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Extraordinary Adventures: A Novel
Edsel Bronfman works as a junior executive shipping clerk for an importer of Korean flatware. He lives in a seedy neighborhood and spends his free time with his spirited mother. Things happen to other people, and Bronfman knows it. Until, that is, he gets a call from operator 61217 telling him that he s won a free weekend at a beachfront condo in Destin, Florida. But there s a the offer is intended for a couple, and Bronfman has only seventy-nine days to find someone to take with him.
The phone call jolts Bronfman into motion, initiating a series of truly extraordinary adventures as he sets out to find a companion for his weekend getaway. Open at last to the possibilities of life, Bronfman now believes that anything can happen. And it does.
A large-hearted and optimistic novel, Extraordinary Adventures is the latest from the New York Times bestselling Daniel Wallace.
The phone call jolts Bronfman into motion, initiating a series of truly extraordinary adventures as he sets out to find a companion for his weekend getaway. Open at last to the possibilities of life, Bronfman now believes that anything can happen. And it does.
A large-hearted and optimistic novel, Extraordinary Adventures is the latest from the New York Times bestselling Daniel Wallace.
288 pages, ebook
First published May 30, 2017
66 people are currently reading
2182 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Wallace
91 books449 followersDaniel Wallace is author of five novels, including Big Fish (1998), Ray in Reverse (2000), The Watermelon King (2003), Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician (2007), and most recently The Kings and Queens of Roam (2013).
He has written one book for children, Elynora, and in 2008 it was published in Italy, with illustrations by Daniela Tordi. O Great Rosenfeld!, the only book both written and illustrated by the author, has been released in France and Korea and is forthcoming in Italy, but there are not, at this writing, any plans for an American edition.
His work has been published in over two dozen languages, and his stories, novels and non-fiction essays are taught in high schools and colleges throughout this country. His illustrations have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Italian Vanity Fair, and many other magazines and books, including Pep Talks, Warnings, and Screeds: Indispensible Wisdom and Cautionary Advice for Writers, by George Singleton, and Adventures in Pen Land: One Writer's Journey from Inklings to Ink, by Marianne Gingher. Big Fish was made into a motion picture of the same name by Tim Burton in 2003, a film in which the author plays the part of a professor at Auburn University.
He is in fact the J. Ross MacDonald Distinguished Professor of English, and director of the Creative Writing Program, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his alma mater (Class of '08). He lives with his wife, Laura Kellison Wallace, in Chapel Hill. More information about him, his writing, and his illustrations can be found at www.danielwallace.org and www.ogreatrosenfeld.org.
He has written one book for children, Elynora, and in 2008 it was published in Italy, with illustrations by Daniela Tordi. O Great Rosenfeld!, the only book both written and illustrated by the author, has been released in France and Korea and is forthcoming in Italy, but there are not, at this writing, any plans for an American edition.
His work has been published in over two dozen languages, and his stories, novels and non-fiction essays are taught in high schools and colleges throughout this country. His illustrations have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Italian Vanity Fair, and many other magazines and books, including Pep Talks, Warnings, and Screeds: Indispensible Wisdom and Cautionary Advice for Writers, by George Singleton, and Adventures in Pen Land: One Writer's Journey from Inklings to Ink, by Marianne Gingher. Big Fish was made into a motion picture of the same name by Tim Burton in 2003, a film in which the author plays the part of a professor at Auburn University.
He is in fact the J. Ross MacDonald Distinguished Professor of English, and director of the Creative Writing Program, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his alma mater (Class of '08). He lives with his wife, Laura Kellison Wallace, in Chapel Hill. More information about him, his writing, and his illustrations can be found at www.danielwallace.org and www.ogreatrosenfeld.org.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
May 29, 2017
This was a nice departure from my usual books. It made me laugh about as much as it made me shake my head in confusion. It's awkward, but funny and honest. Sometimes cringe-worthy, but sweet too.
Edsel Bronfman leads a triangle kind of life. Work, home, Mom's house. That's his life. He isn't social, he doesn't have any real friends, and he certainly doesn't have a girlfriend. He's socially awkward and naive but has a genuine sweetness to him. His experience with the ladies is basically nonexistent... and he's 34 years old. I was a late bloomer myself, but geez! One day, an opportunity presents itself. He receives a phone call informing him he's won a trip. At that point I would have hung up, thinking it was a scam, but I'm not Edsel Bronfman. He listens very closely, and learns the only catch is he must attend a presentation about a timeshare. Oh, and the offer must be accepted within 79 days. Also... he needs a companion. The trip is for two, and he has to find a willing woman to accompany him that he'll enjoy being around. For many people, that's nothing, but for Edsel it seems like an insurmountable obstacle. Nevertheless, he's determined to find that woman. The rest of the story involves him meeting women, learning to become more social and accept himself, and dealing with his mother who has recently been diagnosed with dementia. She's been the sole woman in his life for years, and she seems to be slipping slowly away. There's a lot of lighthearted moments, but some heavy stuff in here too.
I found it to be awkwardly charming and I'm very glad I got the opportunity to read it. Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for granting my wish to read an advanced review copy! My opinion is honest and unbiased.
Edsel Bronfman leads a triangle kind of life. Work, home, Mom's house. That's his life. He isn't social, he doesn't have any real friends, and he certainly doesn't have a girlfriend. He's socially awkward and naive but has a genuine sweetness to him. His experience with the ladies is basically nonexistent... and he's 34 years old. I was a late bloomer myself, but geez! One day, an opportunity presents itself. He receives a phone call informing him he's won a trip. At that point I would have hung up, thinking it was a scam, but I'm not Edsel Bronfman. He listens very closely, and learns the only catch is he must attend a presentation about a timeshare. Oh, and the offer must be accepted within 79 days. Also... he needs a companion. The trip is for two, and he has to find a willing woman to accompany him that he'll enjoy being around. For many people, that's nothing, but for Edsel it seems like an insurmountable obstacle. Nevertheless, he's determined to find that woman. The rest of the story involves him meeting women, learning to become more social and accept himself, and dealing with his mother who has recently been diagnosed with dementia. She's been the sole woman in his life for years, and she seems to be slipping slowly away. There's a lot of lighthearted moments, but some heavy stuff in here too.
I found it to be awkwardly charming and I'm very glad I got the opportunity to read it. Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for granting my wish to read an advanced review copy! My opinion is honest and unbiased.
March 6, 2017
Socially awkward semi-hermit wins a trip of a life time, but the catch is that to redeem his vacation prize he must bring a companion with him! And so begins the Extraordinary Adventures as Edsel goes out of his comfort zone to find the girl of his dreams...or at least a girl to bring on vacation with him. Sounds interesting right? Well...sadly this was me for much of the novel.
I had high hopes for this romantic comedy. The blurb had me hoping for something along the lines of The Rosie Project, you know socially awkward guy searches for love and finds it in equally weird but perfect girl for him. Unfortunately this just felt like the poor mans Rosie Project.
The main character Edsel, was always just slightly too odd to be realistically whimsical and quirksome. I feel like there has been this trend lately, with socially awkward characters becoming very popular (I think the popularity of Sheldon Cooper is what ignited this trend). However not every author can find the right balance between quirky and serial killer creepy. The main character in Extraordinary Adventures straddled that line rather precariously.
The novel started off strong in my opinion. With Edsel being a somewhat relatable character with a bit of a boring existence, which was levied with strong side characters. However it quickly teetered to the unbelievable when we got to the love interest...or I suppose I should say love interests. Which in itself was a bit unbelievable as well, since Edsel was far from a catch. And while his inner monologue was at times interesting, all these other women certainly were not aware of it. I just find it hard to believe that three women would be giving googly eyes to a watered down Don Tillman (The hero of The Rosie Project).
Maybe it is unfair of me to compare this so much to the Rosie Project but I can't help but recognize so many knock offs of the same variety that have been released since its debut. The love interest herself was so annoying that I had trouble enjoying any aspect of this. The moment when the awkward nerdy guy with a heart of gold finally meets the one special woman that really “sees” him is a trope that I am a true sucker for. But this only works if the love interest is actually worthy of such love.
Sheila was intended to be this cardboard cutout of the popular manic pixie dream girl, but she turned out to be more of a The annoying part is that if she wasn't so hot no one would consider putting up with this shit! Guess its like Barney Stinson Says...
Overall while just interesting enough to keep me reading, I can't in good faith recommend this book. There is just so much better writing out there. Extraordinary Adventures is a decent time killer, but not much more than that.
Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Bin
Check out more of my reviews here
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
I had high hopes for this romantic comedy. The blurb had me hoping for something along the lines of The Rosie Project, you know socially awkward guy searches for love and finds it in equally weird but perfect girl for him. Unfortunately this just felt like the poor mans Rosie Project.
The main character Edsel, was always just slightly too odd to be realistically whimsical and quirksome. I feel like there has been this trend lately, with socially awkward characters becoming very popular (I think the popularity of Sheldon Cooper is what ignited this trend). However not every author can find the right balance between quirky and serial killer creepy. The main character in Extraordinary Adventures straddled that line rather precariously.
The novel started off strong in my opinion. With Edsel being a somewhat relatable character with a bit of a boring existence, which was levied with strong side characters. However it quickly teetered to the unbelievable when we got to the love interest...or I suppose I should say love interests. Which in itself was a bit unbelievable as well, since Edsel was far from a catch. And while his inner monologue was at times interesting, all these other women certainly were not aware of it. I just find it hard to believe that three women would be giving googly eyes to a watered down Don Tillman (The hero of The Rosie Project).
Maybe it is unfair of me to compare this so much to the Rosie Project but I can't help but recognize so many knock offs of the same variety that have been released since its debut. The love interest herself was so annoying that I had trouble enjoying any aspect of this. The moment when the awkward nerdy guy with a heart of gold finally meets the one special woman that really “sees” him is a trope that I am a true sucker for. But this only works if the love interest is actually worthy of such love.
Sheila was intended to be this cardboard cutout of the popular manic pixie dream girl, but she turned out to be more of a The annoying part is that if she wasn't so hot no one would consider putting up with this shit! Guess its like Barney Stinson Says...
Overall while just interesting enough to keep me reading, I can't in good faith recommend this book. There is just so much better writing out there. Extraordinary Adventures is a decent time killer, but not much more than that.
Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Bin
Check out more of my reviews here
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
April 20, 2017
Delightfully funny and irreverent, but not without weight. Wallace manages to write a protagonist who is pathetic without being depressing and hapless without being hopeless. Edsel Bronfman is an especially endearing Everyman, surrounded by a riotously colorful cast of characters which includes his shady drug-dealing neighbors, a ubiquitous policewoman, his lively but demented mother, and the eclectic occupants of the Cranston building. It's definitely whimsical, but it's not frivolous--there is a lot of truth here, easily swallowed alongside spoonfuls of narrative sugar. The most fun I've had reading a book in a good long while. Get your hands on it as soon as it comes out.
March 3, 2017
I straight-up enjoyed this book. The truth is I generally set books down, (even the ones I am fully enjoying because I have so much professional reading to do), but not so with Extraordinary Adventures. I read it in 2 sittings....which for me is amazing because I am generally a slow reader. But I was captivated.
Edsel is actually so relatable. I think every honest man will admit to feeling, thinking and acting like him. The refreshing thing was how he wins the day by not dramatically changing, but by becoming proud and confident about who he was.
I haven’t read everything Wallace has written, but from everything I have read, I have observed that he never judges his characters’ idiosyncrasies or personalities. He clearly respects and maybe even loves his characters and this book is full of characters that illustrate this.
I'm usually a one and done kind of guy but I may actually read this again! Check that...I'll definitely read this again. Well done, Mr. Wallace!
Edsel is actually so relatable. I think every honest man will admit to feeling, thinking and acting like him. The refreshing thing was how he wins the day by not dramatically changing, but by becoming proud and confident about who he was.
I haven’t read everything Wallace has written, but from everything I have read, I have observed that he never judges his characters’ idiosyncrasies or personalities. He clearly respects and maybe even loves his characters and this book is full of characters that illustrate this.
I'm usually a one and done kind of guy but I may actually read this again! Check that...I'll definitely read this again. Well done, Mr. Wallace!
June 23, 2017
“She sat as if alone in the darkness of a movie theater, watching a movie of her own life…If you could remember every moment of your life, every person you ever met, every tear you ever shed, every time you made somebody laugh, or cry, would the end of your life be more meaningful?”
Edsel Bronfman is a 34-year old man living in Birmingham, Alabama. He is awkward, shy, an over-apologizer, and never fails to stick to his routine of going to work, visiting his dementia-ridden mother, and otherwise staying hidden inside his bleak apartment. Have you ever apologized for bumping into an inanimate object? If so, you’re probably a lot like Mr. B and I. Ultimately, like myself, he is a dreamer; though, unlike myself, he seems pretty satisfied with his uncommonly mundane existence.
Slowly, though, throughout Extraordinary Adventures, our beloved Edsel begins to change. He blossoms. His unfolding is graceless, and to the reader, far from extraordinary.
It all starts with a phone call from a timeshare company, who joylessly announce that Bronfman is the “lucky” winner of a short stay in one of their new condominiums in Florida. The catch – because there always is one – is that Bronfman, eternally single and incapable of even communicating with the female sex, must bring a companion to the required presentation. He has two and a half months to find someone willing (and worthy) to accompany him on his once-in-a-lifetime beach vacation. With encouragement from his eccentric mother and some Took-ish blood inside him, so begins our character’s transformation.
Do not let the title deceive you – this is not a plot-driven thriller. “Extraordinary Adventures” as a title is more of an overdramatic wink than an accurate description of the book. In his mind, Edsel might as well be an infamous pirate captain exploring new shoals or even the first man on the moon. To us, he is simply a man coming out of his shell. But that’s part of what makes this story unique: it is told in such a way that every small event is indeed an adventure to our MC.
Once I grasped the concept, reading each chapter (told in days, counting down to when the beach trip expires) became a treasure hunt. Edsel sees the most ordinary things in relation to a science fiction novel ( “’Maybe we are [robots] and we just don’t know it.’ ‘I don’t think so,’ Bronfman said – which was exactly, he realized, what a robot that’s unaware of being a robot would say,” ) or even a scene from a horror film ( “Her lipstick was so red against her fair white skin that she looked like a lady vampire who’d just finished her dinner.” ) Once you recognize these patterns, the novel becomes a delightful Easter egg hunt.
The action that does happen within the book is not so glamorous. Bronfman discovers his next door neighbors are a crystal meth-cooking group of scoundrels, befriends a police officer he is hopelessly attracted to, and continuously has to deal with his aging mother, who is rapidly losing her mind. Near the end of the novel, things start to spin out of control for Edsel, and eventually he is forced to choose between several different women – a grappling choice that is something we would have never expected from our cripplingly shy anti-hero. It is not a romance novel per se, but I found myself cheering for him to pick "the right girl”.
What makes Extraordinary Adventures such a charming read is the attention to detail in which Wallace arms our main character with. Through his eyes, we see the tiniest things in new ways. From eyelashes ( "Her lips were pink and wet; her cheeks were freckle-scattered. Her eyelashes were long and thick enough to catch raindrops -- eye awnings,” ) to the feeling of your heart beating just before a first kiss ( "He felt his heart evolving into that thing that was more than a heart, that was just an idea of the heart, different but performing the same basic function: keeping him alive." ), the author does a spectacular job of making us care about the fragile and extremely good-hearted Edsel Bronfman.
While not the most exciting novel, nor the most romantic, it made me chuckle more than a few times. Edsel Bronfman makes a great addition to the trend of awkward, loveable main characters, and I would love to read more of his future misadventures.
((3.5 stars, rounded up to 4))
Many thanks for the e-ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, which I have received in exchange for an honest review.
Edsel Bronfman is a 34-year old man living in Birmingham, Alabama. He is awkward, shy, an over-apologizer, and never fails to stick to his routine of going to work, visiting his dementia-ridden mother, and otherwise staying hidden inside his bleak apartment. Have you ever apologized for bumping into an inanimate object? If so, you’re probably a lot like Mr. B and I. Ultimately, like myself, he is a dreamer; though, unlike myself, he seems pretty satisfied with his uncommonly mundane existence.
Slowly, though, throughout Extraordinary Adventures, our beloved Edsel begins to change. He blossoms. His unfolding is graceless, and to the reader, far from extraordinary.
It all starts with a phone call from a timeshare company, who joylessly announce that Bronfman is the “lucky” winner of a short stay in one of their new condominiums in Florida. The catch – because there always is one – is that Bronfman, eternally single and incapable of even communicating with the female sex, must bring a companion to the required presentation. He has two and a half months to find someone willing (and worthy) to accompany him on his once-in-a-lifetime beach vacation. With encouragement from his eccentric mother and some Took-ish blood inside him, so begins our character’s transformation.
Do not let the title deceive you – this is not a plot-driven thriller. “Extraordinary Adventures” as a title is more of an overdramatic wink than an accurate description of the book. In his mind, Edsel might as well be an infamous pirate captain exploring new shoals or even the first man on the moon. To us, he is simply a man coming out of his shell. But that’s part of what makes this story unique: it is told in such a way that every small event is indeed an adventure to our MC.
Once I grasped the concept, reading each chapter (told in days, counting down to when the beach trip expires) became a treasure hunt. Edsel sees the most ordinary things in relation to a science fiction novel ( “’Maybe we are [robots] and we just don’t know it.’ ‘I don’t think so,’ Bronfman said – which was exactly, he realized, what a robot that’s unaware of being a robot would say,” ) or even a scene from a horror film ( “Her lipstick was so red against her fair white skin that she looked like a lady vampire who’d just finished her dinner.” ) Once you recognize these patterns, the novel becomes a delightful Easter egg hunt.
The action that does happen within the book is not so glamorous. Bronfman discovers his next door neighbors are a crystal meth-cooking group of scoundrels, befriends a police officer he is hopelessly attracted to, and continuously has to deal with his aging mother, who is rapidly losing her mind. Near the end of the novel, things start to spin out of control for Edsel, and eventually he is forced to choose between several different women – a grappling choice that is something we would have never expected from our cripplingly shy anti-hero. It is not a romance novel per se, but I found myself cheering for him to pick "the right girl”.
What makes Extraordinary Adventures such a charming read is the attention to detail in which Wallace arms our main character with. Through his eyes, we see the tiniest things in new ways. From eyelashes ( "Her lips were pink and wet; her cheeks were freckle-scattered. Her eyelashes were long and thick enough to catch raindrops -- eye awnings,” ) to the feeling of your heart beating just before a first kiss ( "He felt his heart evolving into that thing that was more than a heart, that was just an idea of the heart, different but performing the same basic function: keeping him alive." ), the author does a spectacular job of making us care about the fragile and extremely good-hearted Edsel Bronfman.
While not the most exciting novel, nor the most romantic, it made me chuckle more than a few times. Edsel Bronfman makes a great addition to the trend of awkward, loveable main characters, and I would love to read more of his future misadventures.
((3.5 stars, rounded up to 4))
Many thanks for the e-ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, which I have received in exchange for an honest review.
June 18, 2017
EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES by Daniel Wallace is a strange, funny, weird and surprisingly likable book by the author of BIG FISH. I have not read anything else by Mr. Wallace, but I did see the movie based on his story, and so I found myself wondering what this tale might provide. It gave me a strange but likable main character in Edsel Bronfman, an odd situation (he has "won" a vacation to a condo time-share resort, all he has to do is listen to a sales talk for an hour while there) and a complication to his story (he must bring a female companion with him to the resort).
But the biggest complication is, although he is 34, Edsel has never had a female companion, yet alone one he could ask along on this trip.
This is Edsel's life in search of a new way of living. He has a computer entry job that would seem to be totally anonymous, boring, even soul-suckingly drab, and no friends beside Thomas Edison, his next door neighbor in the terrible apartment block where they both live. His only female companion is his increasingly whacked out mother who is rapidly sliding into dementia. His father was a one night stand that now appears to be, literally, haunting his mother.
Edsel determines to use this vacation and so sets out to somehow alter his life and get involved with a woman, any woman, but someone he could see himself actually liking and who would like him in return.
If BIG FISH was a search for the reality of a father, this is a search for self. Edsel must look into himself, his reasons for being and decide how to change. This is a journey fraught with dangers, either from snobby artists or drug dealers, thieves and cops, or a mother increasingly lost to herself and him and taking her own semi-private journey.
Somehow Mr. Wallace manages to make sure this tale is never glum, that there is a promise of a brighter tomorrow throughout, and that the hero of the piece is someone that, while we might actually want to be friends with, we might approve of their trek.
This is a surprisingly thoughtful and delicate story.
But the biggest complication is, although he is 34, Edsel has never had a female companion, yet alone one he could ask along on this trip.
This is Edsel's life in search of a new way of living. He has a computer entry job that would seem to be totally anonymous, boring, even soul-suckingly drab, and no friends beside Thomas Edison, his next door neighbor in the terrible apartment block where they both live. His only female companion is his increasingly whacked out mother who is rapidly sliding into dementia. His father was a one night stand that now appears to be, literally, haunting his mother.
Edsel determines to use this vacation and so sets out to somehow alter his life and get involved with a woman, any woman, but someone he could see himself actually liking and who would like him in return.
If BIG FISH was a search for the reality of a father, this is a search for self. Edsel must look into himself, his reasons for being and decide how to change. This is a journey fraught with dangers, either from snobby artists or drug dealers, thieves and cops, or a mother increasingly lost to herself and him and taking her own semi-private journey.
Somehow Mr. Wallace manages to make sure this tale is never glum, that there is a promise of a brighter tomorrow throughout, and that the hero of the piece is someone that, while we might actually want to be friends with, we might approve of their trek.
This is a surprisingly thoughtful and delicate story.
February 2, 2017
“Extraordinary Adventures” by Daniel Wallace
I would like to thank BookBrowse and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Reading Edition of “Extraordinary Adventures” by Daniel Wallace. The genres of this book are fiction, humor and satire.
I find that the author introduces us to some intriguing, quirky, and complicated characters.
The main character, Edsel Bronfman can be described as a predictable, boring, unimaginative and appears to have an uneventful life. Edsel’s job and his mother seem to be the constant factor in his life.
One day, Edsel gets a call from a company called “Extraordinary Adventures”, and the operator tells him he has won a weekend by the beach in Florida. The only strings attached is he has to sit for a speech on condo opportunities and he must bring a companion. Now Edsel is in a pickle. He really has no friends, or girlfriends.
Edsel’s mother is quite a “firecracker”, and highly spirited.
Some complications appear in Edsel’s life. His mother seems to be getting dementia, making her unpredictable.
Edsel hires help for his mother and is determined that somehow, someway he will find a companion to take on his free vacation.
Edsel is now having interesting adventures.
At times I found myself feeling sorry for Edsel, or frustrated that he seemed like an “afterthought”. As Edsel gets more confidence, he has more hope and is optimistic. He feels anything can happen. There are positive and negative things that occur.
Daniel Wallace uses subtle satire and humor through his descriptions, and I find that I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it. Does Edsel get to Florida? You will have to read this to find out!!
I would like to thank BookBrowse and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Reading Edition of “Extraordinary Adventures” by Daniel Wallace. The genres of this book are fiction, humor and satire.
I find that the author introduces us to some intriguing, quirky, and complicated characters.
The main character, Edsel Bronfman can be described as a predictable, boring, unimaginative and appears to have an uneventful life. Edsel’s job and his mother seem to be the constant factor in his life.
One day, Edsel gets a call from a company called “Extraordinary Adventures”, and the operator tells him he has won a weekend by the beach in Florida. The only strings attached is he has to sit for a speech on condo opportunities and he must bring a companion. Now Edsel is in a pickle. He really has no friends, or girlfriends.
Edsel’s mother is quite a “firecracker”, and highly spirited.
Some complications appear in Edsel’s life. His mother seems to be getting dementia, making her unpredictable.
Edsel hires help for his mother and is determined that somehow, someway he will find a companion to take on his free vacation.
Edsel is now having interesting adventures.
At times I found myself feeling sorry for Edsel, or frustrated that he seemed like an “afterthought”. As Edsel gets more confidence, he has more hope and is optimistic. He feels anything can happen. There are positive and negative things that occur.
Daniel Wallace uses subtle satire and humor through his descriptions, and I find that I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it. Does Edsel get to Florida? You will have to read this to find out!!
December 23, 2017
NETGALLEY E-ARC!
Dear God! This was such a fun and quirky read. The story is about a very boring man - Edsel Bronfman - that finds out he has won two days in a fancy resort through something called "Extraordinary Adventures." The only condition, or main one, is that he brings a significant other to share his trip with.
The characters have crazy names: Edsel Bronfman, Thomas Edison, Crouton... the names become too much, a bit too ambitious, but throughout the book you appreciate them more.
It's a solid book that I believe will make for a great summer read! I can totally picture people on beaches reading this and it's totally appropriate for that.
I definitely recommend this book to all my beach-people out there. Remember to read half the book on your back and the other half on your chest, and don't forget to use sunscreen lotion!
Full review to follow!
Dear God! This was such a fun and quirky read. The story is about a very boring man - Edsel Bronfman - that finds out he has won two days in a fancy resort through something called "Extraordinary Adventures." The only condition, or main one, is that he brings a significant other to share his trip with.
The characters have crazy names: Edsel Bronfman, Thomas Edison, Crouton... the names become too much, a bit too ambitious, but throughout the book you appreciate them more.
It's a solid book that I believe will make for a great summer read! I can totally picture people on beaches reading this and it's totally appropriate for that.
I definitely recommend this book to all my beach-people out there. Remember to read half the book on your back and the other half on your chest, and don't forget to use sunscreen lotion!
Full review to follow!
February 26, 2017
It’s no surprise that Daniel Wallace, author of Extraordinary Adventures, is the director of a creative writing program. This is a book to practice reading like a writer. The characters are painted in layers. Subplots weave as graceful as a pod of dolphins. Particularly, there are collectible sentences.
There is also quiet suspense, a count-down, not to an extinction-level event but to a Yoda moment: “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
Extraordinary Adventures is a teaching story, a reminder that just about everyone, at every age and all the time, is quietly mustering up the courage to deal with the tough bits of their life. For me, reading this book was an empathy enhancement procedure (EEP).
There is also quiet suspense, a count-down, not to an extinction-level event but to a Yoda moment: “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
Extraordinary Adventures is a teaching story, a reminder that just about everyone, at every age and all the time, is quietly mustering up the courage to deal with the tough bits of their life. For me, reading this book was an empathy enhancement procedure (EEP).
March 3, 2017
A really fun read with great character development. We all are in part one or more of the characters with all their typical nad yet unique life styles. Their lives run parallel to much of what I felt as a young person, and had the opportunity to grow out of through a different experience than Edsel's, but one that was just as life changing. How a simple phone call can change a life is the essence of Mr. Wallace's quixotic and fun fiction of only a few characters (11 as I remember) whose interaction mirrors the web of everyday life, but still provides the magic to keep you turning the pages - waiting for the next laugh, or the next sigh in rememberance of what we all have endured in our lives - even a tear of two. Too much fun to not highly recommend to all my reading friends.
June 4, 2017
We are all Edsel Bronfman. Or at least those of us who have spent a substantial portion of our lives as terribly awkward introverts with no social skills and a complete lack of romantic experience or opportunity are. Daniel Wallace’s new novel had me cringing with recognition and laughing out loud as his 34-year-old protagonist is launched on an absurd and hilarious journey of self-discovery and transformation initiated by a mysterious phone call from a timeshare saleswoman. Extraordinary Adventures is a quirky, sweet, heartfelt, and offbeat romance that displays the imaginative playfulness Wallace is known for.
April 27, 2017
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
Edsel Bronfman is thirty four years old, living in a seedy neighborhood and working at a boring job. He has no friends or social life. One day he gets a phone call telling him he has won a weekend in a beachfront condo in Florida. All he has to do is listen to a presentation and bring a friend. He has seventy nine days in which to accomplish this. Thus his quest begins to find someone to take with him.
The story and the writing in this book were just okay. Not good, not bad just missing something.
Edsel Bronfman is thirty four years old, living in a seedy neighborhood and working at a boring job. He has no friends or social life. One day he gets a phone call telling him he has won a weekend in a beachfront condo in Florida. All he has to do is listen to a presentation and bring a friend. He has seventy nine days in which to accomplish this. Thus his quest begins to find someone to take with him.
The story and the writing in this book were just okay. Not good, not bad just missing something.
June 5, 2017
The man who wrote this is witty and clever in every way and his book exemplifies this. It's a book that embodies simplicity; the only magic that exists in the world is the kind that we create by ourselves every day in our encounters with the people around us. I thought highly of every sentence written down here.
My only wish is that this story had had more bees in it.
My only wish is that this story had had more bees in it.
April 19, 2018
Krása. Člověk pořád nepotřebuje luštit nějaká thrillerová tajemství nebo si nechávat drtit srdce smutnými osudy. Někdy stačí nechat se čtením pohladit. A přesně tohle udělají Neobyčejná dobrodružství.
Recenze: http://thebooktalkblog.blogspot.cz/20...
Recenze: http://thebooktalkblog.blogspot.cz/20...
March 27, 2017
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
You’ve always been exactly who you are. Hesitant. A second-guesser of second guesses.”
This story starts off very slowly, so slowly the reader begins to feel they too are trapped in Edsel Broffman’s colorless life. Nothing happens to or for him, and it seems he lives life in suspended time. He doesn’t make anything happen, as so many others would at least attempt to do in a dull existence. Then, something finally does, he gets a phone call informing him he has won a free week in a beachfront condo in Destin, Fl but the catch? He has to bring a partner as it’s only for couples. This is a kick in the arse that Edsel needed to finally slink out of his loneliness. He has finally won something! Let the adventures begin.
Edsel is awkward and conflicted, and being a second-guesser has kept him from actually doing anything. His mother is slowly losing it, in fact I think she was the most interesting character. Her antics are both funny and achingly sad. Maybe it is true though, a little, that she should have ‘pushed you out of the nest with more vigor.’ Edsel is a kind man, but he is bland. Every other character is full of life, and I understand that is the intention. Edsel needs to find his fire. Fire comes in the form of Shelia, who starts as a friend. But Shelia isn’t everything she seems to be. I know some people are going to hate this about her. I think it was wonderful, someone like Edsel isn’t going to be savvy when it comes to women or men, honestly. He is the sort who can be and gets taken. Not everyone in the world has everyone around them pegged, though we like to think we do. Shelia, with all her issues, isn’t any better or worse than Edsel. What are but a collection of our successes and our failings? Edsel’s biggest demon is his lack of faith in himself.
The first half didn’t engage me as much as the second half. I didn’t love this, but there were things about all the characters that tickled me. I think a younger audience needs far more excitement in a novel that has the title extraordinary in it. What is extraordinary is that this man, so set in his slow life, breaks out and finally sees the light of day. It is extraordinary to change, we are creatures of habit. We come to accept all manner of things we shouldn’t. I took me ages to learn that because we always wonder why people put up with, or stay stuck in so many different situations. It’s because it’s easier to know what to expect, it’s the rotten truth that to change any situation requires responsibility. You are your salvation. So while his adventures are small such as encountering the underbelly of our times in his own slum-like apartment complex, attempting to date, and connect with people, they are still adventures with a capital A to someone as rejected from life as Edsel. If you have read Wallace before, you know strange unlikely things happen. It’s what has made some of his other work so unique. Who knows, life is stranger than fiction, you certainly notice these things as you collect years. Who knows, maybe women helping you have faith in the… errr…size of your manhood isn’t so ridiculous. Good but not my favorite Wallace. Again, I think it is better geared towards an older generation because they know that life knocks you about.
Publication Date: May 30, 2017
St. Martin’s Press
You’ve always been exactly who you are. Hesitant. A second-guesser of second guesses.”
This story starts off very slowly, so slowly the reader begins to feel they too are trapped in Edsel Broffman’s colorless life. Nothing happens to or for him, and it seems he lives life in suspended time. He doesn’t make anything happen, as so many others would at least attempt to do in a dull existence. Then, something finally does, he gets a phone call informing him he has won a free week in a beachfront condo in Destin, Fl but the catch? He has to bring a partner as it’s only for couples. This is a kick in the arse that Edsel needed to finally slink out of his loneliness. He has finally won something! Let the adventures begin.
Edsel is awkward and conflicted, and being a second-guesser has kept him from actually doing anything. His mother is slowly losing it, in fact I think she was the most interesting character. Her antics are both funny and achingly sad. Maybe it is true though, a little, that she should have ‘pushed you out of the nest with more vigor.’ Edsel is a kind man, but he is bland. Every other character is full of life, and I understand that is the intention. Edsel needs to find his fire. Fire comes in the form of Shelia, who starts as a friend. But Shelia isn’t everything she seems to be. I know some people are going to hate this about her. I think it was wonderful, someone like Edsel isn’t going to be savvy when it comes to women or men, honestly. He is the sort who can be and gets taken. Not everyone in the world has everyone around them pegged, though we like to think we do. Shelia, with all her issues, isn’t any better or worse than Edsel. What are but a collection of our successes and our failings? Edsel’s biggest demon is his lack of faith in himself.
The first half didn’t engage me as much as the second half. I didn’t love this, but there were things about all the characters that tickled me. I think a younger audience needs far more excitement in a novel that has the title extraordinary in it. What is extraordinary is that this man, so set in his slow life, breaks out and finally sees the light of day. It is extraordinary to change, we are creatures of habit. We come to accept all manner of things we shouldn’t. I took me ages to learn that because we always wonder why people put up with, or stay stuck in so many different situations. It’s because it’s easier to know what to expect, it’s the rotten truth that to change any situation requires responsibility. You are your salvation. So while his adventures are small such as encountering the underbelly of our times in his own slum-like apartment complex, attempting to date, and connect with people, they are still adventures with a capital A to someone as rejected from life as Edsel. If you have read Wallace before, you know strange unlikely things happen. It’s what has made some of his other work so unique. Who knows, life is stranger than fiction, you certainly notice these things as you collect years. Who knows, maybe women helping you have faith in the… errr…size of your manhood isn’t so ridiculous. Good but not my favorite Wallace. Again, I think it is better geared towards an older generation because they know that life knocks you about.
Publication Date: May 30, 2017
St. Martin’s Press
June 8, 2017
I was hanging in my local indie, The Curious Iguana, a gift card SCREAMING at me from my wallet to buy something but there weren't any books I was dying to have or had been alerted to by my vast Twitter network of word and book lovers. So consulted my friendly bookseller and, voila! All I needed was to be told the writer of Big Fish had a new release, Extraordinary Adventures, and I was in.
Okay, true confessions (why do so many of my book write-ups involve confessions?): I never actually read Big Fish. And surely you don't think me one of those cretins who believes movie content has much of anything to do with the book that inspired it. Ha! Of course not. It was the *MUSICAL version of Big Fish had its way with my heart, memory of which experience prompted me to buy this book.
The blurbs called it quirky and funny and hilarious and witty, and I suppose that's a decision made by the marketing people, but wow, while I found much to admire in it and was touched by its humanity and tenderness, I did not find it funny.
I asked myself why?
And, alarmingly, the only answer with which I could come up was that, perhaps, maybe, it could be, oh dear, I'm too much like the main character, Edsel Bronfman. He is a reasonably intelligent man, reasonably capable, reasonably kind and good, who has allowed his life to live him rather than he living his life. He waited, he hoped, he wished, but he didn't do much to make any of his hopes or wishes come to fruition. He did not --- maybe --- believe he was worthy of the lives he saw others living, the hopes fulfilled, and the wishes come true.
Edsel makes an effort to remedy these things through the course of the narrative (he's MUCH younger than I am, so, good on him for trying to change) and interacts with a number of extraordinary women, discovers some of his mother's secrets, develops a fondness for the drug dealer next door who robs his apartment and almost gets him killed, and trips, trudges, and travels through a series of --- well, okay --- quirky adventures leading up to a resolution --- of sorts.
The novel sometimes feels as if it's trying just a little too hard to be a Bill Murray vehicle. You know, one of those darkish meta-noirs posing as comedies directed by a pair of brothers, the kind a comedic actor signs up for in an effort to gain an auteur-hip patina and an Oscar nomination; the kind of film (definitely NOT a movie) the cognoscenti group-think agree to crow over despite the fact very few of them actually sat through the whole thing.
Which makes it sound as if I didn't like this book, which is not the case. I didn't not like it. I just, well, look, I'm having a rough life and I'm a hard sell on believing that your average schlub is going to stumble out of schmo-dom into a happy end.
After my tenth biopsy in four weeks, with insurance the congress is about to strip me of, in a country being run by a misogynist racist mentally unstable foreign plant, well, I'm just not buying it.
And there it is. And here I am, going.
Okay, true confessions (why do so many of my book write-ups involve confessions?): I never actually read Big Fish. And surely you don't think me one of those cretins who believes movie content has much of anything to do with the book that inspired it. Ha! Of course not. It was the *MUSICAL version of Big Fish had its way with my heart, memory of which experience prompted me to buy this book.
The blurbs called it quirky and funny and hilarious and witty, and I suppose that's a decision made by the marketing people, but wow, while I found much to admire in it and was touched by its humanity and tenderness, I did not find it funny.
I asked myself why?
And, alarmingly, the only answer with which I could come up was that, perhaps, maybe, it could be, oh dear, I'm too much like the main character, Edsel Bronfman. He is a reasonably intelligent man, reasonably capable, reasonably kind and good, who has allowed his life to live him rather than he living his life. He waited, he hoped, he wished, but he didn't do much to make any of his hopes or wishes come to fruition. He did not --- maybe --- believe he was worthy of the lives he saw others living, the hopes fulfilled, and the wishes come true.
Edsel makes an effort to remedy these things through the course of the narrative (he's MUCH younger than I am, so, good on him for trying to change) and interacts with a number of extraordinary women, discovers some of his mother's secrets, develops a fondness for the drug dealer next door who robs his apartment and almost gets him killed, and trips, trudges, and travels through a series of --- well, okay --- quirky adventures leading up to a resolution --- of sorts.
The novel sometimes feels as if it's trying just a little too hard to be a Bill Murray vehicle. You know, one of those darkish meta-noirs posing as comedies directed by a pair of brothers, the kind a comedic actor signs up for in an effort to gain an auteur-hip patina and an Oscar nomination; the kind of film (definitely NOT a movie) the cognoscenti group-think agree to crow over despite the fact very few of them actually sat through the whole thing.
Which makes it sound as if I didn't like this book, which is not the case. I didn't not like it. I just, well, look, I'm having a rough life and I'm a hard sell on believing that your average schlub is going to stumble out of schmo-dom into a happy end.
After my tenth biopsy in four weeks, with insurance the congress is about to strip me of, in a country being run by a misogynist racist mentally unstable foreign plant, well, I'm just not buying it.
And there it is. And here I am, going.
May 12, 2017
As a new reader to Daniel Wallace, I probably won't be picking up any of his other works any time soon. Unless they're somehow forced upon me. Like I'm stuck on a 14 hour flight and there's nothing else to read except the Sky Mall catalog. And I'll still read the catalog first.
Maybe that sounds a little harsh, but by god I was so bored. This can often be the Kiss of Death for me--I rarely hate books, but when I do I'm at least compelled to finish reading them so I can stockpile all the stupid crap in it. With this I was forcing myself to finish it simply because I wanted to get on to better books on my bookshelf.
This is just too cutesy. Edsel, who I swear is a 60 year old man no matter what the narrative says, is socially inept, awkward, and apparently has never lived. I think he just popped into existence at the age of 60 (not 35, I don't care what you say). He's gullible, maladroit, and a complete dunderhead about anything having to do with women. Seriously, DID YOU NOT GO TO SCHOOL!? This shit is basic!
The girl he's riveted on, Sheila, is your typical manic pixie dream girl. She can talk your ear off about inane bullshit that is cute at first, but gets tiring really quick. She is a caricature, nothing more. Sometimes I'm cool with caricatures but this was not one of those times.
I'll pass it on at work, maybe someone there will like it.
Maybe that sounds a little harsh, but by god I was so bored. This can often be the Kiss of Death for me--I rarely hate books, but when I do I'm at least compelled to finish reading them so I can stockpile all the stupid crap in it. With this I was forcing myself to finish it simply because I wanted to get on to better books on my bookshelf.
This is just too cutesy. Edsel, who I swear is a 60 year old man no matter what the narrative says, is socially inept, awkward, and apparently has never lived. I think he just popped into existence at the age of 60 (not 35, I don't care what you say). He's gullible, maladroit, and a complete dunderhead about anything having to do with women. Seriously, DID YOU NOT GO TO SCHOOL!? This shit is basic!
The girl he's riveted on, Sheila, is your typical manic pixie dream girl. She can talk your ear off about inane bullshit that is cute at first, but gets tiring really quick. She is a caricature, nothing more. Sometimes I'm cool with caricatures but this was not one of those times.
I'll pass it on at work, maybe someone there will like it.
February 15, 2017
I really enjoyed book. I would characterize it as deceptively simple. Daniel Wallace has written a extraordinary, quirky, coming of age novel. The characters are eccentric and pique the reader’s interest. The plot provides the motivation that Edsel Bronfman needs for his adventures. The real strength of the novel is the well developed characters and Wallace’s descriptions.
Edsel Bronfman has wandered through his 34 years, knowing that something is missing from his life, but he can’t quite figure it out. Bronfman’s mother, Muriel is senile, but has moments of lucidity. Bronfman cannot always tell when she is lucid. Sheila McNabb flits first one way, then another, unable to find an anchor. Thomas Edison is Bronfman’s neighbor and drug dealer. Serena Stanton is the local cop. Wallace brought them all together. As I read the book, Bronfman and Sheila became my friends. When I finished reading, I wanted to know about their next extraordinary adventures.
Edsel Bronfman has wandered through his 34 years, knowing that something is missing from his life, but he can’t quite figure it out. Bronfman’s mother, Muriel is senile, but has moments of lucidity. Bronfman cannot always tell when she is lucid. Sheila McNabb flits first one way, then another, unable to find an anchor. Thomas Edison is Bronfman’s neighbor and drug dealer. Serena Stanton is the local cop. Wallace brought them all together. As I read the book, Bronfman and Sheila became my friends. When I finished reading, I wanted to know about their next extraordinary adventures.
April 22, 2017
**Goodreads Giveaway.**
This novel offers a look at the quality vs. quantity argument of how people live their lives. The main character Bronfman is the stereotypical late-bloomer whose only social contact is with his manic, and recently diagnosed with dementia, mother. You meet Bronfman on the cusp of realizing he has within himself what it takes to get the life he wants regardless of the status quo for social interactions.
The story started out seemingly flat but gained some buoyancy in later chapters. The characters (the protagonist in particular) seemed a little lifeless. However, I liked how the author rounded out the story.
Thank you St. Martin's Press and Daniel Wallace for providing this giveaway.
This novel offers a look at the quality vs. quantity argument of how people live their lives. The main character Bronfman is the stereotypical late-bloomer whose only social contact is with his manic, and recently diagnosed with dementia, mother. You meet Bronfman on the cusp of realizing he has within himself what it takes to get the life he wants regardless of the status quo for social interactions.
The story started out seemingly flat but gained some buoyancy in later chapters. The characters (the protagonist in particular) seemed a little lifeless. However, I liked how the author rounded out the story.
Thank you St. Martin's Press and Daniel Wallace for providing this giveaway.
February 9, 2017
Extraordinary Adventures was a wonderful book! The story focuses on Edsel Bronfman and his 'quest' to find a companion for the trip to Destin that he won. The author's vivid and detailed writing painted an excellent picture in my mind of Edsels predictability and 'boring' life. The book really draws you in and I could not put the book down until I knew which one of the three he finally ended up with. I thought it was a wonderful story with an excellent plot and the authors excellent skill in writing made the story come alive in my mind. Excellent read and I highly recommend this book. One of the best that I've read in a while.
May 23, 2017
The more I read, the more I enjoyed EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES. 34 year old Edsel Bronfman receives a call telling him he has won a vacation in a Florida condo. The only catch is he must a wife or girlfriend, and he has 79 days to make a reservation. The trouble is Edsel has never even had a real date and fears he may be a virgin - he isn't even sure! What follows is an interesting cast of characters in rather quirky novel. Great novel! I received this book for an honest opinion.
December 8, 2021
"Okay. You look like uhhhh--a giraffe!"
He considered his. "A giraffe?" It came as a disappointment to him for some reason. A giraffe? He wasn't sure that was what he wanted to be. Then again, he didn't know what kind of animal he would like to be. But he said, "I guess that's not so bad."
Her mouth dropped. "Not so bad? What do you mean? That's great! Let's look it up."
She swiveled around to face her computer and typed something quickly. She clicked the mouse a couple of times and then took a deep breath. "Okay," she said, reading now. "The giraffe-- Giraffa camelopardalis --an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant."
She stared at the screen, momentarily hypnotized, and then she turned to him. "Wow," she said. "You're the largest ruminant."
~~Sheila likes to assign an animal to everyone she meets. And Edsel is christened a giraffe in his very first meeting with Sheila, at her receptionist post in the lobby of the building his office is housed in. Can two people this socially awkward find love?
First two sentences: The news came just after dinner via a telephone call from a representative of an organization called Extraordinary Adventures. It was early evening, April 8, just as the sun had dipped behind Unit C, when the residual orange softened and dissolved like the yolk of a broken egg.
Meet Edsel Bronfman. He's 34, and a bit of a late bloomer. Meaning that he has barely gone on dates, isn't sure whether the bedroom fumbling's he engaged in at 15 broke his cherry--he certainly hasn't done anything that would break it since, and his only meaningful relationship is with his mother. So imagine his surprise when he gets the above mentioned phone call from Extraordinary Adventures. Turns out his business card was drawn from the jar in the local deli, and he's won a trip to a time share condo in Florida. The catch? Well, there are a few. He has to attend an hour long presentation on time shares, he has to book his trip within 79 days, and he must bring a *companion*. This last one is more than a catch for Edsel. "He would have liked to have a companion, but his desire for one was not commensurate with his effort to get one. He did not put himself out there , as his mother might say--wherever out there was. Bronfman's feet were stuck in cement shoes."
So what's a guy who has never been to the beach, and suddenly thinks a free trip would be the ideal time to go to do?? Find a companion in 79 days, obviously. So Edsel leaves his King's Manor apartment with fresh eyes. And when the receptionist, Sheila, calls out to him "Have a nice day!" as he exits his work building for lunch, Edsel doesn't merely wave and keep walking like he would have yesterday. No. This is a new day and a new Edsel. He turns around, walks up to the desk, and says hello. Which blossoms into the endearing, awkward conversation which starts my review.
Will Edsel find what he's looking for "out there"? And more importantly, will he be able to hang onto his almost child-like sweetness as he enters the world of adult dating? Read this lighthearted--and heart warming--novel to find out.
My two cents: It's a mistake to take Adventures too seriously. When viewed as irreverent, even humorous literature, Wallace becomes quite fun to read. I thoroughly enjoyed the break this novel gave me from the stress of this past week. But novel isn't just fun, it's actually well written. The prose is thoughtful, the dialogue snaps, and the length felt just right. I do agree with other reviewers that the idea of Edsel having *three*!! women gunning for him is a tad bit preposterous--but that also just adds to the fun. And all lightheartedness aside, I loved Wallace's treatment of Edsel's relationship with his mother, as well as the tough topic of Alzheimer's. This area of the story-arc shone. Given 4 stars or a rating of Excellent. Recommended!!
Further reading: A link to the Alzheimer's association web page--with tools, information, and resources for those who love anyone suffering from dementia. https://www.alz.org/
~~And a link to Wikipedia's page on ungulates. For Sheila. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ungulate
Another favorite quote: "[His mother] was a bit of a vamp. She wore cowboy boots and skirts and blouses unbuttoned one button too far. She chewed gum with the artful ability to pop it whenever she thought she wasn't being attended to. [...] Bronfman had a lot of "uncles" wandering in and out of his life, their house, brief appearances by men with small roles, few lines. Some of them were lawyers; others were crooks those lawyers were defending. They all seemed pleasant enough, but detached in the way someone renting instead of buying is.
He considered his. "A giraffe?" It came as a disappointment to him for some reason. A giraffe? He wasn't sure that was what he wanted to be. Then again, he didn't know what kind of animal he would like to be. But he said, "I guess that's not so bad."
Her mouth dropped. "Not so bad? What do you mean? That's great! Let's look it up."
She swiveled around to face her computer and typed something quickly. She clicked the mouse a couple of times and then took a deep breath. "Okay," she said, reading now. "The giraffe-- Giraffa camelopardalis --an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant."
She stared at the screen, momentarily hypnotized, and then she turned to him. "Wow," she said. "You're the largest ruminant."
~~Sheila likes to assign an animal to everyone she meets. And Edsel is christened a giraffe in his very first meeting with Sheila, at her receptionist post in the lobby of the building his office is housed in. Can two people this socially awkward find love?
First two sentences: The news came just after dinner via a telephone call from a representative of an organization called Extraordinary Adventures. It was early evening, April 8, just as the sun had dipped behind Unit C, when the residual orange softened and dissolved like the yolk of a broken egg.
Meet Edsel Bronfman. He's 34, and a bit of a late bloomer. Meaning that he has barely gone on dates, isn't sure whether the bedroom fumbling's he engaged in at 15 broke his cherry--he certainly hasn't done anything that would break it since, and his only meaningful relationship is with his mother. So imagine his surprise when he gets the above mentioned phone call from Extraordinary Adventures. Turns out his business card was drawn from the jar in the local deli, and he's won a trip to a time share condo in Florida. The catch? Well, there are a few. He has to attend an hour long presentation on time shares, he has to book his trip within 79 days, and he must bring a *companion*. This last one is more than a catch for Edsel. "He would have liked to have a companion, but his desire for one was not commensurate with his effort to get one. He did not put himself out there , as his mother might say--wherever out there was. Bronfman's feet were stuck in cement shoes."
So what's a guy who has never been to the beach, and suddenly thinks a free trip would be the ideal time to go to do?? Find a companion in 79 days, obviously. So Edsel leaves his King's Manor apartment with fresh eyes. And when the receptionist, Sheila, calls out to him "Have a nice day!" as he exits his work building for lunch, Edsel doesn't merely wave and keep walking like he would have yesterday. No. This is a new day and a new Edsel. He turns around, walks up to the desk, and says hello. Which blossoms into the endearing, awkward conversation which starts my review.
Will Edsel find what he's looking for "out there"? And more importantly, will he be able to hang onto his almost child-like sweetness as he enters the world of adult dating? Read this lighthearted--and heart warming--novel to find out.
My two cents: It's a mistake to take Adventures too seriously. When viewed as irreverent, even humorous literature, Wallace becomes quite fun to read. I thoroughly enjoyed the break this novel gave me from the stress of this past week. But novel isn't just fun, it's actually well written. The prose is thoughtful, the dialogue snaps, and the length felt just right. I do agree with other reviewers that the idea of Edsel having *three*!! women gunning for him is a tad bit preposterous--but that also just adds to the fun. And all lightheartedness aside, I loved Wallace's treatment of Edsel's relationship with his mother, as well as the tough topic of Alzheimer's. This area of the story-arc shone. Given 4 stars or a rating of Excellent. Recommended!!
Further reading: A link to the Alzheimer's association web page--with tools, information, and resources for those who love anyone suffering from dementia. https://www.alz.org/
~~And a link to Wikipedia's page on ungulates. For Sheila. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ungulate
Another favorite quote: "[His mother] was a bit of a vamp. She wore cowboy boots and skirts and blouses unbuttoned one button too far. She chewed gum with the artful ability to pop it whenever she thought she wasn't being attended to. [...] Bronfman had a lot of "uncles" wandering in and out of his life, their house, brief appearances by men with small roles, few lines. Some of them were lawyers; others were crooks those lawyers were defending. They all seemed pleasant enough, but detached in the way someone renting instead of buying is.
May 31, 2017
http://www.themaineedge.com/buzz/movi...
What happens when a man who has never once rocked the boat all of a sudden finds himself with a reason to make a few waves?
That’s the central question in Daniel Wallace’s “Extraordinary Adventures,” the funny and heartfelt story of one man who is pushed outside of the comfort zone of his humdrum life, yanked from the decades-long rut he has worn into the floor of his existence by little more than the vague promises of a single phone call.
Edsel Bronfman – those who know him simply call him Bronfman – is going through the motions. He’s 34 and lives in Birmingham. He works pushing papers as a junior executive at a flatware company. He lives in a seedy neighborhood and his closest acquaintances (aside from his mother, of course) are his sketchball of a neighbor and the guy he kind of dislikes from the next cubicle at the office.
And this is a life. Of sorts.
But when Bronfman receives a phone call, it all changes. He’s told that he has won a free weekend in Florida if he agrees to watch a timeshare presentation. However, the one caveat is that he needs a companion to come with him. Basically, he has 79 days to get close enough romantically to someone that they might agree to join him for a weekend at the beach.
This proves daunting for someone like Bronfman, who has never really dated, well … anyone. But an encounter with the bubbly oddball receptionist at his office building sets into motion a chain of events where things start happening TO Bronfman, rather than AROUND him; after an adulthood marked by a constant beige status quo, the world quickly takes on brand new hues.
There’s the meet-cute with the receptionist that turns into an odd series of air-quote dates. Bronfman’s apartment is robbed; during the investigation, a policewoman attracts his eye – and he hers. There’s a lot of weird stuff going on next door – stuff that Bronfman knows very little about – but there’s a young lady named Coco who finds him intriguing. And none of that even takes into account his work life or the complexities of his relationship with his mother.
But at the center of it all, that goal – to find someone. But the clock is ticking.
“Extraordinary Adventures” is about a man who is about as ordinary as they come. But from that very ordinariness springs an engaging character. It’s rare to find a hero this mundane, but Wallace has elevated Bronfman into a sort of ur-chump, a guy who has never once strayed from his lane and – until now – has never even really considered it.
There’s a sweet awkwardness that permeates the character’s every interaction. Despite his social failings, Bronfman is perfectly likable; his sincerity and naivete largely supersede his flaws. He is, to be frank, weird, though rarely off-puttingly so.
One could argue that in “Extraordinary Adventures,” Wallace has created a kind of coming-of-age story. While Bronfman is an adult in chronological terms, this narrative is when he truly blooms emotionally. In many respects, this is the story of Edsel Bronfman becoming a man.
Among Wallace’s many writerly strengths – and one of his greatest – is his gift for inviting the reader into a character’s interior. Inner lives are rendered with such richness; a seemingly simple fellow like Bronfman is made fascinating even when he is at his deliberate dullest. That kind of vivid representation is relatively rare in the literary wild, yet common in Wallace’s pages. Yet despite the introspective nature of the depiction, the narrative pace is crisp and contagious.
“Extraordinary Adventures” is a thoughtful, poignant story of love and life, a deft bildungsroman depicting one man’s detour from the humdrum in order to embrace the possibilities that he never suspected he might want. A strong (as usual) offering from Daniel Wallace.
What happens when a man who has never once rocked the boat all of a sudden finds himself with a reason to make a few waves?
That’s the central question in Daniel Wallace’s “Extraordinary Adventures,” the funny and heartfelt story of one man who is pushed outside of the comfort zone of his humdrum life, yanked from the decades-long rut he has worn into the floor of his existence by little more than the vague promises of a single phone call.
Edsel Bronfman – those who know him simply call him Bronfman – is going through the motions. He’s 34 and lives in Birmingham. He works pushing papers as a junior executive at a flatware company. He lives in a seedy neighborhood and his closest acquaintances (aside from his mother, of course) are his sketchball of a neighbor and the guy he kind of dislikes from the next cubicle at the office.
And this is a life. Of sorts.
But when Bronfman receives a phone call, it all changes. He’s told that he has won a free weekend in Florida if he agrees to watch a timeshare presentation. However, the one caveat is that he needs a companion to come with him. Basically, he has 79 days to get close enough romantically to someone that they might agree to join him for a weekend at the beach.
This proves daunting for someone like Bronfman, who has never really dated, well … anyone. But an encounter with the bubbly oddball receptionist at his office building sets into motion a chain of events where things start happening TO Bronfman, rather than AROUND him; after an adulthood marked by a constant beige status quo, the world quickly takes on brand new hues.
There’s the meet-cute with the receptionist that turns into an odd series of air-quote dates. Bronfman’s apartment is robbed; during the investigation, a policewoman attracts his eye – and he hers. There’s a lot of weird stuff going on next door – stuff that Bronfman knows very little about – but there’s a young lady named Coco who finds him intriguing. And none of that even takes into account his work life or the complexities of his relationship with his mother.
But at the center of it all, that goal – to find someone. But the clock is ticking.
“Extraordinary Adventures” is about a man who is about as ordinary as they come. But from that very ordinariness springs an engaging character. It’s rare to find a hero this mundane, but Wallace has elevated Bronfman into a sort of ur-chump, a guy who has never once strayed from his lane and – until now – has never even really considered it.
There’s a sweet awkwardness that permeates the character’s every interaction. Despite his social failings, Bronfman is perfectly likable; his sincerity and naivete largely supersede his flaws. He is, to be frank, weird, though rarely off-puttingly so.
One could argue that in “Extraordinary Adventures,” Wallace has created a kind of coming-of-age story. While Bronfman is an adult in chronological terms, this narrative is when he truly blooms emotionally. In many respects, this is the story of Edsel Bronfman becoming a man.
Among Wallace’s many writerly strengths – and one of his greatest – is his gift for inviting the reader into a character’s interior. Inner lives are rendered with such richness; a seemingly simple fellow like Bronfman is made fascinating even when he is at his deliberate dullest. That kind of vivid representation is relatively rare in the literary wild, yet common in Wallace’s pages. Yet despite the introspective nature of the depiction, the narrative pace is crisp and contagious.
“Extraordinary Adventures” is a thoughtful, poignant story of love and life, a deft bildungsroman depicting one man’s detour from the humdrum in order to embrace the possibilities that he never suspected he might want. A strong (as usual) offering from Daniel Wallace.
December 14, 2017
This is a pleasant, sometimes amusing little novel about a quirky 34 year old guy (Edsel Bronfman) who has let life pass him by. One day he gets a phone call from someone (clearly calling from a call center) who tells him he has won a free week end at a Florida beachfront condo timeshare...he only has to attend one meeting. The catch (and the entire impetus that sets this novel in motion) is that he can only go as a couple.
Since Bronfman has managed to get to the age he is without ever having had a girlfriend, he is jolted into action. His lonely life appears very stark to him, as he begins to question his existence. There are secondary characters who are also quirky (his mother, who has dementia), and several candidates for a love interest.
I would say this this is a quiet little book that could have been a bit better, but was not a bad read.
Since Bronfman has managed to get to the age he is without ever having had a girlfriend, he is jolted into action. His lonely life appears very stark to him, as he begins to question his existence. There are secondary characters who are also quirky (his mother, who has dementia), and several candidates for a love interest.
I would say this this is a quiet little book that could have been a bit better, but was not a bad read.
April 29, 2018
ARC received courtesy of Goodreads.com First Reads Giveaway
Such a quirky book!! Edsel Bronfman gets a phone call from a Time Share company called "Extraordinary Adventures". Yes, the phone call that most of us just hang up on as soon as possible. However, he talks to the operator and comes away from the conversation believing he has 78 days to find a companion and get to Destin, Florida. The next 95 days are a hoot! Edsel is a 34 year-old man with no friends, no girlfriend, no life. By the end of the book, the reader has taken ownership of Edsel and his non-life and is doing nothing but rooting for him!
I loved this book! Daniel Wallace is also the author of "Big Fish". He's a talented, hilarious author!
Such a quirky book!! Edsel Bronfman gets a phone call from a Time Share company called "Extraordinary Adventures". Yes, the phone call that most of us just hang up on as soon as possible. However, he talks to the operator and comes away from the conversation believing he has 78 days to find a companion and get to Destin, Florida. The next 95 days are a hoot! Edsel is a 34 year-old man with no friends, no girlfriend, no life. By the end of the book, the reader has taken ownership of Edsel and his non-life and is doing nothing but rooting for him!
I loved this book! Daniel Wallace is also the author of "Big Fish". He's a talented, hilarious author!
January 9, 2020
"Extraordinary Adventures" - written by Daniel Wallace and published in 2017 by St Martin's Press. A single man, acutely uncomfortable with himself and with the world he lives in, finds that he needs to have a companion in order to claim a free weekend at a time share condo on the beach. Thus the train wreck of his relationships with several women including his mother becomes this book. "You're so deep into the oddness of who you are that you don't notice when things are odd around you." Wallace has the skills to write a story that keeps you turning the pages, but I can't say I enjoyed it at all, although my discomfort was likely just what he was aiming for.
January 9, 2020
Extraordinary Adventures had a lot of promise that just didn't deliver. Edsel Bronfman had an ordinary job with an ordinary life until he received a call telling him he won a trip to beachfront property. Most readers will recognize this as a sales call for a timeshare. There was just a few conditions, he had to take a companion and he had a limited time to accept the offer. The remainder of the book followed Edsel in his pursuit of an appropriate woman to accompany him. Most of the characters including Bronfman were caricatures and the ending was anticlimactic.
July 29, 2017
I must confess this book got away from me at 50%, normally i read a book in a day, but something came up that made me too giddy to settle in reading. Being a library book I didn't have the luxury to pick it up later, so I ended up skimming to the end, to flitty to reconnect. I read when content and happy, with added power events in my life I get like a cat on a hot tin roof and bounce. Prior to my event I was really enjoying this clever quirky book, but wasn't relishing the seedy parts.
March 11, 2022
the first part was horrible. But the second part had couple of plot twists and actually pretty good. I didn't like the ending I mean WTF??!! I gave 2.5 stars just for the second part. Because the second part was actually pretty good. First part got me into a reading slump but second part got me out of it.
July 22, 2019
I truly loved this book. Daniel Wallace's characters really came to life in this quirky tale. I so enjoyed the interactions the characters had with Edsel and his "coming to life" story. If you are looking for an enjoyable summer, or anytime, read give it a shot.
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