All the Sad Young Literary Men

Whenever you're feeling dissatisfied with your aging boomer life, just pick up this or another "slacker" novel. Wow, it's great not to have to look for the love of your life, or have to make your name in the world. Keith Gessen's first novel--ironically no slacker himself, New York Review of Books and NY Times book reviewer--is about three young men, all in their late 20s, trying hard to make brilliant successes of their lives, both emotionally and career-wise. The prose is artful, but the voices blend too much and are sometimes hard to distinguish. When you read the scene at the gym where Keith or was it Mark? or Sam? drenched in sweat, does not respond kindly to the charming young woman trying to pick him up, you feel like yelling Enough already, get out of your head and smell the roses, or beer or perfume, or whatever! Still it's hard to put this book down. You want to know if these talented young men will make it or will have to spend all of their Friday nights at "loser" grad-student potlucks. This could be just the right mood-elevator for that struggling PhD student needing a change of pace.