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The Lonely Guy
In the tradition of Woody Allen's Without Feathers, Friedman comically depicts the mild and slightly balding contemporary urban Lonely Guy and tracks his footsteps from the gym to the boudoir to the therapy group
- GenresHumor
206 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
15 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Jay Friedman
61 books46 followersAmerican comic author whose dark, mocking humour and social criticism was directed at the concerns and behaviour of American Jews.
After graduating from the University of Missouri in 1951 with a B.A. in journalism and serving in the U.S. Air Force for two years, Friedman worked in publishing for several years before achieving success with his first novel, Stern (1962). The title character is a luckless descendent of the biblical Job, unable to assimilate into mainstream American life. Virtually all of Friedman's works are a variation on this theme; most of his characters are Jewish by birth, but they feel alienated from both Jewish and American culture. His works are also noted for focusing on absurd characters and situations.
-Encyclopædia Britannica
After graduating from the University of Missouri in 1951 with a B.A. in journalism and serving in the U.S. Air Force for two years, Friedman worked in publishing for several years before achieving success with his first novel, Stern (1962). The title character is a luckless descendent of the biblical Job, unable to assimilate into mainstream American life. Virtually all of Friedman's works are a variation on this theme; most of his characters are Jewish by birth, but they feel alienated from both Jewish and American culture. His works are also noted for focusing on absurd characters and situations.
-Encyclopædia Britannica
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 6, 2016
I first encountered 'The Lonely Guy' back in the 80s via the Steve Martin film, so when I found a copy of Bruce Jay Friedman's book in a remainders store I was more than happy to buy it. Now, having read it I can confidently assert that this is one of those situations where the film is better than the book.
There are some funny segments within 'The Lonely Guy', and there are times when Friedman skates awfully close to the truth via his comedic writing. However there are also quite a few 'Meh' moments. For every zinger if a one liner there are ten or more paras of 'I'm laughing on the inside'.
Another problem with the book is it is very dated. Throw in the very specific orientation of the book (with its New York focus) and at times you cannot engage with the humour due to its age and sense of place.
In summary, this is not a book to bring forth great gales of laughter. There is humour and Friedman can turn a phrase or make a funny observation. If I had the choice between book and movie, I'd plump for the latter every time.
There are some funny segments within 'The Lonely Guy', and there are times when Friedman skates awfully close to the truth via his comedic writing. However there are also quite a few 'Meh' moments. For every zinger if a one liner there are ten or more paras of 'I'm laughing on the inside'.
Another problem with the book is it is very dated. Throw in the very specific orientation of the book (with its New York focus) and at times you cannot engage with the humour due to its age and sense of place.
In summary, this is not a book to bring forth great gales of laughter. There is humour and Friedman can turn a phrase or make a funny observation. If I had the choice between book and movie, I'd plump for the latter every time.
Displaying 1 of 1 review