Comments on: Tobias Wolff: Old School

By: Trevor

Trevor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:56:59 +0000

Thanks for the recommendations, David. I still haven’t picked up more by Tobias Wolff since this one, but that’s more because of all the other books in line, and he’s definitely still on my list of authors to be explored in much much more depth.

By: David Williams

David Williams — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:46:49 +0000

I would suggest the collection THE NIGHT IN QUESTION, which contains a couple of my favorites: “Bullet in the Brain,” which is quickly suspenseful and compact and funny, and is one of the best evocations I’ve ever read of what it is like as a youngster to fall in love with the literary appeal of language. In the same collection is a small, evocative story called “Powder,” which seems very autobigraphical, about Wolff as probably a teenager on a skiing trip with his charming and reckless father (about whom Tobias Wolff’s brother Geoffrey wrote a memoir called THE DUKE OF DECEPTION).

By: Trevor

Trevor — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:35:57 +0000

I love that Tobias Wolff is visiting your sons’ private school, Scott! What a great mindset in which to read this particular book! If you remember, I’d love to hear a brief report on how they liked his visit :).

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:13:25 +0000

Just finished “Old School” which I picked up from Half-Price books yesterday; bought & read (in one day!) in preparation for Tobias Wolff’s visit to my sons’ all-boys private school (the primary setting of the book) in Cleveland next month. I loved the book. Mr. Wolff is very compasssionate to his characters (and thus to the reader) with not always predicable, yet very believable, actions and mindsets taken by his protagonist. Looking forward to “Our Story Begins” which I picked up as well.

By: Rhys

Rhys — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:49:04 +0000

Well thanks to you I have continued reading the book and I have now finished it ……but I am confused, I did not see the developments coming at all and it does become a very different story …. about deception I think…..and I feel deceived myself…..(it is not what I wanted the story to be about at all)…..I’ll ponder on it a bit more I think……

By: Trevor

Trevor — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:00:13 +0000

Definitely let us know how it turns out for you Rhys! I wasn’t bored at any time during the book, so I’m curious to see if it builds for you.

Best of luck!

By: Rhys

Rhys — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:15:05 +0000

I am reading this book at present but I had got bored by Page 131……so I thought I would check up on what you and your comment people had to say about the book. I was very pleased to read your review because you suggest that there is a development coming up so I shall carry on and see what happens !!

By: Max Cairnduff

Max Cairnduff — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:48:21 +0000

I don’t particularly like school books, but you’ve still definitely tempted me here Trevor. As indeed do the comparisons upthread with Carver and Yates. Good company.

On school books more generally, I can second Kevin’s recommendation of:

– The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Muriel Spark – this is excellent, truly superb. Very, very clever.

– Decline and Fall, Evelyn Waugh – not I think his best but very enjoyable and well worth reading.
– The Secret History, Donna Tartt – an excellent thriller, too good if anything since she never managed to overcome its success

All of those are worth reading, as I’m sure are Kevin’s other recommendations but those I haven’t personally read so can’t speak to directly myself.

By: Isabel

Isabel — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:20:18 +0000

I don’t know whether I can go to the lecture in Texas.

I just started a job and have no vacation right now.

I am hoping to go out of state, but that would be in October.

By: Trevor

Trevor — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:56:01 +0000

I was at the bookstore last night and had Stoner in my hands. Ended up not getting it. The good news is that I’ve had that book in my hands a few times, so it’ll not be forgotten like many other books I pull of the bookstore shelf from time to time.

Of the others you mention here, I’ve heard of none. Thanks for the good list, Kevin!