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Jeremy Cook #3
The Error of Our Ways: A Novel
New York Times Notable Book: “The sorrows of Job [visit] a St. Louis nut salesman, with hilarious results . . . [A] wry updating of the biblical tragedy” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
In this “astute, entertaining novel,” two very different men cross each other’s paths in St. Louis, Missouri (The New York Times). Ben Hudnut is an upper-middle-class entrepreneur determined to bring an affordable cashew to American consumers. When he isn’t pursuing this goal, he’s usually in the company of his wife and four daughters—occasionally joined for family dinner by his dull but devoted secretary. Jeremy Cook, meanwhile, is a cynical unemployed academic, a linguist who doesn’t know what to do with himself—until he’s pressured into studying Ben Hudnut’s baby girl and her unusual speech patterns. But as different as these two men are, they will soon have one thing in common, as both of their lives begin to fall apart around them . . .
“A dark domestic comedy that traces the perils of middle-aged manhood, told with attentiveness to the subtleties of communication.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Witty, good-natured, and completely convincing: Carkeet has managed, with sympathy and charm, to trace the exceptional adventures of an utterly ordinary man.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A shrewd, wickedly funny delight, full of hilarious takes on rocky marriages, sexual boredom, raising kids, communication gaps—and nutty doings, as in almonds and cashews . . . A delectable observer of human foibles and pretense.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
In this “astute, entertaining novel,” two very different men cross each other’s paths in St. Louis, Missouri (The New York Times). Ben Hudnut is an upper-middle-class entrepreneur determined to bring an affordable cashew to American consumers. When he isn’t pursuing this goal, he’s usually in the company of his wife and four daughters—occasionally joined for family dinner by his dull but devoted secretary. Jeremy Cook, meanwhile, is a cynical unemployed academic, a linguist who doesn’t know what to do with himself—until he’s pressured into studying Ben Hudnut’s baby girl and her unusual speech patterns. But as different as these two men are, they will soon have one thing in common, as both of their lives begin to fall apart around them . . .
“A dark domestic comedy that traces the perils of middle-aged manhood, told with attentiveness to the subtleties of communication.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Witty, good-natured, and completely convincing: Carkeet has managed, with sympathy and charm, to trace the exceptional adventures of an utterly ordinary man.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A shrewd, wickedly funny delight, full of hilarious takes on rocky marriages, sexual boredom, raising kids, communication gaps—and nutty doings, as in almonds and cashews . . . A delectable observer of human foibles and pretense.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
- GenresFiction
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1997
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71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 16, 2017
Full of Fun Errors
I read David Carkeet’s “The Error Of Our Ways” when it was first published in 1997 and have vivid memories of staying up well past midnight to finish it. I did not expect the same thing to happen in 2016. But it did. Despite references to outdated technology and perhaps some of the social mores of the decade in which it was written, this novel holds up well over time.
There is something “off” about this book, but in a good way. All the quirks and odd occurrences are completely believable. Carkeet interweaves ordinary events into an intricate plot, those events gaining increasingly greater and somewhat ominous significance as the novel progresses. I know of few writers who can describe the process of seeking college financial aid and weave it into the plot so that reading it becomes almost suspenseful. Not all errors are ordinary of course and the big mistakes can often balloon into ever bigger ones, but when we make them it’s often hard to determine their significance. Maybe our lives are like that, one long mountain climb where a small seemingly irrelevant mistake, neglecting to change a frayed boot lace, can have dire consequences on icy slopes.
“The Error Of Our Ways,” like Carkeet’s previous novels “Double Negative” and “The Full Catastrophe” feature the linguist Jeremy Cook. In those novels the humor jumps off almost every page, especially “The Full Catastrophe.” While “The Error Of Our Ways” is funny, its themes suggest more threatening forces, making it difficult to stop reading. And Carkeet knows his setting, exploiting it beautifully, the odd array of small “cities” bunched around the city of St. Louis.
In a way, “The Error Of Our Ways,” depicts a life transition, from Jeremy Cook, the cynical linguist who has no children and is only technically married, to Ben Hudnut, who has all the trappings of a family, his newly career minded wife, four daughters, his nut business, and an expensive house in an expensive neighborhood. Cook, the linguist who has nothing but his passion for language development will never have the family life of Ben Hudnut.
While the main characters Hudnut and Cook, are inventive, intricate, complex, their wives and supporting cast are only a little less so, and are strong characters nonetheless. However, this is ultimately a book about men, the man standing alone amid the debris of his inevitable mistakes, battling the forces that would harm him and what’s important to him. In Ben Hudnut’s case, his family and his nut business. For Jeremy Cook, his character, his political views, his lack of involvement in community, his solitude. In this regard, the novel makes excellent use of literary allusions, most notably Our Town. Perhaps, ironically, “The Error Of Our Ways” seems more suited to male readers who might be less likely to read it.
“The Error Of Our Ways” should resonate for a long time. Carkeet displays a gift for turning the mundane into the extraordinary, interweaving normal parental concerns and lingering sense of self into a compelling story. “The Error Of Our Ways” deserves to be read. Give it a try.
I read David Carkeet’s “The Error Of Our Ways” when it was first published in 1997 and have vivid memories of staying up well past midnight to finish it. I did not expect the same thing to happen in 2016. But it did. Despite references to outdated technology and perhaps some of the social mores of the decade in which it was written, this novel holds up well over time.
There is something “off” about this book, but in a good way. All the quirks and odd occurrences are completely believable. Carkeet interweaves ordinary events into an intricate plot, those events gaining increasingly greater and somewhat ominous significance as the novel progresses. I know of few writers who can describe the process of seeking college financial aid and weave it into the plot so that reading it becomes almost suspenseful. Not all errors are ordinary of course and the big mistakes can often balloon into ever bigger ones, but when we make them it’s often hard to determine their significance. Maybe our lives are like that, one long mountain climb where a small seemingly irrelevant mistake, neglecting to change a frayed boot lace, can have dire consequences on icy slopes.
“The Error Of Our Ways,” like Carkeet’s previous novels “Double Negative” and “The Full Catastrophe” feature the linguist Jeremy Cook. In those novels the humor jumps off almost every page, especially “The Full Catastrophe.” While “The Error Of Our Ways” is funny, its themes suggest more threatening forces, making it difficult to stop reading. And Carkeet knows his setting, exploiting it beautifully, the odd array of small “cities” bunched around the city of St. Louis.
In a way, “The Error Of Our Ways,” depicts a life transition, from Jeremy Cook, the cynical linguist who has no children and is only technically married, to Ben Hudnut, who has all the trappings of a family, his newly career minded wife, four daughters, his nut business, and an expensive house in an expensive neighborhood. Cook, the linguist who has nothing but his passion for language development will never have the family life of Ben Hudnut.
While the main characters Hudnut and Cook, are inventive, intricate, complex, their wives and supporting cast are only a little less so, and are strong characters nonetheless. However, this is ultimately a book about men, the man standing alone amid the debris of his inevitable mistakes, battling the forces that would harm him and what’s important to him. In Ben Hudnut’s case, his family and his nut business. For Jeremy Cook, his character, his political views, his lack of involvement in community, his solitude. In this regard, the novel makes excellent use of literary allusions, most notably Our Town. Perhaps, ironically, “The Error Of Our Ways” seems more suited to male readers who might be less likely to read it.
“The Error Of Our Ways” should resonate for a long time. Carkeet displays a gift for turning the mundane into the extraordinary, interweaving normal parental concerns and lingering sense of self into a compelling story. “The Error Of Our Ways” deserves to be read. Give it a try.
August 21, 2007
I still remember this book, 7 years after reading it. Well done. Good for people who love words, as well as those interested in marital issues.
November 3, 2015
Sadly, I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as the first book in the Jeremy Cook trilogy. This is actually the third book in the series - I inadvertently skipped the second. It's more a slice-of-life kind of book, no longer the linguist-solves-the-murder-mystery-with-clever-linguistic-abilities model of the first novel. Carkeet is funny and observant as usual, but I personally don't enjoy reading about people's lives going to pot. Not to mention that Cook himself has gotten rather down-and-out, which is rather depressing. There was much less linguistics in this book, which was the third strike for me. I feel kinda bad giving it this kind of review, because probably there are other people out there who would really enjoy it, and it really is well-written - it's just not my cup of tea.
January 6, 2011
I had read some of his earlier work, but this one was just boring. I kept waiting for something to happen. There were a few sudden plot twists that came out of nowhere.
October 6, 2023
This novel reads too much like an afternoon soap opera. Not my cup of tea.
August 13, 2015
This is the third of the Jeremy Cook novels. I loved the second (The Full Catastrophe) and liked the first (Double Negative), but this was a huge disappointment. Jeremy was hardly in it, and when he was, he was mostly a jerk who brought bad luck to those around him. There's too much about the troubles of ordinary middle class people dealing with improbably bad luck and not enough linguistic humor.
If you like black comedies where the protagonist brings bad luck to everyone he meets without even trying, you might like this book.
If you like black comedies where the protagonist brings bad luck to everyone he meets without even trying, you might like this book.
December 6, 2015
I first learned of this author and this series when I bought the first book at a library book sale while on a business trip. I have read all three in relatively quick succession. Sadly, it is only a trilogy!
December 13, 2009
clever humor, including the academic type
March 17, 2012
The end seemed abrupt and was disappointing but I enjoyed his way with words.
July 5, 2014
the best of his three books with Jeremy Cook as lead character.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews