A Boy's Book of Nervous Breakdowns: Stories

by Tom Paine

The insightful and provocative stories in Tom Paine s collection spring from a series of seismic events that rocked the post-millennium world. News headlines from the last decade the fall of Baghdad, the Occupy Wall Street movement, and the BP oil spill not only inspire the settings but also raise ethical questions that percolate throughout this ominous and timely work.

A stark reminder of the challenges and resultant anxiety facing a global society, A Boy s Book of Nervous Breakdowns depicts the simultaneously dreamlike and brutally real experience of witnessing contemporary political and environmental catastrophes. Paine approaches the second U.S. invasion of Iraq through the eyes of a CBS radio journalist and her desperate Iraqi translator as they report the opening months of the attack and dodge dan- ger with a newborn in tow. In other stories, a father blames global warming for the drowning death of his daughter and journeys by horseback across the last of the Montana glaciers; a Japanese reggae band struggles under the radioactive umbrella of the Fukushima nuclear disaster; and a genius at Goldman Sachs invents a money-making algorithm, then ends his days with a tribe of headhunters in the Amazon.

Paine masterfully orchestrates these episodic depictions of a failing civilization, however unnerving, through a wide array of perspectives, each tied to the other by Cassandra-like prophecies. Immediately compelling, A Boy s Book of Nervous Breakdowns confronts the harsh realities of our time with imaginative and moving vignettes that reinforce the fragility, greed, and heartache of the human condition."

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2015

Reviews

[Rachel Aranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm quite happy to have won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. This book was not what I expected it to be. I thought it would be more of a diary with thoughts on major world events. Instead what I got was a more emotional journey from a variety of people going through a difficult time who are all different ages, background, and stages of life, and have nothing in common but one fact. That fact is a major world event has affected their life in some way and are unsure how to live on past it when it has affected a change for them. Honestly, these short stories shouldn't work together because there is only that one link but they do. I'm still not entirely sure how Mr. Paine made them work together but am glad he did. These short stories made me think and feel, and are delivered in a way that surprises me how much I liked it. The information given in the book can be muddled by unclear writing but all answers are given throughout the story. It's not a perfect compilation but it is an enjoyable read that I would recommend to someone who wanted a quick read yet emotional read.

[Elizabeth Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is heart wrenching and is supposed to be sad! Sometimes we need to see the truth through the lens darkly. Paine is an expert at depicting the surfer dude, the Wall Street asshole, and the academic idiot. Social commentary and lean, clean prose by a master writer/storyteller.

[Jason Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Paine’s “A Boy’s Book of Nervous Breakdowns”, is one of the best short story books that I have ever read. The first story "Marlinspike" is a very good read about the relationship between Phineas, and Julia. This relationship is odd with the major difference in age, with Julia only being a 10-year-old girl in her early indolence age, but it never seems creepy. Julia has that sense of danger in her life. Desmond and Topless Tina make for a great story in “marlinspike.”

The story of “Bagram” hit home; for myself being a combat veteran multiple times. By using a combat veteran and a woman that comes from riches, that can’t even keep the power on and has no sense of housekeeping, shows how a structure person can make the best out of her and a child. With Joey struggling from Post-Traumatic Stress from the Iraq war and Jersey’s inadequate parenting, it is interesting how they are there for each other and soul mates in lots of ways. Tom hit aspects in this story that many not even understand. He showed how well these characters were a perfect match.

I highlighted some of the chapters that I really enjoyed; while trying not to give up the plot of the books overall theme to the reader. Paine has a knack for this type of fictional writing that many would have trouble figuring out. This book may not for the weakest at mind, but it is a fictional truth how life really is. The man who travels south to get away from the “Occupy Wall Street”, seemingly to get away and runs into a mushroom eat pot smoker, as they end up at Whitman’s grave. This book is a must read to understand what the “Southern Strategy”, Is about. This book has a mixture of mutation, a “Black Whitman”, or a daughter’s troubles with her father. This is a five-star book in my opinion.

[Deborah Navas]

Some Fine short fiction in Tom Payne's latest

Several of these stories strike lightning--among the best I've read. They implode with the force and vitality of a novel.

[Linsey Theunissen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dude knows how to write. Really good short stories, and now I want to read some more stuff by him.

[Dave Mainelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom proves why he is one of the best short story writers around. It's no wonder DFW used one of his stories in his classes. This book is gritty, yet emotional. A perfect match.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a bunch of different stories with characters from vastly different backgrounds. The end was always the same it started off at a general low point in a person's life and they would then spiral dramatically towards their death in a grandiose fashion. None of the stories had a good ending, and each one progressively made my world view of my country and poor countries much dimmer. I liked how vivid the detail in this book was and how interesting each story was. Though some topics seemed far off and entirely unrelated each character lived out their last moments in memorable, dark ways. I didn't like that no conclusion was drawn at the end of the dreary metaphorical tunnel. The author presents a series of problems and ideas that are very problematic, but he almost pessimistically offers no salvation from the myriad of problems. As if there was someone drowning, and he just watched and offered sad commentary on the hopelessness of life without any attempt to rectify the situation. There may have been hidden messages or maybe this was made to encourage others to become activists of sorts, but that's just me pulling at straws. A common motif was that every story ended pessimistically with little to no hope for anything, which I had previously mentioned. I'd recommend this book to others.

[Anne Osmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Paine's short stories provocative and timely. The stories embody the anxious tenor of our fragile and fast-changing worlds, with language that is surprising and evocative. Read if you're looking to be immersed in stories likely different from your own lived experience; do not read if you're seeking to be reassured.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book three stars because the writing was great and the stories were original and imaginative. If I rated it based on how much I enjoyed it, which is my usual method, it would have been only two stars, because these stories are all very, very, very, very, very sad. Extremely sad. Don't read this book if you are already feeling down. Well maybe you could, if you don't want to cheer up, or if thinking about how other people have it even worse than you would cheer you up. But, wow. The sadness in this collection of stories is relentless. It's like in the cartoons when a character hits another character on the head with a huge hammer, thereby pounding the other character into the ground. Each story is another whack on the reader's head.

There you have it, my 97% subjective and completely emotional "review" of this book.