Fool

by Frederick Dillen

Barnaby Griswold has never been much of an athlete, or even very sportsmanlike; he tends to cheat when the match is on the line. He's not much of a fighter either, more likely to throw a rock than an honest punch.



His father had hoped Barnaby might lead a life of dim propriety. But instead Barnaby has grown into his father's horror: a great melon of impropriety, a fluffmeister, an investments player with unbelievably priceless instincts for the next deal.



Then he loses everything. Not just his wife and daughters. Not just his livelihood and connections and lunches at La Cote. Barnaby, without a nickel, is banished even from his boyhood summer home, the very last roof over his head.



Now, divorced, deserted, flat broke, Barnaby has to find a way to repair his life.



Can a fool--a clumsy, self-absorbed, insensitive, money-driven fool--become a hero, the kind of hero that makes us stand up and cheer? In a word, yes.



This is a funny, irresistible, resonant novel that, in Andre Dubus's words, "brims with love."

From the inside flap

Genres: Fiction

309 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 9, 1999

About the author

Frederick Dillen is an award-winning author whose short fiction has appeared in literary quarterlies and Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards. His first novel, Hero, was named Best First Novel of 1994 by the Dictionary of Literary Biography. His second novel, Fool, was honored by Nancy Pearl as a Book Lust Rediscoveries selection in 2012. Dillen and his wife, Leslie, are parents of two grown daughters and live in New Mexico.

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very strange story of an antihero and his recovery. It's like Confederacy of Dunces, but the reader never really ends up siding with the main character, so as a sorry of redemption, it's pretty strange. There's lots of beautiful imagery and word play, but the middle of the novel relies too much on this, while the story slips and skids along.

[Matthew Hajicek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barnaby Griswold is a character you at first dislike, and continue to view as a blundering fool. Selfish from the beginning, he eventually goes through a Scrooge-like reformation learning about the meaning of happiness and contentedness. Was pretty funny at parts and the internal monologue of Barnaby had simple philosophical conclusions for the reader.

[Alejandro Palacios · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some great descriptions of places and feelings throughout the whole book but as far as the plot goes, I just wasn’t captivated since Barnaby really doesn’t do anything.

[Suzan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There isn't much to like Barnaby Griswold. Privileged, lazy, over indulgent and clueless - he reminds me of Flounder in Animal House ("fat drunk and stupid is no way to go through life.") Barnaby is a Wall St deal maker who specializes in hunches and fast scores - no research to it. He is "that guy" that we all know, doughy, ridiculous and the life of all the parties ... Until he gets too drunk. Barnaby's successful investment bets allows him access to the most privileged social circles in Manhattan. his wife and daughters are an ocassional after thought during the holidays
Barnaby's luck runs out - a deal collapses and costs the guys on the other side of the deal everything. In come the lawyers and the regulators and Barnaby is banned from the investment business for several years.
Barnaby is often painful to watch and continue to make foolish decisions. He bumbles along until he decides to fight for the family's membership in an old money tennis association. he never really fights for anything else. perhaps Barnaby finds redemotion, or maybe he just hadnt figured things out. You never feel sorry for Barnaby, but can't help cheering for the underdog.

[Tim Roast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fool is about a fool, or a fluffmeister. He is Barnaby Griswold and he has spent his life fluffing through deals, and doing alright in that it seems. Except this book sees him on worse times as he has got in trouble for his deals (short selling), is divorced, has no money, and is suspended from trading so is basically not doing anything (he has never had a proper job in 46 years of life).

So that is the plot pretty much although as Nancy Pearl (an American librarian who reads a lot) explains in her intro this novel is not about the plot as such, rather the way the book is written. Barnaby seems to be very reflective on life as he fluffs along. He reflects on tigers, his life, what would his dead father approve of etc. and his thoughts meander all over the place

Apart from that it is an American novel with an American librarian providing an introduction as well as a reader's guide at the end too for any book club people out there. But it wasn't quite an American version of Boris Johnson at all.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this back when I still sometimes read paperbacks, which was about a year ago. I finally got around to reading it and it was good. Barnaby Griswold is the eponymous fool, a "fluffmeister" according to his father who uses other people in order to make money for himself. But after a deal goes sour and Barnaby is banned from finance for four years, he ends up hitting rock bottom in Oklahoma City, where he maybe starts to turn things around.

The book starts slow but eventually starts to take shape. While I enjoyed Barnaby as a character, some of the situations seemed almost surreal and the dialogue was not very sharp. Still it was an enjoyable read.

That is all.

[Lynn Lipinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a poignant and beautifully written story of Barnaby Griswold, a fool with a knack for making money and making deals. When the story begins, we find him clawing his way back to life after catastrophic financial losses and an ugly divorce. The novel is sprinkled with little bits of perfect honesty about life, hope, death, failure and the ability to bounce back. Dillen's first novel, Hero, won the Dictionary of Literary Biography's first novel prize.

[Tralee Cable · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a fantastic tale of the merits of self reflection and rewards for changes wrought through perseverence and hard work one oneself. a totally lovable and identifiable antihero who had me standing in my chair cheering him on, while holding my breath and not daring to hope for the dream. Go Barnaby Griswold !!

[jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah, what that guy said (other reviewer). You never come to embrace the narrator. I'm OK with hating my narrator, OK with anti-heroes, etc, but not when I'm so aggressively held captive in their fumbling, clownish POV. You kind of want him to die, or just stop having feelings.

Nancy Pearl, master librarian, you are batting about .500 on these picks of yours lately. I tread with new caution.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

My annotation: “You’re a fluffmeister” are the last words Barnaby Griswald’s father ever says to him. Yet a fluffmeister is Barnaby’s default, as much as he may try to be an athlete, a lover, or a pilgrim.

[Pieshine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this because I enjoyed Nancy Pearl's others suggestions. Overall liked it, but found it very slow moving. However, loved the ending...one of my favorite endings. Interesting read, but took time to get through.

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this title because it was in Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Rediscoveries series. It was very well written, but included a little too much self-reflection from the protagonist (who also largely served as the antagonist) for my taste (it seemed to drone on a bit).

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clever little book short on plot but rich on character development. I can definately identify with the main character, Barnaby Griswold.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine combining Gob Bluth with Michael Scott, adding a dash of Sheldon Cooper, and you have Barnaby Griswold. Very entertaining!

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a funny and timeless tale of redemption that takes you from busy NYC and tony New England to Oklahoma and the "Old Ladies' Bank Deal."

[Darlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barnaby Griswold was hopeless and helpless, with good intentions in a constant state of flux. It started when he couldn't rise to his father's expectations. It started in earnest because of his charm and drive and instinct for calling market fluctuations. The tide of Barnaby's own fortunes in money and family and friends also ebbed and flooded. Except for this one talent, he is a naive milquetoast, both comic and tragic, a pussycat who thinks he is a tiger.