The Wishbones

by Tom Perrotta

Book Overview

The second novel from Tom Perrotta, author of 'Little Children', 'Election' and 'The Abstinence Teacher'. Everything is going pretty well for Dave Raymond. He's 31, but he still feels young. He's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425163148
• ISBN13: 9780425163146
• Release Date: April 1998
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.2" x 8.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Themes are replayed between novels, but it is still a great read

After enjoying Perotta's Little Children, I sought out his earlier works. Reading The Wishbones, I was struck by how both novels share the theme of having an affair while you are in a rut with your partner or spouse. The tension in both books is centered on whether the long-term relationship should be broken up for the excitement of the fling. The difference, however, is that I was struck by the true love connection between the philanders in The Wishbones, while I thought the Little Children adulterers were just bored, not soulmates in any way. The Wishbones is a great read for anyone post-college who is wondering about the direction their life is taking, or who has friends who seem aimless since they've turned 25 or so. When do you have to grow up and get a real purpose in life? There's a lot of recognizable material in this book, and it rings very true. Highly recommended to any fan of good fiction.

A Truly Great Quick Read

There are some quick reads that enable you to overlook their flaws because you can pretty much fly through them. Then, sometimes, although this is rare, there is that fabulous quick read. The one that is funny, with great characters and an engaging story, that doesn't make you feel empty after you have finished it. The Wishbones falls in the latter category. I loved this book. It's about so many things I love to read about: music, relationships, New Jersey, fear of growing up, friends. Tom Perrotta has given us a highly enjoyable story about Dave, a thiryone year old guitar player in a wedding band (he's got a day job, but it's nothing much). Something happens to him one day which has him proposing to his longterm (15 years, on and off) girlfriend. Then panic sets in. Dave has never really grown up and the fear of marriage makes him do somethings he'll probably regret sooner or later (I have to admit, I was a little annoyed with him at times). But the pieces of his life fall together and by the end of the novel, he realizes what is really important to him. This is a satisfying and enjoyable read. Have fun.

The Wedding Band

This is an enormously likeable book about love, music, and, especially, the choices required by time, money, and cultural expectations. Despite these "heavy" undertones, this is light reading at its best, full of distinct, interesting characters, humorous unexpected developments, and a brisk pace.The story involves Dave Raymond, the 31-year old lead guitarist for "The Wishbones," a wedding band in which Dave feels both stuck and exhilarated. He has his own pre-wedding anxieties, as he finally proposes to his high school sweetheart, and then worries that he will settle into a bland suburban life sans music. At a gig, he meets Gretchen (nom de plume: Marlene Fragment!), an aspiring bohemian poet, who seems Dave's last chance at prolonging and preventing some touch choices.Perrota is great at irony, and he almost overplays this, but the book moves so quickly that one doesn't mind. Although some of the book covers familiar "rites of passage" decisions, there's some outrageous (and I've heard, fairly realistic) wedding scenes, an unexpectedly tense gig with an unusual audience, and the musical aspirations of the singer (think "Springtime for Hitler," but in somewhat better taste. I liked the comparable "High Fidelity" more; it better captures the depth of rock and roll obsession, but this is close--An appealingly light look at marriage, weddings, and some awful 70's music. Highly recommended.

One of the funniest books I ever read

I bought this book because one of the blurbs said you would laugh out loud while reading it and I did -- several times. Perrotta captures that suburban aimless angst and his writing is funny and charming. I've recommended this book to everyone I know and no one has been disappointed.

A delightful book

It may be trite to say so, but I was wishing this book wouldn't end right from the first page, a reaction I seldom have. The book had a wonderful tempo and feel and was consistently engaging. I couldn't recommend it more highly