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The Appearance of a Hero: The Tom Mahoney Stories
"Levine's stories are riveting and subtle, shot through with a muted wisdom and palpable compassion." ?Publisher's Weekly
Tom Mahoney is the golden boy everyone knew in good-looking, charming, an athlete---sought after by women, the envy of men. His success in life seems a foregone conclusion. In The Appearance of a Hero, Tom navigates the passage into adulthood, his story chronicled from every perspective but his own. Tom crisscrosses the country in search of direction, affecting the lives of everyone he meets. The recounting of his illicit affair with an older colleague reveals a young man unprepared for the emotional entanglements that come with love. Tom's father, Stuart, struggles to reconcile Tom's splendor with his shortcomings, as he watches his only child fail to live up to expectations. A young couple befriends an unsuspecting Tom, attempting to extract the very qualities others find so alluring about him. For an aging tennis partner, Tom serves as a lens through which the man is able to understand his early years of fatherhood. A girlfriend, enamored by Tom, attempts to isolate him, with shocking consequences. As the mythology surrounding Tom grows richer, Tom struggles to understand what exactly has eluded him, and in stories that grow increasingly desperate and heartbreaking, we begin to see that being an icon is not all it's cracked up to be. In this haunting short story collection, Peter Levine offers a portrait of a hero for the twenty-first century, a man whose legend is constructed not by himself but by those around him, all desperate for someone to idolize.
Tom Mahoney is the golden boy everyone knew in good-looking, charming, an athlete---sought after by women, the envy of men. His success in life seems a foregone conclusion. In The Appearance of a Hero, Tom navigates the passage into adulthood, his story chronicled from every perspective but his own. Tom crisscrosses the country in search of direction, affecting the lives of everyone he meets. The recounting of his illicit affair with an older colleague reveals a young man unprepared for the emotional entanglements that come with love. Tom's father, Stuart, struggles to reconcile Tom's splendor with his shortcomings, as he watches his only child fail to live up to expectations. A young couple befriends an unsuspecting Tom, attempting to extract the very qualities others find so alluring about him. For an aging tennis partner, Tom serves as a lens through which the man is able to understand his early years of fatherhood. A girlfriend, enamored by Tom, attempts to isolate him, with shocking consequences. As the mythology surrounding Tom grows richer, Tom struggles to understand what exactly has eluded him, and in stories that grow increasingly desperate and heartbreaking, we begin to see that being an icon is not all it's cracked up to be. In this haunting short story collection, Peter Levine offers a portrait of a hero for the twenty-first century, a man whose legend is constructed not by himself but by those around him, all desperate for someone to idolize.
- GenresFiction
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Peter Levine
1 book12 followersPeter Levine earned his M.F.A. from The Writing Seminars at The Johns Hopkins University. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Southern Review, The Missouri Review, StoryQuarterly, and elsewhere. He has held residencies at Yaddo and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. He lives in Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 19, 2012
I received this book as an advanced reading copy from Goodreads First Reads.
The book is a compilation of short stories that comprise Tom Mahoney's life, as seen through the eyes of others. I started laughing from the very first page, though the stories grew a bit more somber. Part of my admiration for the book is because I empathize with the main character so much, seeing bits and pieces of him in my own life. The other half is the storytelling by Peter Levine, which I truly enjoyed. The characters that fill in the edges while we see bits and pieces of Tom's life unfold are easily recognizable, people that you know somewhere in your own life, just with a different name. I was eagerly looking forward to a sequel, until I got to the last story, which I will try not to spoil for anyone reading this review, though it definitely put a kibosh on that notion.
Here's hoping that Peter Levine continues to write, because this was well worth reading. We can all use a little more Tom Mahoney in our lives.
The book is a compilation of short stories that comprise Tom Mahoney's life, as seen through the eyes of others. I started laughing from the very first page, though the stories grew a bit more somber. Part of my admiration for the book is because I empathize with the main character so much, seeing bits and pieces of him in my own life. The other half is the storytelling by Peter Levine, which I truly enjoyed. The characters that fill in the edges while we see bits and pieces of Tom's life unfold are easily recognizable, people that you know somewhere in your own life, just with a different name. I was eagerly looking forward to a sequel, until I got to the last story, which I will try not to spoil for anyone reading this review, though it definitely put a kibosh on that notion.
Here's hoping that Peter Levine continues to write, because this was well worth reading. We can all use a little more Tom Mahoney in our lives.
September 29, 2012
What I found so remarkable and ingenious about “The Appearance of a Hero” was how each of the ten stories here provided a different perspective on the book’s central character, Tom Mahoney. Combined, they made for one of my favorite reads of the past five years.
At times, Tom is the main focus of the story, and at other times he’s working in the backdrop, informing the outcome of the story. He’s eerily familiar—one of those people who everyone wants to be around but who is completely unaware of his own appeal. He’s something of a wanderer and a dreamer; kind of idealistic. I was able to see men I’ve known in him—never quite settling down the way his friends have.
In the seemingly subdued but powerful story, “Havasu,” Tom, who is in his mid-20’s, arranges a birthday massage for his colleague, Cody, the exact nature of which (professional or sexual) is unclear . In “For the Reception to Follow,” which takes place about five or so years later, Tom finally appears to have found love (something you’re rooting for him to find), and follows a girlfriend to Washington, DC. There, his neighbors, a couple living across the hall from him, develop, well—let’s just call it an unhealthy sexual attraction to him. In still another terrific story, “The Northernmost Point,” Tom tells of his dating woes to a woman who, acknowledging his good looks and charm, can’t understand what the source of his dating difficulty is. The endings all shock, making each successive story more and more powerful.
One theme the book explores is, of course, sex—it even seems to be lurking in the sentences. In Tom’s youth it’s treated more graphically (but never tastelessly), though as he enters adulthood, it becomes more understated. And in stories that bookend the collection, Mr. Levine also offers heartbreaking insights into father-son relationships. Throughout, the prose flows easily, though every once in awhile these lines will stop you dead in your tracks with their beauty.
By the end of each story, I was speeding through, waiting to see what happened. By the time you get to the final story, “Cotillion,” just go ahead and pull out the box of tissues. I put the book down and then picked it up almost immediately, re-reading the last lines.
I also want to say a word about the book as a collection of stories, even though its aims are far beyond that of disparate stories. I love collections and try to read as many as I can. However, I’ve recently grown weary of them for a couple reasons. First, many seem to bask in their own artfulness, never really offering any kind of plot. Another reason I’ve cooled on them recently is that they seem to concern characters that I have nothing in common with—people on the fringes of society. What was so refreshing about “The Appearance of a Hero,” was seeing people I knew and who were relatable to me, rendered unforgettably.
At times, Tom is the main focus of the story, and at other times he’s working in the backdrop, informing the outcome of the story. He’s eerily familiar—one of those people who everyone wants to be around but who is completely unaware of his own appeal. He’s something of a wanderer and a dreamer; kind of idealistic. I was able to see men I’ve known in him—never quite settling down the way his friends have.
In the seemingly subdued but powerful story, “Havasu,” Tom, who is in his mid-20’s, arranges a birthday massage for his colleague, Cody, the exact nature of which (professional or sexual) is unclear . In “For the Reception to Follow,” which takes place about five or so years later, Tom finally appears to have found love (something you’re rooting for him to find), and follows a girlfriend to Washington, DC. There, his neighbors, a couple living across the hall from him, develop, well—let’s just call it an unhealthy sexual attraction to him. In still another terrific story, “The Northernmost Point,” Tom tells of his dating woes to a woman who, acknowledging his good looks and charm, can’t understand what the source of his dating difficulty is. The endings all shock, making each successive story more and more powerful.
One theme the book explores is, of course, sex—it even seems to be lurking in the sentences. In Tom’s youth it’s treated more graphically (but never tastelessly), though as he enters adulthood, it becomes more understated. And in stories that bookend the collection, Mr. Levine also offers heartbreaking insights into father-son relationships. Throughout, the prose flows easily, though every once in awhile these lines will stop you dead in your tracks with their beauty.
By the end of each story, I was speeding through, waiting to see what happened. By the time you get to the final story, “Cotillion,” just go ahead and pull out the box of tissues. I put the book down and then picked it up almost immediately, re-reading the last lines.
I also want to say a word about the book as a collection of stories, even though its aims are far beyond that of disparate stories. I love collections and try to read as many as I can. However, I’ve recently grown weary of them for a couple reasons. First, many seem to bask in their own artfulness, never really offering any kind of plot. Another reason I’ve cooled on them recently is that they seem to concern characters that I have nothing in common with—people on the fringes of society. What was so refreshing about “The Appearance of a Hero,” was seeing people I knew and who were relatable to me, rendered unforgettably.
August 31, 2012
Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads First Readsgiveaway.
Peter Levine's writing bears a strong resemblance to the work of Raymond Carver, both in terms of theme and style, as well as Ernest Hemingway. This is due to his preference for simple, understated language, free of lengthy metaphor and unnecessary description, as well as his focus on the sexual relationships between men and women as well as the friendships between men. All of the stories in the collection are about the character Tom Mahoney, all told from differing perspectives. Most of the stories center on Tom and his male friends' problematic relationships with women as well as Tom's relationship with his parents and his professional ambitions. There's some blunt sexual language that makes the stories feel more realistic, and gives us an idea of the sort of playboy type Tom spent his youth as. Tom falls apart and is weakened part way into the book, and I wanted a greater sense of why, what caused him to fall from glory? This would have made the material more compelling. Overall, this was a quick, enjoyable and easy read. The small, nuanced, domestic dramas Levine chose to focus on were both compelling and relatable. The relatable themes and motifs running through the book, as well as its accessible style, probably would make it appealing to male readers, even those who do not frequently read fiction.
Peter Levine's writing bears a strong resemblance to the work of Raymond Carver, both in terms of theme and style, as well as Ernest Hemingway. This is due to his preference for simple, understated language, free of lengthy metaphor and unnecessary description, as well as his focus on the sexual relationships between men and women as well as the friendships between men. All of the stories in the collection are about the character Tom Mahoney, all told from differing perspectives. Most of the stories center on Tom and his male friends' problematic relationships with women as well as Tom's relationship with his parents and his professional ambitions. There's some blunt sexual language that makes the stories feel more realistic, and gives us an idea of the sort of playboy type Tom spent his youth as. Tom falls apart and is weakened part way into the book, and I wanted a greater sense of why, what caused him to fall from glory? This would have made the material more compelling. Overall, this was a quick, enjoyable and easy read. The small, nuanced, domestic dramas Levine chose to focus on were both compelling and relatable. The relatable themes and motifs running through the book, as well as its accessible style, probably would make it appealing to male readers, even those who do not frequently read fiction.
August 15, 2012
Tom Mahoney lives in every one of us. He lives, he loves, he grows, he fails. Having just finished reading "The Appearance of a Hero: The Tom Mahoney Stories", I must compliment the author for such an introspective view of a man told from the perspective of various individuals. I read the novel in one sitting, eagerly anticipating each successive story. A different city, a different story, yet all the same. Friends, acquaintances, relatives -- yet, we can only rely on ourselves for strength.
Mr. Levine's writing and descriptions of places, events, and people are artistic. He captures the moods of cities and people. This is a great book to analyze in class or use for a book discussion group -- enjoy! I look forward to reading more short stories by Mr. Levine!
Mr. Levine's writing and descriptions of places, events, and people are artistic. He captures the moods of cities and people. This is a great book to analyze in class or use for a book discussion group -- enjoy! I look forward to reading more short stories by Mr. Levine!
July 3, 2014
I picked up this title from the "new books" section at my library because one of the critics in the back cover blurb compared it to Fitzgerald's 'Gatsby,' my absolute favorite. These stories are laid out in vignettes of the same character, Tom Mahoney.
I'm more of a reader than a writer/critic, and from this perspective I just couldn't put this book down. I just wanted to know more about this main character, which is probably what most people in the story felt about him as well. He certainly lived a life I couldn't relate to, but I could relate to those around him. These stories provide an answer to the question, what makes a hero?
Overall a pleasurable read that I will want to re-read because of its layers and excellent modern prose.
I'm more of a reader than a writer/critic, and from this perspective I just couldn't put this book down. I just wanted to know more about this main character, which is probably what most people in the story felt about him as well. He certainly lived a life I couldn't relate to, but I could relate to those around him. These stories provide an answer to the question, what makes a hero?
Overall a pleasurable read that I will want to re-read because of its layers and excellent modern prose.
August 6, 2012
Fascinating. I felt like a bit of a voyeur reading these short stories, but who doesn't like peeking in on the private, honest moments of everyday people? Ok, maybe that's just something that interests me. This isn't a feel-good book, or exactly satisfying. After reading, I felt like there were a few unanswered questions regarding the characters, but I would rather be left wanting more than being bored with excessive fluff. Also, I can't help but wonder if that was the point of this book- feeling a little emptiness like Tom Mahoney must have experienced. I am now officially a Peter Levine fan.
May 28, 2016
I received this book as an ARC and I must say that I really enjoyed it. It's not something that I would typically pick up and read, but I was hooked to it and was able to finish this story within a day.
While reading this book -which is from the point of view of many people- you'll be following the story of Tom Mahoney, a
good-looking, genuinely nice guy who seems to catch everyone's attention, men and women alike. But as he reaches that age, something from Tom's life is missing and he's not quite sure what it is or how to fix it. Tom Mahoney's story is one that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
While reading this book -which is from the point of view of many people- you'll be following the story of Tom Mahoney, a
good-looking, genuinely nice guy who seems to catch everyone's attention, men and women alike. But as he reaches that age, something from Tom's life is missing and he's not quite sure what it is or how to fix it. Tom Mahoney's story is one that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
August 27, 2012
This book definitely affected me. While reading it, I felt confused and unsettled. I kept waiting for a plot, and never found one. It's a disturbing group of short stories that, to me, resonated with feelings of hopelessness and the pointlessness of one's existence. Upon finishing the book, I was left feeling melancholy and slightly anxious. I received this book free through Goodreads First Reads.
August 15, 2012
I highly recommend this book by my friend Peter Levine. He is a wonderful story teller who creates vivid, relatable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Tom and all the people he touches along the way. I'm really glad I read this book and you will be too!
July 5, 2017
This is really an inspired idea for a book: a collection of 10 linked short stories about a guy named Tom Mahoney, except none of them are told through Tom's perspective. Instead, the stories concern people in Tom's orbit -- his father, friends, neighbors, an old lover -- who allow us to create our own portrait of the charismatic but enigmatic man at the center.
Unfortunately, while these stories are all impeccably written in a lit-journal way, I'm not sure that Tom Mahoney winds up as compelling a figure as his acquaintances all find him. When the last story, "Cotillion," reveals , the impact didn't land as much as it should have.
Choice stories: "Our Hero David Katz," "La Jolla," and "He Tells His Father."
Unfortunately, while these stories are all impeccably written in a lit-journal way, I'm not sure that Tom Mahoney winds up as compelling a figure as his acquaintances all find him. When the last story, "Cotillion," reveals , the impact didn't land as much as it should have.
Choice stories: "Our Hero David Katz," "La Jolla," and "He Tells His Father."
August 24, 2012
This was one of those things that was such a great idea I'd wished I'd had it myself: a collection of stories about a person from everyone else's point of view, but without ever giving that person a voice. The picture that emerges of Tom, the hero of this collection, is purposely fragmented and partial. It's like assembling a puzzle without having a picture on the box to work from. And there might be some pieces missing as well.
Tom is popular with everyone he meets; a former baseball player; currently in business. We never know very much of the people who tell his story, but they are all upper class, urban, striving for conventional success, a bit damaged, emotionally vulnerable. The end result is frustrating, intentionally so, since the story is realistically incomplete.
The author highlights small gestures and movements in a way that feels carefully curated, and which tell the story even more than the jumbled and incomplete thoughts and words of the narrators. His writing is deft and spare, a bit like Carver, but with a completely different outlook. Of course, the obvious comparison is to Gatsby, but it's more subtle than that. The epiphanies are small and troubling, rarely dramatic.
The only negative I could point out is that his female characters are universally brittle and a bit controlling. Admittedly, the men too are all cut from a similar pattern, but the male pattern has more heart.
Overall, I was very impressed. I look forward to what he can accomplish in the space of a novel.
Disclosure: I received this advanced copy free through the Goodreads First Reads program.
Tom is popular with everyone he meets; a former baseball player; currently in business. We never know very much of the people who tell his story, but they are all upper class, urban, striving for conventional success, a bit damaged, emotionally vulnerable. The end result is frustrating, intentionally so, since the story is realistically incomplete.
The author highlights small gestures and movements in a way that feels carefully curated, and which tell the story even more than the jumbled and incomplete thoughts and words of the narrators. His writing is deft and spare, a bit like Carver, but with a completely different outlook. Of course, the obvious comparison is to Gatsby, but it's more subtle than that. The epiphanies are small and troubling, rarely dramatic.
The only negative I could point out is that his female characters are universally brittle and a bit controlling. Admittedly, the men too are all cut from a similar pattern, but the male pattern has more heart.
Overall, I was very impressed. I look forward to what he can accomplish in the space of a novel.
Disclosure: I received this advanced copy free through the Goodreads First Reads program.
August 29, 2012
I received this book as an Advanced Readers Copy in a giveaway on GoodReads.
Ok. I will be honest. I didn't really get the overall plot to this book. Every chapter is a story, told from or about a person who knew a man. That man was Tom Mahoney. They aren't so much stories of him, but stories that involved him, where he was a supporting character. You see buddies he went to college with, and coworkers from different cities he lived in. You read about women he dated, and his father who worries about him. You are given a broad spectrum of what his life involved.
I, however, just wasn't quite able to understand it all. I was confused as to what the author was trying to convey. The stories were good. Very well written, and having a very personal feel to them, just like you were listening to someone tell you an old story of them growing up. Put them altogether, and you have a puzzle, with a few pieces still missing. It could be my age though. This book seems to be aimed to persons with more life under their belt.
I liked the concept of the book, but I may just have to wait awhile and read it again to grasp the full picture.
Ok. I will be honest. I didn't really get the overall plot to this book. Every chapter is a story, told from or about a person who knew a man. That man was Tom Mahoney. They aren't so much stories of him, but stories that involved him, where he was a supporting character. You see buddies he went to college with, and coworkers from different cities he lived in. You read about women he dated, and his father who worries about him. You are given a broad spectrum of what his life involved.
I, however, just wasn't quite able to understand it all. I was confused as to what the author was trying to convey. The stories were good. Very well written, and having a very personal feel to them, just like you were listening to someone tell you an old story of them growing up. Put them altogether, and you have a puzzle, with a few pieces still missing. It could be my age though. This book seems to be aimed to persons with more life under their belt.
I liked the concept of the book, but I may just have to wait awhile and read it again to grasp the full picture.
December 31, 2012
i really liked the author's writing style, and i was really hooked on this tom character. however, i kept on waiting for some kind of mystery to take place, or answers to some questions i had, based on why certain things were included in the book. like, why did his dad seem to get overworked when their friend was telling them about the code pink? why were the older couple lilian and marty, who befriended amy and josh, included in the story? they only met tom at the auction fundraiser. there seemed to be a lot of different stories included that didn't really tie together, or have a point to them. why was the story of david katz so important? i guess i needed more explanation to the stories, and an understanding of why certain things were included that seemed to be important, but in the end, weren't.
i guess i just didn't understand the point to the book. it left me confused. i did really like his writing style though, so i guess i just needed a longer book with more explanation into things.
i guess i just didn't understand the point to the book. it left me confused. i did really like his writing style though, so i guess i just needed a longer book with more explanation into things.
August 15, 2012
First of all, "The Appearance of a Hero: The Tom Mahoney Stories" was a book that I had won through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I thank Goodreads and Peter Levine for this book.
Tom Mahoney: businessman, good looking, athletic, dynamic, and popular both with men and women. This is a series of short stories on Tom's life as he is starting to fade out of the lives of people he once knew. Tom had some romantic relationships that fizzled out, jobs that got him really no where in life, and a father that knew that something was amiss in his life. He was a fellow that was easily forgotten by others.
Tom Mahoney: businessman, good looking, athletic, dynamic, and popular both with men and women. This is a series of short stories on Tom's life as he is starting to fade out of the lives of people he once knew. Tom had some romantic relationships that fizzled out, jobs that got him really no where in life, and a father that knew that something was amiss in his life. He was a fellow that was easily forgotten by others.
April 20, 2013
Great structure for a book of short stories: each is told from the point of view of various acquaintances of Tom Mahoney. The reader is able to piece together the main character through these fragments. More interesting, however, is Tom's influence on each of the acquaintances. How they think of Tom seems to be the main point, as opposed to Tom himself.
This book does not feature particularly likeable or compelling characters, but it still manages to be an interesting social commentary. For some reason, it reminded me of American Psycho, although nothing horrific really happens.
This book does not feature particularly likeable or compelling characters, but it still manages to be an interesting social commentary. For some reason, it reminded me of American Psycho, although nothing horrific really happens.
September 3, 2012
I won this book as an ARC from GoodReads.
I am not usually one for short stories. But this book was very, very good. I really enjoyed how Levine took one character as a center point through the whole book. I kept looking forward to seeing how things where going unwrap.
I would recommend this book to friends. Thank you for the chance to read it. I hope it does as well as it deserves!!!!!
I am not usually one for short stories. But this book was very, very good. I really enjoyed how Levine took one character as a center point through the whole book. I kept looking forward to seeing how things where going unwrap.
I would recommend this book to friends. Thank you for the chance to read it. I hope it does as well as it deserves!!!!!
September 10, 2012
Pretty interesting collection of stories all about the protagonist (TM) who we never hear from. Instead, he's the absent presence (though he does make lots of appearances). The book is really about how others project TM as a hero, someone to look up to, as a way of fulfilling their own needs and filling the holes in their own lives.
October 9, 2012
I wasn't crazy about this book. Tom remained vague for me throughout the book, and I was never sure if or why I should care about him. I'm not entirely sure if this was because of the book itself, though, or because I read it while fighting a cold/sinus infection. It's possible it was just ME who was vague. In any case, I remain not-crazy about this book.
November 11, 2012
F. Scott Fitzgerald meets Raymond Carver!
Pete Levine's book is a great commentary on masculinity and class in contemporary America. But it reads as effortlessly and as soberly as a Raymond Carver short story with a touch of sexy Anais Nin thrown in. Not only is Levine sociologically astute--even disturbingly so--he is also a dazzling master of prose rhythm. Highly recommended!
Pete Levine's book is a great commentary on masculinity and class in contemporary America. But it reads as effortlessly and as soberly as a Raymond Carver short story with a touch of sexy Anais Nin thrown in. Not only is Levine sociologically astute--even disturbingly so--he is also a dazzling master of prose rhythm. Highly recommended!
June 6, 2013
I was a contest winner ans received this book from goodreads.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book in the way the author told the story. It's short stories told from different perspectives, all relating around a central character. It's a very nice read.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book in the way the author told the story. It's short stories told from different perspectives, all relating around a central character. It's a very nice read.
July 6, 2013
Sorry... just didn't like this one, not enough substance and extremely crude. Maybe I'm a bit of a prude, but there you have it ;)
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2013
First reads book. Have had a lot of things going on so have barely started this book.
August 26, 2012
There's really no point to the book and I couldn't understand that very ending
August 22, 2012
Absolutely fascinating book. A breath of fresh air. Twenty and thirty-somethings can all identify very well with these characters and this collection. Wonderful storytelling by Peter Levine!
December 23, 2012
Waste of time.
May 25, 2013
This was an interesting collection of stories about one man's life told by everybody except himself. Unique and thoughtful.
Read
April 12, 2014snaps for anal sex on page 1
June 9, 2014
An intriguing idea for a collection of stories that pushed me to think more about the unsettling struggle sometimes involved in differentiating between perception and reality.
October 5, 2012
Only made it through part of the first story. I couldn't find any purpose to the writing.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews