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Man Camp
A biologist studying patterns of sexual selection, Lucy Stone knows a lot about mating–particularly that in the animal kingdom, males will go to any length to attract females. Why, then, are their human counterparts so hopeless in courtship?
This is the question that Lucy and her best friend, Martha McKenna, struggle to answer. Consider Adam, Lucy’s boyfriend of two years, who demonstrates on an ostensibly romantic camping trip that he can’t build a fire, split wood, or jump-start a car. Worse still, he’s scared to go into the woods after dark. Or take Jesse, Martha’s younger brother, an opera aficionado and neurotic extraordinaire who can’t summon the courage to make the first move on the woman he’s crazy about. And what about the extensive list of men with whom Martha has endured the torments of the first date.
But then there’s Cooper Tuckington, Lucy’s best friend from college. Born and bred on his family’s West Virginia dairy farm, Cooper fits anyone’s description of a man’s man, and yet he is chivalrous and charming. During his annual visit to New York City, he rewires Lucy’s lamps, builds her shelves, and holds forth on subjects from great painters to the great outdoors, all the while pulling out chairs and opening doors for the ladies. Surely, think Martha and Lucy, the men in their lives would benefit from the tutelage of someone who knows how to treat a woman.
Thus, Man Camp is born. With a little feminine persuasion, Lucy and Martha convince Adam, Jesse, and a handful of their other male acquaintances to visit Cooper’s farm, where they will learn everything a guy should know, from cars to carpentry to chivalry–and that’s just the C’s. But life on the farm isn’t exactly as it seems–and the boys soon prove themselves in ways the women would never have imagined. In the process, Lucy and Martha themselves learn a good bit about life and love.
The perfect can’t-put-it-down novel for all of us who’ve needed to bring out the inner man in the men we love, Man Camp is a brilliant, witty, and insightful romp through the wilds of dating and mating.
This is the question that Lucy and her best friend, Martha McKenna, struggle to answer. Consider Adam, Lucy’s boyfriend of two years, who demonstrates on an ostensibly romantic camping trip that he can’t build a fire, split wood, or jump-start a car. Worse still, he’s scared to go into the woods after dark. Or take Jesse, Martha’s younger brother, an opera aficionado and neurotic extraordinaire who can’t summon the courage to make the first move on the woman he’s crazy about. And what about the extensive list of men with whom Martha has endured the torments of the first date.
But then there’s Cooper Tuckington, Lucy’s best friend from college. Born and bred on his family’s West Virginia dairy farm, Cooper fits anyone’s description of a man’s man, and yet he is chivalrous and charming. During his annual visit to New York City, he rewires Lucy’s lamps, builds her shelves, and holds forth on subjects from great painters to the great outdoors, all the while pulling out chairs and opening doors for the ladies. Surely, think Martha and Lucy, the men in their lives would benefit from the tutelage of someone who knows how to treat a woman.
Thus, Man Camp is born. With a little feminine persuasion, Lucy and Martha convince Adam, Jesse, and a handful of their other male acquaintances to visit Cooper’s farm, where they will learn everything a guy should know, from cars to carpentry to chivalry–and that’s just the C’s. But life on the farm isn’t exactly as it seems–and the boys soon prove themselves in ways the women would never have imagined. In the process, Lucy and Martha themselves learn a good bit about life and love.
The perfect can’t-put-it-down novel for all of us who’ve needed to bring out the inner man in the men we love, Man Camp is a brilliant, witty, and insightful romp through the wilds of dating and mating.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
26 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Adrienne Brodeur
7 books758 followersAdrienne Brodeur is the author of the novel "Little Monsters," a New York Times Editor's Choice and a Vogue Best Book of 2023, and the memoir “Wild Game,” which was a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, NPR, People, and the Washington Post. Both "Little Monster" and "Wild Game" are in development as films. She founded the literary magazine, “Zoetrope: All-Story” with filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, was an acquiring editor at HMH Books, and served as a judge for the National Book Award. Her essays have appeared in Glamour, O Magazine, The National, The New York Times, Vogue, and other publications. She is the Executive Director of the literary nonprofit, Aspen Words
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 30, 2007
you know what's *not* a "goodread"? this book.
i picked it up because i always count on chick lit to cheer me up. my dog had just died people, so i was ready to appreciate anything. what better than a book about a camp where men learn to be real men? i was laughing already.
then i started reading.
in case anyone was wondering, i have found the watermark for the worst written book pretty much ever. i wanted so badly to like it and that just made it worse. for 200 pages i couldn't tell who the protagonist was, whether it was lucy or martha, and when, 10 pages before the ending, martha was described as having long, dark curls, i was completely stunned. if i never hear about bird mating calls again it will be too soon (ps. Laura Zigman covered it in "animal husbandry", a much more enjoyable read)
you know what? i'll let the book speak for itself:
"Out the window she sees the barn, tiny in the distance, and wonders if the cows are asleep. Then she wonders if the men have gone to bed, if she's put on weight, if Beatrice has always been this interfering and if, indeed, stars are totally unnecessary miracles."
told you so.
i picked it up because i always count on chick lit to cheer me up. my dog had just died people, so i was ready to appreciate anything. what better than a book about a camp where men learn to be real men? i was laughing already.
then i started reading.
in case anyone was wondering, i have found the watermark for the worst written book pretty much ever. i wanted so badly to like it and that just made it worse. for 200 pages i couldn't tell who the protagonist was, whether it was lucy or martha, and when, 10 pages before the ending, martha was described as having long, dark curls, i was completely stunned. if i never hear about bird mating calls again it will be too soon (ps. Laura Zigman covered it in "animal husbandry", a much more enjoyable read)
you know what? i'll let the book speak for itself:
"Out the window she sees the barn, tiny in the distance, and wonders if the cows are asleep. Then she wonders if the men have gone to bed, if she's put on weight, if Beatrice has always been this interfering and if, indeed, stars are totally unnecessary miracles."
told you so.
September 16, 2011
When reading novels classified as chick lit, one must lower one's literary expectations. For this tired cliche of a novel (women complaining about metrosexual significant others who need to man up), I couldn't lower them far enough. It's not fun escapist literature when you want to escape from the book.
May 17, 2010
A review for this book sort of has to be split into two groups...the first half and the second half. When the concept of a book takes the ENTIRE first half to actually get to it, I declare fail. However, the second half of the book was adorable. Lighthearted, funny and easy to read.
February 2, 2012
Summer’s here and who’s to say that camp is only for children or families?
Adrienne Brodeur has made a delightful foray into the chick lit genre with her comic novel, Man Camp. In it, two women who are frustrated with the wimpiness and cluelessness of the city men around them set up a camp where men can go to learn how to be men.
Sound offensive? Well, Brodeur really does manage to skirt the edges of offensiveness and by the end of the novel her characters have learned a lot from each other—including how to look beyond stereotypes.
Martha and Lucy are two best friends who are frustrated with the men in their lives. Lucy, a biologist, is deeply in love with her boyfriend Adam, but has grown frustrated with his insecurities and helplessness. Martha is ready to give up on dating after a string of really bad dates.
In fact, it is the wretchedness of her dating experiences that leads her to form a company FirstDate. Men hire her to go out on a first date and then afterward she gives them a critique and teaches them ways that they could be better dates. This advice ranges from not mentioning an ex-girlfriend in every sentence to restraining from entering meditative trances at the start of the date.
Cooper, one of Lucy’s best friends from college, comes up to visit from his dairy farm in Virginia. He’s amazed by the tales that the two women tell of the men in their lives. Then he overhears a joke that the two of them are making about sending the most hopeless men to a man camp. A few drinks later and Man Camp has become a reality.
Light and humorous, Man Camp moves swiftly from the streets of New York to the outbacks of the Appalachias. It’s a short novel that can be easily read in a single sitting. It’s crammed with hilarious characters that typically stop just short of being an archetype. They are characters who create one amusing situation after another that leave the reader laughing in sheer delight.
There’s Eva, the lesbian bartender who points out that even the best man is only mediocre when compared to the relationships women have with their girlfriends.
There’s Adam, the economist who is frightened by things that go bump in the night but does see the return on investment for the men who invest in Man Camp.
There’s Bryce, the metrosexual who is really into skin and hair care.
There’s Jesse, the anxiety-ridden children’s book editor who is plagued by allergies and more fears than there are pages in the book.
There’s Lucy who is conducting research into the mating habits of the wild and what humans can learn from them. In fact, she and Martha often make a game out of matching strangers at the bar with their animal counterparts.
Perhaps one of the highlights of the book for me was the scene where the truck taking the men to Man Camp gets a flat tire (one of the pre-arranged events). Cooper is amazed when he discovers that not one of the six men have ever changed a tire before. The men’s responses are hilarious and illuminate the difference between life in a major metropolis and everywhere else.
While the premise in itself is amusing, I found I was drawn into the book and frequently smiling not just at the humor, but at the revelations Brodeur made. At the end of one chapter, I found myself saying aloud at a most unexpected juncture, “Now, that’s what being a man is.”
Manliness in 2006 is a complicated topic. The he-man mentality is a thing of the past that few modern men or women would find attractive. Yet, the other extreme is equally unattractive. Man Camp explores that spectrum and how individuals can find their spots on it. Eventually, nearly all of the characters learn something about both femininity and masculinity and its different expressions.
Man Camp is the debut novel of an author who co-founded Zoetrope: All Story with Francis Ford Coppola. She spent eight years with the magazine before deciding to write her own novel. She’s now busy on her second novel and a screenplay.
In a book trailer that can be found at http://gotomancamp.com/, Brodeur’s editor talks about how affectionately all the men are treated in the novel. Sure, they are portrayed as ineffectual, but we’re also allowed to see their strengths alongside their weaknesses. The beauty in the novel lies in its lighthearted look at authentic people whose fit in each other’s life is still uncomfortable and uncertain.
Adrienne Brodeur has made a delightful foray into the chick lit genre with her comic novel, Man Camp. In it, two women who are frustrated with the wimpiness and cluelessness of the city men around them set up a camp where men can go to learn how to be men.
Sound offensive? Well, Brodeur really does manage to skirt the edges of offensiveness and by the end of the novel her characters have learned a lot from each other—including how to look beyond stereotypes.
Martha and Lucy are two best friends who are frustrated with the men in their lives. Lucy, a biologist, is deeply in love with her boyfriend Adam, but has grown frustrated with his insecurities and helplessness. Martha is ready to give up on dating after a string of really bad dates.
In fact, it is the wretchedness of her dating experiences that leads her to form a company FirstDate. Men hire her to go out on a first date and then afterward she gives them a critique and teaches them ways that they could be better dates. This advice ranges from not mentioning an ex-girlfriend in every sentence to restraining from entering meditative trances at the start of the date.
Cooper, one of Lucy’s best friends from college, comes up to visit from his dairy farm in Virginia. He’s amazed by the tales that the two women tell of the men in their lives. Then he overhears a joke that the two of them are making about sending the most hopeless men to a man camp. A few drinks later and Man Camp has become a reality.
Light and humorous, Man Camp moves swiftly from the streets of New York to the outbacks of the Appalachias. It’s a short novel that can be easily read in a single sitting. It’s crammed with hilarious characters that typically stop just short of being an archetype. They are characters who create one amusing situation after another that leave the reader laughing in sheer delight.
There’s Eva, the lesbian bartender who points out that even the best man is only mediocre when compared to the relationships women have with their girlfriends.
There’s Adam, the economist who is frightened by things that go bump in the night but does see the return on investment for the men who invest in Man Camp.
There’s Bryce, the metrosexual who is really into skin and hair care.
There’s Jesse, the anxiety-ridden children’s book editor who is plagued by allergies and more fears than there are pages in the book.
There’s Lucy who is conducting research into the mating habits of the wild and what humans can learn from them. In fact, she and Martha often make a game out of matching strangers at the bar with their animal counterparts.
Perhaps one of the highlights of the book for me was the scene where the truck taking the men to Man Camp gets a flat tire (one of the pre-arranged events). Cooper is amazed when he discovers that not one of the six men have ever changed a tire before. The men’s responses are hilarious and illuminate the difference between life in a major metropolis and everywhere else.
While the premise in itself is amusing, I found I was drawn into the book and frequently smiling not just at the humor, but at the revelations Brodeur made. At the end of one chapter, I found myself saying aloud at a most unexpected juncture, “Now, that’s what being a man is.”
Manliness in 2006 is a complicated topic. The he-man mentality is a thing of the past that few modern men or women would find attractive. Yet, the other extreme is equally unattractive. Man Camp explores that spectrum and how individuals can find their spots on it. Eventually, nearly all of the characters learn something about both femininity and masculinity and its different expressions.
Man Camp is the debut novel of an author who co-founded Zoetrope: All Story with Francis Ford Coppola. She spent eight years with the magazine before deciding to write her own novel. She’s now busy on her second novel and a screenplay.
In a book trailer that can be found at http://gotomancamp.com/, Brodeur’s editor talks about how affectionately all the men are treated in the novel. Sure, they are portrayed as ineffectual, but we’re also allowed to see their strengths alongside their weaknesses. The beauty in the novel lies in its lighthearted look at authentic people whose fit in each other’s life is still uncomfortable and uncertain.
March 12, 2020
I didn't care for this book. It seemed like it might be cute and the "Look Inside" sample was decent but the farther I got into it the less I liked it. The man bashing was over the top, and I tolerated that as long as I thought the story would turn around and redeem itself in the end, but it didn't.
These women refused to see the good in these men, and this by women who refused to see any flaws in themselves. The fact is people are a product of their environment. These men had the skills they needed for where they lived, and give them credit for being enthusiastically willing to learn new skills, because skills can be taught but basic decency is much harder to acquire.
In the end the men all proved themselves to these women and to Cooper, and if in the process they were reminded about being considerate all the better. But I think the people who should have really learned some lessons is Lucy and Martha—lessons about seeing the good in people, communicating, and not setting someone up for failure. Yet they proposed holding another Man Camp, so I don't think they learned any lessons at all.
This book would be great for discussion at a book club. At least this story made me think about how SHOULD a man or a woman be defined. So it's food for thought, but as a story it wasn't very satisfying to me.
These women refused to see the good in these men, and this by women who refused to see any flaws in themselves. The fact is people are a product of their environment. These men had the skills they needed for where they lived, and give them credit for being enthusiastically willing to learn new skills, because skills can be taught but basic decency is much harder to acquire.
In the end the men all proved themselves to these women and to Cooper, and if in the process they were reminded about being considerate all the better. But I think the people who should have really learned some lessons is Lucy and Martha—lessons about seeing the good in people, communicating, and not setting someone up for failure. Yet they proposed holding another Man Camp, so I don't think they learned any lessons at all.
This book would be great for discussion at a book club. At least this story made me think about how SHOULD a man or a woman be defined. So it's food for thought, but as a story it wasn't very satisfying to me.
August 13, 2019
The book was a quick and easy read and, although I enjoyed the comparisons with animals in nature, the characters were less real and likable. The book also lacked complexity in many ways - things resolved way too easily to be believable.
February 17, 2020
I enjoyed it and the fact that men in cities r so different than in the country. It had some subtle jokes that maybe only an older reader could understand
April 9, 2021
Cringe.
February 13, 2017
A cute and hilarious read about an actress and a biologist who decide to start a camp where men can go to become more manly. The story starts in New York before moving out to the country side.
This book was an easy chick-lit book with some great insights to the animal kingdom and their courtships. The scientist in me loved it. I really enjoyed Lucy and Martha's relationship. It was real and such a pleasure to read. Definitely recommend if looking for a quick and upbeat, light read.
This book was an easy chick-lit book with some great insights to the animal kingdom and their courtships. The scientist in me loved it. I really enjoyed Lucy and Martha's relationship. It was real and such a pleasure to read. Definitely recommend if looking for a quick and upbeat, light read.
April 17, 2021
This books just isn’t for me.
As much as I didn't like the book, I didn't dislike it so much that I couldn't even finish it. My issue with the book is mainly two-fold: it took forever to get to the main story line, and it was kinda boring. For me - The chemistry was nonexistent between the characters. I actually was anticipating some kind of dramatic switch up at some point where Lucy would realize that he was the man of her dreams and leave Adam.
On a good note, the book was certainly unpredictable.
On a bad note, it was slow and got way too bogged down in minor descriptions that didn't matter at all. I see that some people gave it 5 stars and I’m glad it spoke to them. Personally, I didn't like it though
As much as I didn't like the book, I didn't dislike it so much that I couldn't even finish it. My issue with the book is mainly two-fold: it took forever to get to the main story line, and it was kinda boring. For me - The chemistry was nonexistent between the characters. I actually was anticipating some kind of dramatic switch up at some point where Lucy would realize that he was the man of her dreams and leave Adam.
On a good note, the book was certainly unpredictable.
On a bad note, it was slow and got way too bogged down in minor descriptions that didn't matter at all. I see that some people gave it 5 stars and I’m glad it spoke to them. Personally, I didn't like it though
April 14, 2010
Comments before reading: I think this book will be kind of predictible but not sure. It's a different setting of a book than I've ever read before. The quote's on the back say it's funny so hopefully it will be a quick read for me. I just wanted to read something light and quick.
Comments after reading: I was a bit disappointed in the book. The whole idea of man camp came up not until the middle of the book. Then there wasn't anything really learned from the men like the description stated. It was a book for plane rides or something. I found myself kind of forcing a finish on this book.
Comments after reading: I was a bit disappointed in the book. The whole idea of man camp came up not until the middle of the book. Then there wasn't anything really learned from the men like the description stated. It was a book for plane rides or something. I found myself kind of forcing a finish on this book.
October 4, 2015
A fun bit of fluff about two thirty-something gals, Lucy and Martha who are having problems with the men in their lives. They're either too dependent, too arrogant, too clueless or too fond of skin treatments. All characteristics lacking in Cooper, Lucy's friend, and the epitome of the ideal man. After a number of disastrous (allegedly) romantic experiences, the gals decide to send the masculine no-hopers to Man Camp to be taught the manly arts by Cooper. If you think this a good idea you might like to check out the similarly themed but much darker Cassandra French's Finishing School For Boys by Eric Garcia.
March 14, 2007
I had high hopes for this book, and remember the buzz around it before I left NYC. But once I finally read it, I thought it was just another chick lit novel not in the same category as a Marian Keyes or even Jennifer Weiner.
October 21, 2007
The author could have done so much with this concept and I feel she didn't reach the full potential of it. Too busy writing about her "Big City Girl" attitude. But, I still read the whole thing, so it had something going for it--just not a lot of "something". Don't bother.
March 16, 2008
"As shocked as they were by the gun, Cooper can tell the idea of shooting somehow intrigues the campers. Clearly, he's tapped into the universal male desire to blow things up." p. 130
"An orange tabby pours down the fence in front of the house..." p.198
"An orange tabby pours down the fence in front of the house..." p.198
July 24, 2008
This was somewhat better than I expected, a rather light look at relationships. I liked the dialogue, and from having had a lot of dates myself it was fun to see the stereotypical unpleasant types of male dating behaviors illustrated. Not a lot of substance, but it's a good, fun read.
January 25, 2008
Good light romance. Great read for an airplane or vacation.
July 24, 2008
A great summer read. The couples didn't end up the way I thought they would at the beginning, which is always nice. Very light, very fast read. Funny and pulls you along to see what happens next.
October 14, 2008
every girl loves a country boy! send your city man to camp so he can learn how to really treat a lady, you know changing tires etc.
April 18, 2009
An easy and entertaining read.
November 13, 2009
The author used to be friend of mine, and it is her first book. I thought it was funny, light entertainment. Not the next Pulitzer Prize, but all books don't have to be. Cute, enjoyable.
February 10, 2010
Too many details about things that didn't matter. I liked it as I was reading, but as soon as I was done it left a bad aftertaste. Not worth the time.
September 6, 2010
Funny at times, dull at others. It was ok.
May 19, 2013
A terrific read. Lively and thoughtful and fun....and the prose is outstanding.
May 19, 2013
A terrific read. Lively and thoughtful and fun....and the prose is outstanding.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews