series re-cast against the backdrop of the 80's, with the Arnold kids born into an ironic family of Harvard elites. The least enlightened plot member then takes center stage. This is a pretty entertaining and funny read all the way through, and certainly captures the creativity of boredom inherent in the human condition. The greatest contribution probably lies in Anastas's conception of an actual Theory of Underachievment which, through a series of steps, embarks one upon the path of perpetual disengagement--a Buadrilliardian feat to be sure. In any case, this one is full of colorful irony providing useful quotes toward supporting arguments with one's significant other...a definate bookshelf reference tool.

Rating:
Summary: Not the product of an underachiever
Review: The Underachiever's Diary comes off as more as reflection through narrative than a diary. Its well written, quite funny and poignant at the same time. All of us have a little underachiever in us - some more than others - and this is a perfect testament to that. My only complaint is that the book just ends. There's no real conclusion, no defining moment in which our hero mends his ways or comes to any profound realization. It just ends. All-in-all, a fine novel.

Rating:
Summary: Not the product of an underachiever
Review: The Underachiever's Diary comes off as more as reflection through narrative than a diary. Its well written, quite funny and poignant at the same time. All of us have a little underachiever in us - some more than others - and this is a perfect testament to that. My only complaint is that the book just ends. There's no real conclusion, no defining moment in which our hero mends his ways or comes to any profound realization. It just ends. All-in-all, a fine novel.

Rating:
Summary: An Underachiever's Diary
Review: This is truly an original tale. I've never read anything like it. It's very humorous and I reccommend it.