Dumbfounded: Big Money. Big Hair. Big Problems. Or Why Having It All Isn't for Sissies.

Laugh Out Loud Funny! Dumbfounded is an amusing memoir about you

Laugh Out Loud Funny!
Dumbfounded is an amusing memoir about young Matt Rothschild and his family’s crazy dysfunction. Growing up in up-scale New York and living with his grandparents, Matt, was a chunky, Jewfroed, sexually confused boy. At every turn of the page Matt continued to surprise and entertain, whether he dressed up in his grandmother’s dresses, shoplifted Barbies from FAO Schwarz, created an imaginary butler to address at dinner parties, or being kicked out of every elite school in Manhattan. Rothschild concentrates on the theme of the crucial search for a child’s own identity and the need for rebellion against common sense. I loved reading about the colorful characters he came across throughout his childhood, like his blunt grandmother and his quirky unreliable mother.
The outlandish circumstances Rothschild experienced were just as enjoyable as the characters; after one family reunion it becomes completely obvious why his family avoids “get-togethers” with his relatives. To be perfectly honest, the only thing that disappointed me about this book was the way it ended. I remember finishing the last page and thinking to myself “That’s it?” It ended to abruptly for my liking and I was left wanting to know more. I definitely would recommend reading this book, Rothschild is brilliant and captivates you with his stories. Dumbfounded is a charming and unforgettable read and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. My overall rating for this book on a scale from one to ten would be a nine. If you enjoy this book, other books you may like are, Trainwreck: My Life as an Idiot by Jeff Nichols or Confessions of a Prep School Mommy Handler by Wade Rouse.

Reviewed by Cat for TeensReadToo.com

So you think being raised by wealthy Jewish grandparents in a Fifth Avenue apartment, twelve years of prep and boarding schools, regular trips to FAO Schwartz, chauffeured limousines, or visiting Mom at her husband's Italian villa also means a life on easy street?

Then you haven't read Matt Rothschild's family memoir, DUMBFOUNDED.

In his memoir, Matt paints a lush and detailed portrait of life as a complex, awkward outsider in a world that demands conformity and simple definition. Despite growing up in a completely different environment, I felt a constant sense of familiarity and kinship with Matt, whether he was describing the painful silence that greeted his a capella rendition of "Get Happy" for the sixth-grade talent show, spinning tales of his midget butler, Little Saigon, in the hopes of pleasing his fickle grandmother, or confronting an ever-increasing awareness that his sexuality might not fit society's definition of "normal."

Matt's story runs the gamut of human emotion from laugh-out-loud hilarity to chest-aching heartbreak. DUMBFOUNDED is first and foremost a book about people, and it reminds us that once stripped of all our ideological constructs (wealth, race, faith, gender, orientation, nationality, etc.), at our core, we're all pretty much the same.

No white Rolls Royces After Labor Day !!!

Learn these 'aristo' tips & more in this ADDICTIVELY laugh-out-loud debut novel. I started this book & couldn't put it down...As someone who loves men who love Judy Garland & who lives in Vero Beach, Fl surrounded by the 'ladies who lunch' crowd this novel hit home. I read more than your average bear & I can honestly say that this is the best book I have read in years! A perfect read, especially those nights when everything on tv is as non-sensical as Vice-Presidential nominee Sarah Palin preaching abstinence. Now if only Hollywood would option the rights....I can see Matt playing himself with me as his hairdresser. Of course a flatiron & straightening gel would simply HAVE to be included in the budget due to the Jewfro. PS: my dog Beauregard the Beagle loved the author photo featuring Matt with his adopted boxer. The dog's name? Why Baron, of course!

Great Read!

I highly recommend this book to any reader in the mood for an easy read with a great comical and sarcastic undertone. Very well written. The characters come to life throughout each page. I couldn't put the book down.

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