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I Love You, Beth Cooper
Denis Cooverman wanted to say something really important in his high school graduation speech. So, in front of his 512 classmates and their 3,000 relatives, he ""I love you, Beth Cooper.""
It would have been such a sweet, romantic moment. Except that Beth, the head cheerleader, has only the vaguest idea who Denis is. And Denis, the captain of the debate team, is so far out of her league he is barely even the same species. And then there's Kevin, Beth's remarkably large boyfriend, who's in town on furlough from the United States Army. Complications ensue.
It would have been such a sweet, romantic moment. Except that Beth, the head cheerleader, has only the vaguest idea who Denis is. And Denis, the captain of the debate team, is so far out of her league he is barely even the same species. And then there's Kevin, Beth's remarkably large boyfriend, who's in town on furlough from the United States Army. Complications ensue.
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First published January 1, 2007
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About the author
Larry Doyle
13 books71 followersLarry Doyle's first novel, I Love You, Beth Cooper, won the 2008 Thurber Prize for American Humor.
His second novel, Go, Mutants!, was named one of the best novels of 2010 by the Washington Post.
Deliriously Happy, a 2011 collection of humor pieces from the New Yorker and elsewhere, didn't win any awards but some people liked it.
The Next One, an e-booklet was released in 2017. It's fate has yet to be determined.
Larry Doyle was a writer and producer of The Simpsons for four years; he wrote the films Duplex, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, and I Love You, Beth Cooper. He also wrote a bunch of Beavis and Buttheads, a couple Rugrats and Daria.
He was an editor at the National Lampoon, SPY, and New York, and wrote for Esquire, Rolling Stone, Time and other magazines, which were things made out of paper.
More information, mostly reliable, is available at larrydoyle.com
His second novel, Go, Mutants!, was named one of the best novels of 2010 by the Washington Post.
Deliriously Happy, a 2011 collection of humor pieces from the New Yorker and elsewhere, didn't win any awards but some people liked it.
The Next One, an e-booklet was released in 2017. It's fate has yet to be determined.
Larry Doyle was a writer and producer of The Simpsons for four years; he wrote the films Duplex, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, and I Love You, Beth Cooper. He also wrote a bunch of Beavis and Buttheads, a couple Rugrats and Daria.
He was an editor at the National Lampoon, SPY, and New York, and wrote for Esquire, Rolling Stone, Time and other magazines, which were things made out of paper.
More information, mostly reliable, is available at larrydoyle.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,238 reviews
November 13, 2009
The reason I don't read 'thrillers' or 'action' books is that I don't see them as being much different from their movie form. I don't feel like I get anything more out of the book than a movie version, and I'd rather save myself some hours and just watch a movie if that is the kind of entertainment I want.
This book falls into a newly created category derived from the above. If I want to see a whacky teen comedy, I'll watch the movie instead of reading the book. The book is pretty self-aware that it is in the teen movie genre, and even makes nods to classic teen movies with quotes at the start of each chapter. The book also shows how it believes it is different by escaping the cliches of teen movies, but really it doesn't escape them. It stays really firmly in them, and there isn't much here that anyone who has seen a healthy dose of teen movies would be surprised by.
But don't books do better things better than movies? Yes, yes they do. This book doesn't though. This is sort of the equivalent of American Pie, minus the pie fucking, but adding some lesbian sex via hostess snack cakes. It's not nearly as enduring as Can't Hardly Wait, Say Anything, or captures high school loserdom in the way that Freaks and Geeks did. I had no real connection to any of the characters, I didn't really care if the geek got the girl, nor really got what was so great about the girl. Some of the jokes were pretty funny, and there was a ridiculous absurdity that worked well for skewing high school stereotypes in a humorous way, but not in a way that I didn't feel like I'd already experienced many times before. The author also goes after cultural silliness, but he does it in an awkward way, mixing fictional bands and products with real ones, and after awhile he just comes across like an old dude who is looking to attack what kids of today like (which granted may be pretty stupid, but I don't know if they are much dumber than the things teens liked in the 1990's, or 1980's, or 1970's...).
If one is inclined to read this I'd suggest renting any of the above mentioned movies and watch that instead. Maybe watch the movie version of this, I have no idea if it is any good, but you'll probably get about as much enjoyment out of it, and save yourself a few hours.
This book falls into a newly created category derived from the above. If I want to see a whacky teen comedy, I'll watch the movie instead of reading the book. The book is pretty self-aware that it is in the teen movie genre, and even makes nods to classic teen movies with quotes at the start of each chapter. The book also shows how it believes it is different by escaping the cliches of teen movies, but really it doesn't escape them. It stays really firmly in them, and there isn't much here that anyone who has seen a healthy dose of teen movies would be surprised by.
But don't books do better things better than movies? Yes, yes they do. This book doesn't though. This is sort of the equivalent of American Pie, minus the pie fucking, but adding some lesbian sex via hostess snack cakes. It's not nearly as enduring as Can't Hardly Wait, Say Anything, or captures high school loserdom in the way that Freaks and Geeks did. I had no real connection to any of the characters, I didn't really care if the geek got the girl, nor really got what was so great about the girl. Some of the jokes were pretty funny, and there was a ridiculous absurdity that worked well for skewing high school stereotypes in a humorous way, but not in a way that I didn't feel like I'd already experienced many times before. The author also goes after cultural silliness, but he does it in an awkward way, mixing fictional bands and products with real ones, and after awhile he just comes across like an old dude who is looking to attack what kids of today like (which granted may be pretty stupid, but I don't know if they are much dumber than the things teens liked in the 1990's, or 1980's, or 1970's...).
If one is inclined to read this I'd suggest renting any of the above mentioned movies and watch that instead. Maybe watch the movie version of this, I have no idea if it is any good, but you'll probably get about as much enjoyment out of it, and save yourself a few hours.
March 11, 2008
It started off promising... really, it did. I'll admit it, I was a nerd in high school, so I can relate to Denis Cooverman a little bit. He uses his time at the podium during his high school graduation ceremony (valedictorian, of course) to criticize some of his classmates before professing his love for popular girl Beth Cooper.
The promising beginning didn't really go anywhere, unfortunately. Denis, who was repeatedly beaten up and made fun of during his school career, continues to be beaten up and made fun of for the rest of the book. The characters are cardboard cutouts of themselves-- the nerdy kid, the gay kid, the popular girl, the slut, the meathead boyfriend, and any other stereotypical teen comedy figure you can think of.
I wanted to give up on this one, but plodded through to the end on the off chance that it might get better. It didn't.
The promising beginning didn't really go anywhere, unfortunately. Denis, who was repeatedly beaten up and made fun of during his school career, continues to be beaten up and made fun of for the rest of the book. The characters are cardboard cutouts of themselves-- the nerdy kid, the gay kid, the popular girl, the slut, the meathead boyfriend, and any other stereotypical teen comedy figure you can think of.
I wanted to give up on this one, but plodded through to the end on the off chance that it might get better. It didn't.
June 17, 2009
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!
I am ashamed to admit that I suggested that my book club read this book as "a fun, summer read," since we seemed to be reading a lot of depressing books lately. I assumed that it would be a high school dork story in the vein of Freaks and Geeks. Instead, it was one of the worst books I have ever read. Yes, I gave it ZERO stars. And Larry Doyle, if you are reading this review, please contact me so I can give you my address so you can write me a check for the cost of the book. Why oh why did I not practice what I preach and just borrow it from a library?
Anyway, the only way I can describe this book is if you found the horniest junior high student on the planet, forced him to watch every cliched teen movie that was produced in the past 30 years, then forced him to watch a 3-day marathon of The Three Stooges, and then let him spill his guts about his every sexual fantasy, well, this is the book he would write. This book includes, but is not limited to, the following madcap "hilarity": a main character who is so brutally beaten throughout the course of the book that it would be impossible for him to survive, a naked co-ed shower scene, a threesome scene, a party scene where a Hummer crashes through the house, countless vomiting incidents, and about 15 chapters involving drunk driving.
Hilarious, indeed.
I am ashamed to admit that I suggested that my book club read this book as "a fun, summer read," since we seemed to be reading a lot of depressing books lately. I assumed that it would be a high school dork story in the vein of Freaks and Geeks. Instead, it was one of the worst books I have ever read. Yes, I gave it ZERO stars. And Larry Doyle, if you are reading this review, please contact me so I can give you my address so you can write me a check for the cost of the book. Why oh why did I not practice what I preach and just borrow it from a library?
Anyway, the only way I can describe this book is if you found the horniest junior high student on the planet, forced him to watch every cliched teen movie that was produced in the past 30 years, then forced him to watch a 3-day marathon of The Three Stooges, and then let him spill his guts about his every sexual fantasy, well, this is the book he would write. This book includes, but is not limited to, the following madcap "hilarity": a main character who is so brutally beaten throughout the course of the book that it would be impossible for him to survive, a naked co-ed shower scene, a threesome scene, a party scene where a Hummer crashes through the house, countless vomiting incidents, and about 15 chapters involving drunk driving.
Hilarious, indeed.
May 5, 2008
When I read this book, I had no idea that the author, first-time novelist Larry Doyle, was an established television writer, with writing credits for "Daria," "Beavis and Butthead," and "The Simpsons," but I easily could have guessed. I Love You, Beth Cooper has the frantic pace and zany, unrealistic plot points that are necessary to keeping a television audience (especially the youthful ones of the aforementioned shows) interested for the whole half-hour. It is full to bursting with cliches of high school and suburbia and the scenes all feel like they are cut and pasted from less than average teen movies, but damn it, it works. This novel reads like a movie; if all the creative people behind Superbad could merge into one and create a novel, this would be that novel. The humor is very similar, and I think it works even better on the page. Indeed, the laughs-per-page ratio found in Beth Cooper is one of the highest I've ever encountered (I suppose the only close competition here would be America: The Book and Good Omens).
Like Superbad, the main thrust of the action in I Love You, Beth Cooper takes place within a single evening in the lives of a pair of geeky high school boys. Denis and Rich have just graduated from a suburban high school in Illinois and are making a lame attempt to make the most of their graduation night after Denis's extremely unconventional valedictorian speech: in "the stilted manner of adolescent public speakers throughout history," Denis Cooverman stood in front of the entire assembled audience and declared his love for hyper-popular, uber-pretty, head-cheerleading Beth Cooper, the blond goddess who has sat in front of him in alphabetical order for a dozen years of public education.
Shortly after, Denis and Rich are the only guests at Denis's graduation party (the first of two teenage parties featuring alcohol and totally unsupervised: this one is a nice twist as the only alcohol is a warm bottle of champagne left by Denis's parents for a bit of modest celebration). The pair are stunned when unlikely plot point no. 1 brings Beth and her interchangeable best friends to Denis's house. The mishaps and the cliches escalate at an exponential rate as Beth drags Denis into her party girl lifestyle for the evening. A second house party (this one with copious amounts of alcohol and, again, no parental supervision), an angry and extremely violent boyfriend, a cabin in the woods, a shower scene, a chase, a heroic rescue, multiple fist fights and a few brushes with death leave Denis completely disillusioned; the girl he has idealized for his entire adolescence is nothing more than human, and very flawed at that. This is a girl who comes only a hair's breadth from performing sex acts to get alcohol, a girl who sleeps around, a girl who hasn't planned for her future, a girl who is, in all likelihood, already past her peak.
I Love You, Beth Cooper is, in a lot of ways, a sad story about growing up and the changes that everyone faces in that time surrounding high school graduation; the extended adolescence provided by American culture is over and the real world beckons. It's this juxtaposition of innocence and maturity that provides such a wealth of material for all of the many, many books and movies and television shows centered on it. Beth Cooper, for all of its emotional heft, is still primarily a screamingly funny and excessively entertaining read; it would be a mistake to pass it by, especially if your memories of high school graduation are still fresh.
Like Superbad, the main thrust of the action in I Love You, Beth Cooper takes place within a single evening in the lives of a pair of geeky high school boys. Denis and Rich have just graduated from a suburban high school in Illinois and are making a lame attempt to make the most of their graduation night after Denis's extremely unconventional valedictorian speech: in "the stilted manner of adolescent public speakers throughout history," Denis Cooverman stood in front of the entire assembled audience and declared his love for hyper-popular, uber-pretty, head-cheerleading Beth Cooper, the blond goddess who has sat in front of him in alphabetical order for a dozen years of public education.
Shortly after, Denis and Rich are the only guests at Denis's graduation party (the first of two teenage parties featuring alcohol and totally unsupervised: this one is a nice twist as the only alcohol is a warm bottle of champagne left by Denis's parents for a bit of modest celebration). The pair are stunned when unlikely plot point no. 1 brings Beth and her interchangeable best friends to Denis's house. The mishaps and the cliches escalate at an exponential rate as Beth drags Denis into her party girl lifestyle for the evening. A second house party (this one with copious amounts of alcohol and, again, no parental supervision), an angry and extremely violent boyfriend, a cabin in the woods, a shower scene, a chase, a heroic rescue, multiple fist fights and a few brushes with death leave Denis completely disillusioned; the girl he has idealized for his entire adolescence is nothing more than human, and very flawed at that. This is a girl who comes only a hair's breadth from performing sex acts to get alcohol, a girl who sleeps around, a girl who hasn't planned for her future, a girl who is, in all likelihood, already past her peak.
I Love You, Beth Cooper is, in a lot of ways, a sad story about growing up and the changes that everyone faces in that time surrounding high school graduation; the extended adolescence provided by American culture is over and the real world beckons. It's this juxtaposition of innocence and maturity that provides such a wealth of material for all of the many, many books and movies and television shows centered on it. Beth Cooper, for all of its emotional heft, is still primarily a screamingly funny and excessively entertaining read; it would be a mistake to pass it by, especially if your memories of high school graduation are still fresh.
October 26, 2016
2.5 Stars
June 24, 2009
During his speech as high school valedictorian, Denis Coverman strays from his agreed upon script, taking a moment to get some things off his chest and call out certain members of the student body who have made his life miserable for the past four years. And he also takes a moment to let his secret crush, Beth Cooper, popular cheerleader, know that he loves her.
That's a hell of a hook and author Larry Doyle really makes work. The initial portions of the novel are laugh out loud funny, including the vengeful janitor locking all the doors to the auditorium so everyone will have to suffer from the heat and the principal's thoughts on the duties he'll have to perform to make up for. The novel even goes well as Denis encounters Beth after the speech and invites her to his after-graduation party---which consists of himself and his best friend who may or may not be gay.
The novel hums along at a good pace for the first 50 or so pages, making some wry observations, introducing some funny moments and having a lot of fun with the premise. But it's once Beth and her crew show up at Denis's house for the party that things begin to derail a bit and the book descends into your normal "greatest night of a young teenage life" type of story. Beth has a jealous boyfriend who wants to beat the tar out of Denis, the gang goes on a crosstown epic adventure and there's the requisite romantic tension between the two leads. Doyle works hard in the last three quarters of the novel to sustain what he had when the novel started, but the book really kind of peters out toward the end, becoming little more than a lot of cliches that we've seen in other teen angst movies.
That's a hell of a hook and author Larry Doyle really makes work. The initial portions of the novel are laugh out loud funny, including the vengeful janitor locking all the doors to the auditorium so everyone will have to suffer from the heat and the principal's thoughts on the duties he'll have to perform to make up for. The novel even goes well as Denis encounters Beth after the speech and invites her to his after-graduation party---which consists of himself and his best friend who may or may not be gay.
The novel hums along at a good pace for the first 50 or so pages, making some wry observations, introducing some funny moments and having a lot of fun with the premise. But it's once Beth and her crew show up at Denis's house for the party that things begin to derail a bit and the book descends into your normal "greatest night of a young teenage life" type of story. Beth has a jealous boyfriend who wants to beat the tar out of Denis, the gang goes on a crosstown epic adventure and there's the requisite romantic tension between the two leads. Doyle works hard in the last three quarters of the novel to sustain what he had when the novel started, but the book really kind of peters out toward the end, becoming little more than a lot of cliches that we've seen in other teen angst movies.
December 4, 2013
This book is all about making you laugh. The story is shallow, as are most of the characters.
While there were probably more moments in this that made me laugh aloud than any book since Hitchhikers Guide, it completely lacked any of the emotional or philosophical satisfaction Hitchhikers brought.
And, in an odd way, it's almost too funny. It's like the author kept going back and trying to make sure every single sentence had a joke in it. In that sense, although there are plenty of extremely funny moments, it's quite exhausting to read. Too many beats, no build-up and payoff.
Another problem I had is that much of the comedy is a result of things being so over-the-top as to lose its basis in reality, which was off putting for something set in a modern day, realistic environment.
So, overall there are laughs-a-plenty, but ultimately I didn't feel satisfied. The frosting on a cake might be delicious, but you want the cake to be good, too.
While there were probably more moments in this that made me laugh aloud than any book since Hitchhikers Guide, it completely lacked any of the emotional or philosophical satisfaction Hitchhikers brought.
And, in an odd way, it's almost too funny. It's like the author kept going back and trying to make sure every single sentence had a joke in it. In that sense, although there are plenty of extremely funny moments, it's quite exhausting to read. Too many beats, no build-up and payoff.
Another problem I had is that much of the comedy is a result of things being so over-the-top as to lose its basis in reality, which was off putting for something set in a modern day, realistic environment.
So, overall there are laughs-a-plenty, but ultimately I didn't feel satisfied. The frosting on a cake might be delicious, but you want the cake to be good, too.
August 29, 2009
Stopped reading this when I was already over halfway through, with less than 100 pages to go, something I Never do. I just kept thinking it'd get better, then I came on Goodreads to see numerous people had finished the book with similar hopes that were eventually dashed, and decided I'd sidestep the waste of my time. Incredibly tedious - 2-dimensional characterizations, deathly slow-moving plot (but with numerous unnecessarily over-the-top contrivances), highly annoying narrative style (one which attempts to convey a usually not-very-funny joke with Every Single Sentence). There are criminally underappreciated nerds who deserved mass adulation by those who surrounded them (Max Fischer of Rushmore, the kids from Freaks and Geeks), and then there are nerds who within a few minutes of talking, you think (even as a nerd yourself who believes it profoundly unjust to point fingers), "Ah, that's why nobody wants to be around you" - this book is that second category of nerd.
January 3, 2024
I’m not really a jock. Actually, it’s more like I do no sports at all. Except running. Only away from psycho boyfriends of hot girls, but that only comes later. I’m more or less a geek. Still, pretty much a nobody.
But, it’s my High School graduation and that won’t matter because I’ll be going to College and won’t see any of these people again until our High School reunion. Right?
About that, one little problem. I kind of messed up. You see there’s this hot girl who is head cheerleader in my class called Beth Cooper, and as I was giving my speech because I’m valedictorian for my class, of course, I kind of blurted out a word or two. In front of every student and their families. Something along the lines of,
“I love you, Beth Cooper.”
That’s exactly what happened to Denis Cooverman in this hilarious novel. Poor little Denis. After that one, teeny tiny sentence, his whole life turned upside-down. Not only does he get to hang out with the hottest girl of his class and her two friends, but he’s doing things he’s never done before. Drinking, driving, going to parties, and running away from Beth’s military boyfriend who wants to kill him. Literally.
And! This is all during what his parents think is a small get together at their house. (They are off doing something we shall not want to know in a car in the middle of the road that Denis, Beth and their friends hit in the middle of their adventure.) What a mouthful, but it completely makes him a badass.
For those of you who think this novel is just another teen hormonal adventure, you’re completely right. This is exactly what teens today feel like. And it’s not about the hot people. It’s about us geeks out there who are basically in love with the most beautiful girl and how we would do anything to get with them.
The best part of this novel, is that it shows that geeks have a chance. That you don’t have to be good looking to find love. That a persons mind will change as they see brains over beauty. I pretty much felt like I was in Denis’ shoes half the time. Mind you I don’t have any problems with the ladies, but I do feel like I could be better at times. And when I finished this it actually made me feel like I was much better than what I made myself be.
Though it’s from a guys point of view, even girls can relate to this. It digs deep into the world of popularity from a nobody’s eyes. It makes the beauties and the brains look at one another for the first time. Like putting them in the same room. It makes us all think what would happen if we were on the other side. And the ending of this novel makes us really see what is right and what is wrong.
Denis Cooverman has started a revolution that will always keep thriving. Kudos, my geeky friend. You shall always be a badass, popular kid to me.
But, it’s my High School graduation and that won’t matter because I’ll be going to College and won’t see any of these people again until our High School reunion. Right?
About that, one little problem. I kind of messed up. You see there’s this hot girl who is head cheerleader in my class called Beth Cooper, and as I was giving my speech because I’m valedictorian for my class, of course, I kind of blurted out a word or two. In front of every student and their families. Something along the lines of,
“I love you, Beth Cooper.”
That’s exactly what happened to Denis Cooverman in this hilarious novel. Poor little Denis. After that one, teeny tiny sentence, his whole life turned upside-down. Not only does he get to hang out with the hottest girl of his class and her two friends, but he’s doing things he’s never done before. Drinking, driving, going to parties, and running away from Beth’s military boyfriend who wants to kill him. Literally.
And! This is all during what his parents think is a small get together at their house. (They are off doing something we shall not want to know in a car in the middle of the road that Denis, Beth and their friends hit in the middle of their adventure.) What a mouthful, but it completely makes him a badass.
For those of you who think this novel is just another teen hormonal adventure, you’re completely right. This is exactly what teens today feel like. And it’s not about the hot people. It’s about us geeks out there who are basically in love with the most beautiful girl and how we would do anything to get with them.
The best part of this novel, is that it shows that geeks have a chance. That you don’t have to be good looking to find love. That a persons mind will change as they see brains over beauty. I pretty much felt like I was in Denis’ shoes half the time. Mind you I don’t have any problems with the ladies, but I do feel like I could be better at times. And when I finished this it actually made me feel like I was much better than what I made myself be.
Though it’s from a guys point of view, even girls can relate to this. It digs deep into the world of popularity from a nobody’s eyes. It makes the beauties and the brains look at one another for the first time. Like putting them in the same room. It makes us all think what would happen if we were on the other side. And the ending of this novel makes us really see what is right and what is wrong.
Denis Cooverman has started a revolution that will always keep thriving. Kudos, my geeky friend. You shall always be a badass, popular kid to me.
August 15, 2011
I wanted to read this book before seeing the movie and I'm glad I did (not because I've seen the movie yet and am making comparisons, but because I can't imagine the movie can translate half the humor of this book).
Denis Cooverman, aka "The Coove", aka "The Penis", decides that his valedictorian speech at his high school graduation is the perfect time to announce that he is in love with Beth Cooper, the head cheerleader, in addition to insulting several of his classmates. To his surprise, Beth approaches him at the reception and he invites her to a party. While sitting at home alone with his friend Rich Munsch, aka "Dick Munch", Denis is again surprised when Beth does show up to his "party" with two of her friends, shortly thereafter followed by her pissed off army boyfriend and two of his crones. What follows is a long night of getting drunk, beat up, nearly arrested, and sex, making this the best night of his life.
The cast of characters is huge and hilarious and I found myself enjoying all of them, even though most had very few redeeming qualities: Rich with his habit of citing every movie quotation, Treece's involuntary whorishness, Denis's penchant for quoting facts. The action was over the top and Denis's face goes from a black eye to completely messed up. The epilogue is inconclusive; this isn't a romance, but I liked that Denis got to know the real Beth Cooper and liked her just as much as his fantasy Beth Cooper.
8/15/11 - A Note About the Movie
I would give the movie 3 stars. The humor of the book borders between raunchy and nerdy, and the movie seriously downgrades the raunchy and misses most of the nerdy (since most of the nerdy humor occurs in the book's descriptions and Denis's thoughts). That being said, I think the movie was cast perfectly and it followed the book very closely.
Denis Cooverman, aka "The Coove", aka "The Penis", decides that his valedictorian speech at his high school graduation is the perfect time to announce that he is in love with Beth Cooper, the head cheerleader, in addition to insulting several of his classmates. To his surprise, Beth approaches him at the reception and he invites her to a party. While sitting at home alone with his friend Rich Munsch, aka "Dick Munch", Denis is again surprised when Beth does show up to his "party" with two of her friends, shortly thereafter followed by her pissed off army boyfriend and two of his crones. What follows is a long night of getting drunk, beat up, nearly arrested, and sex, making this the best night of his life.
The cast of characters is huge and hilarious and I found myself enjoying all of them, even though most had very few redeeming qualities: Rich with his habit of citing every movie quotation, Treece's involuntary whorishness, Denis's penchant for quoting facts. The action was over the top and Denis's face goes from a black eye to completely messed up. The epilogue is inconclusive; this isn't a romance, but I liked that Denis got to know the real Beth Cooper and liked her just as much as his fantasy Beth Cooper.
8/15/11 - A Note About the Movie
I would give the movie 3 stars. The humor of the book borders between raunchy and nerdy, and the movie seriously downgrades the raunchy and misses most of the nerdy (since most of the nerdy humor occurs in the book's descriptions and Denis's thoughts). That being said, I think the movie was cast perfectly and it followed the book very closely.
March 20, 2009
WHAT HAPPENED?!! I wanna know what happened at the end of the summer. Darn you Larry Doyle! This book was fun. More laughs, more good story. I want to know what happens next!
March 2, 2018
Sometimes there's nothing better when that used book sale purchase - admittedly one I did not give much thought to at the time - turns out to be a diamond in the rough. You know - low cost / low expectation, right? I Love You, Beth Cooper is like a print version of an exceptional 80's or 90's teen comedy movie (the ones that had just the right balance of humor and heart in the mix).
Buffalo Grove High's Class of '07 valedictorian Denis Cooverman blurts out his infatuation regarding the popular and beautiful head cheerleader during his graduation speech. That admission then kick-starts the most eventful night of his young life. A lot of craziness, raunchiness, and drunkenness ensues with Denis stuck in the middle of it. He thinks he loves Beth Cooper. I know I loved this book.
Buffalo Grove High's Class of '07 valedictorian Denis Cooverman blurts out his infatuation regarding the popular and beautiful head cheerleader during his graduation speech. That admission then kick-starts the most eventful night of his young life. A lot of craziness, raunchiness, and drunkenness ensues with Denis stuck in the middle of it. He thinks he loves Beth Cooper. I know I loved this book.
December 24, 2008
I finished this book in three hours. From page one, Larry Doyle creates an eerily familiar depiction of high school, specifically that moment when you look back during your graduation and realize you're finally free and have your whole life ahead of you--and it's scary.
Doyle's wit sets us off on a one-night odyssey that originates from the single question, "What if, instead of delivering an average graduation speech, the valedictorian head of the debate team confesses his love for the head cheerleader? What happens then?" Such a question has many answers, so Doyle takes a fresh path.
This is a book that reads like a movie. It's epic and cinematic and paced like it has scenes rather than chapters. Doyle smartly confines himself to a single night (with a short epilogue) and, with a few digressions, a single storyline. I've tried watching Superbad twice and couldn't get through it. This book succeeded for me where Superbad failed because, unlike that movie, this book employs an intelligent, honest-because-it-hurts sort of humour. Each sentence jabs at one's brain, dredging up specific memories of youth and high school.
I Love You, Beth Cooper could be, at first glance, a typical coming-of-age story about the nerdy smart guy who falls for the popular cheerleader (or for his construction of who the popular cheerleader is). To some extent, it is such a story. But it's not only such a story, and that isn't the aspect of this story that makes it awesome. Rather, it's the fact that in spite of employing such a major trope, the story is never trite, and it never tries to force a redeeming theme on the reader. Instead, anything and everything that could possibly go wrong for the protagonist does. And when things go right, they don't always go right in the way one would expect.
If you're seeking some sort of original umbrella wisdom on the truth about graduating high school and entering the world of adulthood, your mileage may vary with this book. But if you just want to be entertained, then I'll agree with Dave Barry's review: "I'm not saying it will make you laugh out loud. But I am saying that if it doesn't, something is wrong with you."
Doyle's wit sets us off on a one-night odyssey that originates from the single question, "What if, instead of delivering an average graduation speech, the valedictorian head of the debate team confesses his love for the head cheerleader? What happens then?" Such a question has many answers, so Doyle takes a fresh path.
This is a book that reads like a movie. It's epic and cinematic and paced like it has scenes rather than chapters. Doyle smartly confines himself to a single night (with a short epilogue) and, with a few digressions, a single storyline. I've tried watching Superbad twice and couldn't get through it. This book succeeded for me where Superbad failed because, unlike that movie, this book employs an intelligent, honest-because-it-hurts sort of humour. Each sentence jabs at one's brain, dredging up specific memories of youth and high school.
I Love You, Beth Cooper could be, at first glance, a typical coming-of-age story about the nerdy smart guy who falls for the popular cheerleader (or for his construction of who the popular cheerleader is). To some extent, it is such a story. But it's not only such a story, and that isn't the aspect of this story that makes it awesome. Rather, it's the fact that in spite of employing such a major trope, the story is never trite, and it never tries to force a redeeming theme on the reader. Instead, anything and everything that could possibly go wrong for the protagonist does. And when things go right, they don't always go right in the way one would expect.
If you're seeking some sort of original umbrella wisdom on the truth about graduating high school and entering the world of adulthood, your mileage may vary with this book. But if you just want to be entertained, then I'll agree with Dave Barry's review: "I'm not saying it will make you laugh out loud. But I am saying that if it doesn't, something is wrong with you."
Read
March 8, 2017Personal Response:
I enjoyed this book very much. It was very cleverly written and filled with jokes. The author did a very good job capturing the emotions of the characters.
Plot Summary:
Denis, the main character, tells a girl named Beth that he loves her. But that girl happens to have a boyfriend who is in the military. The rest of the book is spent by Denis, his best friend, and Beth, and her friends trying to escape Beth's boyfriend and his crazy army friends. They have several close encounters along the way, but always narrowly escape. But once Kevin catches up with Denis, Denis nearly kills him. Denis knocked him unconscious into the water, but saves him instead. Beth and Kevin break up and Denis promises to marry Beth at the 10-year reunion of their high-school.
Characterization:
Denis is the main character and is extremely smart, but just as awkward. He was the valedictorian of his class. He was in love with a girl named Beth Cooper, who was way out of his league. Sometimes he can be pretty charming and witty, but mostly just makes a fool of himself.
Rich is Denis´s best friend and loves movies. He can quote almost every movie ever made. He is a lot more charming and smoother than Denis.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys witty and clever stories. There is swearing, drinking, and other mature themes and parts in it, so I wouldn't recommend this for any young readers. But overall it was a very enjoyable book that would be enjoyed by the right audience.
I enjoyed this book very much. It was very cleverly written and filled with jokes. The author did a very good job capturing the emotions of the characters.
Plot Summary:
Denis, the main character, tells a girl named Beth that he loves her. But that girl happens to have a boyfriend who is in the military. The rest of the book is spent by Denis, his best friend, and Beth, and her friends trying to escape Beth's boyfriend and his crazy army friends. They have several close encounters along the way, but always narrowly escape. But once Kevin catches up with Denis, Denis nearly kills him. Denis knocked him unconscious into the water, but saves him instead. Beth and Kevin break up and Denis promises to marry Beth at the 10-year reunion of their high-school.
Characterization:
Denis is the main character and is extremely smart, but just as awkward. He was the valedictorian of his class. He was in love with a girl named Beth Cooper, who was way out of his league. Sometimes he can be pretty charming and witty, but mostly just makes a fool of himself.
Rich is Denis´s best friend and loves movies. He can quote almost every movie ever made. He is a lot more charming and smoother than Denis.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys witty and clever stories. There is swearing, drinking, and other mature themes and parts in it, so I wouldn't recommend this for any young readers. But overall it was a very enjoyable book that would be enjoyed by the right audience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2016
Silly, ridiculous, irreverent, zany, shallow, stupid. And guess what?.,,,this book cracked me up! Never saw the movie, never will and I don't care that the reviews were not the best on GR. This coming-of-age story set on graduation night from high school made me laugh and laughter is a good thing!
March 7, 2011
I have no doubt that Larry Doyle can be a humorous writer (how else could he have credits in Beavis and Butthead and The Simpsons?), but he has no business writing a novel and should have stuck to writing for the screen.
Maybe saying 'no business' is too harsh. Let me rephrase: he should have honed his novel-writing first and not just ported his script to the novel format, bugs and all.
It may not look it but my favorite genre is comedy and I Love You Beth Cooper being tagged as a romance-comedy (romance being another favorite), it should have been easy to please me. A story only has to make me laugh with mirth a few times and I'll gladly give it a four star rating. Instead all I got was a big disappointment.
The plot involves nerdy, geeky Denis Cooverman, high school valedictorian, and his unrequited love for the hot and popular cheerleader Beth Cooper. It's like a John Green plot with zany turns and crazier characters. Only John Green writes about nerdy boys ten times better.
The first thing that disconcerted me within the first few pages is the writing style. Full of noticeable scene transitions (with the first words of each new scene in comic book font), sudden flashbacks, detailed mental mental movies and even an actual sitcom-style script complete with song references for background music, it reads like like a big fat screenplay jammed into an 8 oz. coke bottle of a novel. The 3rd-person omniscient POV prevents any self-identification and feels like a camera changing shots and panning across the screen.
Even the characters come straight from a bad sitcom or cartoon: they're one-dimensional, unsympathetic, and unlikeable. High school is one big cliche. Developments are exaggerated and over-the-top unrealistic, which is why I think Doyle's brand of slapstick comedy would work better on a visual medium (cartoon, comic book, film, television). All the absurd antics, beatings, and humiliation are supposed to be humorous, but I found them too unfunny.
Feeling no commitment at all to the characters or story, I dropped it a third of the way through and only forced myself to finish last weekend. Characters finally begin to show some depth at the last quarter of the book, but by then I was far too removed to care.
One star for the occasional laugh, another for the belated gain of depth and the high note ending. A generous 2 stars.
Maybe saying 'no business' is too harsh. Let me rephrase: he should have honed his novel-writing first and not just ported his script to the novel format, bugs and all.
It may not look it but my favorite genre is comedy and I Love You Beth Cooper being tagged as a romance-comedy (romance being another favorite), it should have been easy to please me. A story only has to make me laugh with mirth a few times and I'll gladly give it a four star rating. Instead all I got was a big disappointment.
The plot involves nerdy, geeky Denis Cooverman, high school valedictorian, and his unrequited love for the hot and popular cheerleader Beth Cooper. It's like a John Green plot with zany turns and crazier characters. Only John Green writes about nerdy boys ten times better.
The first thing that disconcerted me within the first few pages is the writing style. Full of noticeable scene transitions (with the first words of each new scene in comic book font), sudden flashbacks, detailed mental mental movies and even an actual sitcom-style script complete with song references for background music, it reads like like a big fat screenplay jammed into an 8 oz. coke bottle of a novel. The 3rd-person omniscient POV prevents any self-identification and feels like a camera changing shots and panning across the screen.
Even the characters come straight from a bad sitcom or cartoon: they're one-dimensional, unsympathetic, and unlikeable. High school is one big cliche. Developments are exaggerated and over-the-top unrealistic, which is why I think Doyle's brand of slapstick comedy would work better on a visual medium (cartoon, comic book, film, television). All the absurd antics, beatings, and humiliation are supposed to be humorous, but I found them too unfunny.
Feeling no commitment at all to the characters or story, I dropped it a third of the way through and only forced myself to finish last weekend. Characters finally begin to show some depth at the last quarter of the book, but by then I was far too removed to care.
One star for the occasional laugh, another for the belated gain of depth and the high note ending. A generous 2 stars.
December 29, 2007
On the day of his high school graduation, debate captain Denis Cooverman makes his valedictorian speech. He stands up in front of the podium, and it starts off typical and boring enough. Until he says the following five words: "I love you, Beth Cooper." This declaration of love for the head cheerleader - as well as a few other choice statements - stuns the crowd, and sets into motion a series of events that turns Graduation Night into the craziest, most dangerous, and exhilirating night of Denis' life.
I Love You, Beth Cooper is clever, shocking, and unbelievably funny. Larry Doyle, former writer and producer for The Simpsons, has created a romp of Ferris Bueller proportions, except that I actually liked this book and didn't like Ferris Bueller, and also that Ferris was decidedly cool and Denis is decidedly not. Sure, the story is unbelievable and ridiculous, but it's a great comedy with awesome wordplay and situations that most high school kids only dream about (sometimes in their nightmares). And the illustrations that lead off each chapter (by Evan Dorkin, one of my favourite cartoonists) are a great touch: they set the mood for each new part of the evening, with Denis' face adorned with some new wound or facial expression.
I Love You, Beth Cooper is a quick read, and as soon as I was done I wanted to talk about it with someone else, any one of my friends who was an outcast in high school like me. Some people might get turned off by the pop culture references that they might not get, but I didn't really care about them. I had a problem with the final chapter, which I feel softened the impact of the rest of the book a little, but otherwise I have no problem recommending it.
I Love You, Beth Cooper is clever, shocking, and unbelievably funny. Larry Doyle, former writer and producer for The Simpsons, has created a romp of Ferris Bueller proportions, except that I actually liked this book and didn't like Ferris Bueller, and also that Ferris was decidedly cool and Denis is decidedly not. Sure, the story is unbelievable and ridiculous, but it's a great comedy with awesome wordplay and situations that most high school kids only dream about (sometimes in their nightmares). And the illustrations that lead off each chapter (by Evan Dorkin, one of my favourite cartoonists) are a great touch: they set the mood for each new part of the evening, with Denis' face adorned with some new wound or facial expression.
I Love You, Beth Cooper is a quick read, and as soon as I was done I wanted to talk about it with someone else, any one of my friends who was an outcast in high school like me. Some people might get turned off by the pop culture references that they might not get, but I didn't really care about them. I had a problem with the final chapter, which I feel softened the impact of the rest of the book a little, but otherwise I have no problem recommending it.
March 11, 2009
Honestly, reading this book is like jumping on a roller coaster, forgetting to buckle your seatbelt, and you didn't have enough time to pull the bar down. So now you're flying all over the place, screaming your damn head off, swooping over the hills, feeling like you're going to throw up, ducking your head so you don't get decapitated, and then finally you pull back into the station, look at your partner that rode next to you and say..."Dude, that was one freakin' awesome ride. Let's do it again!!!!!!"
It's a mixture of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Porky's, American Pie, and whatever coming-of-age movie you can think of. I had a great time reading this book and totally loved the pictures of Denis at the start of each chapter. As you work you're way through the book, his face gets a little bit worse for wear. But in the end he clearly feels that the best time he ever had in high school was this one single night!! If you're looking for a fun YA book to read then I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to you, but it won't change your world like, say, a John Green book would, but you will laugh and you just might see a trace of your "teen self" in some of these characters and their experiences!!
I leave you with a funny passage that made me laugh:
Denis took a calcaneus to the temple. He staggered backward into a corner, trapped. So this was it: boned to death in his own room. Not exactly the tragedy he had always dreamed about. He thought of his mother finding his bloody pulped remains, and then he thought of that copy of Celebrity Sleuth: Women of Fantasy 15 on the floor, lying open to topless shots of Kristanna Loken, the Terminatrix. Embarrassing. If he had time, he would try to eat the magazine before he died.
p.87
It's a mixture of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Porky's, American Pie, and whatever coming-of-age movie you can think of. I had a great time reading this book and totally loved the pictures of Denis at the start of each chapter. As you work you're way through the book, his face gets a little bit worse for wear. But in the end he clearly feels that the best time he ever had in high school was this one single night!! If you're looking for a fun YA book to read then I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to you, but it won't change your world like, say, a John Green book would, but you will laugh and you just might see a trace of your "teen self" in some of these characters and their experiences!!
I leave you with a funny passage that made me laugh:
Denis took a calcaneus to the temple. He staggered backward into a corner, trapped. So this was it: boned to death in his own room. Not exactly the tragedy he had always dreamed about. He thought of his mother finding his bloody pulped remains, and then he thought of that copy of Celebrity Sleuth: Women of Fantasy 15 on the floor, lying open to topless shots of Kristanna Loken, the Terminatrix. Embarrassing. If he had time, he would try to eat the magazine before he died.
p.87
September 3, 2010
I don't know. I was a dorko too, I went to high school in America, and I wanted to like this book. Some people with good taste had recommended it to me -- and they weren't wrong. This book is incredibly funny. I guess my problem enjoying it was that that's just all there is. It feels exactly like a book written by a writer for the Simpsons. And I'm not trying to put down the Simpsons here either, but, the show did lose a lot of it's depth as it went on.
I found this book incredibly stereotypical -- not in a way that shows how stereotypes are true, come from a place for a reason, but just...it showcases stereotypes. As if they are all there is. And the humor becomes pretty predictable after a while -- all very cynical towards every aspect of American culture: ok, we get it, product placement is thrown in our face and consumerism is rampant, and people are shallow and reckless and selfish, we get that -- I just prefer a book where we see how there's more, even if it's just glimpses.
There are moments where a couple of the characters rise above the stereotypes, briefly, and that is nice. It doesn't happen enough to actually make the book have any sort of meaning.
So, the book is incredibly funny -- it has a fantastic premise, starts with a bang, and never stops being entertaining. Doyle's wordplay is incredibly enjoyable. So, I hope I don't come off as a hater. This book just wan't for me.
I found this book incredibly stereotypical -- not in a way that shows how stereotypes are true, come from a place for a reason, but just...it showcases stereotypes. As if they are all there is. And the humor becomes pretty predictable after a while -- all very cynical towards every aspect of American culture: ok, we get it, product placement is thrown in our face and consumerism is rampant, and people are shallow and reckless and selfish, we get that -- I just prefer a book where we see how there's more, even if it's just glimpses.
There are moments where a couple of the characters rise above the stereotypes, briefly, and that is nice. It doesn't happen enough to actually make the book have any sort of meaning.
So, the book is incredibly funny -- it has a fantastic premise, starts with a bang, and never stops being entertaining. Doyle's wordplay is incredibly enjoyable. So, I hope I don't come off as a hater. This book just wan't for me.
July 28, 2011
I am the first to admit that I am a Simpsons junkie, so whenever I find out that a writer from the show writes a book, I usually go out and find it. That is the case with Larry Doyle's: I love You Beth Cooper. This does pain me to say it but the book starts with a train wreck and does not improve from there.
The basic story is this, one unpopular boy who pined after a girl for all his high school years decides to announce his love for her during his Valedictorian speech. This just opens the story to one uncomfortable social situation after another. In fact, that is pretty much is the entire depth of the story. The actual plot is that the main character is supposed to grow by coming out of his socially insecure shell. The problem, the events that occur would put a normal person into a complete mental breakdown with long years of therapy in an attempt to recover. It is just not believable and the reader will typically cringe at the events instead of laugh. There is a slight twist to the ending but in many ways it compares to a root canal because the reader just wants it to end.
For the people who are not fans of the written word, this book will be released as a movie this summer and the reason why I am writing this review. I saw the first preview and from that it appears that the flick is going to be pretty close to the book. Needless to say, there is little chance I will be seen at the multiplex.
The basic story is this, one unpopular boy who pined after a girl for all his high school years decides to announce his love for her during his Valedictorian speech. This just opens the story to one uncomfortable social situation after another. In fact, that is pretty much is the entire depth of the story. The actual plot is that the main character is supposed to grow by coming out of his socially insecure shell. The problem, the events that occur would put a normal person into a complete mental breakdown with long years of therapy in an attempt to recover. It is just not believable and the reader will typically cringe at the events instead of laugh. There is a slight twist to the ending but in many ways it compares to a root canal because the reader just wants it to end.
For the people who are not fans of the written word, this book will be released as a movie this summer and the reason why I am writing this review. I saw the first preview and from that it appears that the flick is going to be pretty close to the book. Needless to say, there is little chance I will be seen at the multiplex.
September 19, 2007
The beginning of this book has some of the funniest writing I have seen in a very long time. Although, as I noted to my friend, Amy, some of the humor might be lost on someone who was never an adolescent boy.
The middle does kind of drag on a bit, as the "main character constantly getting the crap kicked out of him" theme gets a bit overplayed. But it does end nicely.
I think every guy, at some point in high school, had a Beth Cooper. That's why it is so funny.
Mine was Christina Bianchi. But, instead of owning up to my huge crush like the main charagter does here, I did what most p*ssies in high school do - never say anything. There was one opportunity, later in college. She and I were at a formal dance. There had been overt flirting the entire evening. Then she asked me to dance (I think some slow Bon Jovi song was playing - l.a.m.e.). Anyway, for reasons that still escape me, I declined the offer. I remained a p*ssy, even 4 years later.
My only comfort... I saw her again 3 years later, and she had BALLOONED. Big girl. Ate waaayyy too much pizza, or something. Truly, a shame.
But she's a nice girl (obliged to say that).
Dodged a bullet, I did.
The middle does kind of drag on a bit, as the "main character constantly getting the crap kicked out of him" theme gets a bit overplayed. But it does end nicely.
I think every guy, at some point in high school, had a Beth Cooper. That's why it is so funny.
Mine was Christina Bianchi. But, instead of owning up to my huge crush like the main charagter does here, I did what most p*ssies in high school do - never say anything. There was one opportunity, later in college. She and I were at a formal dance. There had been overt flirting the entire evening. Then she asked me to dance (I think some slow Bon Jovi song was playing - l.a.m.e.). Anyway, for reasons that still escape me, I declined the offer. I remained a p*ssy, even 4 years later.
My only comfort... I saw her again 3 years later, and she had BALLOONED. Big girl. Ate waaayyy too much pizza, or something. Truly, a shame.
But she's a nice girl (obliged to say that).
Dodged a bullet, I did.
December 21, 2011
Well, I can guarantee that if you read this book you will
1. Laugh
2. Smile
3. Cringe
Larry Doyle writes and understands geekdom at it's finest. Denis "The Penis" Cooverman is the smart kid, the Valedictorian. He also is in love with a girl he's hardley talked to, Beth Cooper. She appears to be this All-American, cheerleader, happy, easy-going girl. "The Coove" decides to proclaim his love for her in his Graduation speech which turns into a wild night spent with Beth, her friends and his friend Rich. Beth turns out to be a ruanchy, wild, impulsive crazy girl. She becomes real. Denis discovers his manhood and faces his fears.
It's a pretty wild night.
Bottom line: This is fun. It's giggle worthy. It's a make you smile sort of book.
3.5 stars
Also, I have to point out how close the movie followed this book. I'm going to have to re-watch asap, but I can't think of anything that was different.
I also have to say that I enjoyed reading the book moreso than watching the movie.... big suprise there (sarcasm)
The movie comes across way more teeny-bopper and main stream than the book.
1. Laugh
2. Smile
3. Cringe
Larry Doyle writes and understands geekdom at it's finest. Denis "The Penis" Cooverman is the smart kid, the Valedictorian. He also is in love with a girl he's hardley talked to, Beth Cooper. She appears to be this All-American, cheerleader, happy, easy-going girl. "The Coove" decides to proclaim his love for her in his Graduation speech which turns into a wild night spent with Beth, her friends and his friend Rich. Beth turns out to be a ruanchy, wild, impulsive crazy girl. She becomes real. Denis discovers his manhood and faces his fears.
It's a pretty wild night.
Bottom line: This is fun. It's giggle worthy. It's a make you smile sort of book.
3.5 stars
Also, I have to point out how close the movie followed this book. I'm going to have to re-watch asap, but I can't think of anything that was different.
I also have to say that I enjoyed reading the book moreso than watching the movie.... big suprise there (sarcasm)
The movie comes across way more teeny-bopper and main stream than the book.
November 21, 2008
Rather than deliver the usual platitudes, dorky Denis decides to lay some honesty on his high school graduating class during his valedictorian speech. Among other things, this involves outing his best friend and declaring his love for head cheerleader Beth Cooper—who unfortunately has no idea who he is. What follows is pretty much a lesser Judd Apatow movie in book form. There is Zaniness. And Shenanigans. And—quite a few funny moments, too. I came to like this book more as it went along—toward the end, it almost approached depth, and it was pleasantly amusing along the way. Doyle is a screenwriter, so the book does at times read like the novelization of a movie that was never made, but not in that “Buy me, Hollywood! I will adapt so easy” way that a lot of bad thrillers seem to adopt these days. It didn’t redefine my definitions of comedy, but overall, I enjoyed it.
January 30, 2020
This book was good and it really challenged me. There was a lot of really big words that i had to look up. The book kind of confused me at times and it has to do with a valedvictorian who said that he loved a girl in his speech. My least favorite character would have to be Rich and my least favorite character would have to be kevin. Rich is the main character Denis'bestfriend but Rich is kind of a comedian. Kevin is my least favorite because he is a bully he went into the marines and because he got to kill people over seas he thinks he gets to kill denis just because denis loves Beth. Beth notices that denis is getting beaten up by kevin so she breaks up with kevin. Beth is kind of wild she breaks lots of laws in this book and she even broke into her own highschool. Denis doesnt care though because he has sat behind Beth since the 7th grade. I really would recommend this book.
July 16, 2017
It was so nice going into a book with absolutely no expectations. I've never seen the movie, so I had no idea what this would be about. I loved the unexpectedness of everything and how it was obviously written like a crazy teen movie. Kind of a dumb storyline, but I suppose that's part of the point.
I really loved that Denis had kind of put Beth on a pedestal and it was interesting to watch all of his beliefs about her fall apart as he truly got to know her.
I think I may need to see the movie now.
I really loved that Denis had kind of put Beth on a pedestal and it was interesting to watch all of his beliefs about her fall apart as he truly got to know her.
I think I may need to see the movie now.
May 13, 2025
This book went really fast and had some funny moments and clever writing. It was very predictable, in the way that a movie would be, which makes sense why they made it into a movie (I watched the movie years ago but didn’t remember anything going into this book).
I love when a books formatting gets a little experimental and playful. And also the whole thing takes place over like 12 hours, which is fun. I like the way Denis thinks.
I love when a books formatting gets a little experimental and playful. And also the whole thing takes place over like 12 hours, which is fun. I like the way Denis thinks.
Read
December 29, 2025reading, thought, “boy, this comes across as an esp literate novelization of an iffy teen comedy,” & whaddaya know—per the afterword, doyle started it as a screenplay before receiving the suggestion to pivot to a novel. right decision. beth’s reactions to denis throughout are nakedly wish fulfillment of the most preposterous type, but this sings at the sentence level, w/ stated influences—t-pynch, don b, charles portis, bruce robinson (!)—coming thru loud & clear. 3rd novel pls?
December 2, 2021
I related to this book on a personal level as I also love someone called Beth cooper. It was captivating and motivating and made me cry. I feel like a new person now that I have had the pleasure of reading this book. Then again this book is also a stupid rubbish idiot book and I flipping hate it AGHHHHH!!!
April 15, 2020
En ik weet dat ik de doelgroep niet echt ben, maar God, ik hoop dat de doelgroep in kwestie betere boeken te lezen krijgt dan deze
July 25, 2020
Okay... this book was pretty dumb. But it was a quick read, entertaining, and kind of sweet, which is also what I needed right now.
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