I like Tom Perrotta.
A lot.
This is a very funny look back at college life in the early 80's.
I went to college a decade later but can still see a lot of myself in the protagonist and his friends.
Danny, the main character,comes from a working-class background, which causes him to view Yale with a somewhat different perspective than his well-to-do dormmates.
Although he enthusiastically samples this foreign world, he finds he is not able to leave his old life behind so easily.
During a vacation, he becomes involved with an old high school classmate, and, largely due to his own passivity, lets the relationship continue after he goes back to school.
The second half of the book takes place during a school break and examines the truth to the statement "you can't go home again" as Danny takes over his father's lunch truck route while he is recuperating from an operation.
I won't describe all the messes this young man becomes entangled with, but suffice to say how he finally resolves them is hilarious.
The only thing I disliked about the book was the often almost-maddening passivity of Danny.
He seemed to have a knack for getting out of tough spots due to luck, not his own effort.
As a result, he did not seem to grow much by the end.
However, for a spot-on look at college during the Reagan years, read "Joe College."
(I Think)
No comments:
Post a Comment