Chocolate Days, Popsicle Weeks

Dropping-Out #1

by Edward Hannibal

Tales of a Boston-Irish couple living in and experiencing the 1960s.

Genres: Fiction, Romance

302 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 1970

Reviews

[Jack]

My father's best seller from 1969. Tells the story of Fitzie and Janice fleeing Boston, first for the Army and Germany, then for New York's Madison Ave. and family life in the suburbs. Of course, for me, it is a great personal account, albeit somewhat fictionalized, of my parents' early pioneer days, but it is also a just a really good book that nicely captures a young couple breaking free and getting lost along with the rest of the country.

[Sue Davis]

It's interesting that several reviewers note that they read it a long long time ago and that they remember it only because of the title. Me too. As I recall the protagonist worked in an ice cream factory where they switched products from time to time--thus the title. I remember him as sexist and self-centered but what did I know in the early 70s?

[Ed Hannibal]

I"M PADDING TO MAKE THE 2O RATED BOOK MARK -- THIS IS MY OWN WORK, AS IS A TRACE OF RED, SO NATURALLY I RECOMMEND THEM TO READERS EVERYWHERE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THESE BOTH HAVE BEEN RECENTLY BROUGHT BACK TO PRINT AS E-PAPERBACKS!

[Christina]

I feel a little conflicted on my rating. I'd probably give it another half star. As a story, I really didn't care for it. It was depressing and I felt Fritzi was such an unlikable character. But, the writing! It was like poetry. Hannibal's gift of description really made this book for me. If you ignore the actual plot, which seems to be an identity crisis relayed in streamed consciousness style, and just read for the prose, it makes it all worth it.

[George P.]

I think I read this when it was fairly new, and I was in my late teens. I remember it as a coming-of-adulthood tale that interested me a lot as I was moving into that phase of life myself. I'm not going to rate it because I don't remember it well enough for that, but I do remember bits of it after 45 years, so it made an impression.

[Kathi Becker]

absolutely one of my favorite books and favorite authors.

read this book so many times since the early 1970s. Highly,recommend!

[Donna]

Like others, read a long times ago. Now it’s very dated in its sensibilities (I recall Fitzie forced Janice to quit a nursing job over something that was probably pretty routine in a hospital) but a very good read all the same.
I add that being dated is not necessarily a bad thing. This book gives you a real sense of the ideas and mindset of the times. Now we don’t think it’s cool for the shift supervisor to grab a feel but then it was all part of a days work.

[Andrew Kasmarek]

I wanted more. The title was great and that is why I bought it. I had no idea what it was about and didn't read the synopsis on the jacket. As I read, the prose was messy and dull; Although I have been fussy recently, so it may have just been my mood.

Long story short: I have never watched Madmen, but seems like if I wanted to voyeur an ad-man, I'd do it there.

[Elizabeth]

I gave it only a fair but it has good reviews, maybe reread. I read it in 1976.

[Linda]

I read this book when I was ... still in high school myself? just beginning to teach high school students? ... a million years ago in any event. I think I remember it because of the interesting title. It was okay - just a pleasant read.

[Patsy]

Just reading it about half way through it. Is ok but not that great. Got it when I worked at the library in the 70s if that tells you anything. Will let you know what I think when I finish it.

[Edwina Book Anaconda]

I read this about a month ago and it was so snooze worthy that I remember next to nothing about it except that the main character worked in an ice cream factory and seemed to complain a lot.

[Shirley]

Loved it.

[Sue Mac]

Wow...I read this a long time ago....many, many moons ago!