The Book of Joe

Life is hard, but comedy is harder. Just ask Joe Goffman. His version of small-town Connecticut life made him a bestselling novelist, but the people he wrote about didn't take kindly to his take on the truth. Scott Brick captures the ironic tone, drug-addled vibe, and oversexed characters of Jonathan Tropper's splendid novel. If you grew up in the 1980s, believed Bruce Springsteen was scoring the movie of your life, and can still remember the first girl you really loved, THE BOOK OF JOE is for you. R.O. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

December 1, 2003
After Joe Goffman's Bush Falls
becomes a runaway bestseller, he never expects to go back to his small Connecticut hometown and face the outrage generated by the dark secrets his autobiographical novel reveals. But when his father suffers a life-threatening stroke, return the unhappy and unfulfilled Joe does, to meet head-on the antipathy waiting for him. Among the Bush Falls locals hellbent on revenge in this breezy sophomore effort by Tropper (Plan B
) are deputy sheriff Mouse and ex-con Sean Tallon, both former members of the high school basketball team, as well as the wife of the basketball coach, who dumps a milk shake on Joe the first day he is back in town. Joe also crosses paths with his resentful older brother, Brad; Lucy, the sexy mother of a high school friend; and Carly, the only woman he ever truly loved. At its best, the novel skillfully illustrates the tenderness and difficulties of first love and friendship, exploring the aftermath of Joe's high school relationships with Carly and pals Sammy and Wayne. Fans of Tom Perrotta's sarcastic humor will appreciate Tropper's evocation of both the allure and hypocrisy of smalltown American life, particularly in drug- and alcohol-fueled episodes involving Joe's 19-year-old nephew, Jared, and a grown-up, AIDS-infected Wayne. Frequent pop culture references, particularly to Bruce Springsteen, help move things along briskly and by novel's end, Joe has learned to appreciate the virtues of Bush Falls and realize he's not perfect himself. Despite its charms, however, this boy-who-won't-grow-up novel relies too heavily on canned lines ("she's taking measurements of my soul through her eyes") and easy melodrama.

Fictional author Joe Goffman wrote his autobiographical book about his hometown as a way of dealing with painful memories. But when he returns to Bush Falls as a bestselling author, he faces the animosity of the outraged townspeople. Most residents shun him or worse, but he uneasily renews his friendships with his high school girlfriend, Carly, and best friend, Wayne, who now has AIDS. Tom Cavanagh reads Joe's first-person narrative with considerable charm, which counterpoints the sarcastic humor and angst, keeping the novel from becoming too cynical. He creates his characters mostly through inflection and vocal personality, with a rebellious nephew standing out as a particularly memorable character. This view of small-town life is mostly negative, but ends with signs of hope. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine