Comments on eclectic / eccentric: Book Review: Manhood for Amateurs

Jenners - I am so glad I read your review and deci...

2010-07-16T21:38:49.582-05:00

Jenners - I am so glad I read your review and decided to read this. It really was an excellent book. Good for you on the parenting front! The imaginary worlds I created and the adventures I had in them are my favorite part of childhood.

God ... wasn't this just such a brilliant book...

2010-07-16T19:29:08.470-05:00

God ... wasn't this just such a brilliant book? Just reading your review reminded me again of how much I loved it and why I kept my copy to reread. And you are so right about the wilderness of childhood disappearing ... I try as much as possible to give this to my son (while still watching him to keep him safe). It is one of my goals as a mother and when I see him running around the backyard with his friends and creating imaginary scenarios and fighting monsters in the sewer, I just smile to myself and think "You're giving him a real childhood despite all odds."

Stephanie - You should definitely give this book a...

2010-07-15T19:28:51.764-05:00

Stephanie - You should definitely give this book a try. It had pages and pages of quotable lines.

Stacy - I bet this would be great on audio.

I put the audio on my library's hold list last...

2010-07-15T16:11:50.844-05:00

I put the audio on my library's hold list last week. Can't wait!

I'd be tempted to pick this book up for the ti...

2010-07-15T15:16:19.177-05:00

I'd be tempted to pick this book up for the title alone. Love the quote on the differences between how mothers and fathers are judged.

Ana - I'll have to pick up Maps and Legends. ...

2010-07-15T10:36:49.502-05:00

Ana - I'll have to pick up Maps and Legends.

Jill - Exactly!

I agree about his style...his writing isn't so...

2010-07-15T08:53:15.786-05:00

I agree about his style...his writing isn't so dense that you can't understand it, yet he has a knack for choosing beautiful words.

Oh Michael Chabon <3 His writing really is quit...

2010-07-15T01:25:12.984-05:00

Oh Michael Chabon <3 His writing really is quite something. I loved his previous essay collection, Maps and Legends, so I really think I'd love this too.

Amy - There was definitely a bit of rambling; I ju...

2010-07-14T20:48:58.785-05:00

Amy - There was definitely a bit of rambling; I just like that! :)

Amanda - I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.

Aarti - This was my first Chabon, but I'm looking forward to reading more of him.

Jill - Yeah, I had to stop with the sticky notes. Things were getting crazy.

Jenny - Us childless people obviously have no brains when it comes to children. :)

Sandy - Jenners is why I picked this up in the first place! She did write sort of a companion book, and I have it on my to buy list already.

Andi - You should definitely give this book a try; it was a really great read.

I soooo want to listen to this one. First, I want ...

2010-07-14T20:10:17.953-05:00

I soooo want to listen to this one. First, I want some sort of insight into the male brain, and given that my first kiddo is a little man, I'm interested in the childrearing bits. Overall, it just sounds like a great read, and I haven't read any of Chabon's other stuff yet. I found that when I've started with other authors' memoirs or essays (Paul Auster comes to mind), I'm sometimes more willing to jump into their fiction.

I tried one of Chabon's audios and I had to st...

2010-07-14T17:12:33.151-05:00

I tried one of Chabon's audios and I had to stop listening after a disc. Don't know what the problem was. But this one might work for me. Everything I heard about it is brilliant (I loved Jenner's review). Didn't his wife write a book similar to this one, only from the female point of view?

This does sound REALLY good! I have two copies of...

2010-07-14T13:09:56.709-05:00

This does sound REALLY good! I have two copies of this... in my BEA box, lol..

I love where you said, "But if I say this, I am just condescendingly reminded that I can't possibly understand because I don't have children. Well ha! Here is someone with children who agrees with me. *insert totally childish, sticking-out-tongue face here* Oooooh, found one...." I know exactly waht you mean about those comments, haha! Sounds like Chabon is a smart man.

I've got the same problem with sticky note ove...

2010-07-14T11:37:52.272-05:00

I've got the same problem with sticky note overuse! And with Chabon, I can see how it would get to be a 3-pack book!!!

What a fabulous cover! I haven't read any Cha...

2010-07-14T10:03:15.205-05:00

What a fabulous cover! I haven't read any Chabon yet, but I have Kavalier and Clay on my shelf, just waiting for me to get on track!

When we got this at the Algonquin, I suspected I w...

2010-07-14T08:46:30.765-05:00

When we got this at the Algonquin, I suspected I would really dislike it. I decided to give it the 5-page test when I got home, and found that the things he said in those first few page were ones I could relate to, or at least that I recognized from what Jason goes through as an involved, active parent of our children. People always assume dads have no place in child rearing, so that if dads pitch in, it makes them special. I'm definitely looking forward to this!

You liked this a little more than I did. I found i...

2010-07-14T08:12:14.734-05:00

You liked this a little more than I did. I found it almost too rambling by times. Of course, I also mixed up my dates and will be posting the review tomorrow instead of today. Silly me. I really enjoyed it, but more a borrow for me :)