Jack

by A.M. Homes

Das Drama des Erwachsenwerdens – anrührend und meisterhaft erzählt von der Ausnahmeautorin A.M. Homes

Der preisgekrönte Coming-of-age-Roman der amerikanischen Autorin A.M. Homes, den sie im Alter von 19 Jahren schrieb, hat einen Helden, den man nicht vergisst. Ein moderner Klassiker wie "Der Fänger im Roggen". Anrührend. Bewegend. Lustig und wahrhaftig.

Jack ist ein 15-jähriger Teenager, der wie die meisten Teenager einfach nur normal sein möchte. Auch wenn normal sein bei ihm heißt, Kind geschiedener Eltern zu sein und einen ziemlich merkwürdigen besten Freund zu haben. Aber als Jacks Vater mit ihm auf einen See hinausrudert und ihm dort im Boot eröffnet, er sei schwul, ist für Jack nichts mehr normal. Jack muss für sich neu definieren, was »Familie« heißt. Warum erfährt er als letzter, dass sein Vater schwul ist? Warum muss sein bester Freund Max die Neuigkeit in der Schule verbreiten und ihm das Leben zur Hölle machen? Und was wird Maggie von all dem halten? Warum kann er nicht eine normale Familie haben, so wie Max? Dass es bei seinem besten Freund alles andere als rosig aussieht, erlebt Jack bei einem Wochenendausflug mit der Familie des Freundes. Jack sucht und findet seinen Weg – auch in unsere Herzen.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, LGBT, Coming Of Age, Banned Books, Queer, Contemporary

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

A.M. Homes is the author of the novels, The Unfolding, May We Be Forgiven, which won the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction, This Book Will Save Your Life, Music For Torching, The End of Alice, In a Country of Mothers, and Jack, as well as the short-story collections, Things You Should Know and The Safety of Objects, the travel memoir, Los Angeles: People, Places and The Castle on the Hill, and the artist's book Appendix A: An Elaboration on the Novel the End of Alice.

In April of 2007 Viking published her long awaited memoir, The Mistress's Daughter, the story of the author being "found" by her biological family, and a literary exploration and investigation of identity, adoption and genealogical ties that bind.

Her work has been translated into eighteen languages and appears frequently in Art Forum, Harpers, Granta, McSweeney's, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Zoetrope. She is a Contributing Editor to Vanity Fair, Bomb and Blind Spot.

She has been the recipient of numerous awards including Fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, NYFA, and The Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at The New York Public Library, along with the Benjamin Franklin Award, and the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis.

In addition she has been active on the Boards of Directors of Yaddo, The Fine Arts Work Center In Provincetown, The Writers Room, and PEN-where she chairs both the membership committee and the Writers Fund. Additionally she serves on the Presidents Council for Poets and Writers.

A.M. Homes was a writer/producer of the hit television show The L Word in 2004-2005 and wrote the adaptation of her first novel JACK, for Showtime. The film aired in 2004 and won an Emmy Award for Stockard Channing. Director Rose Troche's film adaptation of The Safety of Objects was released in 2003, and Troche is currently developing In A Country of Mothers as well. Music For Torching is in development with director Steven Shainberg with a script by Buck Henry, and This Book Will Save Your Life is in Development with Stone Village Pictures.

Born in Washington D.C., she now lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Orsodimondo · Rating 3 out of 5]

HE TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE



Sono arrivato al quarto romanzo di A.M.Homes ed è la prima volta che la trovo usare il registro della leggerezza e dell’ironia: qui ci sono situazioni comiche, divertenti, perfino esilaranti. Siccome è l’opera dell’esordio, mi viene da pensare che Homes abbia poi preferito abbandonare il tono leggero.

Comunque, il risultato non migliora granché: continuo a trovarla scrittrice che non riesce mai a raggiungere il risultato (alto) che si propone.
E continuo a trovarla scrittrice che si è nutrita di troppo cinema, soprattutto di quello hollywoodiano medio: anche in questo romanzo tante uscite e situazioni sembrano riprese da opere della settima arte.


La locandina del film del 2004 diretto da Lee Rose.

Questa volta siamo di fronte all’adolescenza, tema al calor bianco che invece A.M.Homes preferisce smorzare fino a mostrarsi quasi rassicurante (non solo per via dell'happy ending): Jack, il protagonista io narrante non riesce purtroppo mai a liberarsi dell’ingombrante presenza dell’autrice, spesso a parlare è chiaramente Homes e non il sedicenne Jack, che infatti risulta troppo maturo, adulto e consapevole per la sua età bella e dannata.

Quando mai un sedicenne riesce a far innamorare di sé una delle ragazze più belle della scuola, una coetanea compagna di classe, ma non altrettanto riflessiva e matura? Quando mai le ragazze sembrano più piccole dei coetanei maschi? Perché Maggie s’innamora di Jack, a prescindere dal fatto che lui è il protagonista con tanto di nome in copertina (titoli di testa)? E Jack invece di fare i salti dalla gioia, rimane cool, sempre un po’ timido, ma comunque posato, controlla bene l’adrenalina, resta ragionevole, non emotivamente strafatto! Ma quando mai! Maggie non sembra essere nella vita di Jack quel ciclone che verrebbe da supporre, non contribuisce a cambiarlo e farlo crescere, non quanto è logico presumere.


Stockard Channing e Ron Silver, madre e padre, nel tv movie ‘Jack’ del 2004

E quando mai un sedicenne avrebbe voglia di dire al suo migliore amico che si sarebbe risolto tutto, quando mai un sedicenne pensa …per quanto mi riguarda nessuno è mai troppo grande per niente?
La sua vita sembra sconvolta dall’oggi al domani: il padre lascia moglie e figlio, si scopre gay e lo confessa, va a vivere col suo fidanzato. Ma Jack non sembra perdersi d’animo più di tanto: rimane Jack il Fulmine, il campione della squadra di basket della scuola; riesce ad arginare il bullismo dei compagni confinandolo allo sfottò di un paio di giorni; vive brividi erotici magnifici.



Forse perché in questi giorni sono sotto l’effetto di Jesse, l’adolescente in cura dal dottor Paul Weston i mercoledì di ‘In Treatment 3’, e non si potrebbe immaginare coetaneo più diverso da Jack, un sedicenne che al contrario di Jack, is headed for a world of pain, forse perché sento molto più credibili gli adolescenti belli e dannati cari a Gus Van Sant (Elephant, Paranoid Park, Restless), forse perché ho un figlio di sedici anni, forse per questo e altro, Jack mi ha divertito, ma non convinto.


’Restless-L’amore che resta’, del 2011, film che ho amato molto, come quasi tutti quelli di Gus Van Sant, regista che all’adolescenza ha dedicato più di un lavoro, tra cui almeno un capolavoro, ‘Elephant’

Naturalmente, lo scontatissimo paragone con Il giovane Holden che la bandella azzarda è perso in partenza: ma è perso anche quello col romanzo di Cameron, Un giorno questo dolore ti sarà utile, anche in questo caso mi pare che A.M.Homes rimanga diversi passi indietro.

I miei sedici anni me li sentivo tutti. A volte me ne sentivo quaranta.


’My Own Private Idaho-Belli e dannati’, 1991. A distanza di due anni dall’incredibile esordio ‘Drugstore Cowboy’, Gus Van Sant mi lasciò stupefatto anche con questo

[Jx PinkLady Reviews ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

'Jack,' is a #youngadult coming of age story and my most recent book club read with a group of local ladies. It showcases a slice of Jack's life, his family, his thoughts and his realisations. Not a great deal happens and this is perhaps why it's just an OK read for me. It didn't make me feel a great deal but there is a healthy amount of thought provoking realisations from Jack, making it a probable good read for young adults.

[Amy Norris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. Jack is a short novel that follows a young teen boy dealing with his parent divorce and his father coming out. Although it’s never specified when this is set I would guess late 70’s or early 80’s. I’m not really one for ‘slice of life’ style stories so I don’t think I got as much out of this as someone else may but I did like the writing and the characters so I don’t regret reading it.

[Nelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books to which, if it were possible to give more than 5 stars on GR, I'd definitely give more than 5 stars. There wasn't a single thing about this book that I didn't like. From the narrator, to the writing style, to the exceptional humor and family drama, it was spectacularly executed and I can see this novel becoming a topic of discussion in high school English classes once being prejudiced towards people who are gay is just as socially unacceptable as being racist is today.

While the central story is of a father coming out to his teenage son, this is not a piece of LGBT literature. This is a coming of age novel, and being such a novel it brings up many interesting and important points to inspire us into being better human beings and understanding ourselves and/or our children better. This book was written in 1989, which surprised me since it's just as relevant today as nearly a quarter of a century ago. The challenges Jack faces - through his parents' divorce, through adjusting to new family members entering his life, through learning to deal with life's harsh realities - are timeless and well explored, with insight and lighthearted humor.

This is the second novel by A,M. Homes that I've read and, I gotta say, she is an extremely talented author. In Jack, she committed herself to her teenage narrator incredibly well and I never once saw the adult woman that Homes is as I was reading the voice of teenage Jack as he told his story. That is a skill that many authors these days either lack or overlook, but it's SO important to not see the author in the telling of the story. That's like seeing the set as you're watching a movie. It ruins it.

I'd recommend this book to everyone. It's not very long, it's a YA novel, so it reads with ease, and I don't see any reason why every person I know wouldn't enjoy it on one level or another.

[Ineffable7980x · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't yet decided what I think about this book. I enjoyed it, but it didn't blow me away. It also read very quickly. I finished it in 3 days, which is fast for me. The hook of the book is that 15yo Jack is told by his father that the reason his parents divorced is because his father is gay, and is now living with his boyfriend. This sends Jack's world into a tailspin. This subject matter was very edgy when this book was published in 1989, but doesn't seem to hit the same way today.

Jack is a likeable character and he sprinkles his observations with some humor, although I never thought this book was laugh out loud funny. I think this is very much a book of its time. It feels like one of those "issue" movies that network TV used to run with an air of self importance. The difference is that this book does not come across as self important. In fact, it avoids saccharine sentimentality about found family. It easily could have gone that way, but Homes did not choose to do that.

Overall, this book is fine. I would suggest it as a cultural artifact, but don't be surprised if it feels a bit dated.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's be clear at the beginning, anyone expecting a typical A.M. Homes book may be disappointed, but I can't say whether that's good or bad because this book has a lot of heart, also a trademark. Second, this is YA, all the way so anyone looking for much in the way of adult complications will only find them second-hand, as related by a 16-year-old boy. The premise is simple enough, when Jack is 15, his father takes him to the middle of a lake in a rowboat and tells him that the reason he and Jack's mother split up is because the father is gay. Jack's reaction is as can be expected for a 15-year-old boy, with all the homophobic epithets you'd expect him to make in an experience like this, but this is also the gradual awakening for Jack of what it all means, how he can love his Dad still, and just as important, the discovery that his isn't the only family with a secret / problem that others may not be able to relate to. There is nothing in this book that a teenager couldn't read, no sex - okay, kissing - and no particularly bad language (unless you consider "shit" to be a word unsuitable for the printed page - Tom Sawyer, this isn't) so any teen can be trusted with it and not be warped for life. But it's not "adult-safe-for-teens", it's YA for teens able to understand what "gay" means. And it's not for adults expecting adult trauma; nothing of that kind of drama. Just a nice book.

[Nick Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite this short novel not having the most eventful plot - it's essentially the story of a teenage boy growing up in America and coping with various aspects of entering adulthood following the break-up of his parents' marriage when his father comes out as gay - this was a quietly impressive and enjoyable tale. A.M. Homes is an intelligent and oft beautiful writer - she has written some very challenging and unusual stuff, this is less so (most of the themes are fairly universal as far as growing up in concerned) and it made for a decent read as a consequence. I did however feel slightly like the ending tailed off, and it did feel a bit soapy with how things worked out, but I'm glad I picked this up in a charity shop in Bala, Wales.

[Santi Alonso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hacía tiempo que, al leer una historia, no me encariñaba tanto con los personajes. En esta obra me he encontrado con una A.M. Homes primeriza que ya dejaba ver atisbos de lo que sería el estilo que desarrolló más tarde en obras posteriores —descripciones de escenas prácticamente cinematográficas, humor ácido, situaciones surrealistas pero cargadas de significado—.

Si bien es cierto que Jack presenta algunos lugares comunes respecto al estilo de vida estadounidense que hemos aprendido en películas y series —esto es la típica casa de los barrios a las afueras, la vida de instituto y la popularidad que te da practicar cualquier deporte y destacar en él—, es una historia escrita con una ternura y un desparpajo que lleva todo eso a un segundo plano (sobre todo pensando en que este es el primer trabajo de la autora, escrito cuando ella tenía solamente 19 años).

Por otra parte, el año en que escribió la novela sumado a su edad, nos da una pista sobre la valentía de Homes a la hora de tratar ciertos temas.

La verdad es que me encantaría creer que, en el futuro, en alguno de sus cuentos o en otra novela pudiésemos encontrarnos con estos personajes una vez más y ver cómo les ha tratado la vida.

[August · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certain paragraphs echo the work of Carver, while others – fun, coming-of-age potboilers, forgotten by the next page.

Regarding the former, you find this vague trademark in the works of several Lish students – say, Amy Hempel; a kind of mystical minimalism, which I think Homes – a former student, herself – describes perfectly:

"Carver does something very unusual; he uses regular words in the regular order and yet somehow when he writes, the words create a vapor—a kind of mystical cloud, somewhere between invisible and candy floss. The cloud has shape and definition, but when you put your hand through it—nothing."

I got this exact vibe from the farm sequence in "Jack". There is so little description, yet this farm, simply written about as "the farm" by 19-year-old Homes, feels more alive than a lot of the stuff, say ol' Nobel Steinbeck, wrote about in "East of Eden", which I happen to be halfway through – and probably never finishing – at the moment.

[Rosaria Battiloro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primo libro che leggo di questa autrice famosissima in patria (e non solo), e devo dire che ne sono rimasta molto positivamente colpita.
Un romanzo tenero e un po' scombussolato, come i suoi personaggi.

Già si addenta il gusto di una grande scrittura.

[Mary]

Title&auther: Jack by A.M. HOMES
ISBN #: 9780679732211
Febuary20.008

*this need grammer corrections. still need to talk to Nourok: JUST A NOTE TO ALL =D

In the beginng, i thought think book was going to be a biography of this kid name Jack, but as i started to read this phenomenal book, my thought has utterly changed my thought to it. I just can't let go of this book.
The protangonist, Jack, learned to accept peoples differences. The meaning of being gay. He faces the fact that his parents are divorced and his dad is gay. That's really hard for Jack to accept after all his 14 years of life. There are times when Jack doesn't want to hear anymore or experience anymore truths in the world. Even though Jack's parents are divorced, he always wanted a normal teenage life like everybody else but until one day, his father break him the news that he is gay.
This electrifying book tells about the tall high and lows of what goes around in Jack's life. It is astonishing; you will never know what obstacles Jack goes through. The main obstacles are really rough for Jack. "Jack, by A.M. HOMES" was very appealing and so much more. It can make you feel an unusual way for every element. It can surprise you in any point of the book or make you feel sorry for the protagonist.
For those people that haven't pick up this book yet, please do because it's a very modern day life story&conflict. It will not bore you out! "Jack" is a unique book. The end is very pleasing. Put aside your other books that you're reading because Jack is frantically saying "Pick me!"

[Ligeia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"che razza di imbecille è uno che si alza in piedi nella palestra di una scuola superiore e dice a venti ragazzi che se non uccidono sono finocchi? E poi ci si domanda com'è che uno cresce e va in giro a sparare alla gente e roba simile"

Jack ha una famiglia diversa da quella del suo migliore amico, intanto i suoi sono divorziati e poi, come se non bastasse, suo padre a un certo punto gli confessa la sua omosessualità

ora, che un padre faccia una cosa del genere ci può anche stare, ma che poi decida di portare suddetto figlio fuori insieme con il suo compagno, il migliore amico del figlio e due suoi (del padre) amici gay, con la figlia di uno dei due che, incidentalmente, è pure a scuola con Jack e il suo migliore amico, che non sospettava nulla? Sul serio?
No, dico, equivale a mettere un cartello a scuola con su scritto "il papà di Jack è gay"
e sono sicura che a scuola il termine usato sarebbe meno carino...

in ogni caso, assurdità a parte, è un buon romanzo di esordio, con qualche ripetizione di troppo, ma con un protagonista assai più convincente dei suoi genitori

ps. poi Jack scopre che la famiglia del suo migliore amico sta messa peggio della sua e diventa grande, così di colpo...

[Lindsay Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This made me feel better about my own attempt at my first novel. Even A.M. Homes, my queen, can write something a little precious, something a little off the mark. (This book, however, has been translated into a zillion different languages and is taught in classrooms around the world. Oh, well.)

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A.M. Homes is a magnificent writer. She captures people & their lives so perfectly, reading her novels feels like you're looking through a kitchen window, spying on a family. I wish I could write like this!!

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

Centred in a teen boy who's dealing, in first place, with his parent's divorce, and then with learning that his father is a homosexual. At age 15, Jack discovers that many things are more complicated than they seemed to be, that even "perfect families" can have big issues; while at the same time he comes to terms with situations that looked so terrible at first, but were not a big deal after all. This book is a simple story where you follow Jack through feeling lost, angry and overall weird.

At first, Jack is a lot. You have to put up not only with his initial homophobia, but his angst, and his silly thoughts and acts that are a reaction of being a teen - a lost teen - with his life upside down. But Jack's also an interesting character who analyses and jokes with irony about all he sees and hears. The adults that surround Jack seem as lost as him sometimes, but they also show wisdom and sensibility; they all - including Jack - feel ultimately very human. I personally didn't find a logical explanation to some of Jack's thoughts and feelings, and I asked myself if maybe some of those were a bit forced, but I came to the conclusion that A.M. Homes was aiming to portray how easily our mood changes, especially when one is a teen; having a small existential crisis out of nowhere, getting overwhelmed and lost by things that are - after all - just how life is.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book may be a bit dated solely as result of having been written in 1989. I did enjoy it and really enjoyed what the author was trying to do with the story.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to this novel late, after reading and liking some of A.M. Homes shorter fiction, and it is a long time since reading it that I sit down to write this review and, I was going to give it three stars and then I discovered it was originally published in 1989, and written when Homes 19, and though I couldn't give five stars, I couldn't give it less then four.

It is YA fiction in the best sense of the word and that some reviewers on GR, and no doubt many people outside of GR, still think in the 21st century that there might be a problem with a book aimed at YA that deals with a teenage boy dealing with a father who tells him he is gay is something I can't understand. But that those people exist makes it all the more important that books like this exist.

[I don't like to bring politics or make tendentious comparisons with current events but I only yesterday discovered that all links to detailing Black, Women, Gay, etc. veterans and their role fighting for America have been removed from the website for Arlington National Cemetery. That the day may come when books like this become US samizdat literature doesn't seem impossible.]

It is always problematic, as an adult, to approach and appreciate works written for YA, in general I don't believe that YA need a special literature, nor one that is censored. We give them Romeo & Juliet to read - underage sex, suicide, murder and more blood then slasher flick - yet insist that anything outside ye olde time literature be censored and neutered.

I think it is best for the young to discover adult life without blinkers by adult writers. This is a fine novel, that over 35 years after it was published it is still relevant is depressing.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our protagonist Jack is a teen in the 1980's America where being gay is more of a taboo than anything else, which, surprisingly/unfortunately, has not changed much in society in general. Much to the devastation/disgust? of Jack, he was confronted with his worst nightmare when, one fine day, out in the middle of nowhere, his father confesses to him that he is gay. This, after the mess that he has already gone through after his parent's divorce, is too much for him. What will people think about him? He'll be the subject of gossip and ridicule if word goes out, he might be labelled as 'queer' himself. It's an absolute nightmare for a teenager to be dealing with, more so in a prejudiced society.

How would you react if your father is gay? How would you feel, if, after all these years, your father isn't exactly living the life he wanted to live and you just happen to be in it without a choice? On the other hand, can you blame a father who, despite social pressure, braved it to be true to what he really is? As a mother, how would you deal with the situation in the best interest of everybody?


The best thing about any piece of literature I guess, is how it connects to the reader, which for me is determined by how it reflects reality. Jack came out in 1989 (two years or so after I was born) and it is all too relevant and resonant now. Reflect reality it does. I felt with and for the characters. That is why we read...


This book raises a lot of what-if's and questions that really still affect us all and for that, bravo, Ms. Homes! You're such a wonderful writer!

[Andy Quan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember, back in the days, being very impressed with A.M. Homes's short fiction, but I lost track of her. In any case, I recently came across 'Jack', her first novel, written when she was 19! And I was interested enough in the pitch, a teenage boy whose Dad comes out to him. I have to admit though, that I don't like teenagers all that much (and wouldn't have liked myself as a teenager) so at times, I found Jack to be annoying in a teenage way. The voice may have been authentic, but it was not my favourite voice. And the gay dad plot point is not the biggest focus of the book. Still, sometimes while reading this novel, I found myself having so naturally fallen into the story that it surprised me. The story is a pretty gentle one, without much drama until the end, so it was Homes's writing, not showy but skilful and engaging, that drew me in. I should really read something current of hers as this novel came out over 30 years ago.

[JOSEPH OLIVER · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting novel. Very well written and fast moving. At least it's a different perspective on the notion of having a gay father who leaves to live with another man and its effects on the young teenage son. He slowly seems to come to terms with it but would still prefer to have a `normal' father like everyone else - even when that ideal normal family (that of his friend Max) turns out to be anything but ideal. We get his mother's perspective on the situation which again takes time to deal with. Very interesting book for anyone who finds themselves in this situation but for every one else a really interesting lively read.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I entertained high hopes for this having seen the author recommended on a TV show about books. Turns out it's a first novel (written when the author was just 19) and I think that rather shows. There's a huge influence evident from Salinger's "Catcher In The Rye" though not up to the same standard. Like that book, too, this didn't really go anywhere much and is more of a character study with some elements of narrative thrown into the mix but insufficient to make it really successful. It's an easy enough read and probably falls onto the category of YA fiction - though I'm not sure that even existed when the book was first published

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really thought it ended well.
(Plus everything beforehand was good too)

[Steve Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best coming of age novels. Jack's initial mortification at his dad's coming out is soon compounded by everyone at school finding out, and not helped by the anodyne wisdom of the adults around him. But his parents' separation is just a springboard to greater worries about joining the 'complicated, boring' world of society. Jack is sure there's an alternative, but he's shooting in the dark. Will he make it?

[Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Jack' is the coming-of-age story of a young boy who discovers that his parents are getting a divorce, and that his dad is actually gay. It's typically over dramatic, full of teen angst and the social commentary is pretty heavy handed, but it is a really fun read and Homes captures the voice of a young boy perfectly. Completely different to 'The End of Alice' (which I enjoyed more) but still an enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more of her books!

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Jack for my book club this month, and I read it after I just finished The Chocolate War. So, adolescence is on the brain.

A.M. Homes created such a real and honest character in Jack. I loved growing with him through this book, but those hard learned lessons of growing up still ached while reading it through Jack's perspective.

[Ayelet Waldman]

This is a great novel for young adults. It’s got a fairly typical Y.A. narrator of a certain familiar kind (you know, more honest and “real” than the adults around him), and the prose is accessible. I'm going to make Sophie read it.

[Susan Strickland · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's like she was trying to write a Judy Blume book. Which isn't to say I didn't like it. I like Judy Blume books.

[A · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story itself was…fine, I guess, but the incessant ableist language was unnecessary. I understand the narrator is a tween in the 80s, but come on.

[Livian Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another one of those texts you have to excuse for the time it was written i.e. the late 80s. I'd imagine kids now wouldn't get far sympathising with Jack and his attitude to his father, or him saying how nauseous he is about him and his confession. You can excuse it if you grew up back then and had a sense of societal attitudes so it would be a shame for highschoolers now to pass this off as inherently homophobic. I was getting shit for being possibly gay in the late 90s so to me that was practically yesterday and I kind of wish I'd shrugged it off and not gotten defensive.

Probably my least favourite book of hers. You forget she has that knack for luring you into a false sense of security by describing mundane situations then throwing disasters in the mix that we kind of have to roll with, like life. But this is easily the most optimistic book of hers I've read.

Didn't love it or hate it and probably wouldn't give it a reread to be honest. But if you're a parent who grew up when the book was set, I'd encourage you to let your older kids read this and give them a glimpse into just how shitty society's attitude to homosexuality was compared to now. There's a lot of language they're expressly told not to use and definitely shouldn't but those slurs were thrown around too easily and it's an opportunity for kids to learn from the mistakes of the past.

[Stacy Helton]

While I am not finished with the A.M. Homes catalog, the ones I’ve read either knock it out of the park (THE MISTRESS’S DAUGHTER, THE SAFETY OF OBJECTS, MUSIC FOR TORCHING) or send a weak foul ball (THE END OF ALICE). JACK, listed as her first novel, gets to first base and stays there. Sorry for the Kinsella-esque metaphors. The problem with JACK is that the central theme is so dated (the book is from 1989) that it’s hard to relate to any drama. You want to pull an Olympia Dukakis and tell Jack to “snap out of it.” It’s more like a YA novel than a novel by the woman unleashing the short stories that made up THE SAFETY OF OBJECTS during this same period. And maybe she was; any hoopla surrounding JACK’s publication is long since left the internet. When Jack is 15, his father comes out of the closet, which, in 1989, was a bigger deal. Still, Jack, and his subsequent begrudging acceptance of his father, are drawn out with odd, one-dimensional characterizations and clunky dialogue. It’s almost as if the talented Homes is writing a book as performance art, encapsulating an after-school special with the setting of a forgettable off-Broadway play. In the end, it’s Judy Blume without the heart.