There's a prompt in improv, "yes and," which usually signals the performers to keep adding to the story in order to keep an exercise going. I thought of this phrase while deep into the middle of this book, a memoir that dares to expose the awful truth about the Fifties. I'm being sarcastic, but I did have a few "Yes and?" moments while reading. In this sense, the "yes and" was more like "and then what else happened," followed by a sense of "well, of course." It wasn't a great feeling.

"This Boy's Life," by Tobias Wolff, isn't a bad book per se. Wolff is a gifted prose stylist, and even accepting the limits of the memoir form (where dialog is sometimes invented and events compressed for space or left out entirely), "Life" is highly readable and engaging. But... I just got to a point during this read where I felt like my tolerance was being tested. I finished the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in literary non-fiction. But I just didn't connect with it after a while.

Wolff and his mother are sent off to the West in the Fifties, after a divorce and custody battle where Dad gets the eldest boy and Mom gets Toby. They travel around and end up in Washington State, where a brutal step-father lies in Toby's near future. He also becomes a delinquent, stealing, drinking, smoking, and swearing. And unlike a lot of memoirs about bad kids, by the end he isn't reformed or cleaned up yet; he still has to go through the hell of Vietnam (the subject of Wolff's subsequent memoir, "In Pharaoh's Army").

I wanted to like this book more, but at the end of the day my "yes and" voice was too strong. I don't want to minimize the trauma Wolff experienced in his childhood, but I also feel like I've read this exact kind of memoir before. Perhaps not so much for the abuse as for the profound sense of "woe is me" that sometimes comes off not the way the author intended. Memoirs can be all kinds of things, but they sometimes fall into patterns that make it hard to care. In much the same way that I responded to "Stop-Time," Frank Conroy's similar memoir of growing up, initially I felt like "This Boy's Life" might be a keeper. But as the years have tempered my reaction to Conroy's work, so the feelings I have towards Wolff's book have curdled in the space of a few hours. Perhaps it's unfair to Wolff to feel this way, as his book came out decades before the spate of similar books by white Boomer authors about how "tragic" their childhoods were. But I think in some ways this one tries too hard at times to be dour and grim. Which is not to say that it doesn't *earn* moments to be so, but Wolff does lay it on a bit thick, to some extent.

"This Boy's Life" didn't work for me, but that's not to say that it was a waste of my time. Wolff is too good a writer for me to feel that way. I might even seek out his other memoir. But I doubt I'll ever return to "This Boy's Life" for a re-read. More power to the folks who love this book, I'm just not in that group.

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

I read this book nearly two months ago and have been grappling with trying to formulate some sort (any sort) of review. Sometimes, when I peruse a memoir, I'm confronted with the query "what led this individual to believe their personal history was worthy of being a novel?" This is precisely the case with This Boy’s Life.诚然，托拜厄斯·沃尔夫（Tobias Wolff）的童年颇为糟糕，然而与其他自传相比（夜（Night）是我能想到的最具里程碑意义的个人史，甚至玻璃城堡（The Glass Castle）是最奇异的。那些都是非写不可的书）。无论沃尔夫决定撰写自己故事的背后原因是什么，我都很庆幸他这么做了。

我认为沃尔夫在讲述他的故事时的诚实，既是这本书如此令人难忘的原因，也是让我难以总结的原因。他不仅向我们讲述了他那确实不怎么样的继父，而且他也诚实地承认，在他成长的岁月里，他自己也非常难以管教。当我想跳进书页里把德怀特（Dwight）打得屁滚尿流时，有时我也想跳进去用肥皂给沃尔夫洗嘴巴，或者好好地掐他一下。

这本书写得非常好，读起来就像小说一样。这是一个真正令人难忘的成长故事。如果你通常不是那种读非虚构作品的人，那么这本书是一个很棒的选择。

旁注：电影改编版中有一个面容清秀的小男孩，他将让我们瞥见他未来辉煌的职业生涯……

  

Honestly, I have to say that I really disliked most of this book.

The only sections that managed to hold my interest were those when the book delved into the details of the brothers' truck and when the main character engaged in a fight with his friend within the gym.

However, what truly frustrated me about this book was the excruciatingly long time it took to draw me into the story. And even after that, I never really had the sense that I fully grasped what was happening within its pages.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone who simply desires to have a rather unpleasant reading experience. But for those who happen to enjoy this particular book, I would suggest "Into the Woods" instead. This is because I had a similar feeling while reading that as I did with this one.

It's important to note that everyone's reading preferences can vary greatly, and what one person dislikes, another might find appealing.

Nevertheless, based on my own experience, I cannot say that this book was a favorite of mine.

Perhaps others will have a different perspective and be able to find more value in it than I did.

Well, it seems that I'm not going to complete my summer reading book. What a pity! I had to give up at page 160. Maybe it's just not the right book for me at this time. There could be various reasons for this. Perhaps the story didn't grip me enough, or the writing style didn't resonate with me. It's a bit disappointing, but that's how it goes sometimes. I'm sure there are other great books out there waiting for me to discover. Maybe I'll pick up a different one and have a more enjoyable reading experience. For now, though, this particular book will remain unfinished. Rip to my attempt at reading it all the way through.

An incredibly captivating coming of age story is set during the 1950s in post WWII America. It stands in sharp contrast to the pervasive innocence depicted in J D Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. Wolff's memoir is a vivid portrayal filled with raw grit, rebellious spirit, and heart-wrenching vulnerability. The vivid descriptions and the author's honest account draw the reader in and make it impossible to put down. It offers a unique perspective on growing up in a particular time and place, highlighting the challenges and triumphs that shape a person's character. The story unfolds like a powerful drama, with each page adding a new layer of depth and complexity. It is a must-read for anyone interested in a truly engaging and thought-provoking memoir.

I love a memoir that has the power to make me completely forget that I'm reading a memoir. This particular memoir had me soooo very much rooting for this lying, stealing boy as he tried to figure out who he truly is.

The amount of trouble he managed to get himself into was astonishing, and yet, here he is now, a successful award-winning author. This fact makes me rest a little easier, knowing that it all worked out for him in the end. And it makes me think, "So why not me too?"

There is a valuable lesson to be learned from this book. Things will absolutely not always go according to plan, but that doesn't mean they won't end up being alright. In fact, sometimes the unexpected detours and challenges are what shape us and lead us to a better place. This memoir serves as a reminder that no matter how difficult the journey may seem, there is always hope for a happy ending.

I'm not entirely sure if it's because I've been subconsciously zeroing in on great reads or if I've just been incredibly fortunate to have them land right in my lap. Either way, the rather humorous,略带忧伤且颇具洞察力的托拜厄斯·沃尔夫（Tobias Wolff）所著的《这个男孩的生活》（This Boy's Life）触动了我的心弦，并且延续了这种趋势。愿这种情况长久持续下去！

作为一个自己也有些迷茫的男孩，我很喜欢这个关于一个迷茫男孩的故事，他在只有一个飘忽不定的母亲和偶尔冷漠、虐待他的继父的环境中成长。这是一个相当典型的成长故事，在这个故事中，包含了打架、建立和破坏友谊、女孩以及她们对一个饥渴的年轻人的吸引力、努力装酷、汽车、枪支等等方面的小插曲。

这本书于1989年出版，但感觉要古老得多。可能是因为它主要描述的是20世纪50年代末和60年代初发生的事情。在这方面，它让我想起了《圣诞故事》（A Christmas Story），只是更阴郁一些。也许把它比作电视剧《纯真年代》（The Wonder Years）会更贴切。是的，就把年轻的托拜厄斯想象成一个更真实、少了些好莱坞式欢快的凯文·阿诺德（Kevin Arnold）吧。

沃尔夫的散文读起来是一种享受。时不时地，他会写下一句绝妙的台词，让你不禁“嗯”一声。*（做了个阿瑟尼奥的动作）*有好几次我都完全沉浸在了他的文字里。然而，这是一本特别私人的回忆录，有几个紧张的时刻会把你直接拉进场景中，让你屏住呼吸，甚至可能会为一个积极的结果祈祷。这就是高质量的写作。

虽然我怀疑这本书对每个人来说都不会是五星佳作，但沃尔夫的写作风格和他讲述的故事在我心中是完全可以引起共鸣的。这本书让我感觉很熟悉，与我自己成长故事的某些方面很相似。然而，即使是那些无法亲身与书中内容产生共鸣的读者，也应该能够从中获得很多乐趣。

Wow, I truly adored this one. I had been acquainted with several of Wolff's short stories. "Bullet in the Brain" happens to be one of my all-time favorites. However, this is the very first of his longer works that I have had the pleasure of reading.

I was deeply impressed by how it flawlessly depicted the awkwardness, anxiety, and tragic passivity that often accompany boyhood. I could relate to it on numerous levels, despite the fact that I grew up in a different place and era and had a completely distinct personality from the main character of the book.

It is indeed a dark book. This was perhaps something I might have anticipated after reading "The Vintage Book of American Short Stories" (which Wolff edited) from cover to cover. I also loved that collection, but the themes of those stories were rather dismal. "This Boys Life" delves into the futility of the many things we strive for. It explores loneliness and the poverty of human relations. We connect so fleetingly with others in ways that leave us yearning for more.

The ending offers no redemption for the main character. Nevertheless, Wolff does hint that there are certain comforts that come with maturity and experience. Wolff writes, "Knowing that everything comes to an end is a gift of experience, a consolation gift for knowing that we ourselves are coming to an end. Before we get it we live in a continuous present, and imagine the future as more of the present. Happiness is endless happiness, innocent of its own sure passing. Pain is endless pain."

So, even these comforts of maturity are accompanied by the realization of much grimmer realities. But the book's darkness does not come across as maudlin or sentimental. Instead, it seems like a bravely told truth, one that is far better accepted than ignored.

I'm only a couple of months’ shy of my 20th birthday. I still consider myself a Teenager. “You count as a teenager if you’re between 11 and 19”, I think I read that somewhere.

Growing up is indeed a significant thing. Calling oneself an Adult is a big deal. Being an adult implies numerous things; responsibilities, figuring out life, planning various aspects, knowing where to head and what to do; these are the things that an adult knows and does.

Tobias Wolff's Memoir is largely about growing up. The years of childhood are called “The best years of your life” for a reason. When one becomes an adult, one is expected to know one's place in the world, not to be a boy anymore, but to Man up.

The book is truly honest. There are no sugarcoated elements. I wouldn't say it inspired me in any way; as opposed to that other Memoir I had read, (The Glass Castle). This is how most of us would behave. Most of us wouldn't “define and do it against all odds”.

I did identify with Mr. Wolff. I mean, things weren't all rosy in my household either. Sometimes you just feel stuck. You simply have to wait for time to make amends for you.

Mr. Wolff’s stepfather, Dwight, is an important figure in the book. Dwight is a low-life scumbag. However, his actions aren't overly explicit. He is there, doing what a scumbag would do. But his presence and depiction are honest.

If you're in the mood for a memoir, I would recommend it. The writing is of good quality.

What is the boundary between memoir and autofiction? Is it a meticulous attention to accurate chronology? A strict adherence to point of view and the identity of the narrator and protagonist? Completeness? Or a renunciation of literary conventions such as allusion, symbolism, and perhaps metaphor? We surely can't claim that the perceptions, emotions, and judgments in both memoir and autofiction are anything other than plausible reconstructions, perhaps enhanced by a greater awareness of life themes due to more years of living.

Tobias Wolff's work has the feel of a memoir. Indeed, it contains foreshadowing and a touch of flashback. It glosses over large portions of lived time and then refers to them later in passing, selecting the best personal narratives. And yes, it has themes and symbols - for example, the book begins and ends inside automobiles, representing escape and total freedom, and an older step-brother rebuilds an old car on his way to freedom.

However, it is always an explicit act of reconstruction. We hear the voice of the adult narrator rather than that of his younger self, even when the narrator provides dialogue for his younger self. It is also a careful and plausible reconstruction, as the young Wolff is never given the thoughts or emotions of the older Wolff.

Wolff brilliantly resolves the issue of ending his memoir in the middle of his life by jumping forward with a brief summary of the next few years, and then jumping back to the time just before a major transition, leaving his younger self anticipating his future and celebrating it with a friend.

This is how you write a memoir - by making me forget that it's a memoir.

By drawing me into a story about a kid who had a rough life filled with instability and a lack of positive adult role models.

It's a story that is beautifully written - compact, honest, and funny, with a self-deprecating tone and a sense of irony that can only be achieved by someone who has fully accepted his flawed past.

A guy who can say this was me, damn, look how messed up I was!

Toby Wolff was indeed a troubled kid. He was a thief, a liar, and on the verge of becoming a full-fledged con artist, forging cheques, school applications, and reference letters.

But he was also a boy who loved his mother,渴望 acceptance, and had innocent, conventional dreams of finding a girl to love and marry.

It's inspiring to me that this kid, who could have easily become a stereotype or a statistic given his poor school performance and the sadistic joy he got from pointing a loaded gun at unsuspecting strangers, ended up as a distinguished writer and professor at Stanford University.

Even more, that Tobias Wolff was able to look back at his life with clarity and honesty and share his coming-of-age story with an unsentimental perspective only makes me nod my head in empathy and understanding. It's truly beautiful.

An interesting memoir indeed is about a boy named Tobias Wolff. He is constantly on the move, from one city to another, until he finally ends up in Seattle with a truly horrible stepfather. The stepfather beats up Wolff, who is referred to as Jack in this book, for no justifiable reasons (is there ever a good reason for such violence?). Due to this, the book unfolds as a rather sad story.

However, it must be said that Jack isn't the most exemplary character in the world either. He is constantly telling lies to everyone around him and stealing from just about anyone he can. A couple of my friends really had a liking for this book, and some guy at a bar near Dodger Stadium also told me that he really liked it. So, when I saw it being sold used at the book fair a couple of weeks ago, I decided to pick it up for just two bucks. Obviously, it was worth that bargain price, but I'm not entirely convinced that it's the book that everyone has made it out to be.

Not a whole lot really happens in the story. I found myself repeatedly having to remind myself that this was a true story and not a fictional one. I would recommend this book, but perhaps not to those who had abusive parents, as it might potentially bring back some rather unpleasant memories.