Manhood for Amateurs-The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son # nonfiction

The Pulitzer Prize winning author -- “an immensely gifted writer and a magical prose stylist” (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times) -- offers his first major work of nonfiction, an autobiographical narrative as inventive, beautiful, and powerful as critics and readers have come to expect. A shy manifesto, an impractical handbook, the true story of a fabulist, an entire life in parts and pieces: MANHOOD FOR AMATEURS is the first sustained work of personal writing from Michael Chabon. In these insightful, provocative, slyly interlinked essays, one of our most brilliant and humane writers presents his autobiography and his vision of life in the way so many of us experience our own: as a series of reflections, regrets and re-examinations, each sparked by an encounter, in the present, that holds some legacy of the past. What does it mean to be a man today? Chabon invokes and interprets and struggles to reinvent for us, with characteristic warmth and lyric wit, the personal and family history that haunts him even as -- simply because -- it goes on being written every day. As a devoted son, as a passionate husband, and above all as the father of four young Americans, Chabon’s memories of childhood, of his parents’ marriage and divorce, of moments of painful adolescent comedy and giddy encounters with the popular art and literature of his own youth, are like a theme played -- on different instruments, with a fresh tempo and in a new key -- by the mad quartet of which he now finds himself co-conductor. At once dazzling, hilarious, and moving, MANHOOD FOR AMATEURS is destined to become a classic.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Author— An Immensely Gifted Writer And A Magical Prose Stylist (michiko Kakutani, new York Times)—offers His First Major Work Of Nonfiction, An Autobiographical Narrative As Inventive, Beautiful, And Powerful As His Acclaimed, Award-winning Fiction.

A Shy Manifesto, An Impractical Handbook, The True Story Of A Fabulist, An Entire Life In Parts And Pieces, manhood For Amateurs Is The First Sustained Work Of Personal Writing From Michael Chabon. In These Insightful, Provocative, Slyly Interlinked Essays, One Of Our Most Brilliant And Humane Writers Presents His Autobiography And His Vision Of Life In The Way So Many Of Us Experience Our Own Lives: As A Series Of Reflections, Regrets, And Reexaminations, Each Sparked By An Encounter, In The Present, That Holds Some Legacy Of The Past.

what Does It Mean To Be A Man Today? Chabon Invokes And Interprets And Struggles To Reinvent For Us, With Characteristic Warmth And Lyric Wit, The Personal And Family History That Haunts Him Even As—simply Because—it Goes On Being Written Every Day. As A Devoted Son, As A Passionate Husband, And Above All As The Father Of Four Young Americans, Chabon Presents His Memories Of Childhood, Of His Parents' Marriage And Divorce, Of Moments Of Painful Adolescent Comedy And Giddy Encounters With The Popular Art And Literature Of His Own Youth, As A Theme Played—on Different Instruments, With A Fresh Tempo And In A New Key—by The Mad Quartet Of Which He Now Finds Himself Co-conductor.

at Once Dazzling, Hilarious, And Moving, manhood For Amateurs Is Destined To Become A Classic.

the New York Times Book Review - David Kamp

a Lot Of Dad Lit Makes Me Cringe, And, Worse, Makes Me Think Less Of Writers I'd Previously Admired…so It's A Relief To Say That manhood For Amateurs Isn't Really Dad Lit, At Least Not In The Xtreme Sense That Its User's-manual-like Handle Indicates. While It Bears Some Of The Hallmarks Of The Genre…the Book Is A Closer Relation To Joan Didion's white Album. That Is To Say, It's Not A Chronicle, But Rather A Vaguely Themed Collection Of Thoughtful First-person Essays…that Capture A Certain Time And Mood. The Theme: Maleness In Its Various States—boyhood, Manhood, Fatherhood, Brotherhood. The Time: Now, Juxtaposed Frequently With Chabon's 1970s Childhood. The Mood: Wistful…ultimately, What Makes This Collection So Melancholically Pleasurable Is Not The Modern-dad Stuff But Chabon's Ready And Vivid Access To His Own Childhood.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author--"an immensely gifted writer and a magical prose stylist" (Michiko Kakutani, New York Times )--offers his first major work of nonfiction, an autobiographical narrative as inventive, beautiful, and powerful as his acclaimed, award-winning fiction. A shy manifesto, an impractical handbook, the true story of a fabulist, an entire life in parts and pieces, Manhood for Amateurs is the first sustained work of personal writing from Michael Chabon. In these insightful, provocative, slyly interlinked essays, one of our most brilliant and humane writers presents his autobiography and his vision of life in the way so many of us experience our own lives: as a series of reflections, regrets, and reexaminations, each sparked by an encounter, in the present, that holds some legacy of the past. What does it mean to be a man today? Chabon invokes and interprets and struggles to reinvent for us, with characteristic warmth and lyric wit, the personal and family history that haunts him even as--simply because--it goes on being written every day. As a devoted son, as a passionate husband, and above all as the father of four young Americans, Chabon presents his memories of childhood, of his parents' marriage and divorce, of moments of painful adolescent comedy and giddy encounters with the popular art and literature of his own youth, as a theme played--on different instruments, with a fresh tempo and in a new key--by the mad quartet of which he now finds himself co-conductor. At once dazzling, hilarious, and moving, Manhood for Amateurs is destined to become a classic. Michael Chabon, author of WONDER BOYS and the Pulitzer Prize-wining THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY, has written an autobiographical narrative as inventive, beautiful and powerful as his novels. In these insightful, provocative, slyly interlinked essays, one of our most brilliant and humane writers presents his autobiography and vision of life in the way so many of us experience our own: as a series of reflections, regrets and re-examinations, each sparked by an encounter, in the present, that holds some legacy of the past. What does it mean to be a man today? Chabon invokes and interprets and struggles to reinvent for us, with characteristic warmth and lyric wit, the personal and family history that haunts him even as it goes on being written every day. As a son, a husband and above all as a father of four young children, Chabon's memories of childhood, of his parents' marriage and divorce, of moments of painful adolescent comedy and giddy encounters with the popular art and literature of his own youth, are like a theme played – on different instruments, with a fresh tempo and in a new key – by the mad quartet of which he now finds himself co-conductor. I: Secret handshake The losers' club II: Techniques of betrayal William and I The cut D.A.R.E. The memory hole The binding of Isaac III: Strategies for the folding of time To the Legoland Station The wilderness of childhood Hyprocritical theory The splendors of crap IV: Exercises in masculine affection The hand on my sholder The story of our story The ghost of Irene Adler The heartbreak kid A gift V: Styles of manhood Faking it Art of cake On Canseco I feel good about my murse VI: Elements of fire Burning women Verging Fever Looking for trouble A woman of valor VII: Patterns of early enchantment Like, cosmic Subterranean XO9 Sky and Telescope VIII: Studies in pink and blue Surefire lines Cosmodemonic Boyland A textbook father IX: Tactics of wonder and loss The Omega Glory Getting out Radio silence Normal time Xmas Thr amateur family X: Cut the Mickey Katz Daughter of the commandment.. A Best Book Of The Year Time St. Louis Post-Dispatch Kansas City Star San Francisco Chronicle NPR Seattle Times A shy manifesto, an impractical handbook, the true story of a fabulist, an entire life in parts and pieces, Manhood for Amateurs is the first sustained work of personal writing from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon. In these insightful, provocative, slyly interlinked essays, one of our most brilliant and humane writers addresses with his characteristic warmth and lyric wit the all-important question: What does it mean to be a man today? What does it mean to be a man today? Chabon invokes and interprets and struggles to reinvent for us, with characteristic warmth and lyric wit, the personal and family history that haunts him even as it goes on being written every day. An autobiographical narrative as inventive, beautiful and powerful as his novels The author questions what it means to be a man today in a series of interlinked autobiographical reflections, regrets, and reexaminations, each sparked by an encounter, in the present, that holds some legacy of the past.