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The Man Who Ate the 747
Piece by piece, a farmer is eating a Boeing 747 to prove his love for a woman... Written with tenderness, originality, and insight, filled with old-fashioned warmth and newfangled humor, it is an extraordinary novel, a found treasure that marks the emergence of a major storytelling talent.
This is a story of the greatest love, ever. An outlandish claim, outrageous perhaps, but trust me--
And so begin the enchanting, unforgettable tale of J. J. Smith, Keeper of the Records for The Book of Records, an ordinary man searching for the extraordinary. J.J. has clocked the world's longest continuous kiss, 30 hours and 45 minutes. He has verified the lengthiest single unbroken apple peel, 172 feet and 4 inches. He has measured the farthest flight of a champagne cork from an untreated, unheated bottle 177 feet 9 inches. He has tasted the world's largest menu item, whole-roasted Bedouin camel.
But in all his adventure from Australia to Zanzibar, J.J. has never witnessed great love until he comes upon a tiny windswept town in the heartland of America, where folks still talk about family, faith, and crops. Here, where he last expects it, J.J. discovers a world record attempt like no other: Piece by piece, a farmer is eating a Boeing 747 to prove his love for a woman.
In this vast landscape of cornfields and lightning storms, J.J. is doubly astounded to be struck by love from the same woman, Willa Wyatt of the honey eyes and wild blond hair. It is a feeling beyond measure, throwing J.J.'s carefully ordered world upside down, proving that hearts, like world records, can be broken, and the greatest wonders in life can not be qualified.
Richly romantic, whimsical, and uplifting, The Man Who Ate the 747 is a flight of fancy from start to finish. It stretches imagination, bends physics and biology, but believe it just a little and you may find yourself reaching for your own records, the kind that really count. Written with tenderness, originality, and insight, filled with old-fashioned warmth and newfangled humor, it is an extraordinary novel, a found treasure that marks the emergence of a major storytelling tale.
This is a story of the greatest love, ever. An outlandish claim, outrageous perhaps, but trust me--
And so begin the enchanting, unforgettable tale of J. J. Smith, Keeper of the Records for The Book of Records, an ordinary man searching for the extraordinary. J.J. has clocked the world's longest continuous kiss, 30 hours and 45 minutes. He has verified the lengthiest single unbroken apple peel, 172 feet and 4 inches. He has measured the farthest flight of a champagne cork from an untreated, unheated bottle 177 feet 9 inches. He has tasted the world's largest menu item, whole-roasted Bedouin camel.
But in all his adventure from Australia to Zanzibar, J.J. has never witnessed great love until he comes upon a tiny windswept town in the heartland of America, where folks still talk about family, faith, and crops. Here, where he last expects it, J.J. discovers a world record attempt like no other: Piece by piece, a farmer is eating a Boeing 747 to prove his love for a woman.
In this vast landscape of cornfields and lightning storms, J.J. is doubly astounded to be struck by love from the same woman, Willa Wyatt of the honey eyes and wild blond hair. It is a feeling beyond measure, throwing J.J.'s carefully ordered world upside down, proving that hearts, like world records, can be broken, and the greatest wonders in life can not be qualified.
Richly romantic, whimsical, and uplifting, The Man Who Ate the 747 is a flight of fancy from start to finish. It stretches imagination, bends physics and biology, but believe it just a little and you may find yourself reaching for your own records, the kind that really count. Written with tenderness, originality, and insight, filled with old-fashioned warmth and newfangled humor, it is an extraordinary novel, a found treasure that marks the emergence of a major storytelling tale.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
34 people are currently reading
706 people want to read
About the author
Ben Sherwood
12 books220 followersBen Sherwood is a bestselling author, award-winning journalist and founder of TheSurvivorsClub.org. From 2004 to 2006, he worked as executive producer of ABC’s Good Morning America during the two most successful seasons in the program’s history. Sherwood guided prize-winning coverage of the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the devastation of hurricane Katrina, and the presidential election of 2004
From 1997 to 2001, Sherwood served as senior broadcast producer and senior producer of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.
From 1989 to 1993, he worked as a producer and associate producer at ABC News PrimeTime Live with Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson.
Sherwood is the author of two critically acclaimed best-selling novels: The Man Who Ate the 747 and The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud. Sherwood’s books have been published around the world in 15 languages.
Charlie St. Cloud has been adapted as a feature film starring Zac Efron and was released by Universal Pictures in July 2010. The Man Who Ate the 747 is also being developed as a major motion picture and Broadway musical.
Sherwood’s latest book, The Survivors Club, is a non-fiction exploration of the science and secrets of who bounces back from everyday adversity and who doesn’t; who beats life-threatening disease and who succumbs; and who triumphs after economic hardship and who surrenders.
In January 2009, Sherwood founded TheSurvivorsClub.org, an online resource center and support network for people surviving and thriving in the face of all kinds of adversity.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College and a Rhodes Scholar, Sherwood earned masters degrees in history and development economics at Oxford University.
He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Karen Kehela Sherwood and their sons Will and Charlie.
From 1997 to 2001, Sherwood served as senior broadcast producer and senior producer of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.
From 1989 to 1993, he worked as a producer and associate producer at ABC News PrimeTime Live with Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson.
Sherwood is the author of two critically acclaimed best-selling novels: The Man Who Ate the 747 and The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud. Sherwood’s books have been published around the world in 15 languages.
Charlie St. Cloud has been adapted as a feature film starring Zac Efron and was released by Universal Pictures in July 2010. The Man Who Ate the 747 is also being developed as a major motion picture and Broadway musical.
Sherwood’s latest book, The Survivors Club, is a non-fiction exploration of the science and secrets of who bounces back from everyday adversity and who doesn’t; who beats life-threatening disease and who succumbs; and who triumphs after economic hardship and who surrenders.
In January 2009, Sherwood founded TheSurvivorsClub.org, an online resource center and support network for people surviving and thriving in the face of all kinds of adversity.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College and a Rhodes Scholar, Sherwood earned masters degrees in history and development economics at Oxford University.
He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Karen Kehela Sherwood and their sons Will and Charlie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
December 14, 2020
has this author ever spoken to a human woman
January 6, 2018
raises interesting questions, like: can a book be so bad as to constitute an act of terrorism
March 23, 2011
_ i saw this b0ok at the BOOKSALE and i was immediateLy captured by the titLe .. at that time, i d0nt have en0ugh m0ney t0 buy the b0ok, s0 i hid the b0ok under a L0t 0f 0ther b0oks , s0 n0 0ne w0uLd see it .. :))
after a few days, i went back and im s0 happy because it's stiLL there and i b0ught it instantLy .. and i never regretted having b0ught and read this b0ok becuse it is s0o g0od .. the characters were great and the st0ry was n0t a c0mm0n 0ne .. i LOVE it <3
after a few days, i went back and im s0 happy because it's stiLL there and i b0ught it instantLy .. and i never regretted having b0ught and read this b0ok becuse it is s0o g0od .. the characters were great and the st0ry was n0t a c0mm0n 0ne .. i LOVE it <3
December 6, 2017
Onvan : The Man Who Ate the 747 - Nevisande : Ben Sherwood - ISBN : 553582801 - ISBN13 : 9780553582802 - Dar 272 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2000
September 29, 2025
A book has not made me feel so much in so long. Simple prose with a beautiful message. Not all records are meant to be broken but love can be found in the cracks of the breaks!! Ladies, if he’s not eating a plane for u, he ain’t the one!!!!!!!!
April 2, 2008
[spoilers]
Attention authors, current and aspiring: putting your characters in a coma so they can miracously emerge at the story's climax is a wretched plot device.
The campy ending reflects one of the book's major flaws - it lacks originality. It's disappointing that a book about a man eating a 747 could be so boring, but if you fill the pages with bland characters and stock revelations, I suppose anything can happen. Will our leading man, John Smith, discover that love can't be summed up in statistics? Can love-wary Willa learn to trust him, even after he seemingly betrays her and her town? Will Wally realize that his dream girl has been right beside him all along? Don't think too hard about the answers - the author obviously didn't.
Not that this book was a total waste of time. For example, I learned that it seems to be relatively safe to eat an entire airplane. It was also kind of interesting to learn about the records compilation process, and the kids' letters to The Book are cute. But you'll have no trouble finding a better book about either star-crossed lovers or quirky Midwesterners. Pass on this one.
Attention authors, current and aspiring: putting your characters in a coma so they can miracously emerge at the story's climax is a wretched plot device.
The campy ending reflects one of the book's major flaws - it lacks originality. It's disappointing that a book about a man eating a 747 could be so boring, but if you fill the pages with bland characters and stock revelations, I suppose anything can happen. Will our leading man, John Smith, discover that love can't be summed up in statistics? Can love-wary Willa learn to trust him, even after he seemingly betrays her and her town? Will Wally realize that his dream girl has been right beside him all along? Don't think too hard about the answers - the author obviously didn't.
Not that this book was a total waste of time. For example, I learned that it seems to be relatively safe to eat an entire airplane. It was also kind of interesting to learn about the records compilation process, and the kids' letters to The Book are cute. But you'll have no trouble finding a better book about either star-crossed lovers or quirky Midwesterners. Pass on this one.
June 15, 2009
I bought this book, the first of this author's, after I read his second work (The Death and Life Of Charlie St.Cloud). I just like his style.
This book is even less dramatic than the second. It's just a love story in which one man literally eats an airplane for the woman he loves, and one man finds a love in the least expected place.
The narrative is so flowing that I can read in one sitting. All in all, it's a warm-heart and pleasant read.
This book is even less dramatic than the second. It's just a love story in which one man literally eats an airplane for the woman he loves, and one man finds a love in the least expected place.
The narrative is so flowing that I can read in one sitting. All in all, it's a warm-heart and pleasant read.
April 19, 2011
J.J is the record keeper for the World's Book of Records, who has traveled far and wide to record and verify world records of all kinds being created and shattered by aspirants who wanted to immortalize themselves through a mention in the Book. JJ's life revolved around seeking such greatness - he'd witnessed men do the most grueling and incredulous things to achieve that greatness. Through every euphoria of a "record", J.J lived his dreams vicariously and chased his life in search of more greatness. Having been accused of not knowing anything about love, he races to a little farmland in Nebraska to verify and record the feat of a farmer named Wally eating a junked Jumbo Jet 747, to prove his hopeless love to the much sought after maiden, Willa. In this curious adventure, J.J learns quite a few lessons about the nature of love, and witnesses quite a few records being created - asides the eating of a Jumbo Jet.
Typical of me, my immediate thoughts when I read the first few chapters were of immense curiosity of people who seemed so invincible and crazy to attempt such things, when there were bigger concerns in the world. News reporters and TV broadcasters acting like greedy vultures swooping in to make the most of such a ludicrous thing, was quite saddening... the harsh realities of our world, to look for ways of making money and surviving. Then I shushed those thoughts away, for that wasn't what the book was aiming to convey. Through a very charming, sweet and predictable love story, the author folds in the message that great records and wonders are not created through the raw facts of statistics and timing. There can be many men who might come forward to eat plenty more 747s, but their "greatness" would fall flat in the light of a simple and good farmer who loved a woman so much that his depth of love drove him to endure anything. Such an unquantifiable measure of love and pristine goodness is a record, a wonder. They say the best things in life, cannot be seen, bought or measured. These aspects cannot be caught in a single moment, frozen with timing and numbers, nor can they be preserved in a physical space of glasses and security. They are to be experienced, and felt... only to be stored in the folds of our brain lobes in the form of tiny electrical signals or as chemicals filling in the synapses of our memory. And such a record, a deep impression despite not worthy of qualification in any Book of Records, is an indelible wonder within us.
The tale teases skeptics of "true love", who cast it off as a mere work of hormones and chemicals - surges in dopamine and oxytocin, as nature's way of encouraging genetic intermingling. Through the book, I was reminded of the tale of the "Hunchback of Notrde Dame". A physically deformed beast of a person falls hopelessly in love with a bewitchingly beautiful gypsy all because she offered him a few drops of water - the only gesture of love and kindness the world had ever bestowed on him. He goes on to furiously stand by his loyalty to the woman. But contrary to the classic, the book promises a happy ending with a very heartwarming message that makes you go down memory lane - to recognize, appreciate and thank all the wonderful records people created for you, in their own little ways.
Typical of me, my immediate thoughts when I read the first few chapters were of immense curiosity of people who seemed so invincible and crazy to attempt such things, when there were bigger concerns in the world. News reporters and TV broadcasters acting like greedy vultures swooping in to make the most of such a ludicrous thing, was quite saddening... the harsh realities of our world, to look for ways of making money and surviving. Then I shushed those thoughts away, for that wasn't what the book was aiming to convey. Through a very charming, sweet and predictable love story, the author folds in the message that great records and wonders are not created through the raw facts of statistics and timing. There can be many men who might come forward to eat plenty more 747s, but their "greatness" would fall flat in the light of a simple and good farmer who loved a woman so much that his depth of love drove him to endure anything. Such an unquantifiable measure of love and pristine goodness is a record, a wonder. They say the best things in life, cannot be seen, bought or measured. These aspects cannot be caught in a single moment, frozen with timing and numbers, nor can they be preserved in a physical space of glasses and security. They are to be experienced, and felt... only to be stored in the folds of our brain lobes in the form of tiny electrical signals or as chemicals filling in the synapses of our memory. And such a record, a deep impression despite not worthy of qualification in any Book of Records, is an indelible wonder within us.
The tale teases skeptics of "true love", who cast it off as a mere work of hormones and chemicals - surges in dopamine and oxytocin, as nature's way of encouraging genetic intermingling. Through the book, I was reminded of the tale of the "Hunchback of Notrde Dame". A physically deformed beast of a person falls hopelessly in love with a bewitchingly beautiful gypsy all because she offered him a few drops of water - the only gesture of love and kindness the world had ever bestowed on him. He goes on to furiously stand by his loyalty to the woman. But contrary to the classic, the book promises a happy ending with a very heartwarming message that makes you go down memory lane - to recognize, appreciate and thank all the wonderful records people created for you, in their own little ways.
July 20, 2011
So you know how you aren’t supposed to judge a book by it’s cover? Well I imagine the same sentiment is probably applied to judging books by their titles. I have to admit that I do both. I have bought books because they were pretty, and very often I buy the most random books simply because they have a cool title. I further admit that they usually end up just sitting in my bookshelf, but as I have said before, I am finally doing something about that.
The Man Who Ate the 747 is one of my weird title books. And you know what? It really is about a man who eats a 747 – who woulda thunk?!
I tend to like these kinds of books. Easy reading with a bit of quirk. It claims to be the greatest love story ever in the beginning, and you spend most of the book going “ah sweet – alas no not really” but he does defend his statement in the end so it’s all good. You kind of know that since the protagonist is of the impression that love is basically a case of a chemical reaction in the brain caused by encountering subconsciously observed pheromones and symmetry that the poor guy is in for a bit of a ride. Granted the “ride” part could have been a little more emotionally exciting but it was sweet none-the-less.
Not the best book I’ve ever read but also not at all painful. Kind of all I want from a reading session.
The Man Who Ate the 747 is one of my weird title books. And you know what? It really is about a man who eats a 747 – who woulda thunk?!
I tend to like these kinds of books. Easy reading with a bit of quirk. It claims to be the greatest love story ever in the beginning, and you spend most of the book going “ah sweet – alas no not really” but he does defend his statement in the end so it’s all good. You kind of know that since the protagonist is of the impression that love is basically a case of a chemical reaction in the brain caused by encountering subconsciously observed pheromones and symmetry that the poor guy is in for a bit of a ride. Granted the “ride” part could have been a little more emotionally exciting but it was sweet none-the-less.
Not the best book I’ve ever read but also not at all painful. Kind of all I want from a reading session.
June 9, 2013
I don't know what to make of this book. I think it was supposed to be a Nicholas Sparks wannabe, but I'm not sure it pulled it off. And, to be fair, Sparks is good but certainly not one I run out to buy. So, with that said, I think the attempt at a cute love story was here, but it just didn't live up to it. This is what I think a Lifetime movie special would be. Man works for a pretend Guinness World Records. Travels the world recording greatness, is scientific and has never had love. Goes to po-dunk farm town, finds tough girl of his dreams who is also pined after by a farmer eating a 747 to prove his love to her. Yes, you read that correctly. It is never quite known why he decided to eat the airplane, and it is quite unbelievable (he has a machine that grinds the parts down, he sprinkles the shavings on his cereal) and honestly just stupid. I never saw the point and never fell for the "man will do anything to show his love." I mean, come on. World guy falls in love with girl, triangle and emotions occur, everything falls apart. You can probably guess the rest. So, does it make it in my top 100? Nope, not even close.
February 21, 2015
I started reading this book because of its title.
I am a little ashamed of myself for that but ... what can I do - it is true.
It is a nice heartwarming love story set in a peculiar place (superior place actually :-) ) and having as protagonists a lady newspaper editor, a farmer eating a 747, a Book of records official, and a nurse which s entirely side character.
I liked it, but it is not the book the planet needs to continue spinning - but on the other hand, no book is.
**************************************
To honor his dad, J.J. proposed and created a whole section on roads in The Book. He measured the longest, the worst, the highest, the lowest, the widest, the steepest. He traveled to Ripatransone, Italy, to verify the narrowest: Vicolo della Virilita, 1 foot 5 inches wide. He visited Bacup, England, to inspect the shortest: Elgin Street, 17 feet long.
I am a little ashamed of myself for that but ... what can I do - it is true.
It is a nice heartwarming love story set in a peculiar place (superior place actually :-) ) and having as protagonists a lady newspaper editor, a farmer eating a 747, a Book of records official, and a nurse which s entirely side character.
I liked it, but it is not the book the planet needs to continue spinning - but on the other hand, no book is.
**************************************
To honor his dad, J.J. proposed and created a whole section on roads in The Book. He measured the longest, the worst, the highest, the lowest, the widest, the steepest. He traveled to Ripatransone, Italy, to verify the narrowest: Vicolo della Virilita, 1 foot 5 inches wide. He visited Bacup, England, to inspect the shortest: Elgin Street, 17 feet long.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2019
This is actually the second time that I have read this book - the first time was back in high school. And I loved it just as much the second time around. I remember immediately loaning it out to friends in high school, and after finishing it again, I had that same feeling of just wanting to share this story! It's a simple and sweet novel and the way the world records are interwoven into the book makes it all that more enjoyable to read. Really, it's a lot of fun! I've continued to watch out for Sherwood over the years and while I did enjoy his most recent foray into non-fiction, I hope that he returns to storytelling because this book really displays his real gift for it. This may not be the world's greatest love story, but it's certainly a special one! I really enjoyed re-reading this, and am already looking forward to re-reading it again someday!
November 17, 2015
The Man Who Ate the 747 is hilarious, wonderful, lovely, romantic and touching. Wally is the man who would actually eat a Boing 747 which was drifted and crashed on the little farm in Nebraska to show and prove his love to a girl he have been crushing on since he was 10 years old, Willa. On the other hand, J.J Smith, the keeper of The Book of Records, who has spent his whole life dedicated to The Book of Records on finding new record breakers came across a letter and reliable source about a man who plans to eat the Boeing 747 and has decided to travel to Nebraska to time and witness the potential record. Fate brings them together and they both find love. This book is so fun for an easy reading. I am glad I found this in my university library.
April 10, 2013
4.5 stars
adore this charming and original love story. It is full of small town warmth and spirit and it is sure to inspire you, at least a little. I wouldn’t want anyone to eat a 747 for me, but I had to admire Wally ingenuity. It’s amazing to find out what foods you can put ground up metal into. It should have included a few recipes in the back
The quirky characters and plot will bring a smile to your face. This was not at all what I expected, but I cannot recommend it enough. At only 250 pages it is a quick, worthwhile read. It’s my favorite book so far this year.
there's more on my blog http://stacybuckeye.wordpress.com/200...
adore this charming and original love story. It is full of small town warmth and spirit and it is sure to inspire you, at least a little. I wouldn’t want anyone to eat a 747 for me, but I had to admire Wally ingenuity. It’s amazing to find out what foods you can put ground up metal into. It should have included a few recipes in the back
The quirky characters and plot will bring a smile to your face. This was not at all what I expected, but I cannot recommend it enough. At only 250 pages it is a quick, worthwhile read. It’s my favorite book so far this year.
there's more on my blog http://stacybuckeye.wordpress.com/200...
August 14, 2013
Not my usual genre. But then this is not your usual book. There's a man who needs to read this. But he's not much of a reader. So I'll wait until it's a rom-com chick flick - which neither of us watch - and sit down with him and say, "Look. Other people are eating planes for their loves too, the way you do for me." If you want to believe in humanity again, read this book.
October 20, 2009
A light read with a good romantic edge for us girlies!
May 6, 2016
Nice easy book. It was okay.
Read
January 8, 2011 “Richly romantic, whimsical, and uplifting, The Man Who Ate the 747 is a flight of fancy from start to finish.” So says the back flap of the little book I was unfortunate enough to choose to read, and would in fact very much like to incinerate, but I’ll have to settle for doing it with words rather than fire, as I’m not terribly good with matches but do fairly well using words to get my point across. And this is a point I’m eager to make: The Man Who Ate the 747 is an absolutely abominably bad book and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who doesn’t wish to die of sheer boredom or frustration that such a horrible book actually exists.
Romantic? Whimsical? A flight of fancy? Oh, definitely. And I’m Ernest Hemingway after a few too many drinks and a sex change. The only way this book is a flight of fancy is if you’re taking some kind of drug while reading it. A strong drug. Seriously strong. Strong enough to make Ben Sherwood’s two-dimensional characters and predictable plot seem appealing. Strong enough to make jerky, forced prose and clumsy scraps of “romance” seem “rich” and “whimsical”. So this has got to be really strong stuff, dig? While I generally wouldn’t recommend either drugs or this book, if you’re bent on doing one, you might as well have the other.
I wish someone would have given me this warning, because The Man Who Ate the 747 is so bad, it’s almost painful. The screaming inside my head got louder with every page I turned. I was surprised I hadn’t gone deaf by the time I finally reached the end. The Man Who Ate the 747 is one of those books where, in the immortal words of Mark Twain, “Once you put it down, you can’t pick it up.”
The Man Who Ate the 747 tells the story of J.J. Smith, a Keeper of Records for The Book of Records, Sherwood’s fictionalized version of The Guinness Book of World Records. J.J. is experiencing creative burnout in terms of his career – there are very few exciting new records for him to record, and his boss’s patience with him is wearing thin. Just in time to save himself from being fired, he catches wind of what might be the greatest record yet: in Superior, Nebraska, a man is eating a Boeing 747 to prove his love for a woman. J.J. travels to Superior, where everyone is awed by his worldly demeanor and perfectly symmetrical nose – everyone, that is, except for Wally Chubb, the man eating the giant plane, and Willa Wyatt, the blonde, honey-eyed editor of the local newspaper for whom he’s eating it. Wally isn’t interested in setting any record, and Willa, a little keener than most of the folks in Superior, knows that any fame J.J. could bring Superior would be short-lived, and just wants him to go away before anyone gets hurt. Especially her, as, in what would be a plot twist in a different book, she finds herself falling in love not with the man eating the 747, but with an official for a certain Book…
From J.J.’s arrival in Superior, the book follows a predictable path as J.J. convinces Wally to go for the record to impress Willa and then falls for her himself. J.J. and Willa’s relationship seems to go relatively smoothly, barring the inconvenience of Wally, until The Book decides to drop Wally’s record. J.J. receives this news while dining with Willa and her family but brushes off their questions by claiming everything to be fine. That night, Willa and J.J. consummate their relationship to the sound of rain falling on the tin roof of her trailer, but the next day, J.J. answers a call from his boss and learns that he has to leave for Greece to document a new record attempt. Immediately. He leaves Willa without an explanation as the town empties of the reporters who no longer have a story. Sensing that Willa is hurting and angry, Wally, in his crowning moment, breaks J.J.’s perfect nose and runs him out of town, figuring that’s the end of it.
It isn’t, of course, as J.J., realizing what he must do to win Superior’s forgiveness and Willa’s love, leaves Greece in the middle of timing an attempt to break the world record for motionlessness and returns to Superior. He and Willa realize that they are meant for each other, et cetera, and Wally finally recognizes the person who was been there for him all along, loving him in her own quiet way: Willa’s best friend, Rose. Convenient, yes?
One of 747’s biggest flaws is that its characters are flat, two-dimensional creations, which makes them very hard to like or empathize with. The good guys (Wally and Willa) are given multitudes of good qualities and not enough bad ones to flesh them out and make them seem human, and very little back story is provided to explain why they are the way they are. The bad guy (J.J., for most of the book) seems like a pompous jerk who is obsessed with his records and statistics, and isn’t given any redeeming qualities until near the end of the story, when he makes a public apology to the town and finally settles down with Willa. Perhaps the best example of this is the scene in which J.J. talks to Wally before sending him out to meet the media.
“She sure is pretty, isn’t she?”
“Yes, beautiful.”
“Prettiest girl in the world. You got a record for that?”
“Nope, too subjective,” J.J. said. “but I’ve done some research in this area. I know a thing or two. Turns out symmetrical features are the key to human attraction. Men with well-proportioned facial bone structure have sex four years earlier on average than asymmetrical men.”
J.J. nudged his way in front of the mirror and examined himself.
“I’m nothing special to look at,” he said “but I do have a perfectly symmetrical nose.”
J.J. goes on to list the characteristics and measurements of his nose, further proof of his vanity, which isn’t a trait most people admire or desire.
“What about feelings?” Wally asks later. “What about true love?”
“Love?” J.J. says. “I hate to break it to you, but its all brain chemistry. You see a pretty girl and you get a blast of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. That’s why you feel excited. Same with happiness. It’s just an electrical impulse from your left prefrontal cortex.”
I’d like to take a piece out of your left prefrontal cortex, is the reaction I had upon reading that. Honestly, who could like J.J.? He is portrayed as sanctimonious, cold, vain, and condescending for so much of the book that when he finally loosens up and lightens up as he falls in love with Willa, he’s not believable. When J.J. was about to leave town with the reporters, leaving Willa crying by her truck, I actually cheered as Wally broke his nose.
You know a book is bad if you smile when the hero gets his nose broken.
As bad as or worse than the lifeless characters is Sherwood’s awkward, jerky style. One would hope that if the plot is ridiculous and the characters flat, at least the writing might be good. Nope. Not here. Look at the way the book begins.
This is the story of the greatest love, ever.
An outlandish claim, outrageous perhaps, but trust me. I know about these things. You see, I was Keeper of the Records for The Book of Records. I sifted through the extravagant claims of the tallest, the smallest, the fastest, the slowest, the oldest, the youngest, the heaviest, the lightest, and everyone in between.
Okay, we get it. You measured things. The repetition is redundant and pretentious, and even though this is the beginning of J.J.’s narration, leading into a flashback, he’s still got that unshakeable know-it-all air that makes me want to strangle him, and it certainly isn’t conducive to a good storytelling mood.
Furthermore, the book makes me ache for compound sentences. I never fully realized the value of a conjunction until I read The Man Who Ate the 747. After J.J. receives the call about Wally’s record being excluded from The Book, the narration goes like this:
J.J. sat down with a thud on the porch steps.
He stared out at the puffy clouds rising in the west. Ten-footers. Not even close to the world record, 25 feet 5 ½ inches, but they were gorgeous.
He wanted to run for the fields, disappear into all those flowers. What on earth was he going to do now?
When Sherwood’s writing wasn’t busy making me irritated, it was being overly cliché and saccharine to the point of risking crossover to tacky purple prose. 747 oozes sap like a Vermont maple tree, and it’s not even good at it. It’s not even tasteful sap. J.J. and Willa’s morning after is a prime example of how not to write anything, ever.
She touched J.J.’s feet with one of her own. She took his hand. Looked at his long fingers. He had touched every part of her, and now she tingled with the fingerprints of love.
He coughed.
“You awake?” she said.
He muttered something.
“I can’t believe this,” she said. “It’s wonderful. You are wonderful.”
He gave her hand a quick squeeze.
“That’s just your oxytocin talking.”
Need I say more?
The Man Who Ate the 747 is not “an extraordinary novel,” it is not “a delightful and surprising book from start to finish,” and my heartstrings were only tugged thinking of the myriad other people who may also have made the same mistake in reading it. It was slow-moving, clumsily written, and awkwardly executed, and I have no idea how a book so completely awful got published. To anyone who has already read it, I offer my condolences, and to anyone planning to, my sincere hope that he’ll change his mind. To the author: Ben Sherwood, I’m sorry. These words may be difficult for you to read now, but I’m sure one day you’ll look back on this and laugh, remembering your folly of writing an outrageously bad novel. It’ll all be okay.
But please don’t try to write another one.
Romantic? Whimsical? A flight of fancy? Oh, definitely. And I’m Ernest Hemingway after a few too many drinks and a sex change. The only way this book is a flight of fancy is if you’re taking some kind of drug while reading it. A strong drug. Seriously strong. Strong enough to make Ben Sherwood’s two-dimensional characters and predictable plot seem appealing. Strong enough to make jerky, forced prose and clumsy scraps of “romance” seem “rich” and “whimsical”. So this has got to be really strong stuff, dig? While I generally wouldn’t recommend either drugs or this book, if you’re bent on doing one, you might as well have the other.
I wish someone would have given me this warning, because The Man Who Ate the 747 is so bad, it’s almost painful. The screaming inside my head got louder with every page I turned. I was surprised I hadn’t gone deaf by the time I finally reached the end. The Man Who Ate the 747 is one of those books where, in the immortal words of Mark Twain, “Once you put it down, you can’t pick it up.”
The Man Who Ate the 747 tells the story of J.J. Smith, a Keeper of Records for The Book of Records, Sherwood’s fictionalized version of The Guinness Book of World Records. J.J. is experiencing creative burnout in terms of his career – there are very few exciting new records for him to record, and his boss’s patience with him is wearing thin. Just in time to save himself from being fired, he catches wind of what might be the greatest record yet: in Superior, Nebraska, a man is eating a Boeing 747 to prove his love for a woman. J.J. travels to Superior, where everyone is awed by his worldly demeanor and perfectly symmetrical nose – everyone, that is, except for Wally Chubb, the man eating the giant plane, and Willa Wyatt, the blonde, honey-eyed editor of the local newspaper for whom he’s eating it. Wally isn’t interested in setting any record, and Willa, a little keener than most of the folks in Superior, knows that any fame J.J. could bring Superior would be short-lived, and just wants him to go away before anyone gets hurt. Especially her, as, in what would be a plot twist in a different book, she finds herself falling in love not with the man eating the 747, but with an official for a certain Book…
From J.J.’s arrival in Superior, the book follows a predictable path as J.J. convinces Wally to go for the record to impress Willa and then falls for her himself. J.J. and Willa’s relationship seems to go relatively smoothly, barring the inconvenience of Wally, until The Book decides to drop Wally’s record. J.J. receives this news while dining with Willa and her family but brushes off their questions by claiming everything to be fine. That night, Willa and J.J. consummate their relationship to the sound of rain falling on the tin roof of her trailer, but the next day, J.J. answers a call from his boss and learns that he has to leave for Greece to document a new record attempt. Immediately. He leaves Willa without an explanation as the town empties of the reporters who no longer have a story. Sensing that Willa is hurting and angry, Wally, in his crowning moment, breaks J.J.’s perfect nose and runs him out of town, figuring that’s the end of it.
It isn’t, of course, as J.J., realizing what he must do to win Superior’s forgiveness and Willa’s love, leaves Greece in the middle of timing an attempt to break the world record for motionlessness and returns to Superior. He and Willa realize that they are meant for each other, et cetera, and Wally finally recognizes the person who was been there for him all along, loving him in her own quiet way: Willa’s best friend, Rose. Convenient, yes?
One of 747’s biggest flaws is that its characters are flat, two-dimensional creations, which makes them very hard to like or empathize with. The good guys (Wally and Willa) are given multitudes of good qualities and not enough bad ones to flesh them out and make them seem human, and very little back story is provided to explain why they are the way they are. The bad guy (J.J., for most of the book) seems like a pompous jerk who is obsessed with his records and statistics, and isn’t given any redeeming qualities until near the end of the story, when he makes a public apology to the town and finally settles down with Willa. Perhaps the best example of this is the scene in which J.J. talks to Wally before sending him out to meet the media.
“She sure is pretty, isn’t she?”
“Yes, beautiful.”
“Prettiest girl in the world. You got a record for that?”
“Nope, too subjective,” J.J. said. “but I’ve done some research in this area. I know a thing or two. Turns out symmetrical features are the key to human attraction. Men with well-proportioned facial bone structure have sex four years earlier on average than asymmetrical men.”
J.J. nudged his way in front of the mirror and examined himself.
“I’m nothing special to look at,” he said “but I do have a perfectly symmetrical nose.”
J.J. goes on to list the characteristics and measurements of his nose, further proof of his vanity, which isn’t a trait most people admire or desire.
“What about feelings?” Wally asks later. “What about true love?”
“Love?” J.J. says. “I hate to break it to you, but its all brain chemistry. You see a pretty girl and you get a blast of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. That’s why you feel excited. Same with happiness. It’s just an electrical impulse from your left prefrontal cortex.”
I’d like to take a piece out of your left prefrontal cortex, is the reaction I had upon reading that. Honestly, who could like J.J.? He is portrayed as sanctimonious, cold, vain, and condescending for so much of the book that when he finally loosens up and lightens up as he falls in love with Willa, he’s not believable. When J.J. was about to leave town with the reporters, leaving Willa crying by her truck, I actually cheered as Wally broke his nose.
You know a book is bad if you smile when the hero gets his nose broken.
As bad as or worse than the lifeless characters is Sherwood’s awkward, jerky style. One would hope that if the plot is ridiculous and the characters flat, at least the writing might be good. Nope. Not here. Look at the way the book begins.
This is the story of the greatest love, ever.
An outlandish claim, outrageous perhaps, but trust me. I know about these things. You see, I was Keeper of the Records for The Book of Records. I sifted through the extravagant claims of the tallest, the smallest, the fastest, the slowest, the oldest, the youngest, the heaviest, the lightest, and everyone in between.
Okay, we get it. You measured things. The repetition is redundant and pretentious, and even though this is the beginning of J.J.’s narration, leading into a flashback, he’s still got that unshakeable know-it-all air that makes me want to strangle him, and it certainly isn’t conducive to a good storytelling mood.
Furthermore, the book makes me ache for compound sentences. I never fully realized the value of a conjunction until I read The Man Who Ate the 747. After J.J. receives the call about Wally’s record being excluded from The Book, the narration goes like this:
J.J. sat down with a thud on the porch steps.
He stared out at the puffy clouds rising in the west. Ten-footers. Not even close to the world record, 25 feet 5 ½ inches, but they were gorgeous.
He wanted to run for the fields, disappear into all those flowers. What on earth was he going to do now?
When Sherwood’s writing wasn’t busy making me irritated, it was being overly cliché and saccharine to the point of risking crossover to tacky purple prose. 747 oozes sap like a Vermont maple tree, and it’s not even good at it. It’s not even tasteful sap. J.J. and Willa’s morning after is a prime example of how not to write anything, ever.
She touched J.J.’s feet with one of her own. She took his hand. Looked at his long fingers. He had touched every part of her, and now she tingled with the fingerprints of love.
He coughed.
“You awake?” she said.
He muttered something.
“I can’t believe this,” she said. “It’s wonderful. You are wonderful.”
He gave her hand a quick squeeze.
“That’s just your oxytocin talking.”
Need I say more?
The Man Who Ate the 747 is not “an extraordinary novel,” it is not “a delightful and surprising book from start to finish,” and my heartstrings were only tugged thinking of the myriad other people who may also have made the same mistake in reading it. It was slow-moving, clumsily written, and awkwardly executed, and I have no idea how a book so completely awful got published. To anyone who has already read it, I offer my condolences, and to anyone planning to, my sincere hope that he’ll change his mind. To the author: Ben Sherwood, I’m sorry. These words may be difficult for you to read now, but I’m sure one day you’ll look back on this and laugh, remembering your folly of writing an outrageously bad novel. It’ll all be okay.
But please don’t try to write another one.
December 29, 2022
I really liked this book. I picked it up during my recent visit to the thrift store here (as it's been the case lately). I was certainly intrigued by the title and testimonials so I did not bother to check Goodreads before buying. Now, I am glad I didn't otherwise I probably would not have purchased this one considering some of the negative reviews on top. That's the thing about subjective opinions, especially when it comes to books, considering them is fine but you should not be deterred if a few people didn't end up liking them. That book could be the one for you at that moment. Having said that, let's move on to the review.
I think this book fairly balances the rationality and irrationality of love - the pain of unrequited affection to the serendipity of having found one and the apprehensions of being vulnerable after having been hurt before. I see the title as a euphemism for doing something for someone that might surprise the self. People do go above and beyond to express their liking and if nobody is getting hurt (physically), then I think that action is justified, as was the case in this book. Also, physical discomfort pales in comparison to the pain of longing, believe me.
The matter of the heart is complicated and convoluted but that's the beauty of it. I think any love starts with infatuation, a rather strong one, that feels indistinguishable from actual things to us ordinary beings. Real love is built over time through reciprocation, mutual respect, and care. So a strong infatuation is needed. It is the seed that grows into the tree of love and that seed could be planted in a multitude of ways. For some it could be physical beauty while for others it could be the mental and emotional resonance, maybe a feeling of comfort and ease in the presence of the other - whatever ignites the fire and you know its the best feeling in the world when the other feels the same about you. You may be on a meandering road, hopelessly charting your course or curiously searching, the path to love is not usually straight and it's not the destination but a journey together.
Ben Sherwood creates beautiful scenery with his words. There is straightforwardness in his descriptions yet they may feel lyrical at times. I loved how he seamlessly incorporated the elements of world records - the unbelievable facts, inconceivable feats, the weirdness and idiosyncrasy of it - into the narrative. No matter how great your analysis of dopamine or serotonin is, loving someone is an irrational act. If you put logic into it, maybe your love is conditional and you should be questioning if it is even love. Anyway, this justification at the end about it being the story of the greatest love ever beautifully summarizes how you should be approaching this book - "Each one of us - even mere mortals named John Smith - can claim the record for the greatest love, ever, if we can only cast off our ambivalence and recognize it when we find it, pure and true."
I would highly recommend this book, especially to those who have done or continue to do something crazy for love, if not for the assurance then at least for the validation of their ambitious endeavours.
I think this book fairly balances the rationality and irrationality of love - the pain of unrequited affection to the serendipity of having found one and the apprehensions of being vulnerable after having been hurt before. I see the title as a euphemism for doing something for someone that might surprise the self. People do go above and beyond to express their liking and if nobody is getting hurt (physically), then I think that action is justified, as was the case in this book. Also, physical discomfort pales in comparison to the pain of longing, believe me.
The matter of the heart is complicated and convoluted but that's the beauty of it. I think any love starts with infatuation, a rather strong one, that feels indistinguishable from actual things to us ordinary beings. Real love is built over time through reciprocation, mutual respect, and care. So a strong infatuation is needed. It is the seed that grows into the tree of love and that seed could be planted in a multitude of ways. For some it could be physical beauty while for others it could be the mental and emotional resonance, maybe a feeling of comfort and ease in the presence of the other - whatever ignites the fire and you know its the best feeling in the world when the other feels the same about you. You may be on a meandering road, hopelessly charting your course or curiously searching, the path to love is not usually straight and it's not the destination but a journey together.
Ben Sherwood creates beautiful scenery with his words. There is straightforwardness in his descriptions yet they may feel lyrical at times. I loved how he seamlessly incorporated the elements of world records - the unbelievable facts, inconceivable feats, the weirdness and idiosyncrasy of it - into the narrative. No matter how great your analysis of dopamine or serotonin is, loving someone is an irrational act. If you put logic into it, maybe your love is conditional and you should be questioning if it is even love. Anyway, this justification at the end about it being the story of the greatest love ever beautifully summarizes how you should be approaching this book - "Each one of us - even mere mortals named John Smith - can claim the record for the greatest love, ever, if we can only cast off our ambivalence and recognize it when we find it, pure and true."
I would highly recommend this book, especially to those who have done or continue to do something crazy for love, if not for the assurance then at least for the validation of their ambitious endeavours.
August 27, 2024
**MINOR SPOILERS**
This is the first book I have read by the author. The title and story line caught my eye so I thought I would give it a try.
There are parts of the book that are sad. The town of Superior, Nebraska is dying. In one scene, a couple is losing their farm and everything they have is being auctioned off. This is, I think, to contrast to some points and changes that are made later, but they are still sad.
One of the main characters, JJ, is in danger of losing his job. He lives in a small apartment in New York city. He is described as having frayed clothing and I was not sure that fit his character. His life revolved around certifying world records. I would have thought he would take care of his appearance while in the official sport coat. It is explained later that his clothes are frayed because there is no one to take care of him. It may also have been that he himself did not think he was worthy of care. I thought this could have been explained a bit better to develop the character. He makes some decisions towards the end of the story that I did not like very much.
Wally, the man eating the airplane, is doing so in the hopes that the woman he loves will notice him. In one part of the book, the author writes that no one came to his birthday party as a child. I am not sure why they would not do so. In a small town, a birthday party would be an unusual event. Unless Wally is very odd or creepy in some way, I would have thought that the other parents would get their kids to go. Wally’s parents are written as very supportive of him. You would think that perhaps they would have known their son had social issues and might have done something to ensure kids would come. I know the author wrote it as a way to show that Wally is lonely and sad and to give an indication of how other people might see him, but still. At the end, (spoilers) the town does show that they care for him. That was a wonderful moment. I think the author could have done a little more to explain if they always felt that way or if the attention brought to the town helped them realize Wally was a good person and part of their community.
Willa is Wally’s inspiration. When she first meets JJ, she comes across a bit harsh. I thought her character could have been developed a little more as well. Some of her history is given, but I never really knew if she was shy or outgoing, funny or not, etc.
It was easy to put down this book and take breaks from it. The important underlying messages at the end, of the way the town comes together for Wally and the lesson that JJ learns, are the best parts of the book. The way the press handled their coverage seemed realistic to me. I dinged the book on character development.
This is the first book I have read by the author. The title and story line caught my eye so I thought I would give it a try.
There are parts of the book that are sad. The town of Superior, Nebraska is dying. In one scene, a couple is losing their farm and everything they have is being auctioned off. This is, I think, to contrast to some points and changes that are made later, but they are still sad.
One of the main characters, JJ, is in danger of losing his job. He lives in a small apartment in New York city. He is described as having frayed clothing and I was not sure that fit his character. His life revolved around certifying world records. I would have thought he would take care of his appearance while in the official sport coat. It is explained later that his clothes are frayed because there is no one to take care of him. It may also have been that he himself did not think he was worthy of care. I thought this could have been explained a bit better to develop the character. He makes some decisions towards the end of the story that I did not like very much.
Wally, the man eating the airplane, is doing so in the hopes that the woman he loves will notice him. In one part of the book, the author writes that no one came to his birthday party as a child. I am not sure why they would not do so. In a small town, a birthday party would be an unusual event. Unless Wally is very odd or creepy in some way, I would have thought that the other parents would get their kids to go. Wally’s parents are written as very supportive of him. You would think that perhaps they would have known their son had social issues and might have done something to ensure kids would come. I know the author wrote it as a way to show that Wally is lonely and sad and to give an indication of how other people might see him, but still. At the end, (spoilers) the town does show that they care for him. That was a wonderful moment. I think the author could have done a little more to explain if they always felt that way or if the attention brought to the town helped them realize Wally was a good person and part of their community.
Willa is Wally’s inspiration. When she first meets JJ, she comes across a bit harsh. I thought her character could have been developed a little more as well. Some of her history is given, but I never really knew if she was shy or outgoing, funny or not, etc.
It was easy to put down this book and take breaks from it. The important underlying messages at the end, of the way the town comes together for Wally and the lesson that JJ learns, are the best parts of the book. The way the press handled their coverage seemed realistic to me. I dinged the book on character development.
September 11, 2023
J.J.efferson Airplane
J. J. Smith lavora per il Guinness dei Primati. Passa la vita in viaggio a misurare, pesare e quantificare astruse (e caparbie) prodezze altrui. Per lui ogni cosa ha necessità di essere vidimata affinché possa considerarsi vera. Amore compreso: per questo Emily l’ha lasciato, dopo una promessa di matrimonio durata anni. Nel lavoro non va meglio, e anzi. Da tempo non riesce a catturare un vero record che possa essere inserito in quel maledetto libro.
Decide quindi di partire per la cittadina di Superior, in Nebraska, a caccia di un primato talmente assurdo da risvegliare la sua curiosità e salvare il posto di lavoro: un contadino chiamato Wally Chubb è in procinto di mangiarsi un intero Boeing 747 per dimostrare il proprio amore a Willa Wyatt, direttrice del quotidiano locale.
Non spoilero ulteriormente, se non per dire che Ben Sherwood (poi divenuto davvero cittadino onorario di Superior) racconta una storia che è ‘quasi’ tutta vera. Record compresi, che - al pari dei cuori - sono nati per essere infranti.
Preso tempo addietro in una bancarella, vedo che è ancora disponibile a prezzacci. Con quattro euro sono riuscito a candeggiare il martellamento mediatico del generale (dietro la collina. Ma tanto dietro) e del Morgano-caso-umano.
“Emily gli aveva rivolto un sorriso sghembo. - Sai tutto su chi è stato il più veloce ad arrampicarsi su una palma da cocco, o sul cavolfiore più grande del mondo, ma non sai qual è la cosa più importante dell'amore. - Si era asciugata una lacrima dagli occhi color del mare. - È quella l'unica forma di grandezza che conta, e spero che un giorno la troverai anche tu.
L'aveva amata? E lei, lo aveva amato? Quel giorno era partito per la Finlandia, dove si teneva l'annuale campionato del mondo di Corsa con la Moglie. Quando Imre Ambros, dell'Estonia, aveva trionfato portandosi in spalle Annela Ojaste lungo un percorso a ostacoli di 235 metri in 1 minuto 4 secondi e 50 centesimi, J.J. aveva iniziato a interrogarsi sulla natura dell'amore”.
J. J. Smith lavora per il Guinness dei Primati. Passa la vita in viaggio a misurare, pesare e quantificare astruse (e caparbie) prodezze altrui. Per lui ogni cosa ha necessità di essere vidimata affinché possa considerarsi vera. Amore compreso: per questo Emily l’ha lasciato, dopo una promessa di matrimonio durata anni. Nel lavoro non va meglio, e anzi. Da tempo non riesce a catturare un vero record che possa essere inserito in quel maledetto libro.
Decide quindi di partire per la cittadina di Superior, in Nebraska, a caccia di un primato talmente assurdo da risvegliare la sua curiosità e salvare il posto di lavoro: un contadino chiamato Wally Chubb è in procinto di mangiarsi un intero Boeing 747 per dimostrare il proprio amore a Willa Wyatt, direttrice del quotidiano locale.
Non spoilero ulteriormente, se non per dire che Ben Sherwood (poi divenuto davvero cittadino onorario di Superior) racconta una storia che è ‘quasi’ tutta vera. Record compresi, che - al pari dei cuori - sono nati per essere infranti.
Preso tempo addietro in una bancarella, vedo che è ancora disponibile a prezzacci. Con quattro euro sono riuscito a candeggiare il martellamento mediatico del generale (dietro la collina. Ma tanto dietro) e del Morgano-caso-umano.
“Emily gli aveva rivolto un sorriso sghembo. - Sai tutto su chi è stato il più veloce ad arrampicarsi su una palma da cocco, o sul cavolfiore più grande del mondo, ma non sai qual è la cosa più importante dell'amore. - Si era asciugata una lacrima dagli occhi color del mare. - È quella l'unica forma di grandezza che conta, e spero che un giorno la troverai anche tu.
L'aveva amata? E lei, lo aveva amato? Quel giorno era partito per la Finlandia, dove si teneva l'annuale campionato del mondo di Corsa con la Moglie. Quando Imre Ambros, dell'Estonia, aveva trionfato portandosi in spalle Annela Ojaste lungo un percorso a ostacoli di 235 metri in 1 minuto 4 secondi e 50 centesimi, J.J. aveva iniziato a interrogarsi sulla natura dell'amore”.
April 17, 2019
TOM ROBBINS (VERY) LITE. This is a pleasant story told by a nice man, with a pleasing ending that affirms the value of love. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, unless you count occasional outbreaks of dullness. It's just...... very lightweight. It reminds me of Tom Robbins, especially his early stuff like 'Another Roadside Attraction', because it deals with contemporary America and it has the same tone/approach as Tom Robbins. But Tom Robbins's books are multi-layered, funny, dazzling and inspiring, whereas Ben Sherwood's books cover a single idea very slowly and without much lift or hilarity. So if you like 'Charlie St Cloud' or 'The Man Who Ate The 747', then I urge you to seek out some of Tom Robbins's books and see what a fully delightful experience a modern American novel can sometimes be.
April 12, 2019
this book was on the suggested shelf of the EG library, it was short and light a good diversion from the Gentlemen in Moscow novel I was reading so i picked it up. Stupid plot, and truly the novel was only written so people would send in submissions to the author's future Book of Wonder.
Plot- stupid
characters- ok and a little growth in some
Scene- nice mid west small town
Tension- acceptable for a short story
Climax- acceptable for a short story
Quotes:
page 174 Righty about his wife of many years - "Easier to bring her a long than to kiss her good-bye'"
Page 111 - Rosie - "mostly that love could start with a spark, a twirl on the dance floor, but could grow only with understanding and acceptance of other. That true love meant knowing someone the way they know themselves. "
Plot- stupid
characters- ok and a little growth in some
Scene- nice mid west small town
Tension- acceptable for a short story
Climax- acceptable for a short story
Quotes:
page 174 Righty about his wife of many years - "Easier to bring her a long than to kiss her good-bye'"
Page 111 - Rosie - "mostly that love could start with a spark, a twirl on the dance floor, but could grow only with understanding and acceptance of other. That true love meant knowing someone the way they know themselves. "
September 2, 2025
I don’t have a great deal to say about The Man That Ate the 747, but I stumbled across a copy at my local farmers market and picked it up because my partner works in aviation. Going in, I already knew from reviews that it wasn’t going to be groundbreaking, but I was looking for something short, quirky, and lighthearted—and that’s exactly what it delivered.
The story itself is far from realistic (and not just because of the man attempting to eat a jumbo jet—some of the relationships and dialogue felt a bit far-fetched too). Still, the pacing kept things moving, and I especially enjoyed the little nuggets of trivia about world-record holders sprinkled throughout.
All in all, it wasn’t spectacular, but it scratched the itch for a quick, offbeat read. I’d give it 2.5/5 stars.
The story itself is far from realistic (and not just because of the man attempting to eat a jumbo jet—some of the relationships and dialogue felt a bit far-fetched too). Still, the pacing kept things moving, and I especially enjoyed the little nuggets of trivia about world-record holders sprinkled throughout.
All in all, it wasn’t spectacular, but it scratched the itch for a quick, offbeat read. I’d give it 2.5/5 stars.
Read
April 21, 2020This was a good story--copyright 2000, in case you're following my irritation at the vagueness of 2012 books. Straightforward but unique, about a man who is trying to catch the attention of and show his love for a woman by ingesting an entire 747 that crash landed in his farm field. The book shares the perspective of that man, as well as the man from "The Book of Records" (never quite mentioned by name) who comes to town to verify the record, if he does, in fact, eat the entire thing.
Satisfactory ending. And it took place in small town Nebraska without seeming to portray the citizens as rubes, something I'm sensitive to, being from small town Iowa myself.
Satisfactory ending. And it took place in small town Nebraska without seeming to portray the citizens as rubes, something I'm sensitive to, being from small town Iowa myself.
June 4, 2021
For whatever reason, I completely lost all interest in this book two seconds after buying it. Stayed unread for at least two years until I randomly picked it up last week and read a review on the back saying Ben Sherwood is a modern day Mark Twain. I love Twain's books so I figured it's as good a time as any to read it. Well I did not get any Mark Twain vibes from this book but I did not hate it👍🏾
It was a fast short story about world records and remarkable things done not for attention but out of love, like eating a 747. Maybe I should have picked this one up to earlier but oh well, better late than never. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It was a fast short story about world records and remarkable things done not for attention but out of love, like eating a 747. Maybe I should have picked this one up to earlier but oh well, better late than never. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
December 28, 2022
A strange concoction of weird and romance. The Guinness Book is filled with factual weirdness of people doing weird things to get noticed. Sherwood takes this idea and blows it up beyond comprehension by having a farmer eat a 747 as a love tribute—the romance part of the book. Then again, Sherwood adds to the romance aspect by having the Guinness fact keeper fall far the tough as they come hometown newspaper woman.
The plot is somewhat surreal, yet it is mostly likable. It’s like reading the Guinness Book it’s difficult to stop even though the entries don’t quite sit right.
I’m not sure I truly enjoyed the book but at least I can say I finished it. Wally deserved that much.
The plot is somewhat surreal, yet it is mostly likable. It’s like reading the Guinness Book it’s difficult to stop even though the entries don’t quite sit right.
I’m not sure I truly enjoyed the book but at least I can say I finished it. Wally deserved that much.
June 14, 2025
This was the first book I picked up when I started reading again. I wanted to try something outside my usual mystery comfort zone and go for a genre I never thought I’d reach for: romance.
The story follows a guy who travels the world documenting world records, but he’s starting to struggle to find something truly unique. Then he meets a farmer who’s eating a 747 to prove his love for a woman.
The writing is a little cliché and the plot is pretty predictable, but it’s still heartfelt and kind of sweet. I didn’t expect to care, but I was honestly a little sad when it ended. Rom-com fans would definitely enjoy this one.
The story follows a guy who travels the world documenting world records, but he’s starting to struggle to find something truly unique. Then he meets a farmer who’s eating a 747 to prove his love for a woman.
The writing is a little cliché and the plot is pretty predictable, but it’s still heartfelt and kind of sweet. I didn’t expect to care, but I was honestly a little sad when it ended. Rom-com fans would definitely enjoy this one.
October 15, 2021
My Original Thoughts (2000):
Pretty good, but not great. I met the author at a book signing. Very personable and funny. I don't know if I would have read the book if I hadn't gotten one signed.
Quirky characters.
My Current Thoughts:
I remember that this was a very odd, quirky novel. I was working in an independent bookstore in Lincoln and Sherwood gave a reading and signed copies of his book. I doubt I would have bought the book, had I not met the author, but I wound up reading his second book (Charlie St. Cloud), which was very good.
Pretty good, but not great. I met the author at a book signing. Very personable and funny. I don't know if I would have read the book if I hadn't gotten one signed.
Quirky characters.
My Current Thoughts:
I remember that this was a very odd, quirky novel. I was working in an independent bookstore in Lincoln and Sherwood gave a reading and signed copies of his book. I doubt I would have bought the book, had I not met the author, but I wound up reading his second book (Charlie St. Cloud), which was very good.
May 24, 2022
i forgot how good this book was. all i remembered was how it made me feel the first time i read it. the things people will do for love. as an adult, it seems a bit unorthodox and impulsive, but i’m sure there is love like that out there somewhere for someone. i don’t know about anyone else, but i think about a man falling in love with me at first sight. analyzing every part of me, inside and out, and faller harder than he imagined to the point where he considered eating a 747– of course, i wouldn’t let him. this book is a treasure.
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