What do you think?
Rate this book
The Men Can't Be Saved
A knockout debut novel that tackles a haunting question: What do our jobs do to our souls?
Seth is a junior copywriter whose latest tagline just went viral. He’s the agency’s hottest new star, or at least he wants his coworker crush to think so. But while he’s busy drooling over his future corner office, the walls crumble around him.
When his job lets him go, he can’t let go of his job. Thankfully, one former colleague can’t let him go either: Robert “Moon” McCloone, a skeezy on-the-rise exec better suited to a frat house than a boardroom. Seth tries to forget Moon and rediscover his spiritual self; he studies Kabbalah with an Orthodox rabbi by day while popping illegal prescription pills by night. But with each misstep, Seth strays farther from salvation—though he might get there, if he could only get out of his own way.
In his debut novel, Purkert incisively peels back the layers of the male ego, revealing what’s rotten and what might be redeemed. Brimming with wit, irreverence, and soul-searching, The Men Can’t Be Saved is a startlingly original examination of work, sex, addiction, religion, branding, and ourselves.
Seth is a junior copywriter whose latest tagline just went viral. He’s the agency’s hottest new star, or at least he wants his coworker crush to think so. But while he’s busy drooling over his future corner office, the walls crumble around him.
When his job lets him go, he can’t let go of his job. Thankfully, one former colleague can’t let him go either: Robert “Moon” McCloone, a skeezy on-the-rise exec better suited to a frat house than a boardroom. Seth tries to forget Moon and rediscover his spiritual self; he studies Kabbalah with an Orthodox rabbi by day while popping illegal prescription pills by night. But with each misstep, Seth strays farther from salvation—though he might get there, if he could only get out of his own way.
In his debut novel, Purkert incisively peels back the layers of the male ego, revealing what’s rotten and what might be redeemed. Brimming with wit, irreverence, and soul-searching, The Men Can’t Be Saved is a startlingly original examination of work, sex, addiction, religion, branding, and ourselves.
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2023
69 people are currently reading
6377 people want to read
About the author
Ben Purkert
4 books63 followersBen Purkert is a poet and novelist. His debut novel, The Men Can't Be Saved, is forthcoming in 2023 from Abrams/Overlook, and his poetry collection, For the Love of Endings, was published in 2018 by Four Way Books and received praise from The New York Times and Publishers Weekly. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Nation, Slate, Wall Street Journal, Poetry, Kenyon Review, Tin House, and elsewhere. He is the founding editor of Back Draft, a Guernica interview series focused on revision and the creative process. He currently teaches at Rutgers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
June 19, 2023
For his debut novel, Ben Purkert daringly chose to do what we were all warned off doing in our youths—dive into the shallow end of the pool. In this case, the danger lies in his topic: Men behaving badly. Which automatically conjures a familiar dilemma for readers, separating feelings about a book from feelings about a protagonist (behaving badly). Oh, and let’s add a less familiar quandary while we’re at it: Is it OK to judge men as “all alike”?
To examine such fraught issues, Purkert gives us Seth Taranoff, a junior copywriter who doesn’t lack for confidence when it comes to his prowess with words. His ill-placed vanity spills over into other aspects of his life as well, ones that involve women in particular. His bent Y chromosome is at its worst in romantic dealings with female co-workers, first in the ad agency and then at a coffee slash chocolate shop where he serves as a pill-popping barista with little promise. When he visits Israel to make his mother happy, he fares equally poorly with his female tour guide.
As the novel progresses and Seth’s life gains downward momentum, he becomes increasingly mixed up with fellow ad man Robert “Moon” McCloone, an individual who, by contrast, makes Seth look enlightened. Together they fashion a series of Quixote-Sancho misadventures involving the usual culprits of guys gone wrong—sex, drugs, booze, and expensive toys (if you can afford them). And though their common narratives unite them for stretches of the book, they are not from the same side of Mars. Seth, at least, has a conscience. Not a particularly robust or developed one, but a conscience nonetheless. Add to this combustible chemistry a drinking, gambling rabbi who is married with girl triplets and a young boy with cystic fibrosis and you get three musketeers of boorishness that might lead you to agree with the tongue-in-cheek book title.
While the men are attracting all the attention with their tales of derring-please-don’t, the women characters aren’t faring much better. It’s just that their roles are more muted as supporting actors and foils. They need only stand near the men to fool us--the contrast does wonders for them. That said, the challenges of American contemporary culture prove daunting for man and woman alike. Their lives keep reminding us of the story archetype Henry David Thoreau coined so unwittingly yet aptly long ago: “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” As an update, Purkert gives us “and sometimes noisy desperation.”
Thus the trick of readers separating a novel’s narrative wheat from its character chaff. Those who dislike a protagonist's personality often blame the book as a whole, not realizing that the company they're keeping is the point. In the end, it comes down to questions of redemption. And readers with a sharp ear will see that Purkert always offers glimpses of that redemption via comments and asides from minor characters, Greek chorus-like. They are the witnesses to Seth’s self-immolation. They are the binocular-toting folks on the lookout for phoenix-like rebirths rising from the flames of young lives crashing in a ball of flames.
Well-written with just the right tempo, The Men Can’t Be Saved is equally at home using humor and cringe to drive home its thematic reckonings. It has no choice, for while Freud famously asked, “What do women want?” we see here that men haven’t quite solved the pursuit of happiness thing, either. One can almost hear Bono's background vocal “But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for” as Seth takes a path less traveled by to find answers to his Id.
After all, each saint goes through hell before finding his halo. As for men, though they be Mars and not Venus, they are still planets in the same universe bound by a common humanity. Sometimes their orbits get out of whack, is all. In that respect, this proves an intriguing morality tale of one man looking to be saved. Like most of us, he just doesn’t know it.
To examine such fraught issues, Purkert gives us Seth Taranoff, a junior copywriter who doesn’t lack for confidence when it comes to his prowess with words. His ill-placed vanity spills over into other aspects of his life as well, ones that involve women in particular. His bent Y chromosome is at its worst in romantic dealings with female co-workers, first in the ad agency and then at a coffee slash chocolate shop where he serves as a pill-popping barista with little promise. When he visits Israel to make his mother happy, he fares equally poorly with his female tour guide.
As the novel progresses and Seth’s life gains downward momentum, he becomes increasingly mixed up with fellow ad man Robert “Moon” McCloone, an individual who, by contrast, makes Seth look enlightened. Together they fashion a series of Quixote-Sancho misadventures involving the usual culprits of guys gone wrong—sex, drugs, booze, and expensive toys (if you can afford them). And though their common narratives unite them for stretches of the book, they are not from the same side of Mars. Seth, at least, has a conscience. Not a particularly robust or developed one, but a conscience nonetheless. Add to this combustible chemistry a drinking, gambling rabbi who is married with girl triplets and a young boy with cystic fibrosis and you get three musketeers of boorishness that might lead you to agree with the tongue-in-cheek book title.
While the men are attracting all the attention with their tales of derring-please-don’t, the women characters aren’t faring much better. It’s just that their roles are more muted as supporting actors and foils. They need only stand near the men to fool us--the contrast does wonders for them. That said, the challenges of American contemporary culture prove daunting for man and woman alike. Their lives keep reminding us of the story archetype Henry David Thoreau coined so unwittingly yet aptly long ago: “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” As an update, Purkert gives us “and sometimes noisy desperation.”
Thus the trick of readers separating a novel’s narrative wheat from its character chaff. Those who dislike a protagonist's personality often blame the book as a whole, not realizing that the company they're keeping is the point. In the end, it comes down to questions of redemption. And readers with a sharp ear will see that Purkert always offers glimpses of that redemption via comments and asides from minor characters, Greek chorus-like. They are the witnesses to Seth’s self-immolation. They are the binocular-toting folks on the lookout for phoenix-like rebirths rising from the flames of young lives crashing in a ball of flames.
Well-written with just the right tempo, The Men Can’t Be Saved is equally at home using humor and cringe to drive home its thematic reckonings. It has no choice, for while Freud famously asked, “What do women want?” we see here that men haven’t quite solved the pursuit of happiness thing, either. One can almost hear Bono's background vocal “But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for” as Seth takes a path less traveled by to find answers to his Id.
After all, each saint goes through hell before finding his halo. As for men, though they be Mars and not Venus, they are still planets in the same universe bound by a common humanity. Sometimes their orbits get out of whack, is all. In that respect, this proves an intriguing morality tale of one man looking to be saved. Like most of us, he just doesn’t know it.
August 27, 2023
At first I figured I would try it, though I found our protagonist deeply offputting. He is supposed to be offputting, that much is clear. He is, in short, the confidence of a mediocre white man personified. And I was willing to see what Purkert wanted to do with this ridiculous man.
But then it turned into one of those rambling odysseys of self discovery that almost never does much for me and especially doesn't with a character that I do not have any fond feelings for. Truly not a single one. By having no actual positive characteristics it's hard to really care. And without stakes, Seth's journey just doesn't mean all that much.
The eccentric characters he meets along the way didn't do anything for me either. And I kept wondering why the women he sleeps with are sleeping with him. They keep coming back?? Why??
I probably should have stopped reading, honestly. So my review is not really all that useful to anyone.
But then it turned into one of those rambling odysseys of self discovery that almost never does much for me and especially doesn't with a character that I do not have any fond feelings for. Truly not a single one. By having no actual positive characteristics it's hard to really care. And without stakes, Seth's journey just doesn't mean all that much.
The eccentric characters he meets along the way didn't do anything for me either. And I kept wondering why the women he sleeps with are sleeping with him. They keep coming back?? Why??
I probably should have stopped reading, honestly. So my review is not really all that useful to anyone.
September 4, 2023
Unappealing drivel. I’m not sure why you’d write this book, why you’d read it, or why Bookshop or Amazon or whoever it was would market it as exciting new fiction. It was terrible and uninteresting. I kept waiting for the big climax where everything would change or someone would see the light, but it never happened. So you end up reading an entire book about three men behaving badly. It’s offensive, uninteresting, and not new. (Hence the second sentence of this review.)
If I’m being really generous, I’d guess that maybe the author thought this was satire about men behaving badly, and that’s why he thought it was worth writing? That’s all I can come up with to try to defend why this book exists. The problem is, it’s not satire. All the terrible things these guys do in the book happen every day IRL. Situation after situation of privileged white guys objectifying women, making mindless and terrible career decisions, using drugs and alcohol and gambling to the detriment of everyone in their path, and essentially squandering all the opportunity life has showered on them because they are privileged white guys. This isn’t irony; this happens everywhere. Reading a fictional account of it did nothing for me other than make me sad that I had wasted my leisure time reading about fake instances of this. It’s not enjoyable entertainment fodder; it’s sad and gross and damaging.
The only little good thing I will say about this book is that there is a very small subplot that is a satire about the advertising industry. That was mildly worthwhile, but it’s maybe 5-10% of the book.
If I’m being really generous, I’d guess that maybe the author thought this was satire about men behaving badly, and that’s why he thought it was worth writing? That’s all I can come up with to try to defend why this book exists. The problem is, it’s not satire. All the terrible things these guys do in the book happen every day IRL. Situation after situation of privileged white guys objectifying women, making mindless and terrible career decisions, using drugs and alcohol and gambling to the detriment of everyone in their path, and essentially squandering all the opportunity life has showered on them because they are privileged white guys. This isn’t irony; this happens everywhere. Reading a fictional account of it did nothing for me other than make me sad that I had wasted my leisure time reading about fake instances of this. It’s not enjoyable entertainment fodder; it’s sad and gross and damaging.
The only little good thing I will say about this book is that there is a very small subplot that is a satire about the advertising industry. That was mildly worthwhile, but it’s maybe 5-10% of the book.
August 17, 2023
Good start and downhill from there.
The main character has no character; he is a simpleton, a loser and a schlemiel. I found nothing redeeming in him. The other characters: Moon,Rayma, Nadav,Josie, are all adolescents and not worth Seth’s time as well as the reader’s. I got so tired of the pills and the alcohol that everyone seemed to rely on, especially the author who was bereft of any ideas. Hard to believe this was published and that the author is actually teaching writing.
The main character has no character; he is a simpleton, a loser and a schlemiel. I found nothing redeeming in him. The other characters: Moon,Rayma, Nadav,Josie, are all adolescents and not worth Seth’s time as well as the reader’s. I got so tired of the pills and the alcohol that everyone seemed to rely on, especially the author who was bereft of any ideas. Hard to believe this was published and that the author is actually teaching writing.
August 29, 2023
Just not for me. glowing reviews of this debut novel describe the protagonist, Seth, as a “loveable screwup”. for me, he’s just an annoying man-child. He pops pills, chases (stalks - I mean, he follows a woman to rehab) women and whines about his former job at an ad agency. Sure, the premise of the novel is how toxic masculinity permeates most work places - but don’t we already know that? I’d rather have read about more work on Seth’s part maturing than page after page of poor decisions and behavior.
September 21, 2023
I didn’t find this to be the bitingly funny work satire that was advertised, nor the insightful and revealing exploration of 21st-century masculinity that some critics praised. It’s the mostly uninteresting chronicle of a none-too-perceptive dude on a mostly unfulfilled journey of self-discovery…featuring a random sequence of events and a random set of characters he interacts with. If there’s profundity here, or incisive cultural commentary, or even just an occasional laugh or chuckle, I didn’t find any of the above.
December 15, 2024
What a BRILLIANT debut - insightful, transportive, and witty! Finished this in one sitting and loved every minute of following the main character’s arc.
September 4, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read another white man creates his own problems and doesn’t get better book?
Pre-reading:
I know nothing, only pop art covers.
Thick of it:
Reminds me of the ads in Diary of an Oxygen Thief.
Kerning
It’s giving Diary of an Oxygen Thief and Patrick Bateman.
Like necrophilia, my dude.
Diaspora
It’s a little homoerotic to me, sir.
Hilonim
Paean
I bet he was actually just eating sprinkles. (Unconfirmed, but can confirm the book is much more ironically funny if you are delulu and also decide this is a fact.)
Pertinacious
Sabras
A Sam!
Calvarium
Hasidim
tefillin
mitzvah
Chabad
Hillel
yeshiva
mi sheberach
Shabbat
Oh, he is completely off his rocker.
I’m kind of bored.
tzadikim
Here’s the problem- I’m not Jewish, and I don’t know anything about it, so this bit of the book is rather unapproachable for me.
That’s not why I don’t have faith. I just think religion is fucking awful and a misogynistic cult and all variations on a theme. And I said unsubscribe.
Thank you, Barbie.
I disagree so much with this religious agenda.
Was he gonna shove a trophy up his ass? (Again unconfirmed, but it’s better if you do.)
Time to put the fun in funerals, and by fun I mean horny. (I hate that this always works.)
I’m bored. This book is just miserable people being miserable.
tzedakah
This is so gay LMAO
Post-reading:
I don’t think I understood this book. All the men in this book are unlikable. I don’t understand why the women in this book are involved with them. And it goes nowhere? The main character doesn’t redeem himself. He doesn’t grow as a person. He starts and ends exactly where he was at a dumb company. There’s very homoerotic undertones that also go nowhere. I just didn’t understand the point. It was miserable people being miserable.
And there’s nothing wrong with a miserable book. Look at my favorites list. I love an unlikable protagonist and an unreliable narrator. Seth didn’t do it for me. I didn’t understand the religious tangent this book went on. Maybe that’s because I’m not Jewish and I’m extremely anti-religion in general, or maybe it just had nothing cogent to say.
He was just a dweeby, self-important little man making his own problems. So then you think oh, the point of this book is that he’ll grow up and stop being such a dick. Except he doesn’t.
I think the writing itself is good. I just wish there was more of a point to the plot. It felt like we were circling the drain rather than going from point A to point B. I think it was trying to be he’s just Ken or Patrick Bateman but instead, it just felt like Jonah Hill’s text messages.
Who should read this:
Self-indulgent men?
Catcher in the Rye fans?
I genuinely don’t know.
Do I want to reread this:
No
Similar books:
* Diary of an Oxygen Thief by Anonymous-unlikable main character, unreliable narrator
* American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis-unlikable main character, unreliable narrator, toxic masculinity social commentary
* Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
* And That is Why Men Are Terrible by Christopher Mertic Lewis-misogyny social commentary satire
Unhinged Summary:
Seth not Rogan (although this book is much funnier if you use him as your fancast) is the golden boy of his ad agency after he comes up with a viral ad for adult diapers. Probably. He’s put on a dud account for a non-profit prostate cancer group because he's just so talented that he can polish that turd. Probably. His new partner on the account is the fratty Robert Moon. Seth saves his picture as his desktop wallpaper so he can know his enemy. And the audience is like 👀 Stanzi Potenza would have a field day with these two.
But Seth is like totally straight, guys. He's been having an affair with his co-worker Josie. She's trying to get her boyfriend hired by the company so that she can get HR’s recruitment bonus incentive. And Seth’s like wow, I can't believe you would just use a guy like that. And Josie shrugs and is like I like money and dick. Why do you think I bother with you? And Seth’s like wow, you're such a kidder. So when Travis shows up for his interview, Seth pretends to be HR and asks him to come up with slogans for the prostate client. His are like totally amateur compared to Seth’s genius one-liners.
And Seth’s so dedicated to his work that he's never taken a day off. HR is like use it or lose it, bud. Take a vacation. So he decides to go to Israel on birthright even though he's not particularly religious. He meets a soldier who’s like totally obsessed and flirting with him. And she's like lol I'm a lesbian and I've been assigned to be your chaperone after you wrote a complaint email to the trip’s organizer, but go off.
When he gets back to New York, his company has laid off half the workforce. Seth is fired. And he's like mmm, that doesn't sound right. I produced an award-winning ad last year. My boss would never let me go. And HR is like lol, your boss is the one who jumped ship and took our highest billing clients forcing us to downsize. Seth is like sounds fake. But I'll just get a temporary job at Starbucks til you all come to your senses and rehire me. This company would be nothing without me!
He develops a crush on his barista co-worker, Ramya. She's an artist and a drug addict. (Sorry for being redundant.) The cancer group didn't like Seth’s slogan, but obviously, he can't let this go. He could totally prove his genius to them if he could just have another chance! He’s been banned from contacting the clients. They've blocked his number, so he uses his coworker’s phone to pitch them another slogan. Men saving men. Brilliant right? And the company is like lol no. Haven't you heard of women in STEM? Like we’re not employing them, but the optics you know? Stick to your day job, kid. Seth is crushed, but Ramya offers him pussy and drugs, so somehow he’ll manage. Seth is also the type of guy to buy oregano, so grain of salt and all that.
One day his bestie, Moon, comes into the shop and he invites Seth to his bachelor party. They go to the strip club and Seth tries to film Moon getting a lap dance from his penis’ POV because omg, that would be like so embarrassing, right? He waxes poetic about Moon’s chest hair. But Seth’s worship sours when Moon reveals that he's actually called off his wedding and has started dating Josie. Seth’s like wtf, that's my woman! And the audience is like I thought you had a different woman now? And Seth’s like you're right! So he shows up uninvited and incredibly drunk to Ramya’s house to pinch her. Her roomie punches him and kicks Seth out.
Ramya never shows up to work again. And Seth’s like wtf, all this? Over a pinch? Man, my power over women really is incredible. I better make sure she's okay! So he steals her emergency contact information, calls up her dad, and finds out that she's in a rehab facility in PA. Time for a road trip! He borrows Moon’s car, but when he gets to rehab they won't let him in because duh. Seth wanders aimlessly until a Jewish rabbi finds him and adopts him into his family. And the audience is like for why? And the author is like I dunno plot? Also a half-baked religious tangent. And the audience is like do we have to? And the author is like he's gonna babysit the rabbi’s sick son. See he's not a total sack of shit! And the audience is like he dared the kid to ding dong ditch rehab so he could try to break in instead of taking him to a baseball game. This is a terrible make-a-wish.
Seth is like you guys are right. I am terrible. Is this rock bottom? Maybe I should go see my parents to see if anyone still loves me.
His mom just had hip replacement surgery, and Seth totally forgot, but he's there now, and that's what matters. Son of the year! Where would she be without him? Moon shows up because he needs his car and like also, his dad died. Seth is like that's a bummer, but his fupa-that's fat upper penis area-do be looking snatched wearing my old pj bottoms. Seth’s moral compass can't allow his bestie to skip his dad’s funeral, so they road trip back to New York for it. At the funeral, Seth sneaks into Moon’s bedroom to rob him and may or may not try to shove Moon’s biggest sports trophy up his ass. And the audience is like no homo, right? And the author is like right! Josie finds Seth and is like let’s blow this popsicle stand. I could use your talent back at the office. And Seth is like omg, finally, someone recognizes my potential-where your clothes at? Josie’s like I said I needed your talent. Did you think I meant your brain? Omg, you're adorable. And Seth’s like huh, I feel used, but also I think I like it?
He decides to check on his apartment that he hasn't paid rent on in months. It's untouched. And the audience is like in NYC? In this market? But Moon’s broken in and found his diary when he was trying to track him down after he low-key stole his car. What's a little grand theft auto between friends, right? He left Seth a little love poem in his journal. Moon’s like thanks for taking this dick, babe. Xo Xo. And Seth’s like wow, what a funny joke. Look at the size of my humor boner! And the audience is like sure, Jan.
The totally just friends go back to PA to pick up Moon’s other car. Seth finds out his mom has cancer and that his parents have known he’s been unemployed this whole time but they wanted to let him tell them in his own time. He’s like I don’t know what to do with this unconditional support, so peace! C’mon Moon. Let’s go check on my friend the rabbi. The rabbi has run off to the casino because he’s a gambling addict. Seth decides he should repay his kindness by saving him from sin which will like totally save his marriage. Moon enables the Rabbi’s gambling because he’s on a hot streak. And Seth is like wtf you wanna go, bro? And Moon’s like don’t make me hurt you, bro. And Seth’s like what if I want you to hurt me, bro? And Moon’s like struggle for me more, bro. And the audience is like should we leave you two alone? And Seth’s like wtf? No this is a real fight, see! And he love bites Moon. And the audience facepalms.
But remember guys, they’re like totally straight. So they wind up at the ER so they can get fixed up and Moon offers Seth a job freelancing for him. The rabbi abandons his fam. And the audience is like literally what was the point? We just went in one big circle.
My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read another white man creates his own problems and doesn’t get better book?
Pre-reading:
I know nothing, only pop art covers.
Thick of it:
Reminds me of the ads in Diary of an Oxygen Thief.
Kerning
It’s giving Diary of an Oxygen Thief and Patrick Bateman.
Like necrophilia, my dude.
Diaspora
It’s a little homoerotic to me, sir.
Hilonim
Paean
I bet he was actually just eating sprinkles. (Unconfirmed, but can confirm the book is much more ironically funny if you are delulu and also decide this is a fact.)
Pertinacious
Sabras
A Sam!
Calvarium
Hasidim
tefillin
mitzvah
Chabad
Hillel
yeshiva
mi sheberach
Shabbat
Oh, he is completely off his rocker.
I’m kind of bored.
tzadikim
Here’s the problem- I’m not Jewish, and I don’t know anything about it, so this bit of the book is rather unapproachable for me.
That’s not why I don’t have faith. I just think religion is fucking awful and a misogynistic cult and all variations on a theme. And I said unsubscribe.
Thank you, Barbie.
I disagree so much with this religious agenda.
Was he gonna shove a trophy up his ass? (Again unconfirmed, but it’s better if you do.)
Time to put the fun in funerals, and by fun I mean horny. (I hate that this always works.)
I’m bored. This book is just miserable people being miserable.
tzedakah
This is so gay LMAO
Post-reading:
I don’t think I understood this book. All the men in this book are unlikable. I don’t understand why the women in this book are involved with them. And it goes nowhere? The main character doesn’t redeem himself. He doesn’t grow as a person. He starts and ends exactly where he was at a dumb company. There’s very homoerotic undertones that also go nowhere. I just didn’t understand the point. It was miserable people being miserable.
And there’s nothing wrong with a miserable book. Look at my favorites list. I love an unlikable protagonist and an unreliable narrator. Seth didn’t do it for me. I didn’t understand the religious tangent this book went on. Maybe that’s because I’m not Jewish and I’m extremely anti-religion in general, or maybe it just had nothing cogent to say.
He was just a dweeby, self-important little man making his own problems. So then you think oh, the point of this book is that he’ll grow up and stop being such a dick. Except he doesn’t.
I think the writing itself is good. I just wish there was more of a point to the plot. It felt like we were circling the drain rather than going from point A to point B. I think it was trying to be he’s just Ken or Patrick Bateman but instead, it just felt like Jonah Hill’s text messages.
Who should read this:
Self-indulgent men?
Catcher in the Rye fans?
I genuinely don’t know.
Do I want to reread this:
No
Similar books:
* Diary of an Oxygen Thief by Anonymous-unlikable main character, unreliable narrator
* American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis-unlikable main character, unreliable narrator, toxic masculinity social commentary
* Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
* And That is Why Men Are Terrible by Christopher Mertic Lewis-misogyny social commentary satire
Unhinged Summary:
Seth not Rogan (although this book is much funnier if you use him as your fancast) is the golden boy of his ad agency after he comes up with a viral ad for adult diapers. Probably. He’s put on a dud account for a non-profit prostate cancer group because he's just so talented that he can polish that turd. Probably. His new partner on the account is the fratty Robert Moon. Seth saves his picture as his desktop wallpaper so he can know his enemy. And the audience is like 👀 Stanzi Potenza would have a field day with these two.
But Seth is like totally straight, guys. He's been having an affair with his co-worker Josie. She's trying to get her boyfriend hired by the company so that she can get HR’s recruitment bonus incentive. And Seth’s like wow, I can't believe you would just use a guy like that. And Josie shrugs and is like I like money and dick. Why do you think I bother with you? And Seth’s like wow, you're such a kidder. So when Travis shows up for his interview, Seth pretends to be HR and asks him to come up with slogans for the prostate client. His are like totally amateur compared to Seth’s genius one-liners.
And Seth’s so dedicated to his work that he's never taken a day off. HR is like use it or lose it, bud. Take a vacation. So he decides to go to Israel on birthright even though he's not particularly religious. He meets a soldier who’s like totally obsessed and flirting with him. And she's like lol I'm a lesbian and I've been assigned to be your chaperone after you wrote a complaint email to the trip’s organizer, but go off.
When he gets back to New York, his company has laid off half the workforce. Seth is fired. And he's like mmm, that doesn't sound right. I produced an award-winning ad last year. My boss would never let me go. And HR is like lol, your boss is the one who jumped ship and took our highest billing clients forcing us to downsize. Seth is like sounds fake. But I'll just get a temporary job at Starbucks til you all come to your senses and rehire me. This company would be nothing without me!
He develops a crush on his barista co-worker, Ramya. She's an artist and a drug addict. (Sorry for being redundant.) The cancer group didn't like Seth’s slogan, but obviously, he can't let this go. He could totally prove his genius to them if he could just have another chance! He’s been banned from contacting the clients. They've blocked his number, so he uses his coworker’s phone to pitch them another slogan. Men saving men. Brilliant right? And the company is like lol no. Haven't you heard of women in STEM? Like we’re not employing them, but the optics you know? Stick to your day job, kid. Seth is crushed, but Ramya offers him pussy and drugs, so somehow he’ll manage. Seth is also the type of guy to buy oregano, so grain of salt and all that.
One day his bestie, Moon, comes into the shop and he invites Seth to his bachelor party. They go to the strip club and Seth tries to film Moon getting a lap dance from his penis’ POV because omg, that would be like so embarrassing, right? He waxes poetic about Moon’s chest hair. But Seth’s worship sours when Moon reveals that he's actually called off his wedding and has started dating Josie. Seth’s like wtf, that's my woman! And the audience is like I thought you had a different woman now? And Seth’s like you're right! So he shows up uninvited and incredibly drunk to Ramya’s house to pinch her. Her roomie punches him and kicks Seth out.
Ramya never shows up to work again. And Seth’s like wtf, all this? Over a pinch? Man, my power over women really is incredible. I better make sure she's okay! So he steals her emergency contact information, calls up her dad, and finds out that she's in a rehab facility in PA. Time for a road trip! He borrows Moon’s car, but when he gets to rehab they won't let him in because duh. Seth wanders aimlessly until a Jewish rabbi finds him and adopts him into his family. And the audience is like for why? And the author is like I dunno plot? Also a half-baked religious tangent. And the audience is like do we have to? And the author is like he's gonna babysit the rabbi’s sick son. See he's not a total sack of shit! And the audience is like he dared the kid to ding dong ditch rehab so he could try to break in instead of taking him to a baseball game. This is a terrible make-a-wish.
Seth is like you guys are right. I am terrible. Is this rock bottom? Maybe I should go see my parents to see if anyone still loves me.
His mom just had hip replacement surgery, and Seth totally forgot, but he's there now, and that's what matters. Son of the year! Where would she be without him? Moon shows up because he needs his car and like also, his dad died. Seth is like that's a bummer, but his fupa-that's fat upper penis area-do be looking snatched wearing my old pj bottoms. Seth’s moral compass can't allow his bestie to skip his dad’s funeral, so they road trip back to New York for it. At the funeral, Seth sneaks into Moon’s bedroom to rob him and may or may not try to shove Moon’s biggest sports trophy up his ass. And the audience is like no homo, right? And the author is like right! Josie finds Seth and is like let’s blow this popsicle stand. I could use your talent back at the office. And Seth is like omg, finally, someone recognizes my potential-where your clothes at? Josie’s like I said I needed your talent. Did you think I meant your brain? Omg, you're adorable. And Seth’s like huh, I feel used, but also I think I like it?
He decides to check on his apartment that he hasn't paid rent on in months. It's untouched. And the audience is like in NYC? In this market? But Moon’s broken in and found his diary when he was trying to track him down after he low-key stole his car. What's a little grand theft auto between friends, right? He left Seth a little love poem in his journal. Moon’s like thanks for taking this dick, babe. Xo Xo. And Seth’s like wow, what a funny joke. Look at the size of my humor boner! And the audience is like sure, Jan.
The totally just friends go back to PA to pick up Moon’s other car. Seth finds out his mom has cancer and that his parents have known he’s been unemployed this whole time but they wanted to let him tell them in his own time. He’s like I don’t know what to do with this unconditional support, so peace! C’mon Moon. Let’s go check on my friend the rabbi. The rabbi has run off to the casino because he’s a gambling addict. Seth decides he should repay his kindness by saving him from sin which will like totally save his marriage. Moon enables the Rabbi’s gambling because he’s on a hot streak. And Seth is like wtf you wanna go, bro? And Moon’s like don’t make me hurt you, bro. And Seth’s like what if I want you to hurt me, bro? And Moon’s like struggle for me more, bro. And the audience is like should we leave you two alone? And Seth’s like wtf? No this is a real fight, see! And he love bites Moon. And the audience facepalms.
But remember guys, they’re like totally straight. So they wind up at the ER so they can get fixed up and Moon offers Seth a job freelancing for him. The rabbi abandons his fam. And the audience is like literally what was the point? We just went in one big circle.
June 15, 2023
Witty and quick paced, this novel is a deep dive into the troubled psychy of Seth, a junior copywriter at a branding agency, whose goals and self-concept epitomize "modern masculinity" and capitalism. This is a quick and humorous read, where the reader isn't sure which character to cheer for and which to revile - perhaps alternating between the emotions as Seth's story arc continues.
October 27, 2023
This book was OK. The main character’s delusional outlook on the world and himself was entertaining and at some points insightful, but I feel like the book lacked a consistent identity/narrative throughout with nothing substantive or gripping ever really coming to fruition.
August 17, 2023
Everybody is bad! There is definitely a world where I act like Seth, which probably bleeds into this world more than I would like to admit, and that bummed me out.
April 21, 2024
yeah so I read this bc the summary seemed like it was the type of book that is usually written by/about women and I was curious abt how a book about a man being an annoying mess would go over with me. turns out: not well. first of all I don’t think protagonists should work in marketing, and if they have to they shouldn’t care about it. more importantly I just didn’t connect w this at all. the writing wasn’t bad but just did not care abt the main character. every time someone addressed him by name I had to take a sec to be like oh right that’s his name. anyways idk what the point of this was to be honest
September 9, 2023
This book can not be saved. I’ve never given a book a 1 start rating, it feels sac relig. I dnf this book - at 60% in I realized there was no plot and I couldn’t listen to the protagonist whine about his life (stalking a woman that was no longer interested and doing drugs to cope) for a second longer. With so many amazing books out there don’t waste your time on this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2025
I'm always looking for books that will make me laugh hard. This wasn't one of them, despite the blurb copy that called it "brimming with wit."
Seth, a young Jewish copywriter, works at a branding company. This is familiar territory to me, as I have a background in advertising, so I know the stock types as well as the impenetrable insanity of this industry. But as well as it was portrayed and as good as the writing was, I never felt what was under Seth's assholic nature. He is arrogant, a liar, and endlessly full of himself. This would work if I got any sense of the pain or deficit that causes him to be this way and easily slip into drug addiction. It wasn't there.
He has living parents who love him; he has opportunities that he squanders with hubris; he has people who generously take him in. Why is he such a shit?
I found myself feeling the way I did about the protagonist in the popular novel Colored Television by Danzy Senna. There, the protagonist, in an equally shallow industry of TV, is also a chronic liar and manipulator but ultimately the reader understands the racial chaos that has overwhelmed her sense of right and wrong.
Since I didn't understand how Seth got to where he is for most of the book, I also didn't understand the ease of his sudden recovery. At one point in the latter half of the book, a woman Seth has been sleeping with in the advertising office gives him some truth: she tells him that the big difference between him and his so-called nemesis (who she is now sleeping with) is that the nemesis knows that everything they do in branding and advertising is B.S., but Seth believes it. I didn't understand his actions—his nearly stalking a woman he doesn't have real feelings for, to the point of chasing after her when she leaves NYC. I didn't understand his simultaneous lying and earnest-seeming caring. It felt as if something foundational to both character and action were missing. Or maybe I'm missing something.
In short, I enjoyed the writing but got impatient with the character.
Seth, a young Jewish copywriter, works at a branding company. This is familiar territory to me, as I have a background in advertising, so I know the stock types as well as the impenetrable insanity of this industry. But as well as it was portrayed and as good as the writing was, I never felt what was under Seth's assholic nature. He is arrogant, a liar, and endlessly full of himself. This would work if I got any sense of the pain or deficit that causes him to be this way and easily slip into drug addiction. It wasn't there.
He has living parents who love him; he has opportunities that he squanders with hubris; he has people who generously take him in. Why is he such a shit?
I found myself feeling the way I did about the protagonist in the popular novel Colored Television by Danzy Senna. There, the protagonist, in an equally shallow industry of TV, is also a chronic liar and manipulator but ultimately the reader understands the racial chaos that has overwhelmed her sense of right and wrong.
Since I didn't understand how Seth got to where he is for most of the book, I also didn't understand the ease of his sudden recovery. At one point in the latter half of the book, a woman Seth has been sleeping with in the advertising office gives him some truth: she tells him that the big difference between him and his so-called nemesis (who she is now sleeping with) is that the nemesis knows that everything they do in branding and advertising is B.S., but Seth believes it. I didn't understand his actions—his nearly stalking a woman he doesn't have real feelings for, to the point of chasing after her when she leaves NYC. I didn't understand his simultaneous lying and earnest-seeming caring. It felt as if something foundational to both character and action were missing. Or maybe I'm missing something.
In short, I enjoyed the writing but got impatient with the character.
July 25, 2023
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I didn’t really know what to expect going into this novel, but it was a great read given that I’d recently enjoyed both Sarah Rose Etter’s Ripe and the Barbie movie!
I often try to explain my current read to my husband, and I can’t remember the last time I read a novel with so much plot. This is an absolutely wild ride and so much fun to read! All of Seth’s work in the branding world was hilarious. The RazorBeat workplace was so on point. At no point could I predict where this book was going or how it would conclude.
Some moments were utterly glorious (standing naked in the rain as the Land Rover gets soaked because the window broke so he *checks notes* says fuck it and opens all the other windows and the sun roof?!). I just could not believe this novel, often.
As much as Seth is an overconfident, oblivious, pain in the ass, I still somehow wanted to root for him. I loved that he doesn’t have some perfect or clear transformation to being a ~better person.~ He’s a mess! He kind of starts to get his shit together, but it’s certainly not a clean or clear journey. Can’t wait to see what taglines he writes next for Moon!
I didn’t really know what to expect going into this novel, but it was a great read given that I’d recently enjoyed both Sarah Rose Etter’s Ripe and the Barbie movie!
I often try to explain my current read to my husband, and I can’t remember the last time I read a novel with so much plot. This is an absolutely wild ride and so much fun to read! All of Seth’s work in the branding world was hilarious. The RazorBeat workplace was so on point. At no point could I predict where this book was going or how it would conclude.
Some moments were utterly glorious (standing naked in the rain as the Land Rover gets soaked because the window broke so he *checks notes* says fuck it and opens all the other windows and the sun roof?!). I just could not believe this novel, often.
As much as Seth is an overconfident, oblivious, pain in the ass, I still somehow wanted to root for him. I loved that he doesn’t have some perfect or clear transformation to being a ~better person.~ He’s a mess! He kind of starts to get his shit together, but it’s certainly not a clean or clear journey. Can’t wait to see what taglines he writes next for Moon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2025
Thanks Lorde for offering a fun tune to sum up my thoughts on this one --- what was THAT?????
Incredibly weird and unlikable narrator with no self awareness, shocking levels of degeneracy, bizarre plot, dialogue hit or miss....... WTF???? There was no point to the journey in this book, and was that lack of point THE point??? 😵💫
Some lines were silly in a way I could appreciate and giggle at. And for some reason I - a reader who generally feels that life is too short to read books ur not fully into - found that I always wanted to see wtf happened next. Probably akin to rubbernecking @ a train wreck. Regardless, felt this was just too weird to communicate the themes I think the author intended to.
Reprise --- WHAT WAS THAT!!!
Incredibly weird and unlikable narrator with no self awareness, shocking levels of degeneracy, bizarre plot, dialogue hit or miss....... WTF???? There was no point to the journey in this book, and was that lack of point THE point??? 😵💫
Some lines were silly in a way I could appreciate and giggle at. And for some reason I - a reader who generally feels that life is too short to read books ur not fully into - found that I always wanted to see wtf happened next. Probably akin to rubbernecking @ a train wreck. Regardless, felt this was just too weird to communicate the themes I think the author intended to.
Reprise --- WHAT WAS THAT!!!
December 31, 2023
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, so I owe it a review.
I’m a fan of Ben Purkert’s poetry, which is what led me to this first novel. It turned out to be probably the funniest book I read in 2023; I did a lot of simultaneous cackling and cringing while reading it, and it carried me pleasurably through Christmas week. As long as you’re not one of those readers who insists that fictional protagonists be “likable,” it’s a lot of fun following our clueless narrator, Seth, as he reliably makes the worst possible decision in pretty much every situation. And yet I was still pulling for him at the end. Having an unreliable narrator is one thing; writing one who’s an oblivious moron, and making a successful novel out of it, seems like an even more special achievement.
I’m a fan of Ben Purkert’s poetry, which is what led me to this first novel. It turned out to be probably the funniest book I read in 2023; I did a lot of simultaneous cackling and cringing while reading it, and it carried me pleasurably through Christmas week. As long as you’re not one of those readers who insists that fictional protagonists be “likable,” it’s a lot of fun following our clueless narrator, Seth, as he reliably makes the worst possible decision in pretty much every situation. And yet I was still pulling for him at the end. Having an unreliable narrator is one thing; writing one who’s an oblivious moron, and making a successful novel out of it, seems like an even more special achievement.
November 28, 2023
This book grew on me like a fungus. At the beginning, I didn’t even want to finish it. By the end, I couldn’t wait to pick it up and see what Seth was doing. I saw a reviewer mention Philip Roth, and this author definitely is in the Philip Roth tradition, for better and for worse. This character will drive you crazy sometimes, just like Portnoy or any of the other Roth nuts. I really look forward to seeing what this author does next.
Read
October 11, 2025a good reminder that just because a book intends for its voice to be annoying, and succeeds at being annoying, doesn’t mean the reading experience becomes any less annoying
November 21, 2023
🔥 Won in a giveaway 🤝
I absolutely loved this story. It was hard to put down. It's about a man, Seth, who is a young adult but has a lot of growing up to do. There's job loss, drug use, being petty, lying, etc. Although he does not seem like a good guy with a lot of his actions, I really enjoyed reading about him. He does have some good qualities. You can see he's trying with people he cares about, like his mom. I saw some reviews that said he didn't have any character growth, but I respectfully disagree. I think, just like all of us, he's learning. I liked the other characters. Showing all their flaws and fighting their own battles. There's so much we don't know about others and none of us are perfect. I enjoyed this very much and recommend this book. Big thank you to author, Ben Purkert, Overlook Press and Goodreads for my free copy. Happy reading!! ✌️💙
I absolutely loved this story. It was hard to put down. It's about a man, Seth, who is a young adult but has a lot of growing up to do. There's job loss, drug use, being petty, lying, etc. Although he does not seem like a good guy with a lot of his actions, I really enjoyed reading about him. He does have some good qualities. You can see he's trying with people he cares about, like his mom. I saw some reviews that said he didn't have any character growth, but I respectfully disagree. I think, just like all of us, he's learning. I liked the other characters. Showing all their flaws and fighting their own battles. There's so much we don't know about others and none of us are perfect. I enjoyed this very much and recommend this book. Big thank you to author, Ben Purkert, Overlook Press and Goodreads for my free copy. Happy reading!! ✌️💙
May 9, 2023
I was really excited for this book after seeing several Jewish authors talk about it on twitter, and overall, I wasn't disappointed! It deals a lot with toxic masculinity, possible drug abuse, capitalism and the hellhole that are corporate jobs, and also there's some Judaism.
Essentially, Seth is laid off after coming back from time off, and he begins to spiral out of control as he questions everything about his life and future. This involves being a barista, stalking a coworker, developing a possible pill dependency, befriending a Chabad family, stealing a car (sort of), and so much more. These are all used to create commentary on the topics I mentioned above. I really couldn't look away from all the toxic and dumb mistakes Seth makes- but that's kind of the beauty of the book, you just need to know what idiotic decision he will make next so you can't put it down.
I think in my head I had imagined that our protagonist had a deeper connection with an Orthodox rabbi, but we didn't even meet the Chabad family until over halfway through the book. As a Jewish reader, I was looking forward to that, but we do see threads of it throughout the whole book.
Overall, I did enjoy this one. If any of the above topics appeal to you, this is worth a read.
Essentially, Seth is laid off after coming back from time off, and he begins to spiral out of control as he questions everything about his life and future. This involves being a barista, stalking a coworker, developing a possible pill dependency, befriending a Chabad family, stealing a car (sort of), and so much more. These are all used to create commentary on the topics I mentioned above. I really couldn't look away from all the toxic and dumb mistakes Seth makes- but that's kind of the beauty of the book, you just need to know what idiotic decision he will make next so you can't put it down.
I think in my head I had imagined that our protagonist had a deeper connection with an Orthodox rabbi, but we didn't even meet the Chabad family until over halfway through the book. As a Jewish reader, I was looking forward to that, but we do see threads of it throughout the whole book.
Overall, I did enjoy this one. If any of the above topics appeal to you, this is worth a read.
April 30, 2024
This book started as a five, became a three, and ended as a four. This fluctuation isn't because of the writing, which is consistent and capable, but for how the book feels along the way. The novel opens with its protagonist seeming to fail upward, an average upper-middle class white guy who has one apparent success to his name and thinks himself entitled to so much more. When he started insulting a sunset for being too uninspired, I was hooked.
There is an unawares pretentiousness to this absurd character that reminded me a bit of American Psycho. He may be no killer, but Seth could scrutinize a typeface or the weight of a printed page with Bateman any day.
I enjoyed the absurdity of the character and how, despite being a pretty garbage person, he kept managing to float. His inability to see himself or the world clearly — despite certainly believing himself more than capable — makes watching this Mr. Magooesque caricature of unearned confidence fun.
The book started to take a turn for me when his recklessness starts to create real peril for those around him, some of whom are genuinely innocent or in need of sincere support. I realized I was having a harder time having fun. Humoring Seth's oafishness was at odds for the sympathy I felt for those who appeared likely to suffer. About this time I realized the book didn't feel like Ellis anymore, but Selby's Requiem for a Dream. Until now, Seth's casual objectification of women and disinterest in the value of anyone but himself felt like Harry stealing his mother's TV. Sure he shouldn't be doing it, but he was kind of enabled by those around him even as he blamed them all. Once I made this comparison, it was hard not to fear for good characters — a woman and her ill child, especially — that had fallen into Seth's indifferent and destructive gravity.
So the fun stopped, but then the book builds to a real humanity that I didn't see coming. It ends with harm, but nothing irreparable, and there is even some hope there too. As much as I want to laugh at callous, buffoonish men entrusted with responsibility and power they haven't earned and cannot respect, when we treat them as only a joke their harms become abstract and silly. The novel instead suggests that people can become better than their history may suggest. I'm not always sure I believe that, but I would like to.
There is an unawares pretentiousness to this absurd character that reminded me a bit of American Psycho. He may be no killer, but Seth could scrutinize a typeface or the weight of a printed page with Bateman any day.
I enjoyed the absurdity of the character and how, despite being a pretty garbage person, he kept managing to float. His inability to see himself or the world clearly — despite certainly believing himself more than capable — makes watching this Mr. Magooesque caricature of unearned confidence fun.
The book started to take a turn for me when his recklessness starts to create real peril for those around him, some of whom are genuinely innocent or in need of sincere support. I realized I was having a harder time having fun. Humoring Seth's oafishness was at odds for the sympathy I felt for those who appeared likely to suffer. About this time I realized the book didn't feel like Ellis anymore, but Selby's Requiem for a Dream. Until now, Seth's casual objectification of women and disinterest in the value of anyone but himself felt like Harry stealing his mother's TV. Sure he shouldn't be doing it, but he was kind of enabled by those around him even as he blamed them all. Once I made this comparison, it was hard not to fear for good characters — a woman and her ill child, especially — that had fallen into Seth's indifferent and destructive gravity.
So the fun stopped, but then the book builds to a real humanity that I didn't see coming. It ends with harm, but nothing irreparable, and there is even some hope there too. As much as I want to laugh at callous, buffoonish men entrusted with responsibility and power they haven't earned and cannot respect, when we treat them as only a joke their harms become abstract and silly. The novel instead suggests that people can become better than their history may suggest. I'm not always sure I believe that, but I would like to.
December 18, 2025
What an odd book to cap off my 2025 reading goal with - 75 done! I picked this up totally on a whim at the library because as a “professional man hater” the title spoke to something deep in my soul. The men, indeed, cannot be saved. The main character of this book is so off putting that my reading was fueled by spite and hate of him as a character. This book didn’t change my life but the character was interesting enough to warrant a solid 3 star review.
Seth is a copywriter who just launched a viral campaign for an underwear brand at his ad agency. While he’s busy imagining his future corner office and his work crush finally making it official, his work world crumbles around him. After that it’s basically a wild goose chase as he tries to rebuild his self esteem while along the way becoming a barista, an addict, and a thief. The ending was not satisfying to me as it didn’t really wrap up any of the main conflicts of the book.
I had a hard time understanding the purpose of this book. The author attempts to lace together themes of religion and self discovery, addiction, and career growth and self worth and it honestly is a bit of a mess. It’s unclear what Seth’s true motivations are as the protagonist, even as his horrible personality is pitting you (the reader) against him. Moon is the other main character, a former coworker who enters a sidekick-like relationship with Seth that again, makes no sense, especially as they partake in a series of misadventures. The portrayal of women in this book fell especially flat as it made no sense why they would keep Seth around, much less keep sleeping with him? This book was so cringe but I’ve been loving cringe lately so here I am.
Seth is a copywriter who just launched a viral campaign for an underwear brand at his ad agency. While he’s busy imagining his future corner office and his work crush finally making it official, his work world crumbles around him. After that it’s basically a wild goose chase as he tries to rebuild his self esteem while along the way becoming a barista, an addict, and a thief. The ending was not satisfying to me as it didn’t really wrap up any of the main conflicts of the book.
I had a hard time understanding the purpose of this book. The author attempts to lace together themes of religion and self discovery, addiction, and career growth and self worth and it honestly is a bit of a mess. It’s unclear what Seth’s true motivations are as the protagonist, even as his horrible personality is pitting you (the reader) against him. Moon is the other main character, a former coworker who enters a sidekick-like relationship with Seth that again, makes no sense, especially as they partake in a series of misadventures. The portrayal of women in this book fell especially flat as it made no sense why they would keep Seth around, much less keep sleeping with him? This book was so cringe but I’ve been loving cringe lately so here I am.
August 1, 2023
A little bit Mad Men meets Barbie for its hilarious yet biting social commentary in the setting of the marketing world.
Seth is wholly unlikeable with his egocentrism and self importance. I cringe when he shoves colleague Josie’s chair, attempting to startle her, in a way that any immature man seeking attention in the office would do. Seth believes he is the sun and is threatened by anything that he believes could dim his light. And he seems to be on an upward trend… until he’s not. And while unlikeable, he’s not unreadable. You want to watch how this dude gets in his own way and see the fall out.
The book was fast-paced, similar to a Bret Easton Ellis novel as the reader races along with the cognitively frenetic narrator. There are moments that are actually poetic, such as this passage:
Hey, can I get your eyes on this? Or Can I pick your brain? They’d only ever want my component parts—my eyes, my brain—as if they implicitly understood themselves unworthy of the whole.
This passage caught my attention also because the beginning could have been a description of how women are objectified for their components—but unlike this male protagonist, no one is saying they’re unworthy of the whole. With women, we simply snack our way through: be beautiful but don’t spend too much time doing it. Be smart but don’t appear like you know more than others. Be a good mom, but not if it prevents you from being a good employee or spouse. Be career focused but not if it prevents you from keeping a nice house, being a good wife and serving as an engaged and loving mother. 🫠
Overall, this was a fun and interesting read. Take some time to digest the themes and messages—perhaps while sipping an extra dirty martini and cannibalizing some baby gherkins.
Seth is wholly unlikeable with his egocentrism and self importance. I cringe when he shoves colleague Josie’s chair, attempting to startle her, in a way that any immature man seeking attention in the office would do. Seth believes he is the sun and is threatened by anything that he believes could dim his light. And he seems to be on an upward trend… until he’s not. And while unlikeable, he’s not unreadable. You want to watch how this dude gets in his own way and see the fall out.
The book was fast-paced, similar to a Bret Easton Ellis novel as the reader races along with the cognitively frenetic narrator. There are moments that are actually poetic, such as this passage:
Hey, can I get your eyes on this? Or Can I pick your brain? They’d only ever want my component parts—my eyes, my brain—as if they implicitly understood themselves unworthy of the whole.
This passage caught my attention also because the beginning could have been a description of how women are objectified for their components—but unlike this male protagonist, no one is saying they’re unworthy of the whole. With women, we simply snack our way through: be beautiful but don’t spend too much time doing it. Be smart but don’t appear like you know more than others. Be a good mom, but not if it prevents you from being a good employee or spouse. Be career focused but not if it prevents you from keeping a nice house, being a good wife and serving as an engaged and loving mother. 🫠
Overall, this was a fun and interesting read. Take some time to digest the themes and messages—perhaps while sipping an extra dirty martini and cannibalizing some baby gherkins.
August 21, 2023
First off, thanks to ABRAMS Books/The Overlook Press for the copy of this book - won in Goodreads Giveaway (my 5th win in 432 attempts -- it's tough to win)!
It's been awhile since I've read a WMFUN (White Male F&ck Up Novel) and even more so, a sub-genre of that the JWMFUN (Jewish White Male F&ck Up Novel) -- and I think my tolerance and interest in this type of book has waned over the years. With this debut novel (he has previously published a poetry collection), there is no doubt that Ben Purkert is a talented writer and that is about the only thing that "saved" this novel for me -- it was a quick, occasionally funny, enjoyable enough read -- but filled with miserable characters, particularly protagonist Seth, and just wacky situations that I never found myself fully invested or entertained enough by it. I'm guessing my expectations were even further inflated thanks to generous cover blurbs from Clint Smith and Hanif Abdurraqib, two authors that I like and respect an awful lot. It just felt like there wasn't anything here that I haven't read a dozen times before and in more experienced hands.
Unofficial 2.5 stars with the 0.5 bump again for Purkert being good on the sentence-level and his pacing - but a Goodreads round-down to 2 stars for the overall experience being just okay.
September 26, 2023
I came upon this book randomly in a small bookstore and decided to give it a go with no background knowledge of the book. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I rarely see humor fiction books executed well but The Men Can’t Be Saved certainly was one of those few.
The main character, Seth, took on a POV we can’t rarely in the media - a main character with little mortality (at least he seems that way in the beginning of the book). He mimics characters in Seinfeld, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Curb your Enthusiasm in that way. He’s a grade A narcissist and hearing his POV was delightfully refreshing.
As the world crumbled around him, it was clear Seth was the cause for his own downfall. The book is witty, quick-paced, and full of exuberant characters who you just wanted to dig into more. I’m excited to have a new author, Ben Purkert, to follow.
The main character, Seth, took on a POV we can’t rarely in the media - a main character with little mortality (at least he seems that way in the beginning of the book). He mimics characters in Seinfeld, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Curb your Enthusiasm in that way. He’s a grade A narcissist and hearing his POV was delightfully refreshing.
As the world crumbled around him, it was clear Seth was the cause for his own downfall. The book is witty, quick-paced, and full of exuberant characters who you just wanted to dig into more. I’m excited to have a new author, Ben Purkert, to follow.
August 23, 2023
This one missed me, by a lot. I don't mind an unlikable narrator, but there's gotta be someone to like or root for. I didn't think the book was very funny. The resolution managed to feel both unearned and unsatisfactory. The parts that I found the most interesting weren't developed at all, but I couldn't tell if it was because they weren't supposed to be part of the overall story, or they just weren't actually developed. I haven't read Bright Lights, Big City in a long time, and don't know how I'd feel about it today, but to my memory, that seems like the good version of this book.
August 21, 2023
Hi Linh, hi Amy. Weird book about a loser guy navigating the world and just fucking everything up. Not bad, got better as it went along. Different from anything I’ve ever read, not quite sure if I liked it. None of the characters are like able except maybe the worst one, Moon, who is like able because he is so intolerable. Read this one if you have nothing else on the docket.
October 1, 2023
The whiplash from my agency life was very real reading this book! Ben is a dear friend, one whose mind and imagination and kindness I've admired for years. And the way he was able to craft this world and the character of Seth--OOMPH. I was fully engulfed in the world Ben created--so close to ours, so possible. The sentences are sharp (to be expected from a former copywriter, right?!), which perfectly relays Seth's thought processes while still leading down the road of bad decisions and consequences. And still, despite the unlikeable narrator, I rooted for a moment of relief, knowing none would be in sight, but still hoping for the small glimpses of hope to continue moving through the world and finding one's way.
August 4, 2023
This title is so accurate to the character that it’s funny. The protagonist is arrogant and delusional and a danger to himself and the people in his life. It cracked me up, but it also was a bit sobering to think how so many charmed and privileged people are just like him, which is why isms persist. For this reason, I’d classify this book as satire.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews