Short review:

This is a spare yet touching fictionalized account of Tobias Wolfe's teen years at an East Coast boarding school in the early 1960s. The young narrator, poor, on scholarship, ambitious, and desperate to fit into the affluent and competitive environment, adopts the aloof mannerisms of his wealthier schoolmates and uses dishonesty to stay ahead. The following passage warns of his hard fall:

"I guess he finished his story, I said. I guess so, Bill said. How’s yours going? He said this in a worn, tender way that surprised me. We were almost at the end of our years together, and without ever fighting or deviling each other like most other roommates, we were farther from being friends than on our first day. We had made ourselves unknowable behind our airs and sardonic courtesies. The one important truth I’d discovered about him, we’d silently agreed never to acknowledge. Many such agreements had evolved between us. No acknowledgment of who we really were – of trouble, weakness, or doubt – of our worries about the life ahead and the sort of men we were becoming. Never; not a word. We’d kept everything witty and cool, until the air between us was so ironized that to say anything in earnest would have been a breach of manners, even of trust."

The truth, the young man ultimately learns, has a life of its own. It stuns, shreds falseness, is self-cleansing, and reveals lies and covetousness. In the quest for a worthy life, it is always best to accept and embrace who you really are, accept life's challenges with humility and a desire to work hard. Honesty is always the best policy.

This author belongs to the humbling yet appreciated category of "Why Do I Even Bother?" Wolff's mastery is clear from the very first page.

A sympathetic yet flawed and unnamed protagonist is on scholarship at a prep school (at times, this read a bit like a male version of Prep) and desperately wants to be counted among the great writers. He succumbs to temptation to achieve this goal.

I absolutely loved this book. It was beautifully written and moving, and at times, it was hysterically funny (though in a literary way, meaning you would need to have a strong inclination to laugh at Ayn Rand and Hemingway, and not everyone has such a need).

I deduct a star only because the book was fabulous for 90 percent of the way, and then I really didn't like the ending. The last few pages felt rushed and not in line with the overall quality of the rest of the book.

That being said, I highly recommend it, and it is waiting for the Queens Girls to rotate as desired.

I'm a public school kid.

I spent my elementary years in an inner city school where the teachers laboriously cranked out math assignments from the ancient mimeograph machine, and our school books were donated by wealthier school districts.

From sixth grade until twelfth grade, I transferred to one of those affluent school districts and relished the novelty of a Xerox machine, yet watched helplessly as our 30-year-old natatorium gradually began to crumble.

I concluded my educational journey at a state university, where there was sufficient funding to commence the construction of two new dormitories after I graduated.

What I'm attempting to convey here is that I've witnessed friends donning their private school uniforms and encountered former classmates who recounted garden parties on the lush greens of Princeton, but I've never experienced it firsthand. It remains a mystery, albeit an enticing one.

I suppose that's precisely why I'm constantly on the hunt for books about boarding schools, those exclusive institutions where the wealthy forge connections and children are separated from their families in the name of education.

In "The Magicians" and the "Harry Potter" novels, it wasn't the magic that captivated me as much as the life within those closed circles. "The Secret History" provided a wealth of insights into a privileged world.

So when I picked up "Old School" by Tobias Wolff, it was love at first sight.

"Old School" chronicles the literary adventures of an unnamed narrator in a post-World War II school where writing is regarded as a sport with very real and tangible prizes.

Each year, three distinct writers visit the school and engage with the one boy whose literary work has significantly impressed them. The competition to be that one boy is fierce, compelling the students to hunch over their typewriters night after night, completely absorbed in concentration.

Winning not only garners the attention of a famous author but also elicits audible admiration and silent fury from the student body. In other words, it's nothing like a public school.

Wolff skillfully crafts a school that appears absurdly exaggerated in theory yet feels palpable on the printed page. He also has a firm grasp on the voices of the authors featured in the story: Robert Frost, Ayn Rand, and Ernest Hemingway. Their conversations with the fictional characters are perfect complements to their real-life works.

Wolff has a sharp ear for dialogue and has clearly dedicated himself to the Great American Classics.

The book evolved into something far more than a mere窥探 into the foreign realm of boarding schools. It inspired me to seek out all those Hemingway novels that I read in high school, to give William Faulkner another chance, and to continue to avoid finishing "The Fountainhead" (after all, I'm not perfect).

It's time to put that public school education back into action. So, thank you, Tobias Wolff.

A book that delves into the world of writing and writers is truly a golden find. It has the power to reshape our perspectives and make us think anew. In this particular book, it had a profound impact on me as it made me reconsider Hemingway. His works, which I had previously thought I knew well, now seemed to have a whole new layer of depth and complexity.

What's more, this book contains the most amusing takedown of Ayn Rand. It dissects her ideas and writing style in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. It challenges the reader to question their own beliefs and assumptions about literature and philosophy.

Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the art of writing and the minds of great writers. It offers a unique and engaging perspective that will leave you with much to ponder and discuss.

I have had this book on the unread shelf of my library for a decade. In an attempt I am making this time to reduce the list of these books, I decided to start it... and I couldn't put it down. The pages turned effortlessly as Wolff's writing captivated me. The incisive writing, the rich vocabulary, the black humor, the countless bibliophilic references were some of the elements that made this book enjoyable.

Essentially, it is the story of a young student who dreams of becoming a writer (like many of his classmates) in a boys' school somewhere in distant 1961 and who has a writing "obsession" with Ernest Hemingway. I deduct one star because towards the end it had a bit of a lull compared to the rest of the excellent book. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it very much!

This book takes the reader on a journey through the mind of a young aspiring writer, filled with his hopes, dreams, and idiosyncrasies. The setting of the boys' school in the 1960s adds a touch of nostalgia and authenticity to the story. Wolff's ability to create vivid characters and a compelling narrative is truly remarkable.

Despite the small flaw towards the end, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves literature, writing, or simply a good story. It will keep you engaged from start to finish and leave you with a sense of satisfaction. I highly recommend it!

A not very convincing novel, despite the plot having piqued my curiosity.

In this story, the main theme gets lost, is found again, and then gets lost once more. To the difficulty of understanding where the writer wants to lead the reader, there is also a dose of boredom due to the excess of unnecessary information and details about so many characters who would all be very interesting, but are abandoned along the way, without any reason.

However, Wolff has not completely disappointed me. I think I will read something else. Some reflections have been interesting and the descriptions are vivid and useful for the narrative, never excessive.

The novel seems to lack a clear direction at times, which makes it a bit of a struggle to follow. But there are still redeeming qualities that make it worth considering.

Perhaps with a bit more focus and tighter editing, Wolff could have created a more engaging and satisfying work.

Overall, it's an okay read, but not one that I would highly recommend.

I thought this book was a bit slow paced compared to some of the books I've read recently.

At first, I was really looking forward to delving into its pages and getting lost in the story. However, as I started reading, I found that the plot was unfolding at a rather leisurely pace.

It seemed to take a long time for things to really get going. I was used to books that grabbed my attention right from the start and kept me on the edge of my seat with fast-paced action and exciting twists.

But this one was different. It was more of a gradual build-up, which sometimes made it a bit of a struggle to stay fully engaged.

Nevertheless, I decided to persevere and see where the story would lead. Maybe there was something deeper and more meaningful hidden beneath the seemingly slow exterior.

I hoped that as I continued reading, the pace would pick up and I would finally be able to experience the full魅力 of the book.

I was deeply immersed in reading this book, and as I did, I couldn't help but envision what a contemporary YA literary agent or editor would have to say upon receiving Tobias Wolff's captivating story about a young man's experiences in a New England preparatory school. This particular school, which can boast a U.S. president among its alumni but is far too refined to ever mention such a fact explicitly.

I picture my imaginary literary agent and editor,皱着眉头, asking questions like "where's the conflict? Where are the plot twists, the romance, the Big Ideas, the high stakes?" It truly saddens me to think that in today's literary landscape, this remarkable book might be unjustly labeled as a "quiet" or "literary" work. Perhaps it would receive a personalized rejection letter stating, "this is of such high quality, so exquisitely written, but unfortunately, I just don't see a market for this now in the Young Adult publishing world. You may want to try an adult publisher where there is greater acceptance for books like this where not much seems to happen."

Do you really have to be old, say over 40, to fully savor the subtle tension of a literary competition where the prize is a private conversation with literary giants like Robert Frost or Ernest Hemingway? Do you need to have been battered by life's hardships before you can truly appreciate that lying about who you are is both hurtful and, in some strange way, needed? And does it really take years of life experience to understand the intricate threads that tie personal integrity to art, to discover the profound truth about what it means to write with authenticity? The gifts that this book has to offer can most definitely be received by young people. However, these gifts won't simply jump into your lap the moment you pick up the book. You may need to be patient, stay engaged, and earn the book's trust. At first, they may approach hesitantly, but when they do, they'll stay with you, enriching your understanding and perception of the world.

Old School, Tobias Jonathan Ansell Wolff

Date of first reading: November 18, 2011

Title: Old School; Author: Tobias Wolff; Translator: Manir Shakhsari; Tehran, Cheshmeh, 1389; in 226 pages; ISBN: 9789643628413; Subject: Stories of 21st-century American writers

It's an engaging story about life in a school in the early 1960s. Although the school is one of the top schools and is located in New England, USA, Tobias Wolff seems to have brought Firoozabad High School in Tabriz before the lens of my imagination. Although I don't know why I studied math, I always wanted to write. Maybe my poem about my mother with beautiful handwriting is still on the wall of that high school, as it was ten years ago. A. Sharbiani

This book takes us on a journey through the experiences and emotions of the students in this particular school. We get to see their dreams, their struggles, and their growth. Wolff's writing is vivid and descriptive, making it easy for the reader to picture the scenes and characters in their minds. It's a must-read for anyone interested in American literature or coming-of-age stories.

You boys know what tropism is. It's that fascinating phenomenon that makes a plant grow toward the light. Everything in nature seems to have this inherent aspiration for the light. You don't have to go through the trouble of chasing down a fly to get rid of it. All you need to do is darken the room and leave a small crack of light in a window. And presto, out it goes. It works every single time. We, as humans, also have that same instinct, that deep-seated aspiration. Science, with all its knowledge and discoveries, can't dim that inner longing within us. In fact, all science can do is help us turn out the false lights that might be leading us astray, so that the true light can guide us home. It's like a lighthouse in the storm, showing us the way back to our true selves and our true purpose.

[2003] This is a strange book indeed. I had certain expectations, but it didn't quite meet them as fully as I hoped. The story is set in a boys' boarding school or prep school. What's interesting is that, unlike in many other books with a similar setting, here the faculty and the pupils generally seem to like each other and get along well. I found this both unexpected and refreshing.

Strangely, however, a significant portion of the story is dedicated to discussing the guest authors who were invited to the school. First, there's Robert Frost, and then even more emphasis is placed on Ayn Rand. The main character's fascination with the love affair of the two main characters in her book The Fountainhead and his lack of understanding of the rest of it (which, incidentally, was also my experience) are explored. Then, there's even more about Ernest Hemingway.

The main event occurs more than two-thirds of the way through the book, which feels rather late. As a result, the rest of the book seems rushed. I think the main event was interesting and could have benefited from a bit more in-depth exploration.

After that, we skip to the main character in middle age when he runs into one of the teachers from school. The teacher then fills him in on what happened to the headmaster in the intervening years. This part felt a bit tacked on, and I felt a bit cheated to have everything relayed to me in this way. Also, while I really liked the writing initially, around the time of the main event, it felt like the author handed it over to a less talented writer to finish it off. So, overall, it was a little disappointing to finish this book.

It is a truth that is widely recognized and accepted that the majority of coming-of-age novels are truly dreadful, overly sweet, and exaggerated pieces of garbage. While I am inclined to trace this unfortunate phenomenon back to "Catcher in the Rye," I suspect that its roots may extend all the way back to ancient times, perhaps even to Paris and Achilles. Their respective histrionics, characteristic of spoiled and hormonally charged teenagers, led to a decade-long war, the deaths of countless men, and the downfall of an entire civilization.

However, "Old School" manages to get the coming-of-age genre right. It is wry, honest, and free from the excessive sentimentality that usually plagues books about high school. What makes this even more remarkable is that Wolff's high school is a boarding school in the 1950s, and yet it doesn't give the impression that you've already experienced it all before. In part, Wolff's school feels like a genuine educational institution (and trust me, as an alumna of a boarding school, I know that most books about them bear little resemblance to the actual reality of boarding school life) and not just a symbol of repression. Moreover, Wolff's protagonist comes across as a normal teenager. Granted, he is a writer with a tendency towards pretension, who tries to appear tougher than he actually is and generally fakes his way through his social life, just like any seventeen-year-old would. But the book is really about the writing process, specifically about a semester-long competition that will culminate in a personalized story critique from Ernest Hemingway. Along the way, as the boys strive to construct the perfect tale, famous authors visit the school. They discover new books and attempt to find their own unique voices. And that last aspect is perhaps the most crucial part of the book. The climax centers around a plagiarism charge that stems from a fear of simply not being good enough.

This book is truly exceptional and highly recommended. And as an added bonus, "Old School" contains one of the funniest parodies of Ayn Rand and her rather crazy followers ever committed to paper.