by Jonathan Tropper
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Product Description
"Beautifully crafted", "Fantastically funny." "Compulsively readable." Jonathan Tropper has earned wild acclaim—-and comparisons to Nick Hornby and Tom Perrotta—for his biting humor and insightful portrayals of families in crisis and men behaving badly. Now the acclaimed author of The Book of Joe and Everything Changes tackles love, lust, and lost in the suburbs—in a stunning novel that is by turns heartfelt and riotously funny.
Doug Parker is a widower at age twenty-nine, and in his quiet suburban town, that makes him something of a celebrity—the object of sympathy, curiosity, and, in some cases, unbridled desire. But Doug has other things on his mind. First there's his sixteen year-old stepson, Russ: a once-sweet kid who now is getting into increasingly serious trouble on a daily basis. Then there are Doug's sisters: his bossy twin, Clair, who's just left he husband and moved in with Doug, determined to rouse him from his Grieving stupor. And Debbie, who's engaged to Doug's ex-best friend and manically determined to pull off the perfect wedding at any cost.
Soon Doug's entire nuclear family is in his face. And when he starts dipping his toes into the shark-infested waters of the second-time around dating scene, it isn't long before his new life is spinning hopelessly out of control, cutting a harrowing and often hilarious swath of sexual missteps and escalating chaos across the suburban landscape.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 an amazing book, 2008-11-10
one of the best books i have read in a long time. who thought a book a bout something so horrable could be so funny.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Funny, Witty, and Personal, 2008-10-30
I have a new found respect for Johnathon Tropper after reading, How to Talk to a Widower. This book is written very lucidly, and connects with its reader write from the opening sentence. After reading the first page, you can already picture the main character, Doug, his step-son Russ, and his dead wife, Hailey. Although Doug is young, he finds himself in suburbia, a life that doesn't suit him. The life he lives has a 'Desperate Housewives' tone to it; the close knit gossip, the cheating wives, and the dating scene are all in this book.
Though the book tells a great story of a family torn apart after the death of Doug's wife, there are a couple chapters (shaded in grey) that are personal soliloquies of Doug's thoughts. These chapters had the most impact on its reader. It allowed for them to crawl inside the mind of Doug, who is satirical, dark, and witty. Tropper tackles the taboo areas of happiness after tragedy; joy following immense sorrow. The main character finds it hard to be successful, because it would mean it came from the expense of someone he loved. This is the part of the book I liked the most.
Overall, the book is powerful yet easy to read. Many of us can relate to the dysfunction of Doug's immediate family, from the boozing mother and the ailing father, to the attention seeking siblings. I have given this book four stars, because it is a bit long-winded and predictable. But if you are looking for a book you can finish in a few days, that tells a great unique story, and has dark humor, then this book is for you.
Dennis B. Thapa
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Outstanding, 2008-08-27
i not just read this book and enjoyed it thoroughly but have loaned it out to a few of my friends. they also gave it an outstanding review. this author has a wonderful way of developing his characters and putting the story together.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll call out for more!, 2008-08-11
Jonathan Tropper is a writer of exquisite and seemingly effortless prose - analyses of the human psyche that perfectly balance humor and poignancy in a narrative style that captures the voice of the modern man.
This is the first book of his that I read - casually grabbed off the stand at an airport book shop with no expectations that it would even prove readable. I ended up reveling in the book, savoring his craft of blending the sublime with the absurd. It prompted me to purchase all his previous books in fell swoop, even as I expected to be disappointed by another "one hit wonder" of an author. Surprise, surprise - each novel is consistently outstanding and I relish my journey through them. Yet "How to Talk to a Widower" remains his finest effort. Tropper is a writer who continues to improve and hone his craft, and I will follow his progress with anticipation.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
very good, 2008-07-29
Jonathan Tropper has become one of my fav writters. I love his style and I think this is one of my the better of his books. I've passed this book on to 3 of my friends who also enjoyed reading it very much and have now stared reading his other books.
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