The Wishbones
Published on 5. February 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-0-00-726242-7 (ISBN)
Description
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 playing guitar with the Wishbones, a New Jersey wedding band, and while it isn't exactly the Big Time, it is music. He has a roof over his head...well, it's his parents' roof, but they don't hassle him much. Life isn't perfect. But it isn't bad. Not bad at all.
But then he has to blow it all by proposing to his girlfriend...
One man's treasure is another man's millstone. To Dave, the treasure in question is Gretchen; a sexy, bohemian poet Dave meets when playing at a wedding with his band. While Gretchen the poet plays 'the bridesmaid', Dave plays 'the rock-star'. And suddenly, the comfortable trajectory of his reality seems far less appealing.
Everything is going pretty well for Dave Raymond. He's 31, but he still feels young. He's playing guitar with the Wishbones, a New Jersey wedding band, and while it isn't exactly the Big Time, it is music. He has a roof over his head...well, it's his parents' roof, but they don't hassle him much. Life isn't perfect. But it isn't bad. Not bad at all.
But then he has to blow it all by proposing to his girlfriend...
One man's treasure is another man's millstone. To Dave, the treasure in question is Gretchen; a sexy, bohemian poet Dave meets when playing at a wedding with his band. While Gretchen the poet plays 'the bridesmaid', Dave plays 'the rock-star'. And suddenly, the comfortable trajectory of his reality seems far less appealing.
Reviews / Votes
'Perrotta's novels are sheer pleasure.' San Francisco Chronicle'An elegant, poignant tale of self-discovery.' Time Out New York
'Unalloyed reading pleasure...most readers will probably end up standing at the footlights, hooting for an encore.' New York TImes Book Review
'What makes this late coming-of-age novel original and fresh is the arch, incisive humor and pop-music riffs that Perrotta adds to an old story...Even the antagonisms are gentle and funny.' Publishers Weekly
'Just like a good rock 'n' roll song, Perrotta's novel is straight-ahead, unpretentious entertainment...Like Nick Hornsby's "High Fidelity", "The Wishbones" is a smart, very funny look at one man's ambivalence toward adulthood and commitment.' Booklist
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Product notice
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 130 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
202 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-726242-7 (9780007262427)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Tom Perrotta is the author of several works of fiction, including 'Little Children', 'Joe College' and 'Election'. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.