My Year as a Clown: A Novel

Just made it to 3 stars for me. Did I enjoy this book: This is a tough one. I would say, yes, I did enjoy it to an extent. It had some flaws but it was interesting to read a chick lit-type book from the man’s perspective. You could call My Year As a Clown dude lit. Let’s discuss the good first. It was interesting to read the man’s perspective. Chuck is a man, almost a cliche man. He constantly talks about football, smoking pot, and beating off. He is a die-hard Eagles fan; he believes his actions control the fate of the team. He is also a writer and a music producer. Chuck is a sensitive guy but not that overly-mushy, sensitive guy for the most part. I felt bad for him about his divorce. I thought his wife Claudia was unreasonable and dragging out the proceedings because of greed. I’ve seen this happen. This was real. Chuck’s reactions to the divorce were surprising but raw. His dating life and rediscovery were true. I got it. I understood it. There were funny moments. His brother was a trip. Anyone can picture Jimmy. There were moments that made me shake my head. There were other moments that I was proud of Chuck. And there were moments that ticked me off. Let’s discuss the not so good now. Chuck smoked pot almost every day and he talked about beating off in every chapter. I get it but do we need to hear about it that much? Where does he get the money for all that pot if he is out of a job and going through a divorce? His response to learning that Rachel lost 70 pounds were shallow and I wanted to close the book at this point. I’m sure they were true responses and that a lot of men would think that, but I think a lot of women reading this book would be offended. If I were a guy, I’d probably get it even more. At one point, I changed my mindset for reading this book. I stopped reading this from a woman’s point of view and started reading it from a guy’s point of view. A guy would totally get this book, except for the emails to Pauline. Those were a bit too sentimental and touchy-feely for me. A bit unbelievable. I think most guys would razz Chuck about those emails, and probably the meditation and yoga retreats as well. ;-) One thing that really bugged me was the use of “Xmas” in the book. There’s no reason for that. Spell out “Christmas” like you do at other times in the book, and in the same sentences. Be consistent. All-in-all, an okay read, an interesting read, a read that kept me reading to the end because I wanted to know how everything worked out for Chuck. Would I recommend it: Check out this book if you think you would like dude lit or you think you would like to read the man’s perspective in a divorce. Just to warn, there are some scenes in the bedroom that are kind of explicit. Will I read it again: I will not. (I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)

A fast and fun read!  I wasn't expecting a book about a break up to be funny, but Chuck made me laugh.  It also made me think about my own break up and realize that it was a second chance for both of us.  I would recommend this book for anyone who has experienced a break up.  

I thought this book was hilarious! what a great insight into the male mind...Chuck is going through some tough times, and how he handles them is very very interesting. This book is full of great scenes, it's fun, it's heartfelt, it's poignant, and you really do care about the main character. I could not wait to see what happened next.

This book is a very good read, full of a lot of the stuff that most guys really think about (well, most guys I know) but would not necessarily say out loud. A really fun sense of humor, but with great depth of character. I found myself rooting for Chuck, and feeling his angst about his failed marriage, his attempt to get back in the saddle, his work issues...to me that's the sign of a good book, where I really care about the characters, and am anxious to continue reading to see what happens. Some of the dialog could be more realistic, but that's my only criticism. A great first effort by this author, I give it 4 stars.