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How to Buy a Love of Reading
To Carley Wells, words are the enemy. Her tutor's innumerable SAT flashcards. Her personal trainer's "fifty-seven pounds overweight" assessment. And the endless assignments from her English teacher, Mr. Nagel. When Nagel reports to her parents that she has answered the question "What is your favorite book?" with "Never met one I liked," they decide to fix what he calls her "intellectual impoverishment." They will commission a book to be written just for her - one she'll have to love - that will impress her teacher and the whole town of Fox Glen with their family's devotion to the arts. They will be patrons - the Medicis of Long Island. They will buy their daughter the love of reading.
Impossible though it is for Carley to imagine loving books, she is in love with a young bibliophile who cares about them more than anything. Anything, that is, but a good bottle of scotch. Hunter Cay, Carley's best friend and Fox Glen's resident golden boy, is becoming a stranger to her lately as he drowns himself in F. Scott Fitzgerald, booze, and Vicodin.
When the Wellses move writer Bree McEnroy - author of a failed meta-novel about Odysseus's journey home through the Internet - into their mansion to write Carley's book, Carley's sole interest in the project is to distract Hunter from drinking and give them something to share. But as Hunter's behavior becomes erratic and dangerous, she finds herself increasingly drawn into the fictional world Bree has created, and begins to understand for the first time the power of stories - those we read, those we want to believe in, and most of all, those we tell ourselves about ourselves. Stories powerful enough to destroy a person. Or save her.
Impossible though it is for Carley to imagine loving books, she is in love with a young bibliophile who cares about them more than anything. Anything, that is, but a good bottle of scotch. Hunter Cay, Carley's best friend and Fox Glen's resident golden boy, is becoming a stranger to her lately as he drowns himself in F. Scott Fitzgerald, booze, and Vicodin.
When the Wellses move writer Bree McEnroy - author of a failed meta-novel about Odysseus's journey home through the Internet - into their mansion to write Carley's book, Carley's sole interest in the project is to distract Hunter from drinking and give them something to share. But as Hunter's behavior becomes erratic and dangerous, she finds herself increasingly drawn into the fictional world Bree has created, and begins to understand for the first time the power of stories - those we read, those we want to believe in, and most of all, those we tell ourselves about ourselves. Stories powerful enough to destroy a person. Or save her.
392 pages, Hardcover
First published May 14, 2009
25 people are currently reading
1482 people want to read
About the author
Tanya Egan Gibson
2 books51 followersTanya Egan Gibson's debut novel, How To Buy a Love of Reading, was published by Dutton in May 2009. An alumna of Squaw Valley Community of Writers, she is mother to a four-year-old who produces countless construction-paper "books" that she insists Mommy "get published" and a one-year-old who teethes copies of HTBALOR, and wife to the most patient man in the universe."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 334 reviews
July 29, 2009
I am not a book reviewer -- never write them and only on rare occasions read them. I think my reluctance to embrace the book review genre is that, for the most part, the reviewers seem too interested in impressing the reader with their skill at word manipulation and incisive analytical skills.
Yet, in thinking about this book, it occurred to me that the type of book review I could learn from would be the same style I use when trying to understand software, or a website, or, God forbid, a government bulletin. I immediately go first to the FAQs where I can learn quickly, skip the parts I'm not interested in, and connect with questions that are important to me and asked by someone at my level of knowledge without me sounding stupid by asking the very same question.
Also, I feel smarter when I read FAQs that I do when I read something with "______ For Dummies" in its title.
So, here is my book review on "How to Buy a Love of Reading," a first novel by Tanya Egan Gibson, written in the form of FAQs with a little humor thrown in.
Isn't this a book for teenagers?
There is a difference between the prepositions "for" and "about." I suggest any dictionary published since 1823 for clarification. This is a grownup book about teenagers, a number of whom are smarter than you or I on our best day.
Is this one of those books that has a lot of cultural and literary references and fancy words I won't understand and will make me feel stupid? (I had to put Moby Dick down after 33 pages.)
The answer to the first part of your question is "yes," and I bet that didn't stop you from enjoying "Jurassic Park." Also, using several clever devices, Ms. Gibson gives you the meaning of some of these words and references in such a way that your self-esteem is not at jeopardy, even if it should be.
How long is the book?
I assure you, when you are finished you will wish it were longer.
Will it enhance my social reputation to be seen reading this book in the right places?
If by right places you mean Tony's Corner Bar & Grill, no.
In all seriousness, as a writer I read with pen poised to underline. I return later and harvest intriguing examples of plot devices, character descriptions and metaphors, the forms and formats of which I may one day transform or use catalytically in some future writing exercise. It's a good way to experiment with other forms and to short circuit any surfacing symptoms of writer's block.
With "How to Buy a Love of Reading" I downed my pen on page 60. Constant underlining interfered too much with my love of reading this story.
I really liked this story and how my understanding of the characters developed. Not only is this book intriguing and exciting, it's much cheaper than buying a big mansion on Long Island to understand that culture.
Yet, in thinking about this book, it occurred to me that the type of book review I could learn from would be the same style I use when trying to understand software, or a website, or, God forbid, a government bulletin. I immediately go first to the FAQs where I can learn quickly, skip the parts I'm not interested in, and connect with questions that are important to me and asked by someone at my level of knowledge without me sounding stupid by asking the very same question.
Also, I feel smarter when I read FAQs that I do when I read something with "______ For Dummies" in its title.
So, here is my book review on "How to Buy a Love of Reading," a first novel by Tanya Egan Gibson, written in the form of FAQs with a little humor thrown in.
Isn't this a book for teenagers?
There is a difference between the prepositions "for" and "about." I suggest any dictionary published since 1823 for clarification. This is a grownup book about teenagers, a number of whom are smarter than you or I on our best day.
Is this one of those books that has a lot of cultural and literary references and fancy words I won't understand and will make me feel stupid? (I had to put Moby Dick down after 33 pages.)
The answer to the first part of your question is "yes," and I bet that didn't stop you from enjoying "Jurassic Park." Also, using several clever devices, Ms. Gibson gives you the meaning of some of these words and references in such a way that your self-esteem is not at jeopardy, even if it should be.
How long is the book?
I assure you, when you are finished you will wish it were longer.
Will it enhance my social reputation to be seen reading this book in the right places?
If by right places you mean Tony's Corner Bar & Grill, no.
In all seriousness, as a writer I read with pen poised to underline. I return later and harvest intriguing examples of plot devices, character descriptions and metaphors, the forms and formats of which I may one day transform or use catalytically in some future writing exercise. It's a good way to experiment with other forms and to short circuit any surfacing symptoms of writer's block.
With "How to Buy a Love of Reading" I downed my pen on page 60. Constant underlining interfered too much with my love of reading this story.
I really liked this story and how my understanding of the characters developed. Not only is this book intriguing and exciting, it's much cheaper than buying a big mansion on Long Island to understand that culture.
August 23, 2010
Book lover that I am, I fully expected to love How to Buy a Love of Reading. I think every reader has come across a person who has said "My time is very valuable and I don't waste it reading." To which us book lovers respond with "Well, you know, I read because I have a brain and it needs nourishment, which is why I'm leaving now since you're clearly not going to provide any." Snarky? Maybe. Do I care? Not really considering the douche offended me first by implying that his time is way more important than mine. So, anyway, I had high expectations for How to Buy a Love of Reading. Which sucks considering I really couldn't finish it.
My philosophy in reading has currently changed from "I need to read every book I feel I might be even remotely interested in from start to finish" to "Life's too short to read semi-sucky books." I'm not saying that How to Buy a Love of Reading was a sucky book, just that by the time I passed page 50, I noticed that I really disliked all the characters. This is the case with a big chunk of books I read, but I usually plow through at least to see if these unlikeable characters get run over by a truck. With How to Buy a Love of Reading, I really could care less what happened and to top it all off, I found what was happening boring. The minute my mind starts wandering with what I need to do precisely to get my room more clean, the book dies for me.
So, I could just not finish this book. It seemed like it had so much potential. I thought it was going to be an entertaining and quirky read. Instead what I got (from what I've read anyway) was the beginning of oodles and oodles of teenage angst. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Young-Adult novel lover, but again the beginning of said angst was also coma-inducing. Sigh. This is the second First Reads book that I just could. not. finish. Hopefully I have better luck with the next win.
My philosophy in reading has currently changed from "I need to read every book I feel I might be even remotely interested in from start to finish" to "Life's too short to read semi-sucky books." I'm not saying that How to Buy a Love of Reading was a sucky book, just that by the time I passed page 50, I noticed that I really disliked all the characters. This is the case with a big chunk of books I read, but I usually plow through at least to see if these unlikeable characters get run over by a truck. With How to Buy a Love of Reading, I really could care less what happened and to top it all off, I found what was happening boring. The minute my mind starts wandering with what I need to do precisely to get my room more clean, the book dies for me.
So, I could just not finish this book. It seemed like it had so much potential. I thought it was going to be an entertaining and quirky read. Instead what I got (from what I've read anyway) was the beginning of oodles and oodles of teenage angst. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Young-Adult novel lover, but again the beginning of said angst was also coma-inducing. Sigh. This is the second First Reads book that I just could. not. finish. Hopefully I have better luck with the next win.
March 31, 2021
When I looked at the jacket cover for this book, the phrase "Never met a book I liked," caught my attention. However, my initial assumption that this would be a light-hearted, satirically funny book turned out to be very wrong. The book was certainly full of satire interwoven in the dialog and behavior of the characters, with a particular focus on the class-conscious, nouveau riche parents and their high-school age children. But the real weight of the story and what resonated long after I put the book down was the incredible loneliness and emotional pain that dominated the lives of the two main characters and unlikely friends, Carly and Hunter, and echoes in varying degrees throughout the lives of most of the characters in the book. It is a book that begs to be reread for a more thorough appreciation, so it would be unfair to oversimplify the theme or primary characters after a first read. However, I think it could be said that this a story about the damage that results when people aren’t true to themselves—when they try too hard to be something or someone they are not. It is also a poignant tale about the lies people tell themselves and others and the crutches they use in their efforts to survive in their world. Throughout the book, we see endless examples of the ongoing internal and external conflicts that occur when the characters’ points of view about people, situations, and life in general don’t align with each other. The author pulls the reader in by creating the same sense of conflict in the reader’s mind about the characters. At different points in the story, my feelings about the main characters were scattered across the emotional spectrum—the characters were not easily defined or understood because their words and actions presented so many contradictions. Therein lies the reoccurring warning offered by the author: there is an immeasurable danger inherent in trying to simplify people’s character into clichés such as golden boy or fat girl. In the end, Hunter’s life becomes a tragedy (keep your box of Kleenex near), and Carly finds a livable path to her own self truth.
March 25, 2011
I lay awake after finishing this book, after having a good cry, after having been spending every possible moment with it for a week, writing reviews in my head....
"Stunning. Surprising. Sumptuous. Smart. Sad."
I devoured every paragraph like Carley and Amber devoured the "brioche-swaddled pears and seafood-stuffed dumplings and a mound of beluga and countless tiny meat pies and a silk wedge of Fromage d'Affinois with peppery crackers and slices of duckling nested on sweet potato pancakes with candied quince and prosciutto-wrapped figs on lollipop sticks and bread sticks dyed to harvest colors." (Unlike Amber, I did not make myself throw up afterwards.) I savored the high-calorie writing, each sentence packed with imagery and intelligence; I loved how I had to re-read to make sure I understood each twist and turn, got every inside joke and literary reference. I even had to look a few words up. And I learned so much about WRITING!
What happens to kids who have everything? My friends and I who try to recreate Gatsby's parties would kill for an afternoon in Hunter's Art Deco Play Palace. We all know there is emptiness at the heart of America's wealth, that rich kids have more access to drugs than anyone, that the price of privilege is soul-killing cruelty and entitlement. But to see the world through the eyes of two mis-matched kids who want to be better, who want to love and be loved, who just want to be touched—is a treat for the heart.
I really cared about the characters, especially Bree, who felt like me, an author so in love with her own process that no one quite gets her, and Carley (yay, a size eighteen protagonist!) who is the best writer of all in her own late-night musings.
"Stunning. Surprising. Sumptuous. Smart. Sad."
I devoured every paragraph like Carley and Amber devoured the "brioche-swaddled pears and seafood-stuffed dumplings and a mound of beluga and countless tiny meat pies and a silk wedge of Fromage d'Affinois with peppery crackers and slices of duckling nested on sweet potato pancakes with candied quince and prosciutto-wrapped figs on lollipop sticks and bread sticks dyed to harvest colors." (Unlike Amber, I did not make myself throw up afterwards.) I savored the high-calorie writing, each sentence packed with imagery and intelligence; I loved how I had to re-read to make sure I understood each twist and turn, got every inside joke and literary reference. I even had to look a few words up. And I learned so much about WRITING!
What happens to kids who have everything? My friends and I who try to recreate Gatsby's parties would kill for an afternoon in Hunter's Art Deco Play Palace. We all know there is emptiness at the heart of America's wealth, that rich kids have more access to drugs than anyone, that the price of privilege is soul-killing cruelty and entitlement. But to see the world through the eyes of two mis-matched kids who want to be better, who want to love and be loved, who just want to be touched—is a treat for the heart.
I really cared about the characters, especially Bree, who felt like me, an author so in love with her own process that no one quite gets her, and Carley (yay, a size eighteen protagonist!) who is the best writer of all in her own late-night musings.
August 14, 2009
This book really surprised me. When I first started reading it, I really didn't like it. It opens up with scenes at various rich parties with various rich kids and their ridiculous parents. It was opulent and whiny and gross. I thought the same of Carley, the main character, a fat rich girl who cares about nothing except her best friend (and unrequited love) Hunter Cay. To be frank, Carley pretty much disgusted me. She was cloying, overly dramatic, prone to blindness where Hunter was concerned. It was gross, especially since Hunter was completely undeserving of her regard, a spoiled, affected, pretentious, and self destructive playboy. I'm not sure why I kept reading, especially when Carley's parents hire a writer to write a book specifically to Carley's preferences so as to instill a love of reading in her.
However, I'm pretty glad I did. With the introduction of Bree McEnroy, author, and her unrequited love Justin Leighton, things get a lot more interesting. Bree's a writer with a failed book, but one that won some German award. Her writing is pretentious, with lots of footnotes detailing the literary devices she uses so as to make honest her writing, which is the opposite of the purpose of literary devices, since they're meant to disguise things. Exactly. Super pretentious. Carley hates everything Bree's written, heaping more stress on the poor author. Meanwhile, Bree's trying to force Carley to be her own person, to discover her own tastes apart from reality T.V. and Hunter, she tries to expose Hunter's drug and drinking problem, but Carley steadfastly remains in denial. Hunter is drowning in self-pity and self revulsion, pronouncing himself too weak to break things off with Carley, knowing that he's hurting her because he can't love her the way she loves him, yet can't force himself to abandon the comfort of the only person in his life who accepts him and is genuinely nice to him. Justin Leighton battles his fear of crowds despite his hotshot author status all while trying to atone for some past betrayal and trying to get Bree to love him.
Throughout the book, they reference The Great Gatsby frequently, as a book Hunter loves and Bree and Justin hate. There are definite parallels, what with the rich self destructive kids with ennui who have a tendency for true drama. But as the book progresses(both the real one and the one Bree is writing), Carley starts developing layer after layer. she becomes less repulsive and less pathetic(albeit with excruciating slowness), and instead you see her as a girl who is uncomplicated and uninterested in the things that everyone wants her to be. She just wants to wear clothes that are fun and to make sure Hunter is okay, since he's the only person who theoretically sees past her fat cow image. As her friendship with Justin and Bree deepens, you see her more as a charmingly naive and caring character. Her concept of Aftermemory, what could have happened to make it the perfect moment, is something I deeply understand.
As things in Carley's life build to a climax, she starts to change, realizing that she can't live life in this selfprotective bubble. She becomes Bree's best critic, admonishing her when she gets too caught up in making fun of the literary world, giving her the best criticism with just one note, "Just tell me a story." Carley reveals her intelligence through her understanding of Bree's troubles, Hunter's, and her own, and points out charmingly simple solutions, though they hardly work out.
How to Buy a Love of Reading is a book that's sometimes achingly lonely and sometimes sneakily clever. It's a book that demonstrates the pretentiousness in the literary community, the upper class, and the youth who so desperately want to be adults. There are layers to this book, and like Bree's second, successful book, it starts out using all these stodgy devices, yet as it goes on, "it sheds a layer of writerly-ness." It's ending is sweet and brings a little bit of a lump into my throat. Really, force youself past the first part of the book and the strange parental subplot. You'll be glad you did.
However, I'm pretty glad I did. With the introduction of Bree McEnroy, author, and her unrequited love Justin Leighton, things get a lot more interesting. Bree's a writer with a failed book, but one that won some German award. Her writing is pretentious, with lots of footnotes detailing the literary devices she uses so as to make honest her writing, which is the opposite of the purpose of literary devices, since they're meant to disguise things. Exactly. Super pretentious. Carley hates everything Bree's written, heaping more stress on the poor author. Meanwhile, Bree's trying to force Carley to be her own person, to discover her own tastes apart from reality T.V. and Hunter, she tries to expose Hunter's drug and drinking problem, but Carley steadfastly remains in denial. Hunter is drowning in self-pity and self revulsion, pronouncing himself too weak to break things off with Carley, knowing that he's hurting her because he can't love her the way she loves him, yet can't force himself to abandon the comfort of the only person in his life who accepts him and is genuinely nice to him. Justin Leighton battles his fear of crowds despite his hotshot author status all while trying to atone for some past betrayal and trying to get Bree to love him.
Throughout the book, they reference The Great Gatsby frequently, as a book Hunter loves and Bree and Justin hate. There are definite parallels, what with the rich self destructive kids with ennui who have a tendency for true drama. But as the book progresses(both the real one and the one Bree is writing), Carley starts developing layer after layer. she becomes less repulsive and less pathetic(albeit with excruciating slowness), and instead you see her as a girl who is uncomplicated and uninterested in the things that everyone wants her to be. She just wants to wear clothes that are fun and to make sure Hunter is okay, since he's the only person who theoretically sees past her fat cow image. As her friendship with Justin and Bree deepens, you see her more as a charmingly naive and caring character. Her concept of Aftermemory, what could have happened to make it the perfect moment, is something I deeply understand.
As things in Carley's life build to a climax, she starts to change, realizing that she can't live life in this selfprotective bubble. She becomes Bree's best critic, admonishing her when she gets too caught up in making fun of the literary world, giving her the best criticism with just one note, "Just tell me a story." Carley reveals her intelligence through her understanding of Bree's troubles, Hunter's, and her own, and points out charmingly simple solutions, though they hardly work out.
How to Buy a Love of Reading is a book that's sometimes achingly lonely and sometimes sneakily clever. It's a book that demonstrates the pretentiousness in the literary community, the upper class, and the youth who so desperately want to be adults. There are layers to this book, and like Bree's second, successful book, it starts out using all these stodgy devices, yet as it goes on, "it sheds a layer of writerly-ness." It's ending is sweet and brings a little bit of a lump into my throat. Really, force youself past the first part of the book and the strange parental subplot. You'll be glad you did.
March 4, 2009
Gibson had me at the title, I have to say. And the premise is very interesting:after 15 year old Carly admits on a school questionnaire that she's "never met a book I liked", her very rich, very status conscious parents decide to commission a book just for Carly. They actually hire an author to move into their house(well, mansion, complete with it's own bra museum) and write a book that Carly would actually like to read. That starts a lot of balls rolling in their little, monied town. The true story is about relationships: overweight and somewhat outcast Carly and her best friend model-perfect but strung out womanizer Hunter; the author Bree and her long ago love Julian who happens to be hiding out in this same berg; the complex machinations of high society marriages in which social standing means more than personal happiness. I identified with
Carly so much I cringed and cried for her as her mother alternated between bullying and ignoring her and as she continued to love others with her arms wide open even as they continued to not deserve her. I ached for Hunter's empty life and his need to escape. All of the characters in this book, the author's first, are drawn with great depth and sensitivity. There are times when things got a bit muddled, when flashbacks or fantasies or fictional tv shows seemed to get tangled into the story a bit too much, but overall the beauty of the story, and it's somewhat tragic, somewhat deeply satisfying ending, make all of that ignorable and this debut book very much worth the read.
Carly so much I cringed and cried for her as her mother alternated between bullying and ignoring her and as she continued to love others with her arms wide open even as they continued to not deserve her. I ached for Hunter's empty life and his need to escape. All of the characters in this book, the author's first, are drawn with great depth and sensitivity. There are times when things got a bit muddled, when flashbacks or fantasies or fictional tv shows seemed to get tangled into the story a bit too much, but overall the beauty of the story, and it's somewhat tragic, somewhat deeply satisfying ending, make all of that ignorable and this debut book very much worth the read.
September 6, 2010
I liked this book. While the book wasn’t ruined because of it, I was distressed to read a spoiler, an important one, in a Goodreads member’s review, while I was in the midst of reading the book. At one moment toward the end of the book, my heart was in my throat, but that moment would have been so much more powerful if I’d not known what I knew because of that review.
The story is both hilarious and terribly sad, funny although I never really laughed, and melancholy though I didn’t cry, though I came close at one point toward the end and again during the last few pages.
So much goes on with so many characters. There are stories with the story: the imagining-fantasizing (storytelling) within the story and also the story in the book being written. While I certainly saw their function, I wasn’t that enamored of them. I liked some of the characters and subplots better than others. By the end of the book, I liked only 5 characters, and most of those with some reservations.
The story takes place in a wealthy privileged community. It felt a tad wearing for me to read about the ultra rich. Among the teens there is drinking, drugs, sex. Many of the adults are shown to be shallow, judgmental, and unlikable in many ways. I had a difficult time identifying with many of the characters and much of the story, not that I didn’t feel empathy for the characters because I did for almost all of them. I did love the concept of “aftermemory” (having experienced it myself) and (unfortunately) recognized the parental obsession with weight issues, and parental neglect, disapproval, and control.
I am not a fan ofF. Scott Fitzgerald or The Great Gatsby, which has a central role in this book. Those who are fans might appreciate this book even more than I did. This book is very clever in many other ways too, including, for instance, having the section title names that it does.
The book has some wonderful things to say about reinventing yourself, how we can’t change others, how we look at others from our own point of view and often don’t see them at all for who they really are, about what shapes us, about our choices. It’s cleverly written and constructed, I was engaged throughout, and it all came together believably at the end, but while I liked it, I just can’t quite love it. I wanted to love it though, so I’m a bit disappointed, but I’m glad that I read it.
I do love the book’s title and the book’s premise, both brilliant.
The story is both hilarious and terribly sad, funny although I never really laughed, and melancholy though I didn’t cry, though I came close at one point toward the end and again during the last few pages.
So much goes on with so many characters. There are stories with the story: the imagining-fantasizing (storytelling) within the story and also the story in the book being written. While I certainly saw their function, I wasn’t that enamored of them. I liked some of the characters and subplots better than others. By the end of the book, I liked only 5 characters, and most of those with some reservations.
The story takes place in a wealthy privileged community. It felt a tad wearing for me to read about the ultra rich. Among the teens there is drinking, drugs, sex. Many of the adults are shown to be shallow, judgmental, and unlikable in many ways. I had a difficult time identifying with many of the characters and much of the story, not that I didn’t feel empathy for the characters because I did for almost all of them. I did love the concept of “aftermemory” (having experienced it myself) and (unfortunately) recognized the parental obsession with weight issues, and parental neglect, disapproval, and control.
I am not a fan ofF. Scott Fitzgerald or The Great Gatsby, which has a central role in this book. Those who are fans might appreciate this book even more than I did. This book is very clever in many other ways too, including, for instance, having the section title names that it does.
The book has some wonderful things to say about reinventing yourself, how we can’t change others, how we look at others from our own point of view and often don’t see them at all for who they really are, about what shapes us, about our choices. It’s cleverly written and constructed, I was engaged throughout, and it all came together believably at the end, but while I liked it, I just can’t quite love it. I wanted to love it though, so I’m a bit disappointed, but I’m glad that I read it.
I do love the book’s title and the book’s premise, both brilliant.
March 31, 2009
I really enjoyed this book despite what I think is fairly deceptive flap copy. I expected a much more tongue-in-cheek narrative that this book offers- the satire is fairly light in my opinion. Despite that, the story itself is compelling, and Carley (who I disliked in the beginning) develops into a character with wonderful depth. Her struggle to survive while trying to save her best friend is unexpectedly poignant, and I enjoyed watching Carley slowly come to recognize her own worth outside of Hunter's reflected glory.
There was plenty of scope for wry laughter once Bree (and her painful novel) make an appearance. Bree's level of narrative deconstruction will entertain anyone who's ever endured a college writing class. Her efforts to find a narrative truth are unexpectedly assisted by Carley's hatred of books and refusal to accept Bree's idea of storytelling.
Gibson perfectly captures the feelings of isolation and confusion that all teenagers experience (no matter their parents' socio-economic situation), and ably crafts a realistic (though rather surreal) story. Highly recommended.
There was plenty of scope for wry laughter once Bree (and her painful novel) make an appearance. Bree's level of narrative deconstruction will entertain anyone who's ever endured a college writing class. Her efforts to find a narrative truth are unexpectedly assisted by Carley's hatred of books and refusal to accept Bree's idea of storytelling.
Gibson perfectly captures the feelings of isolation and confusion that all teenagers experience (no matter their parents' socio-economic situation), and ably crafts a realistic (though rather surreal) story. Highly recommended.
May 8, 2011
A blurb on the back cover calls this book "ironic commntary and gorgeous prose" which it probably is. But it is also one of the most depressing books I've ever read. There wasn't a character in it who, by any stretch of the imagination, could be called "normal." They all belonged in insane asylums or detox centers.
In other words, not for those who was a "fun read."
In other words, not for those who was a "fun read."
November 26, 2017
Ugh. DNFing hard. I’d rather read Harry Potter fanfiction.
November 3, 2011
If only this book was about what the blurb says it's about. Sad to say, that isn't the story here. Not sure why they do that. Who writes those blurbs? The author? Shouldn't they know the plot of their own books? I'm confused.
This book isn't about Carley trying to save Hunter by getting him interested in Bree's book. Hunter couldn't care less about much more then his next drink or Vicodin and he has absolutley no interest in the book. Plus, Carley already knows she's capable of creating stories, she does it all the time. She rewrites her own memories in what she calls Aftermemory where she rewinds and then creates how she wished things had been.
This book starts out like it's trying to be a satire, but it doesn't quite reach it and then it goes downhill from there.
The last chapter we finally hear a clear voice and I dearly wish the rest of the book had been in this voice. The statement that she has the basis of a good story, but that she needs to get other points of view seems to be speaking of this book. And for me, there were too many viewpoints trying to do too many things at once and leaving mostly a jumble.
Justin and Bree shouldn't have been included in this story as their arc while mildly entertaining, was pointless. Too much about how to construct/deconstruct a story with no real relevance to the overall plot. Yet, I liked these characters and had they been the actual focus of everything I think it could have been a really entertaining read.
The make-believe book about the families performing in a Medieval reality show sounded like a much more fun read than what's in this book. I don't know if that is what the author intended or whether she's making fun of people who don't always read "literature" and also enjoy lighter things. I kind of felt somewhat insulted by an author saying in essence "I'm so much smarter than all of you that you'll likely be unable to appreciate how brilliant I am." No. Thank. You.
Not sure if I'd read this author again. It was tedious.
This book isn't about Carley trying to save Hunter by getting him interested in Bree's book. Hunter couldn't care less about much more then his next drink or Vicodin and he has absolutley no interest in the book. Plus, Carley already knows she's capable of creating stories, she does it all the time. She rewrites her own memories in what she calls Aftermemory where she rewinds and then creates how she wished things had been.
This book starts out like it's trying to be a satire, but it doesn't quite reach it and then it goes downhill from there.
The last chapter we finally hear a clear voice and I dearly wish the rest of the book had been in this voice. The statement that she has the basis of a good story, but that she needs to get other points of view seems to be speaking of this book. And for me, there were too many viewpoints trying to do too many things at once and leaving mostly a jumble.
Justin and Bree shouldn't have been included in this story as their arc while mildly entertaining, was pointless. Too much about how to construct/deconstruct a story with no real relevance to the overall plot. Yet, I liked these characters and had they been the actual focus of everything I think it could have been a really entertaining read.
The make-believe book about the families performing in a Medieval reality show sounded like a much more fun read than what's in this book. I don't know if that is what the author intended or whether she's making fun of people who don't always read "literature" and also enjoy lighter things. I kind of felt somewhat insulted by an author saying in essence "I'm so much smarter than all of you that you'll likely be unable to appreciate how brilliant I am." No. Thank. You.
Not sure if I'd read this author again. It was tedious.
March 8, 2010
Not nearly as clever as the author thinks it is. The story pulls from "The Great Gatsby" (apparently intentionally) and "Less Than Zero" (apparently uinintentionally). A rich, social-climbing Long Island couple, upset that their schlumpy daughter has no interest in books or school, commissions an arty author from the wrong side of Brooklyn to write a book that catering specifically to the daughter's interests.
But that's really a subplot to the daughter's unrequited love with the handsome, drunk boy next door, although the fact that the kid sounds like a bad copy of Jeremy Irons in Brideshaead Revisited makes it hard to see what the attraction is (or how this kid ended up on Long Island).
The author in the book is fond of meta-fictional devices, which yes, I GET IT, and there's a book within-a-book, and what the author clearly thinks is a witty, intelligent takedown of reality TV.
Frankly, the fictional TV series the daughter is obsessed with sounds waaaaaaaay more interesting than anything going on in the story itself.
But that's really a subplot to the daughter's unrequited love with the handsome, drunk boy next door, although the fact that the kid sounds like a bad copy of Jeremy Irons in Brideshaead Revisited makes it hard to see what the attraction is (or how this kid ended up on Long Island).
The author in the book is fond of meta-fictional devices, which yes, I GET IT, and there's a book within-a-book, and what the author clearly thinks is a witty, intelligent takedown of reality TV.
Frankly, the fictional TV series the daughter is obsessed with sounds waaaaaaaay more interesting than anything going on in the story itself.
February 12, 2016
It was only after deciding that this is not necessarily a book for teenagers, despite it being mostly about teenagers and despite having found it in the YA section, that I could come to terms with the fact that I really liked this book. I probably wouldn't have liked it as much a few years ago when I only liked reading books that were mostly happy. If you're looking for happy, don't read this. It's mostly people being jerks to each other, which grated on my nerves. But it was well-written, well-developed, and well-executed, and I was emotionally invested in the plot. I was put off by the vulgarity and crudité (<--that's my attempt at a malapropism joke in ode to the author) and I think for the most part it detracted from the story, but that might be because I usually prefer my books more innocent.
September 23, 2010
I had higher hopes for a book about books. I nearly put it down, never to pick it up again, a couple of times during the first half of the book. It took a turn for the better at the mid-point, but I was still a bit disappointed in most of the characters. It's fiction, but, still, I wanted to like them. But, it's hard to like characters who are caricatures of over-the-top, nouveau rich like those seen on "Real Housewives" and "My Super Sweet 16". The adults in the story were more concerned with impressing their equally-as-rich neighbors with lavish parties and gifts bestowed on their progeny than they were in developing any moral character in said offspring. The "children" in the book are pretty advanced for their age (unless I'm incredibly naive!). No doubt teens drink, do drugs and have sex, but the amount of each instance and the way they are so cavalier about it in this book, really got to me. Again, maybe I'm just naive. All this being said, the book did get better as the plot moved forward and developed and some of the characters actually became three dimensional.
One of the reasons I had a tough time getting through the first half was the writing. I really felt like the author just used too many words. She did not learn KISS in junior high English, I guess! While this sounds like I hated the book, I didn't. I certainly didn't love it though. Not a book I'd be quick to recommend.
One of the reasons I had a tough time getting through the first half was the writing. I really felt like the author just used too many words. She did not learn KISS in junior high English, I guess! While this sounds like I hated the book, I didn't. I certainly didn't love it though. Not a book I'd be quick to recommend.
October 31, 2011
When the answers on her English questionnaire draw criticism from her teacher regarding her disinterest in academics, the parents of fifteen year-old Carley Wells take drastic measures and hire a failed meta-novelist to move in to their mansion and write a story for Carley’s sixteenth birthday. They optimistically hope this will engender a love of reading in their daughter as well as providing Gretchen Wells with a chance to outdo her socialite friends and neighbors. While Carley’s father, Francis, is obsessively focused on creating new permutations of the the product that earned him a fortune, the Marvel-Bra, her mother is ensuring Carley can overhear her loud conversations about Carley’s weight and sending her to “fat camp”, locking the refrigerator, and trying to mold her in to the perfect over-achieving child. Symptomatic of this indirect and hands-off parenting, Carley finds herself bursting into tears during a massage at the sheer relief of being touched by another human being.
Carley’s one bastion of affection in life is Hunter Cay, her not-so-secret crush. A bright, athletic, and intelligent sixteen year-old with aspirations of becoming a writer, Hunter is the epitome of popular. His friendship with Carley baffles their school-mates but allows Carley entry into a social clique she would otherwise be excluded from. When a childhood illness was passed from Hunter to his sister and it caused nearly fatal complications because of her asthma, he developed an almost pathological need to hide his frequent bouts of sickness from others. Carley is the one person in his life he believes can see the real person beneath the social construct he has made of himself. The child of divorced parents, Hunter lives in a separate section of his parents home that he has dubbed the “Play Palace” while his mother, Suzanne, focuses on her wealthy fiance and tries to mold herself into a modern-day version of Jackie Kennedy.
Carley’s chosen entertainment is television in the form of reality shows and her favorite series, The Arion Annals. While she may never have met a book she liked, she’s been writing other people’s stories for some time. She writes small chapters, sometimes with facts and sometimes with made-up events, for Hunter when his alcohol-induced black-outs strip his memory. She unwillingly stars in the story her mother is trying to write for her life. She writes the perfect conversational replies only after the fact in something she calls “Aftermemory” when a conversation has ended and she can think of all the things she should have said. Like many adolescents, she hasn’t yet written her own story and her struggle to even visualize what she wants her future to hold is hampered by the fact that she can’t see past Hunter and the facade of security his presence gives her.
Bree McEnroy is living in poverty. A failed meta-novelist, she’s been surviving, barely, on grant money and by living in a cheap and illegal apartment. Although not pleased with being the present for a spoiled rich-girl, she is unable to refuse the money offered her by the Wells. When she arrives in the ritzy community of Fox Glen, she is surprised to find Justin Leighton in residence. Justin is a successful novelist who became a recluse after an obsessive fan shot him during a book reading. Justin and Bree went to college together and although he dated her roommate and mocked Bree’s lower-class upbringing, Justin has never been able to let go of his fascination with her.
I know what I should say about this book. Something like “This book cheerfully skewers literary conceits and indulgent criticism as well as focusing a baleful eye on the pretentious overcompensation of parents who try to mold the perfect child and have too much money with which to try it.” While that happens to be true and might give the astute reader a hint that I found some of the structure of this book to be a little too smart for its own good, it ignores a crucial part of my experience with this book: there are so many small moments of emotional pathos written into this story with subtlety, skill, and poignancy that even while I was battling through some of the thematic layers and discussions of literary styles, I was never less than compelled to continue reading. For me, the dynamics of Carley and Hunter’s relationship and their struggle to essentially survive their parents was mesmerizing. As Bree tells Carley, "People don't save other people. At best, they survive them."
Although the primary figures in the book are young adults, this isn’t a YA book. Hunter and Carley give voice to so many mature perspectives and act far older than their ages. Their thoughts often seen more like the retrospective an adult gives to childhood events. That’s not intended as critical commentary because I think this enables the story to resonate more strongly with the adult reader. I was filled with sympathy as Carley struggled to find self-worth in the face of her mother’s criticisms and as her understanding evolved regarding the impact of her relationship with Hunter. The evolution (or perhaps devolution) of Hunter’s life was painful to watch. There were moments of comic relief as we learned more about Bree’s meta-novel and although I found descriptions of her book outlandish, she was an oddly grounding character in the story. Her interactions with Carley as she began writing her novel (about two young adults who find themselves falling in love while taking part in a reality-show where contestants live like peasants from the Dark Ages and perform challenges to earn decent food) were enlightening not just for the reader, but for Bree as well.
I thought the book-within-a-book conceit was well done and was amused at meta-fiction within a book containing a meta-fiction book, although the actual meta-fictional piece (Bree's book) was a bit tiring for me. The layered themes that I perceived: two examples being matching the main story with several thematic points in Carley's favorite TV show and the shift in the complexity of the writing (more complex with greater use of literary devices moving to what seemed like less complex/more a general fiction presentation) that mimicked the shift in the book Bree was writing for Carley as the two argued about what the story should be, were rather interesting. I did feel there was point at which navigating the multiple thematic layers as well as the plot lines for Carley/Hunter, Justin/Bree, and Gretchen/Francis/Suzanne spread the story too thin for the reader to give each piece the attention it deserved.
I can't speak to realistic portrayals of über-wealthy parents and their methods of child-rearing (not that things should always be realistic in fiction) but I found that characterization to be distracting in its simplicity. It seemed a bit like a cardboard cut-out or short-hand characterization. That struck an off-note with me considering the satirizing of formulaic entertainment and reality TV. I also came away from the story with a perception that it demonized wealth and venerated poverty to a certain extent, which again seemed too simplistic given the complexity of the rest of the story.
Overallthough, I found this story to be very well-written, literary and smart (sometimes a bit too much for my taste), and incredibly moving. The number of annotations I made in my copy of the book and the number of times I felt the author had shot an emotional arrow at me were unique in my reading experience.
Carley’s one bastion of affection in life is Hunter Cay, her not-so-secret crush. A bright, athletic, and intelligent sixteen year-old with aspirations of becoming a writer, Hunter is the epitome of popular. His friendship with Carley baffles their school-mates but allows Carley entry into a social clique she would otherwise be excluded from. When a childhood illness was passed from Hunter to his sister and it caused nearly fatal complications because of her asthma, he developed an almost pathological need to hide his frequent bouts of sickness from others. Carley is the one person in his life he believes can see the real person beneath the social construct he has made of himself. The child of divorced parents, Hunter lives in a separate section of his parents home that he has dubbed the “Play Palace” while his mother, Suzanne, focuses on her wealthy fiance and tries to mold herself into a modern-day version of Jackie Kennedy.
Carley’s chosen entertainment is television in the form of reality shows and her favorite series, The Arion Annals. While she may never have met a book she liked, she’s been writing other people’s stories for some time. She writes small chapters, sometimes with facts and sometimes with made-up events, for Hunter when his alcohol-induced black-outs strip his memory. She unwillingly stars in the story her mother is trying to write for her life. She writes the perfect conversational replies only after the fact in something she calls “Aftermemory” when a conversation has ended and she can think of all the things she should have said. Like many adolescents, she hasn’t yet written her own story and her struggle to even visualize what she wants her future to hold is hampered by the fact that she can’t see past Hunter and the facade of security his presence gives her.
Bree McEnroy is living in poverty. A failed meta-novelist, she’s been surviving, barely, on grant money and by living in a cheap and illegal apartment. Although not pleased with being the present for a spoiled rich-girl, she is unable to refuse the money offered her by the Wells. When she arrives in the ritzy community of Fox Glen, she is surprised to find Justin Leighton in residence. Justin is a successful novelist who became a recluse after an obsessive fan shot him during a book reading. Justin and Bree went to college together and although he dated her roommate and mocked Bree’s lower-class upbringing, Justin has never been able to let go of his fascination with her.
I know what I should say about this book. Something like “This book cheerfully skewers literary conceits and indulgent criticism as well as focusing a baleful eye on the pretentious overcompensation of parents who try to mold the perfect child and have too much money with which to try it.” While that happens to be true and might give the astute reader a hint that I found some of the structure of this book to be a little too smart for its own good, it ignores a crucial part of my experience with this book: there are so many small moments of emotional pathos written into this story with subtlety, skill, and poignancy that even while I was battling through some of the thematic layers and discussions of literary styles, I was never less than compelled to continue reading. For me, the dynamics of Carley and Hunter’s relationship and their struggle to essentially survive their parents was mesmerizing. As Bree tells Carley, "People don't save other people. At best, they survive them."
Although the primary figures in the book are young adults, this isn’t a YA book. Hunter and Carley give voice to so many mature perspectives and act far older than their ages. Their thoughts often seen more like the retrospective an adult gives to childhood events. That’s not intended as critical commentary because I think this enables the story to resonate more strongly with the adult reader. I was filled with sympathy as Carley struggled to find self-worth in the face of her mother’s criticisms and as her understanding evolved regarding the impact of her relationship with Hunter. The evolution (or perhaps devolution) of Hunter’s life was painful to watch. There were moments of comic relief as we learned more about Bree’s meta-novel and although I found descriptions of her book outlandish, she was an oddly grounding character in the story. Her interactions with Carley as she began writing her novel (about two young adults who find themselves falling in love while taking part in a reality-show where contestants live like peasants from the Dark Ages and perform challenges to earn decent food) were enlightening not just for the reader, but for Bree as well.
I thought the book-within-a-book conceit was well done and was amused at meta-fiction within a book containing a meta-fiction book, although the actual meta-fictional piece (Bree's book) was a bit tiring for me. The layered themes that I perceived: two examples being matching the main story with several thematic points in Carley's favorite TV show and the shift in the complexity of the writing (more complex with greater use of literary devices moving to what seemed like less complex/more a general fiction presentation) that mimicked the shift in the book Bree was writing for Carley as the two argued about what the story should be, were rather interesting. I did feel there was point at which navigating the multiple thematic layers as well as the plot lines for Carley/Hunter, Justin/Bree, and Gretchen/Francis/Suzanne spread the story too thin for the reader to give each piece the attention it deserved.
I can't speak to realistic portrayals of über-wealthy parents and their methods of child-rearing (not that things should always be realistic in fiction) but I found that characterization to be distracting in its simplicity. It seemed a bit like a cardboard cut-out or short-hand characterization. That struck an off-note with me considering the satirizing of formulaic entertainment and reality TV. I also came away from the story with a perception that it demonized wealth and venerated poverty to a certain extent, which again seemed too simplistic given the complexity of the rest of the story.
Overallthough, I found this story to be very well-written, literary and smart (sometimes a bit too much for my taste), and incredibly moving. The number of annotations I made in my copy of the book and the number of times I felt the author had shot an emotional arrow at me were unique in my reading experience.
November 2, 2010
It will always be debatable, whether the “greats” of yesterday (Homer to Emerson to Fitzgerald) would still have written about deep things, had that been alive, today. Or, as some might propose, would Homer be a cheesy romance writer, Emerson a gossip columnist and Fitzgerald a head writer for The O.C.? There is, simply, no way to tell, lacking that windbag pundit Wells’ time machine, but the real point is that what we deem deep, looking back, may very well have been, to their then-modern-day critiques, fairly trivial. And, looking forward, what we toss off as pulp, today, may be hailed by future generations as the wisdom of days gone by, unappreciated during its time.
All of this said, I’m not sure (though, again, who knows what the future may hold) that How to Buy a Love of Reading will make the cut. With all of the backdrop and drinking of Fitzgerald’s timeless, Long Island miseries mixed with either a jab or an attempt at Pynchon’s satirical absurdity, Gibson’s would-be parody falls a bit flat of or far from greatness. Mentioned throughout and quoted tirelessly (at least, it seemed, for the author) was one of my favorite authors, Fitzgerald. I do think, however, it might take a bit more than wild nights and western Long Island to pair the two writers together.
The curtain opens on Carley Wells, a sympathetically pathetic high school junior. Pleasantly plump, virtually friendless, academically clueless and reality-t.v. obsessed, she finds herself both locked into and locked out of a society that values everything she is not. Those around her, including her parents and two best friends, hoard gossip and waste money, but she seems completely out-of-place, in a useless, rather than poetic, sort of way.
Instead of acting as some sort of metaphoric commentary on the evils of Society, the “character” ff Carly (for she really never develops beyond a reality show version of a scripted extra) appears to have no grounding, neither in the mystical world of the North Eastern elite nor in, what is usually the antithesis of such a thing, usually, some crunchy-granola or artistically subversive backlash against the haughty gaudiness.
There are points of redemption that pop up, not in any one character, but in slivers of interaction. There are two writers (one too successful, one decidedly not successful at all) and a Boy, with an capital B, that hint at something deeper. Of course, I was never really sure that they were mentioned, superficially, to show Carly’s lack of understanding or written vaguely because they really weren’t supposed to be taken that deeply at all, even perhaps, by the author. Regardless of the intent, the few moments of higher thinking weren’t enough to bring Fitzgerald anywhere near this story. The whole thing reminded me of a half-hearted attempt at merging an episode of The O.C. and Gossip Girl without any of the funny parts.
I really don’t mean for this to come off as terrible as I’m sure it must. There were moments of insight; I just wish that those had been the main focuses, rather than the humdrum cliches that made up most of the book. Of course, there’s an eternal optimist in every cynic and I’ll be interested in Tanya Egan Gibson’s next book to see if she manages to get away from the teen angst to go for the heavier stuff.
All of this said, I’m not sure (though, again, who knows what the future may hold) that How to Buy a Love of Reading will make the cut. With all of the backdrop and drinking of Fitzgerald’s timeless, Long Island miseries mixed with either a jab or an attempt at Pynchon’s satirical absurdity, Gibson’s would-be parody falls a bit flat of or far from greatness. Mentioned throughout and quoted tirelessly (at least, it seemed, for the author) was one of my favorite authors, Fitzgerald. I do think, however, it might take a bit more than wild nights and western Long Island to pair the two writers together.
The curtain opens on Carley Wells, a sympathetically pathetic high school junior. Pleasantly plump, virtually friendless, academically clueless and reality-t.v. obsessed, she finds herself both locked into and locked out of a society that values everything she is not. Those around her, including her parents and two best friends, hoard gossip and waste money, but she seems completely out-of-place, in a useless, rather than poetic, sort of way.
Instead of acting as some sort of metaphoric commentary on the evils of Society, the “character” ff Carly (for she really never develops beyond a reality show version of a scripted extra) appears to have no grounding, neither in the mystical world of the North Eastern elite nor in, what is usually the antithesis of such a thing, usually, some crunchy-granola or artistically subversive backlash against the haughty gaudiness.
There are points of redemption that pop up, not in any one character, but in slivers of interaction. There are two writers (one too successful, one decidedly not successful at all) and a Boy, with an capital B, that hint at something deeper. Of course, I was never really sure that they were mentioned, superficially, to show Carly’s lack of understanding or written vaguely because they really weren’t supposed to be taken that deeply at all, even perhaps, by the author. Regardless of the intent, the few moments of higher thinking weren’t enough to bring Fitzgerald anywhere near this story. The whole thing reminded me of a half-hearted attempt at merging an episode of The O.C. and Gossip Girl without any of the funny parts.
I really don’t mean for this to come off as terrible as I’m sure it must. There were moments of insight; I just wish that those had been the main focuses, rather than the humdrum cliches that made up most of the book. Of course, there’s an eternal optimist in every cynic and I’ll be interested in Tanya Egan Gibson’s next book to see if she manages to get away from the teen angst to go for the heavier stuff.
January 16, 2013
I saw the display for Tanya Egan Gibson's How to Buy a Love of Reading across the aisle at the Northern California Storytellers' Festival where I was signing my books. Gibson’s title and book cover intrigued me. The novel looked somehow different, singular, intriguing. It had flair, flamboyance.
When I asked Tanya Egan Gibson if we could trade books, she agreed. Now that I've finished How to Buy a Love of Reading, I realize my hunch was correct. This coming-of-age novel is both exciting and yet subtle, sophisticated in a punk sort of way. It’s also very well written.
How to Buy a Love of Reading is aptly and ironically divided by literary attributes: Setting, Plot, Devices, Backstory, Theme, Time and Tense, and Point of View (Epilogue). Gibson ambitiously sets out to prove the power of story and she does it. As the main character, Carley, realizes, “The stories we tell and believe in are power enough to destroy a person. Or save her.”
Carley, 15 years old, the filthy rich, fat, big-hearted protagonist, has never met a book she liked. Looking after her in a fey, impersonal, upper-class way, her father, who made his millions selling bras, sets out to buy a novelist of Carley’s very own to help change her mind.
These characters, mostly young and quirky, are phenomenally literate, even Carley who’s substituted books for an addiction to a medieval fantasy sit-com series. How many young protagonists can you think of who admire the art of literature?
There’s Hunter, the movie-star-handsome high school senior with a bank account like Donald Trump’s who’s desperately trying to emulate F. Scott Fitzgerald ala alcohol and drugs. Masquerading as Carley’s best friend, Hunter lives next door with his wealthy dysfunctional family.
Then there’s two actual writers hovering around the Great Gatsby landscape: Justin, the rock-star author of mega sellers recovering in his mansion after being shot by a crazed fan and Bree, the up-and-coming punk writer whose job it becomes to write a book Carley will love to read.
Spoiled teenagers who hate school, disparage teachers, mistrust adults (especially their parents), are addicted to partying, drugs and alcohol, and struggle to find themselves in inherited opulence are commonplace enough in today’s media-driven, materialistic culture. But these struggling young folk break the stereotype wide open using, of all things, the written word.
“Other people didn’t narrate their lives,” Hunter thinks in one of his many despondent moments. The characters of How to Buy a Love of Reading are not like other people. Despite all, they believe in art and through it, sooner or later, they find it impossible not to take responsibility for who they are.
Carley realizes this after finding Hunter’s diary and reading it, “The worst thing in the world is having to unlearn the lies you’d believed in. . . She’d done this to herself by not just closing the book.”
I couldn't close this book either.
When I asked Tanya Egan Gibson if we could trade books, she agreed. Now that I've finished How to Buy a Love of Reading, I realize my hunch was correct. This coming-of-age novel is both exciting and yet subtle, sophisticated in a punk sort of way. It’s also very well written.
How to Buy a Love of Reading is aptly and ironically divided by literary attributes: Setting, Plot, Devices, Backstory, Theme, Time and Tense, and Point of View (Epilogue). Gibson ambitiously sets out to prove the power of story and she does it. As the main character, Carley, realizes, “The stories we tell and believe in are power enough to destroy a person. Or save her.”
Carley, 15 years old, the filthy rich, fat, big-hearted protagonist, has never met a book she liked. Looking after her in a fey, impersonal, upper-class way, her father, who made his millions selling bras, sets out to buy a novelist of Carley’s very own to help change her mind.
These characters, mostly young and quirky, are phenomenally literate, even Carley who’s substituted books for an addiction to a medieval fantasy sit-com series. How many young protagonists can you think of who admire the art of literature?
There’s Hunter, the movie-star-handsome high school senior with a bank account like Donald Trump’s who’s desperately trying to emulate F. Scott Fitzgerald ala alcohol and drugs. Masquerading as Carley’s best friend, Hunter lives next door with his wealthy dysfunctional family.
Then there’s two actual writers hovering around the Great Gatsby landscape: Justin, the rock-star author of mega sellers recovering in his mansion after being shot by a crazed fan and Bree, the up-and-coming punk writer whose job it becomes to write a book Carley will love to read.
Spoiled teenagers who hate school, disparage teachers, mistrust adults (especially their parents), are addicted to partying, drugs and alcohol, and struggle to find themselves in inherited opulence are commonplace enough in today’s media-driven, materialistic culture. But these struggling young folk break the stereotype wide open using, of all things, the written word.
“Other people didn’t narrate their lives,” Hunter thinks in one of his many despondent moments. The characters of How to Buy a Love of Reading are not like other people. Despite all, they believe in art and through it, sooner or later, they find it impossible not to take responsibility for who they are.
Carley realizes this after finding Hunter’s diary and reading it, “The worst thing in the world is having to unlearn the lies you’d believed in. . . She’d done this to herself by not just closing the book.”
I couldn't close this book either.
September 30, 2009
The title of this book grabbed my attention as I walked through the library. I was in a bit of a rush - picking up books on hold, grabbing a new round of books for my daughters and parked in the 20 minute parking - but the cover's rows of books coupled with the title to pull me in. I stopped, picked it up, and read the front and back comments by other authors. Thinking it sounded worth a try, I put it in my bag and moved on. Having only the cover and comments from other authors to go on, I was a bit surprised by how difficult this book was for me to read. (I try not to read the inside flap of a book because I feel it often gives away too much of the book.) So I didn't know that Carly was going to remind me in so many ways of my High School self and I didn't know that her community was going to bring on flashbacks of my college years at a private institution populated by many wealthy, golden, thin young people.
Gibson's premise is an interesting one - what things in life can't be bought? I liked the way she played with a book within a book and her characters surprised me several times by doing unexpectedly good or malicious things. A three dimensional character will always surprise the reader because she will do things we don't see coming. Some of the characters in this book were so ruthless and selfish that it stretched the bounds of your imagination. But I thought this, too, was great character writing because if we knew what other people thought, we might know people who are very similar to characters in this book. This element of the book was exemplary.
So why the three stars? Because this book depressed me. Even a few days out and a few chapters into a new, much lighter book, this one still weighs on me. Would it do the same to you? Perhaps not. Carly was a difficult character for me to read about. While my parents didn't send me to fat camps or suggest that I attempt to contract an intestinal worm (yes, seriously, Carly's mother suggests this), the extra weight that I carried in my youth haunts my image of myself today. So it is likely that my own past experiences shape the impact this book had on me.
If you don't share my issues, I think you would enjoy this book if:
-you appreciate a novel approach to novels. Not much about this book is typical.
-you enjoy a book written tongue-in-cheek.
-you can keep good emotional distance from the characters.
-you're a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald (who is heavily referenced and whose Gatsby is set near Fox Glen, home to Carly and her companions).
Gibson's premise is an interesting one - what things in life can't be bought? I liked the way she played with a book within a book and her characters surprised me several times by doing unexpectedly good or malicious things. A three dimensional character will always surprise the reader because she will do things we don't see coming. Some of the characters in this book were so ruthless and selfish that it stretched the bounds of your imagination. But I thought this, too, was great character writing because if we knew what other people thought, we might know people who are very similar to characters in this book. This element of the book was exemplary.
So why the three stars? Because this book depressed me. Even a few days out and a few chapters into a new, much lighter book, this one still weighs on me. Would it do the same to you? Perhaps not. Carly was a difficult character for me to read about. While my parents didn't send me to fat camps or suggest that I attempt to contract an intestinal worm (yes, seriously, Carly's mother suggests this), the extra weight that I carried in my youth haunts my image of myself today. So it is likely that my own past experiences shape the impact this book had on me.
If you don't share my issues, I think you would enjoy this book if:
-you appreciate a novel approach to novels. Not much about this book is typical.
-you enjoy a book written tongue-in-cheek.
-you can keep good emotional distance from the characters.
-you're a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald (who is heavily referenced and whose Gatsby is set near Fox Glen, home to Carly and her companions).
July 24, 2009
This is one of those books that uses a (maybe?) post-narrative structure to forward its plot, characters and theme. It seems to be trendy as of late for fiction to include emails, text messages, letters, replicas of invitations, signs and assignments (at least when your characters are high school students) as part of the text. Sometimes this is done well; sometimes it bombs. Both occur in this book. It riffs off of The Great Gatsby. It plays fast and loose with the chronology of the narrative. Also, it does that whole story-within-a-story thing, although in this case it's actually a reality-show-within-a-story-within-a-story. And then-- BOOM!-- at the end, the reader realizes that the book which has been commenting on but not participating in metafictional devices is, in fact, metafiction. It might even be meta-metafiction. Or post-postmodern. Or kind of a headache to weed out, frankly.
However, I didn't feel any of that while actually reading the book. The plot and characters moved along nicely, I was interested to see what was going to happen and how characters were going to evolve. It wasn't difficult to keep track of, thanks to the bold use of Courier every time the story within took over. I liked the satirical skewering of the university writing program and its students. I was sad when the author intended for me to be sad.
But after I finished the book, my first thought was, "Damn. That was kind of a mess." I think if you're going to comment on or attempt to deconstruct metafiction/postmodern fiction or the writing process, you'd better be really, really good at it. I don't think Ms. Gibson is quite up to the task. Just as her main character wished for a story without all the "meta-stuff" in it, at the end, so did I...but then wondered what would be left if we stripped it down. Not much, is my guess. And yet there's something to be said for a book that's fun and enjoyable to read in the moment, even if it's not one you'll remember for years to come. Hence the 3 stars.
However, I didn't feel any of that while actually reading the book. The plot and characters moved along nicely, I was interested to see what was going to happen and how characters were going to evolve. It wasn't difficult to keep track of, thanks to the bold use of Courier every time the story within took over. I liked the satirical skewering of the university writing program and its students. I was sad when the author intended for me to be sad.
But after I finished the book, my first thought was, "Damn. That was kind of a mess." I think if you're going to comment on or attempt to deconstruct metafiction/postmodern fiction or the writing process, you'd better be really, really good at it. I don't think Ms. Gibson is quite up to the task. Just as her main character wished for a story without all the "meta-stuff" in it, at the end, so did I...but then wondered what would be left if we stripped it down. Not much, is my guess. And yet there's something to be said for a book that's fun and enjoyable to read in the moment, even if it's not one you'll remember for years to come. Hence the 3 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2017
Browsing at the library this title caught my eye and the cover made the book interesting. Yet while first reading it I found it wasn’t nearly as interesting as the cover. It was another book that I wanted to stop reading early on, but kept with it and enjoyed it more as the book developed.
There are many interesting parts to the book, mainly the language and a play on being a novel, without delving too deeply into post-modernism or meta-fiction while commentating on it (perhaps containing part of that aspect). The author was clearly attempting to be funny, while the story itself was really quite sad. The teenage angst compounded by parents who are more selfish than most, (because they have money??) and the typical diving into reckless behavior with drinking too much, drugs and sex. I didn’t like to read about rich kids and parents being so dang selfish, and the fundraiser at didn’t really make anyone redeemable. The one parent (Francis) who appears the least repulsive of course isn’t irreproachable with his long standing affair. One could see an almost decent parent/child relationship here with his daughter but we aren’t given any real scenes with the two of them.
There were parts of the book that I found obvious, (spoiler alert) yes the girl would grow to love reading and become a writer, and yes someone was heading towards suicide, yet I had hoped it would be different. Many of the characters were stereotypes we’ve seen many times before. The book could easily have been shorter, it didn’t need to be quite so long for this tale, it felt like it dragged on at times.
The book could have been better. The writer was working towards it, and there are aspects within that show a well crafted book was near, but not quite there.
There are many interesting parts to the book, mainly the language and a play on being a novel, without delving too deeply into post-modernism or meta-fiction while commentating on it (perhaps containing part of that aspect). The author was clearly attempting to be funny, while the story itself was really quite sad. The teenage angst compounded by parents who are more selfish than most, (because they have money??) and the typical diving into reckless behavior with drinking too much, drugs and sex. I didn’t like to read about rich kids and parents being so dang selfish, and the fundraiser at didn’t really make anyone redeemable. The one parent (Francis) who appears the least repulsive of course isn’t irreproachable with his long standing affair. One could see an almost decent parent/child relationship here with his daughter but we aren’t given any real scenes with the two of them.
There were parts of the book that I found obvious, (spoiler alert) yes the girl would grow to love reading and become a writer, and yes someone was heading towards suicide, yet I had hoped it would be different. Many of the characters were stereotypes we’ve seen many times before. The book could easily have been shorter, it didn’t need to be quite so long for this tale, it felt like it dragged on at times.
The book could have been better. The writer was working towards it, and there are aspects within that show a well crafted book was near, but not quite there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2009
This is easily one of the most well-written books I've ever read. Gibson is a master of creating a core of real, flawed characters whose relationships and demons seem to mirror each other as they interact.
The premise of the book is that a status-seeking mother (and father) want to create a party for their daughter's Sweet Sixteen party. They decide to buy her an author that will create the perfect story for her (and of course, the theme of the story will match the theme of the party).
We meet Carley and Hunter, who are aged 16 and 15 respectively, and they are 2 of the most developed characters. They complement each other in surprising ways and they grow together (and apart) through both of their challenges.
Hunter is a handsome, charming "golden boy" who is also an alcoholic who is addicted to Vicodin. He is rich, popular and in demand.
Carley is an overweight, under-developed " fat baby" who hates reading and seems only to like a tv show called "Arion Annals."
Their unlikely friendship is forged when Carley saves Hunter from drowing, and then saves him socially by not admitting that it was she who saved him rather than what "everyone else" thought. (Of course it was Hunter who saved the fat girl).
Into their story is woven a set of complicated parents who try to control them, 2 authors who have their own tawdry past, "friends",
"The Help" and everyone of the characters is facing a heartbreaking dilemma and they are all bitterly real.
Gibson is brilliant at carving out a book within a book and at developing the backstories of her characters. This is an absolute MUST read.
The premise of the book is that a status-seeking mother (and father) want to create a party for their daughter's Sweet Sixteen party. They decide to buy her an author that will create the perfect story for her (and of course, the theme of the story will match the theme of the party).
We meet Carley and Hunter, who are aged 16 and 15 respectively, and they are 2 of the most developed characters. They complement each other in surprising ways and they grow together (and apart) through both of their challenges.
Hunter is a handsome, charming "golden boy" who is also an alcoholic who is addicted to Vicodin. He is rich, popular and in demand.
Carley is an overweight, under-developed " fat baby" who hates reading and seems only to like a tv show called "Arion Annals."
Their unlikely friendship is forged when Carley saves Hunter from drowing, and then saves him socially by not admitting that it was she who saved him rather than what "everyone else" thought. (Of course it was Hunter who saved the fat girl).
Into their story is woven a set of complicated parents who try to control them, 2 authors who have their own tawdry past, "friends",
"The Help" and everyone of the characters is facing a heartbreaking dilemma and they are all bitterly real.
Gibson is brilliant at carving out a book within a book and at developing the backstories of her characters. This is an absolute MUST read.
April 24, 2014
Usually when I go to the library every Saturday, I just pick up the books I requested the Sunday before. But last week, the five I picked up seemed short, and since I didn't bring a list with me, I perused the aisles to find another one. (Despite having a pile of 'to read' books that I actually own, I seem to have a fear of running out of things to read. Hence the normal library pick-up being five or six books.)
Anyways, the spine of this one caught my eye. I mean, there's an owl, there's books - two of Kristen's favorite things! Opened it up, read the summary, and it sounded good. Onto the pile it went.
I started reading this yesterday, and really struggled at first. After about fifty pages, I came onto here to read other reviews, because it just wasn't working for me. Thankfully it picked up, obviously, since I just finished the book lol.
Despite having seemingly little in common with any of the characters (This girl would never buy a $2000 sweater. Ever.), I wound up really liking Carley. There were times that this reminded me of Libba Bray's Beauty Queens, mostly with the tone and satirical elements. Overall, glad I stuck with it, and am going to see what else the author has written. :)
Anyways, the spine of this one caught my eye. I mean, there's an owl, there's books - two of Kristen's favorite things! Opened it up, read the summary, and it sounded good. Onto the pile it went.
I started reading this yesterday, and really struggled at first. After about fifty pages, I came onto here to read other reviews, because it just wasn't working for me. Thankfully it picked up, obviously, since I just finished the book lol.
Despite having seemingly little in common with any of the characters (This girl would never buy a $2000 sweater. Ever.), I wound up really liking Carley. There were times that this reminded me of Libba Bray's Beauty Queens, mostly with the tone and satirical elements. Overall, glad I stuck with it, and am going to see what else the author has written. :)
January 1, 2009
How to buy a love of reading? Start by buying this book. I was lucky enough to read a galley of this wonderful book that will be out in May. Egan Gibson reminds me why I love to read- because I love to fall in love with characters and want to rip the heads off of others and sometimes those roles shift, because I love when an author can so artfully navigate the blurry line between the classes, a clear nod to Fitzgerald and, for me, Ethan Canin, but with a voice that is so instinctively, purely her own, because I love when an author can so clearly translate a sensitivity to the universal nature of longing, because I love when a book can be smart and funny and insightful and sweet and not pull punches unless it means to all at the same time, but mostly because I so rarely get to lose myself in THIS kind of book. Buy your love of reading. Now.
March 6, 2013
Select reviews of How to Buy a Love of Reading that caught my eye appear below in condescending order, and below that, ratings that may prove 17% of goodreaders have IQs over 140, and conversely make me wonder: “If I don’t give this book five stars will my IQ actually plummet?”
hmmm. for me it's really a 3.5 but on GR we have to "like it" or "really like it" - I am not going to walk up to someone today and say "hey, you gotta read this, I really like it" but I can write that I am glad I read it, and that's praise enough to encourage the curious, isn't it?
hmmm. for me it's really a 3.5 but on GR we have to "like it" or "really like it" - I am not going to walk up to someone today and say "hey, you gotta read this, I really like it" but I can write that I am glad I read it, and that's praise enough to encourage the curious, isn't it?
May 27, 2024
The way Gibson writes makes the ordinary feel meaningful, and the inherently meaningful all the more poignant. How to Buy a Love of Reading is bittersweet, complex, and heartbreaking, with characters hard to define as entirely "likable" or "unlikable." This book is about what it means to love a person, whether it’s including their faults or despite them, and what happens when someone messes up badly, or repeatedly, or changes enough to no longer resemble the person they used to be. It is about imagined stories and scenarios where everyone says what they mean and are understood and live happily ever after versus reality where every choice is permanent. It is about book-love turned real and whether loving someone is enough to save them.
February 21, 2018
I shall call this book my "green bean". When I was younger at a friend's house her mom served me lasagna and green beans. I liked lasagna - I hated green beans. Not wanting to let her know that I instead devoured the green beans (before I even started the lasagna). That's what I was doing with this book. I was determined to not have another "did not finish". So I devoured this book even though I am a huge non-fan .
And boy am I sorry I did.
I think when the author wrote this book she cited or used personal feelings or experiences as inspiration: her
possible hatred of rich people, her high school SAT vocabulary list (I kid you not) and her college writing 101 literary terms book.
That is all this book was to me.
I'm not certain if the author really has an intense hatred for rich people or if that was just her gimmick for the book. It doesn't matter as I actually found it kind of annoying that there was 389 pages of rich characters and they were all pretty much alike. Very one dimensional. I did not need to be introduced to 5 million characters if there wasn't one with any redeeming qualities. Everybody sucked. The biggest offenders were the parents and the teachers. These people shouldn't be allowed near children. (Much like Francis should not be allowed near a greenhouse).
Although I disliked every character in this book I have some favorites. And by favorites I mean disliked the least. Kind of the same way we despise most, if not all, politicians but there are those we despise less than others.
If you took out all the gimmicks and if you took out all the hatred for rich people guess what? There would be no book.
PS I highly recommend not devouring the green beans if you don't like them. Your friend's mom will think you love them and give you a second helping.
And boy am I sorry I did.
I think when the author wrote this book she cited or used personal feelings or experiences as inspiration: her
possible hatred of rich people, her high school SAT vocabulary list (I kid you not) and her college writing 101 literary terms book.
That is all this book was to me.
I'm not certain if the author really has an intense hatred for rich people or if that was just her gimmick for the book. It doesn't matter as I actually found it kind of annoying that there was 389 pages of rich characters and they were all pretty much alike. Very one dimensional. I did not need to be introduced to 5 million characters if there wasn't one with any redeeming qualities. Everybody sucked. The biggest offenders were the parents and the teachers. These people shouldn't be allowed near children. (Much like Francis should not be allowed near a greenhouse).
Although I disliked every character in this book I have some favorites. And by favorites I mean disliked the least. Kind of the same way we despise most, if not all, politicians but there are those we despise less than others.
If you took out all the gimmicks and if you took out all the hatred for rich people guess what? There would be no book.
PS I highly recommend not devouring the green beans if you don't like them. Your friend's mom will think you love them and give you a second helping.
Want to read
March 3, 2018Recommendation on IG (@ofclumsywords) - 2/13/2018
October 28, 2018
This was so gritty, so real, and it brought me to tears multiple times. I adore Carley...what a loveable character she is! This book will stay with me forever.
December 16, 2017
Another really good debut novel this year...bad for my aspiring writer self esteem but wonderful to read! I've unexpectedly picked up a bunch of debut novels this year and am discovering a whole new host of authors to love. Never a bad thing!
September 10, 2013
I have to admit, I almost quit on this book. The first half just wasn't that engaging to me. I couldn't really make myself care about the rich-but-sad teenage protagonists, Carley Wells and Hunter Cay, and the plot felt a bit contrived. But I'm really glad I stuck with it, because it reached a tipping point about halfway in where the story really gained momentum.
As it turns out, no one in this book is as he or she seems, least of all Carley. From the title and flap copy, I expected a flip story with funny, quirky characters. In reality, the novel takes a deep and thoughtful look at complex characters, each struggling with private demons. It's also about the power of storytelling and about the lifestyle of the very wealthy. It's also about the power of our appearance and what people assume about us because of how we look. And how what we look like informs how we think of ourselves. Carley is a large girl (at one point it's revealed she's a size 16 at age 16) who doesn't win any prizes for beauty (or conversation, for that matter, since she only thinks of the right things to say in retrospect, in what she calls Aftermemory). In contrast, Hunter is a "golden boy" with runway looks, tailored designer clothes and an extraordinary way of making others feel cared for and special.
They form an unlikely friendship and have more in common in their interior lives than anyone every really suspects. Their friendship is beautiful and sad, and unique. They truly do belong to each other, as another character says at one point. The book is worth reading if just for a peek into their world.
In addition to Carley and Hunter, two tangential writer characters orbit the teenage pair, and their lives intersect in beautiful ways you couldn't guess they would.
It's a book that's definitely worth reading, and the last half moves really quickly and unexpectedly toward a tragic ending. To say more would give things away, so I'll just say I recommend reading this story.
As it turns out, no one in this book is as he or she seems, least of all Carley. From the title and flap copy, I expected a flip story with funny, quirky characters. In reality, the novel takes a deep and thoughtful look at complex characters, each struggling with private demons. It's also about the power of storytelling and about the lifestyle of the very wealthy. It's also about the power of our appearance and what people assume about us because of how we look. And how what we look like informs how we think of ourselves. Carley is a large girl (at one point it's revealed she's a size 16 at age 16) who doesn't win any prizes for beauty (or conversation, for that matter, since she only thinks of the right things to say in retrospect, in what she calls Aftermemory). In contrast, Hunter is a "golden boy" with runway looks, tailored designer clothes and an extraordinary way of making others feel cared for and special.
They form an unlikely friendship and have more in common in their interior lives than anyone every really suspects. Their friendship is beautiful and sad, and unique. They truly do belong to each other, as another character says at one point. The book is worth reading if just for a peek into their world.
In addition to Carley and Hunter, two tangential writer characters orbit the teenage pair, and their lives intersect in beautiful ways you couldn't guess they would.
It's a book that's definitely worth reading, and the last half moves really quickly and unexpectedly toward a tragic ending. To say more would give things away, so I'll just say I recommend reading this story.
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