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Academy X
The Nanny Diaries
meets Lucky Jim in this devilish satire of the culture of power and privilege at a New York City private school.
John Spencer, an English teacher at the elite Academy X, is struggling through the final weeks of the spring semester. But keeping his students focused on the genius and wit of Jane Austen is the least of his problems. His crush on the sexy librarian is beginning to warp his judgment. An unexpected promotion leaves him drowning in a sea of academic intrigue. Pushy parents demanding higher grades lurk behind every corner and a favorite pupil suddenly reveals a cunning and sophistication far beyond her years. With each bumbling effort to keep everyone happy (and get his girl!), John digs himself deeper into trouble, until his very career is at stake. Witty and rollicking, Academy X is a priceless peek into New York City's top private schools--indeed into elite schools all over the country--where parents risk all for their child's academic resume and no price is too high (or pressure too great) to achieve a coveted admission to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton.
John Spencer, an English teacher at the elite Academy X, is struggling through the final weeks of the spring semester. But keeping his students focused on the genius and wit of Jane Austen is the least of his problems. His crush on the sexy librarian is beginning to warp his judgment. An unexpected promotion leaves him drowning in a sea of academic intrigue. Pushy parents demanding higher grades lurk behind every corner and a favorite pupil suddenly reveals a cunning and sophistication far beyond her years. With each bumbling effort to keep everyone happy (and get his girl!), John digs himself deeper into trouble, until his very career is at stake. Witty and rollicking, Academy X is a priceless peek into New York City's top private schools--indeed into elite schools all over the country--where parents risk all for their child's academic resume and no price is too high (or pressure too great) to achieve a coveted admission to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published May 30, 2006
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172 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
May 6, 2015
This book was dreadful from beginning to end. Hardly any story, heavy-handed cliched characters and the entire subtext explained on the back cover. Money Rules. The book makes the points that kids of the rich don't go to prison for drug-taking, don't get suspended for plagiarism, don't get expelled for false accusations of sexual harassment, but get into Ivy League colleges instead.
It is hammered home that Jews are nerds and not-quite-socially-acceptable and neither are the middle class and that the rich will bribe their way out of situations and pay for what they want whether or not it's legal or moral, certain in the knowledge that almost everyone will certainly take the money and touch their forelock. Almost everyone - not the teacher who is protagonist of this story? Him too, but he finds a way of justifying it.
Badly-written rot, it also reads as though the author had an eye to a future screenplay or tv series. I hope not though it is the kind of schlock that turns up daily and is endlessly repeated.
This book is relieved with occasional humour and a rather clever naming of each chapter with the title of a classic book. There is a funny conversation where both the words spoken on each side are illuminated by a subtext of what is really meant and its a very fast read. But these little glimmers of light don't rescue the book from the darkness of the bottom of the box of books to be given to the next Red Cross jumble sale.
One and a half stars. I didn't hate it but I can't say I enjoyed it either.
It is hammered home that Jews are nerds and not-quite-socially-acceptable and neither are the middle class and that the rich will bribe their way out of situations and pay for what they want whether or not it's legal or moral, certain in the knowledge that almost everyone will certainly take the money and touch their forelock. Almost everyone - not the teacher who is protagonist of this story? Him too, but he finds a way of justifying it.
Badly-written rot, it also reads as though the author had an eye to a future screenplay or tv series. I hope not though it is the kind of schlock that turns up daily and is endlessly repeated.
This book is relieved with occasional humour and a rather clever naming of each chapter with the title of a classic book. There is a funny conversation where both the words spoken on each side are illuminated by a subtext of what is really meant and its a very fast read. But these little glimmers of light don't rescue the book from the darkness of the bottom of the box of books to be given to the next Red Cross jumble sale.
One and a half stars. I didn't hate it but I can't say I enjoyed it either.
February 26, 2014
So I'm a senior at Horace Mann, a female one. It's the last third of my last school year here, so I'm thinking it might be an amusing endeavor to check out some of the literature on how truly horrendous my school is. This book offered nothing in that vein. All it did offer was shitty writing, a sickeningly judgmental narrator (and a misogynist and an obnoxious prick at that), really uncomfortable descriptions of underage girls' "sexiness" and a rather naive understanding of how the rich do their thing regarding college.
The narrator, John Spencer, is another regurgitation of a typical straight male protagonist in every novel written by a straight male. Take the author's insecurities and eliminate them, create fake flaws like "oh yeah i get sort of nervous around women wah my life is hard" and basically create a more charming, attractive version of himself. The other characters are equally as pathetic. His friends are like goofy sidekicks in a bad Fox sitcom-- a bumbling science teacher, and a feminist art teacher. Never heard of that before. Then the love interest-- once again, the perfect attachment for the narrator-- a manic pixie dream girl who plays hard to get then inexplicably stops doing that?
The story is forgettable and predictable. It's filled with cliches and is just not engrossing at all. It's so irrelevant that I don't even want to talk too much about it because to any normal, sane human being, the descriptions of his female students make stomachs turn. There are so few moments where the teenage students are seen outside a sexual context that i wonder how he acted when he worked her, and it makes me glad he doesn't anymore. He strips them of all autonomy, and gladly participates in the adolescent slut-shaming that his male students engage in. It's absolutely sickening. If you care about women being treated like human beings, don't read this book. It'll make you want to find him and throw the book in his face.
All in all it's not even worth one star. it's a sensationalist book. It is also terrible. I'm sad that it exists.
The narrator, John Spencer, is another regurgitation of a typical straight male protagonist in every novel written by a straight male. Take the author's insecurities and eliminate them, create fake flaws like "oh yeah i get sort of nervous around women wah my life is hard" and basically create a more charming, attractive version of himself. The other characters are equally as pathetic. His friends are like goofy sidekicks in a bad Fox sitcom-- a bumbling science teacher, and a feminist art teacher. Never heard of that before. Then the love interest-- once again, the perfect attachment for the narrator-- a manic pixie dream girl who plays hard to get then inexplicably stops doing that?
The story is forgettable and predictable. It's filled with cliches and is just not engrossing at all. It's so irrelevant that I don't even want to talk too much about it because to any normal, sane human being, the descriptions of his female students make stomachs turn. There are so few moments where the teenage students are seen outside a sexual context that i wonder how he acted when he worked her, and it makes me glad he doesn't anymore. He strips them of all autonomy, and gladly participates in the adolescent slut-shaming that his male students engage in. It's absolutely sickening. If you care about women being treated like human beings, don't read this book. It'll make you want to find him and throw the book in his face.
All in all it's not even worth one star. it's a sensationalist book. It is also terrible. I'm sad that it exists.
April 17, 2021
This book was hilarious but I will never think of a teacher the same way again...
April 20, 2008
It's unforgivable that Horace Mann would not renew Trees's contract over this book: it's not as if he reveals a side to private school life that is a secret to its students. Is it the general mystique of private school that HM was horrified aabout Trees's shattering? Well, HM never did have the best reputation for keeping its faculty, which does lessen its quality, in my mind.
HM aside, it was unfortunate Trees chose to make his character in this novel an English teacher, as the discussions he portrays in the various class scenes are pathetically unprobing and unlike anything I'd expect from such a school. True, seniors do slack off during their last semester, but does that mean they operate on a seventh grade level? I suppose I'd have to consult my former teachers on this. The fact is, Trees was a history teacher in real life and may have done better in conveying the dynamics of a history class than an imagined English class. Who cares about HM. It does all private schools a disservice to imagine the class discussions are as infantile as the ones depicted here. I have no arguments with the portrayal of the parents, donors, or students vying to get into the top colleges. What stuns me is Trees's portrayal of the main character, a teacher. Sure, many teachers have their idiosyncrasies and ticks, but is everyone such an intellectual light-weight? If only my brother (an HM alum) read this, I could ask him what he thought of its verisimilitude. Yes, this is a satire, but is there no one worthy of respect in HM? Certainly not the cooks, according to Trees. Was my education a farce as well? Makes me wonder. . . .
HM aside, it was unfortunate Trees chose to make his character in this novel an English teacher, as the discussions he portrays in the various class scenes are pathetically unprobing and unlike anything I'd expect from such a school. True, seniors do slack off during their last semester, but does that mean they operate on a seventh grade level? I suppose I'd have to consult my former teachers on this. The fact is, Trees was a history teacher in real life and may have done better in conveying the dynamics of a history class than an imagined English class. Who cares about HM. It does all private schools a disservice to imagine the class discussions are as infantile as the ones depicted here. I have no arguments with the portrayal of the parents, donors, or students vying to get into the top colleges. What stuns me is Trees's portrayal of the main character, a teacher. Sure, many teachers have their idiosyncrasies and ticks, but is everyone such an intellectual light-weight? If only my brother (an HM alum) read this, I could ask him what he thought of its verisimilitude. Yes, this is a satire, but is there no one worthy of respect in HM? Certainly not the cooks, according to Trees. Was my education a farce as well? Makes me wonder. . . .
February 6, 2011
If you liked the movie "Election," then you will like this book. It's a very funny and cleverly written satire of the elite private schools in NYC. It's very over-the-top and blatantly overdramatized, so don't go into it thinking it's an accurate account of that world or you will be frustrated! Take it with a grain of salt. Loved that each chapter was the name of a book ("Crime and Punishment," "The Joy of Cooking," etc.) My one complaint was that I could not stand the character Gunther. Every time he spoke, I kind of wanted to smack him. He was totally unnecessary to the book.
June 19, 2019
Set in a private school--completely about what kids will do for good grades. Should have been interesting, but was really boring.
August 6, 2014
A fluffy read about a school similar/identical to the population of my summer program. I thought it would make me laugh, but mostly it just made me sad.
December 13, 2020
I'm a teacher, and I'm currently teaching at a school that has a fairly significant percentage of wealthy families. Because I am gifted certified, I teach many students from affluent families. I don't teach in New York City or at a private school, nor do I teach at the high school level, so I can't compare my experience to that of the protagonist (or the author, who was teaching at a private school in NYC when he wrote this book). However, I have felt like some parents care more about the letter grade that their child earns in my class than if they actually learned. I have experienced parents trying to leverage their wealth, power, and priviledge to get the outcome that they want. I have seen many students diagnosed on paper with a learning disorder but able to function well without accommodations (therefore making me wonder when/how the student was diagnosed with the disorder). So basically, I saw some shadows of my own teaching experience in this book, which made me enjoy it a bit more than I would have otherwise.
Overall, this was a quick read, but it's not a keeper. There were some funny parts, but the main character (John) was an oblivious asshole. I don't need to read books with "perfect" main characters; I actually prefer a flawed protagonist. But John seemed to be in his early 30s. Maybe he was in his late 20s. That might make more sense, because he was kind of immature.
My main problem with the book was reading about the number of times John had to avert his eyes from a scantily clad female student to avoid becoming aroused. Teacher-student relationships are criminal and gross. So there was an "ick factor" whenever he mentioned that Caitlyn was wearing a thong or not wearing any underwear. And instead of acting like a normal human, he avoids making eye contact and stares over her head at a poster of Freud in the back of his classroom. Also, why was Caitlyn his "favorite?" She came off like a spoiled, manipulative brat from the second she was introduced.
Overall, this was a quick read, but it's not a keeper. There were some funny parts, but the main character (John) was an oblivious asshole. I don't need to read books with "perfect" main characters; I actually prefer a flawed protagonist. But John seemed to be in his early 30s. Maybe he was in his late 20s. That might make more sense, because he was kind of immature.
My main problem with the book was reading about the number of times John had to avert his eyes from a scantily clad female student to avoid becoming aroused. Teacher-student relationships are criminal and gross. So there was an "ick factor" whenever he mentioned that Caitlyn was wearing a thong or not wearing any underwear. And instead of acting like a normal human, he avoids making eye contact and stares over her head at a poster of Freud in the back of his classroom. Also, why was Caitlyn his "favorite?" She came off like a spoiled, manipulative brat from the second she was introduced.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2017
The author casts himself as the Hugh Grant of the private school world: sheepishness and an ah-shucks demeanor covering up the fact that he's wildly misogynistic, anti-Semitic, and a touch homophobic. The characters that populate Academy X are drawn broadly, and the message lacks any type of nuance — rich people will buy their kids' way into college.
December 24, 2019
Well I just couldn't stop thinking that if this is how the elite schools of New York City are run because of the wealthy patrons children attending, then all of those schools should be shut down.
February 8, 2021
Average. Nothing special but not terrible
May 5, 2015
I enjoyed this book. Admittedly, it took me a while to get into it, but in the end I'm glad I stuck with it. This book, while it does seek to offer a glimpse into the inner world (namely the faculty and politics) of an elite private school, it is best read as a satire. In fact, I think that it must be read as a satire to be appreciated.
I often judge an author on how much I love or hate his/her characters, and in this instance I have to say that I was pleased. While I remained generally neutral toward the main character, supporting characters like Marcus and Günter were fantastic additions that pushed the plot along and provided small breaks away from the building tension. The reason I refer to this book mainly as satire was that a number of characters came across as hyperboles. Trees took average characters you would find in a private school setting and enhanced them into caricatures at times (I.e., the science teacher the fixates on human evolution and behaviour, or the english teacher with a penchant for comma use). They weren't so jarring in the narrative that they pulled you out of it, but they were nonetheless there and keeps the book satirical from me. Now, as much as I liked some characters, I hated some just as thoroughly (in a good way -- meaning that this was the author's intent). You were rooting for them to fail, hated when they tried to interfere, and you gritted your teeth until the end, when the story reaches something of a satisfactory resolve for all involved. So in that respect, I must say that the author did his job well.
The one thing that drove me crazy, however, was the name he chose for the academy. Maybe it's something little, but I couldn't overlook it. The elite private high school, which he built up as a pathway to the Ivy League, is called "Academy X". This isn't a nickname. This is the Academy's NAME. I cringed every time it came up in the narrative. I would have loved to have seen a name attached to the school the reflected the prestigious nature of the school. To me, Academy X doesn't exactly elicit thoughts of ivy buildings and manicured lawns.
I often judge an author on how much I love or hate his/her characters, and in this instance I have to say that I was pleased. While I remained generally neutral toward the main character, supporting characters like Marcus and Günter were fantastic additions that pushed the plot along and provided small breaks away from the building tension. The reason I refer to this book mainly as satire was that a number of characters came across as hyperboles. Trees took average characters you would find in a private school setting and enhanced them into caricatures at times (I.e., the science teacher the fixates on human evolution and behaviour, or the english teacher with a penchant for comma use). They weren't so jarring in the narrative that they pulled you out of it, but they were nonetheless there and keeps the book satirical from me. Now, as much as I liked some characters, I hated some just as thoroughly (in a good way -- meaning that this was the author's intent). You were rooting for them to fail, hated when they tried to interfere, and you gritted your teeth until the end, when the story reaches something of a satisfactory resolve for all involved. So in that respect, I must say that the author did his job well.
The one thing that drove me crazy, however, was the name he chose for the academy. Maybe it's something little, but I couldn't overlook it. The elite private high school, which he built up as a pathway to the Ivy League, is called "Academy X". This isn't a nickname. This is the Academy's NAME. I cringed every time it came up in the narrative. I would have loved to have seen a name attached to the school the reflected the prestigious nature of the school. To me, Academy X doesn't exactly elicit thoughts of ivy buildings and manicured lawns.
June 4, 2011
Rarely do you find books written about fancy prep schools in New York City from a teachers point of view. John Spencer (Leo!) is a English teacher who teaches one class on the lit of Jane Austin. I am assuming this book was a redoux on one of her stories, but I don't know which one, since I am not that big of a fan of Austin. Updated revisions I like, but the actual stories I find boring.
College admissions is everything at Academy X and parents will do anything to get their kids into Ivy League schools, but Spencer, of course, hates the favoritism that the college counselor plays to some students who donate more money to the school. When a students future is jeopardized (which I don't really know why, because the girl already got her recc for Princeton and all Spencer wanted her to do was rewrite a paper, but I guess it's the principle of it all), Spencer then must fight claims of harassment. With the help of some fellow teacher friends at the school, the fight the claim and he gets to keep his job.
I don't get why after all that he would want to stay after all the accusations. He says they just sweep it under a rug, but at a gossipy school like that, people must talk. I liked this book, if only from the angle. I had a hard time following the other teachers that he would talk about sometimes, but you just go with the flow and read it as is and not fret over the details too much.
Grade: C+
College admissions is everything at Academy X and parents will do anything to get their kids into Ivy League schools, but Spencer, of course, hates the favoritism that the college counselor plays to some students who donate more money to the school. When a students future is jeopardized (which I don't really know why, because the girl already got her recc for Princeton and all Spencer wanted her to do was rewrite a paper, but I guess it's the principle of it all), Spencer then must fight claims of harassment. With the help of some fellow teacher friends at the school, the fight the claim and he gets to keep his job.
I don't get why after all that he would want to stay after all the accusations. He says they just sweep it under a rug, but at a gossipy school like that, people must talk. I liked this book, if only from the angle. I had a hard time following the other teachers that he would talk about sometimes, but you just go with the flow and read it as is and not fret over the details too much.
Grade: C+
August 26, 2014
3.5 stars
This book is set at an expensive private high school in New York City. Mostly the richest kids are here; kids who's parents are able to buy their kids' way into, not only high school, but also Ivy League Colleges. John Spencer is an English teacher teaching a class focusing on Jane Austen. He has a small group of kids in his class, two who really stand out for him: Laura, smart girl, but not rich like most of the other kids; and Caitlyn, pretty, popular, rich, and smart. When the two girls compete in an essay writing contest, things get very heated and they accuse each other of plagiarism. When John finds that one of them did, in fact, plagiarize, he must figure out what to do.
I thought this was good. It really picked up in the second half once the plagiarism accusations were out there. I thought about upping the rating slightly after the second half, but I decided to leave it where it is. It was definitely interesting to read about the ethics of this kind of thing, really not even just the plagiarism, but the rich parents trying to buy their kids' ways into schools and such. The author is a teacher at a private school, so I assume some of this may have come from real life situations.
This book is set at an expensive private high school in New York City. Mostly the richest kids are here; kids who's parents are able to buy their kids' way into, not only high school, but also Ivy League Colleges. John Spencer is an English teacher teaching a class focusing on Jane Austen. He has a small group of kids in his class, two who really stand out for him: Laura, smart girl, but not rich like most of the other kids; and Caitlyn, pretty, popular, rich, and smart. When the two girls compete in an essay writing contest, things get very heated and they accuse each other of plagiarism. When John finds that one of them did, in fact, plagiarize, he must figure out what to do.
I thought this was good. It really picked up in the second half once the plagiarism accusations were out there. I thought about upping the rating slightly after the second half, but I decided to leave it where it is. It was definitely interesting to read about the ethics of this kind of thing, really not even just the plagiarism, but the rich parents trying to buy their kids' ways into schools and such. The author is a teacher at a private school, so I assume some of this may have come from real life situations.
November 28, 2007
I read this book after reading an article about the author, Andrew Trees, who has fired from his teaching job at Horace Mann for writing this book. I was surprised how fluffy this book was. The protagonist is an English professor whose advanced students are as shallow as a puddle of rain. I guess this was supposed to be amusing, but it just made me depressed. Endless jokes about cafeteria food, bad hygiene, and academic toadying didn't help the story, either. That being said, I did enjoy the description of the school's head, whose claim to fame was erecting shoddily built student centers. Given the shrinking green space on most college campuses, this seems to be an increasing trend in academia.
Despite the lameness of this book, I do hope the author is reinstated at his school. I can see why he'd be a popular teacher, based on his writing style. It always helps to have instructors that don't take themselves too seriously. Maybe if schools like Horace Mann would focus on teaching instead of college admissions, its employees wouldn't resort to satirizing its hallowed halls. Live and learn, I guess.
Despite the lameness of this book, I do hope the author is reinstated at his school. I can see why he'd be a popular teacher, based on his writing style. It always helps to have instructors that don't take themselves too seriously. Maybe if schools like Horace Mann would focus on teaching instead of college admissions, its employees wouldn't resort to satirizing its hallowed halls. Live and learn, I guess.
July 4, 2009
This book first caught my eye about 3 years ago when it was only in hardcover. I put it on my list of books to read someday. And now I finally got around to it.
This book is written kind of in the style of The Nanny Diaries. Kind of the same theme too... a poor, downtrodden character's misadventures with rich people in New York. I enjoyed it for its own sake. I thought it was entertaining enough. Yeah, the main character wasn't completely likable. However, I think in his heart he was genuinely trying to do the right thing.
I would have liked Caitlyn to have had a little more punishment, but I guess that wouldn't really have been in keeping with the point of the entire book... how these rich kids get away with so much precisely because they are rich. Still, it was a little unsatisfying for me. I like a little justice.
I was also pretty disturbed by the inappropriate teacher/student relationship that granted never came to fruition, but was sort of implied between John and Caitlyn. That just grosses me out and makes me uncomfortable. Yuck.
Overall, this book was entertaining for entertainment's sake. But not much more than that.
This book is written kind of in the style of The Nanny Diaries. Kind of the same theme too... a poor, downtrodden character's misadventures with rich people in New York. I enjoyed it for its own sake. I thought it was entertaining enough. Yeah, the main character wasn't completely likable. However, I think in his heart he was genuinely trying to do the right thing.
I would have liked Caitlyn to have had a little more punishment, but I guess that wouldn't really have been in keeping with the point of the entire book... how these rich kids get away with so much precisely because they are rich. Still, it was a little unsatisfying for me. I like a little justice.
I was also pretty disturbed by the inappropriate teacher/student relationship that granted never came to fruition, but was sort of implied between John and Caitlyn. That just grosses me out and makes me uncomfortable. Yuck.
Overall, this book was entertaining for entertainment's sake. But not much more than that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2007
This is one of those books where its strengths are evenly balanced with its weaknesses. I first heard about it when the Times ran a story about the author, Andrew Trees, not getting his contract renewed because of how he skewered NYC prep schools. Hard to believe they would have seen this as anything but cardboard caricature. The protagonist is an English teacher saddled with a crushing load of four classes and recalcitrant students whose parents buy their way into Ivy League schools. He's nominated as department chair, but everything flies apart when one of his little darlings is caught plagiarizing work, at which point he has to fight to keep his job in the face of parental accusations and administrative bungling. Trees uses a voice reminiscent of the best of authors like Mil Millington and John O'Farrell, but at times, the humor, not to mention the plot twists, are way too predictable. Still, I didn't have a movie to watch and was too lazy to do schoolwork, so, yeah, I'd recommend it.
July 19, 2016
I really enjoyed this novel, probably because I have some experience teaching and could relate a little to the highs and lows of the protagonist in his efforts to get his students interested in a topic--in this case, Jane Austen. I don't know why everyone was so hard on the book--I really loved the fact that all the chapter headings were titled after famous novels/plays; and the prose was amazing. It was entertaining, which is more than can be said for some books.
Furthermore, I think Trees' book shows an all-too-true world of teachers stuck between grading from how they perceive a student's ability and making parents, students, and faculty members happy by the grade they receive. I would think of this book more as a satire on the education system--and I'm sure that anyone who has been in the education system, would agree (or taught at an amazing school). That being said, I feel bad that Trees has been having a lot of difficulty because of this book.
Definitely worth reading, if you're open-minded enough to actually read (and learn) beyond the "cliches".
Furthermore, I think Trees' book shows an all-too-true world of teachers stuck between grading from how they perceive a student's ability and making parents, students, and faculty members happy by the grade they receive. I would think of this book more as a satire on the education system--and I'm sure that anyone who has been in the education system, would agree (or taught at an amazing school). That being said, I feel bad that Trees has been having a lot of difficulty because of this book.
Definitely worth reading, if you're open-minded enough to actually read (and learn) beyond the "cliches".
February 15, 2008
John Spencer, an English teacher at the elite Academy X, is struggling through the final weeks of the spring semester. But keeping his students focused on the genius and wit of Jane Austen is the least of his problems. His crush on the sexy librarian is beginning to warp his judgment. An unexpected promotion leaves him drowning in a sea of academic intrigue. Pushy parents demanding higher grades lurk behind every corner, and a favorite pupil suddenly reveals a cunning and sophistication far beyond her years. With each bumbling effort to keep everyone happy, John digs himself deeper into trouble until his very career is at stake. Academy X is a peek into New York City's top private schools - indeed into elite schools all over the country - where parents risk everything for their child's academic success, and no price is too high to achieve a coveted admission to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton.
January 24, 2011
Although this seemed a little formulaic for me, I still enjoyed it. I've read other novels with a similar plot and denouement. There's even been a movie or two based on the same circumstances. Still, I thought it was well written and even had some funny prose in it.
I think the protagonist was a very weak character. I think the author was attempting to elicit pity for the character by portraying him as a hapless, clueless, bumbling fellow with low self-esteem issues, but these character traits just made me dislike him even more. He finally shows he might have some balls at the end of the novel, but it was too little too late, and he quickly emasculates himself again.
It's a mediocre book to read if you don't have anything better to do. But I'm sure you can find something better if you try a little harder.
I think the protagonist was a very weak character. I think the author was attempting to elicit pity for the character by portraying him as a hapless, clueless, bumbling fellow with low self-esteem issues, but these character traits just made me dislike him even more. He finally shows he might have some balls at the end of the novel, but it was too little too late, and he quickly emasculates himself again.
It's a mediocre book to read if you don't have anything better to do. But I'm sure you can find something better if you try a little harder.
April 30, 2010
Probably one of the "fluffiest" booksI have ever read. I read this book in one sitting, I started reading it before bed and even though it's not THAT good, I still couldn't seem to put it down before finishing it. Like many other reviewers have said it is really cliche.
I didn't know before reading the other reviews that the author actually got fired from a private school because of the book. That's interesting. I can see how any school he taught at would be embarrassed at the content of the book - especially since it really read like a non-fiction book more than a novel.
Overall, I think the author started out great but the story ended up going nowhere.
I didn't know before reading the other reviews that the author actually got fired from a private school because of the book. That's interesting. I can see how any school he taught at would be embarrassed at the content of the book - especially since it really read like a non-fiction book more than a novel.
Overall, I think the author started out great but the story ended up going nowhere.
Read
April 7, 2011This satirical and comic look at an upper-crust private school in Manhattan follows English teacher John Spencer through the last weeks of the academic year, as he desperately tries to keep the seniors interested in Jane Austen. Corruption, the influence of wealthy parents, a crush on a sexy librarian, plagiarism, prescription drug abuse, and seduction all appear in this caricature-filled first novel. Trees is a history teacher at the Horace Mann School, so this is a real insider’s view of the notoriously hard to crack world of elite private schools.
March 20, 2014
Pretty fun read from a first-time author. He's got a good sense of humor and a nice insight into the private school circles.
But he committed one of the major sins of fiction that I hate. Every time something went wrong (and a lot went wrong), the narrator had to recap everything, as if we'd forgotten. It's bland filler and I don't like it, and the end of the book was pretty easy to figure out from the get-go.
That said, it was an entertaining and funny read, and I look forward to reading more from him.
But he committed one of the major sins of fiction that I hate. Every time something went wrong (and a lot went wrong), the narrator had to recap everything, as if we'd forgotten. It's bland filler and I don't like it, and the end of the book was pretty easy to figure out from the get-go.
That said, it was an entertaining and funny read, and I look forward to reading more from him.
May 23, 2007
In no way is this book good and yet I can't put it down. It could be because I wasn't feeling well when I picked it up and didn't have to think to much while reading. But that does not explain why I can't wait to finish it! I guess sometimes you just need trash and if that happens DO NOT PICK UP THIS BOOK!! I figured it out, I am a sucker for Jane Austen and because the "teacher" in the story taught Austen I couldn't stop. Oh how I wish I had!!!
December 11, 2007
I picked this up because of the controversy surrounding the author (Andrew Trees, of Horace Mann in NYC). It's as tidily written as a high school English essay, which makes sense, given the author's background. I think it relys on dropping too many brand names to give it an elitist feel, and naming the chapters after high school lit classics doesn't give it the same depth that it does in "Special Topics in Calamity Physics". It's a marginally entertaining, albeit unrealistic, read.
October 19, 2009
I am frankly afraid to read this book since I live in this city with a child now in a private school. However, since every other book I'm reading weighs 500 pounds and not easily transportable, I've cast aside my fears to read the book that supposedly reveals the shenanigans of the New York City private school world. All I can say is I've laughed out loud, not hysterically as I do when I'm reading David Sedaris, but still laughing in spite of myself.
The book finished with a whimper.
The book finished with a whimper.
January 5, 2013
Couldn't get into the book but forced myself to read it. The underlying story was okay... Amusing how much trouble he got himself into. But the whole book was pompous... Using quotes/references to other books/poems and using "big words" to prove how smart he was. I ended up bypassing most of it to get to the "meat" of the story. Would have enjoyed it more if it was written more on my level. The summary on the back was written better than the book.
January 17, 2013
Almost couldn't get myself to finish this one. If the author hates his characters and setting, how the heck is your reader supposed to enjoy it? Seemed like a bitter tyrate against the political hierarchy of elite private schools, made no better by the knowledge that the author himself is a teacher at one. How in the world did you keep your job after this went into publishing? If this novel was written in humor, I certainly didn't catch it.
April 20, 2016
What a fun book! Sure, mostly caricatures instead of characters, with John the most oblivious experienced English teacher I've read about, but the background, the privilege and all it blatantly buys, reads pretty true. Plot's a little worn and Amy the most uninteresting character I have encountered in a long time (no one is that pretty). The chapters are clever and this would be such a cool movie.
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September 8, 2010A fun quick read, especially for anyone who has dealings with the elite prep school population. Sort of modern, far less good version of Kingsley Amis' Lucky Jim.
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