I just cannot make it through this book. I’ve owned a copy of this for years and have tried reading it all the way through about ten times and I just can’t do it. I’ve read “Kavalier & Clay” and “Wonder Boys”, and loved them both but it seems like Chabon was trying to hard to be “literary” with “MOP”. IT’s just too wordy, too precious at times.

Who knows, maybe I’ll tackle this again someday. I had the same problem with Neal Stephenson’s Cryptonomicon (It would literally put me to sleep at the same chapter the first 6 or 7 times I tried to read it!) Eventually, I was able to push on and finish it (no small feat since it’s HUGE) and really enjoyed it. But for now, I’ll be recommending something other than MOP to people interested in Chabon.

This is a great coming-of-age story about graduating college, experiencing life and forging complicated relationships where you’re afraid of making a decision that will map out the rest of your life.

This is currently being made into a movie and began filming September 5, 2006 in Pittsburgh, Pa. The movie stars Mena Suvari as Phlox and Nick Nolte as Art’s father.

I read this book in E110, my second shot at freshman year in college….

I remember everyone criticizing Art.

I remember being the only one that defended him. The only one that seemed to understand him at all. And, realizing for the first time, that not everyone grows up knowing what it’s like to lose [a loved one].

I have to say that I’m glad I had that grad student in particular, and that he had chosen this book for us to read. It was an eye-opener for me. It made me understand a little bit more about myself. Which, always puts a book in the dear to my heart category.