How I Became Stupid

December 1, 2004
Philosophy meets farce in a slim debut novel that follows its hero on a madcap search for an antidote to intellectualism. Antoine, a shy 25-year-old, has determined that his sharp intelligence is the cause of his emotional distress. His first two stabs at numbing his overactive mind-an attempt at alcoholism and an overearnest foray into suicide-end before they begin. Like a modern-day Goldilocks, he finds his "just right" solution in a prescription for Happyzac, which promises him a "simpler, more beautiful" life. As the pills do their work, he decorates with posters of cars and women, plays Monopoly and video games instead of chess, bulks up at the gym and eats at McDonald's. An old acquaintance hires him as a stockbroker, and he accidentally becomes stinking rich. With his newfound wealth, Antoine tries to complete his stupidity spiral by mimicking the consumption habits of his peers. But when his boss shows him that he can also acquire women with money, his drugged-up consciousness starts percolating. With help from Flaubert's letters, a visit from the "premature ghost" of a living pop singer and an exorcism-style intervention by his pre-stupidity friends, Antoine ends up as he predicted-back on the side of intelligence-in Page's smart, playful and critical look at human folly. (Dec.) .

November 1, 2004
Antoine is too smart for his own good-or so he thinks. He spends his days considering life rather than actually living it. He sees other people who seem perfectly happy in their ignorance, and he wants to be one of them. To achieve this end, Antoine decides that he needs to become stupid and tries various methods without success. Then his doctor prescribes Happyzac, which changes Antoine's life. He really does "get stupid," accidentally earns millions, indulges himself, and generally enjoys being one of the masses. Then, with his company's collapse, the bubble bursts. Antoine returns to an intelligent life when he meets a like-minded girl in the park. Page's first novel deftly combines biting satire and hilarious slapstick. His characters are highly introspective misfits, and the story makes for insightful commentary on life in the "developed" world. Recommended for most libraries.-Joanna Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Coll. of Continuing Education Lib., Ashaway

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2004
Twenty-five-year-old Parisian Antoine is sick. The disease? Intelligence. Desperate to find a cure for his overactive brain, Antoine considers alcoholism, suicide, and lobotomy, but none seems quite right for his special needs. A new job, though, is just the ticket. Accepting a position in his high-school friend's brokerage firm, Antoine finds the burdens of consciousness gradually slipping away. This delightfully over-the-top debut novel was a smash when it was published in France in 2001, but will it play as well stateside? After all, the mediocrity that Antoine deems essential to being happy in today's society features many elements common to mainstream American culture. Still, there is always an audience--if not an enormous one--for novels that skewer thick-headed simplicity, and this absurdist comedy mounts a formidable attack. Only an abrupt and puzzlingly optimistic ending detracts from the note of cheerful pessimism that drives the story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)