I only liked the first half but managed to finish it even though I didn’t feel like it. Boring . . .

It's a bad sign when all the praise on the back cover is for other books - not this one. He's a good writer, but this was terrible. I want to wash my brain with bleach after reading this.

Tim O'Brien has created a masterpiece of a comic protagonist in his character Thomas Chippering. The brilliance of "Tomcat in Love" is that it can so easily be misread by the inattentive reader. I think O'Brien wanted it that way.
The narrator (Chippering) is as unreliable as a narrator can be, and his whole character highlights the idea that the world is nothing but perceptions, and that perceptions vary for everyone. The power and flexibility of words is a key theme in this text, and I found myself stopping often while reading it to think about the connotations I place on certain words and how my life events have shaped those views.
Chippering is not perfect, polite, or even that self aware, but he is intelligent, wounded, and wants to be loved. He is an amalgamation of so many human emotions, and he desires what most of us want. As he says in the book, "Each of us I suppose, needs his illusions. Life after death. A maker of planets. A women to love, a man to hate. Something sacred." The tragedy of Thomas Chippering is that he has placed value on all the wrong things. Now that his world is crumbling, he begins to see (although O'Brien hints that Chippering will never be fully self aware) that he has wasted much time in self delusion.
This is a comic text, but the themes are deadly serious. "Know thyself" the philosopher said. Sadly, so many of us, like Chippering, don't.

Esperaba más.

Tim O’Brien can write. It’s well written and interesting, but I’m giving it one less than five stars because of the machismo of the main character. To be read in today’s context, it would horrify and upset an extreme feminist because there is a great deal of misogyny in the text.
It reminds us that we’re all pretty sick and twisted.

3.5, for the ending.

For a book about betrayal, revenge and madness, Tomcat in Love is surprisingly peppy. As I've come to expect from Tim O'brien, the characters are delicious and vivid, and the prose sparkles, more perhaps than it ever has before. Certain passages, like his narrator's riff on the word "commitment" ring so gloriously they could be performed at church. O'brien can write a mean sentence.

For all its linguistic beauty, however, Tomcat is in content an ugly book, in the same lyrical/horrifying vein as Lolita. Its protagonist, Professor Tom Chippering, is a creation not unlike Nabokov's Humbert Humbert -- delusional, exceptionally self-centered, obsessed with language, and hopelessly "in love" with unattainable young members of "the malleable sex," who he perceives are deliberately and viciously seducing him, all the time. Not too far into the book it becomes apparent that Tom's interpretation of his women's actions is inaccurate. The only character in the novel who would agree with Tom's self-designation as a "tomcat" is, well, himself.

I'll echo what other reviewers have written about the book's conclusion, which I, too, found a disappointing end to an otherwise scrumptious story. The revelation of the "you" to whom the narrator addresses his memoir is clever, certainly deepens the reader's sense of Tom's unending capacity for self-delusion, but the concluding events themselves . . . ? (Cornrows?!) The novel's biggest selling point is its ridiculousness -- public spankings, church bombings, (imaginary?) Vietnam buddies who stalk the narrator hoping to settle an old score, and more, but the last chapter is its biggest WTF moment -- impossible to predict -- and I find myself just unable to make the cognitive jump.

I'd write more, but you know the deal about spoilers. I'd hate to deter you from what really is a fun and solid, if somewhat unfulfilling, read. Read it on the bus.

Tim O'Brien's miraculous constitution of Tomcat in Love, another New York Times Bestseller, presents a wonderful and surely worth-your-time novelty compilation of a charismatic man troubled by his double obsession. Copyrighted towards Tim O-Brien as of 1998, this book was originally published by Broadway Books. Paperback editions cost about $12.53, whereas hardcover copies are roughly $17.25. Its genre is uncommonly seen: Tomcat in Love is a comic novel and a campus novel. Personally, I see it also classified as a slice of life. It is narrated in first person by Thomas H. Chippering, our tragic love-discombobulated main character.

On to the actual storyline, Tomcat in Love revolves around the charismatic and uncontrollably flirtatious Thomas H. Chippering,a linguistics professor in the University of Minnesota.Recently divorced from Lorna Sue, a crush he had born since childhood, Thomas plots revenge to take back the love of his life from the tycoon that married her off to Tampa. Also "involved" in the relationship was Herbie, previously Thomas's best friend and Lorna Sue's all-too-close brother. Thomas crept into the backyard of his old house one day in heartbroken realization of his living misfortune, and met Mrs. Robert (Donna) Kooshoof, and the two began to bond. After this developed foundation, the book reflects much on Thomas's reconciliations of war in Vietnam, his past with Lorna Sue, and his suspicion of Herbie. Throughout Thomas plots revenge and struggles against his refusal to accept the tragedy that has dawned before him as his two obsessions: winning back Lorna Sue and his need for intimacy through his promiscuity.

This book has booted through a long list of favorites to take number one, and that is quite impressive as I have read many renowned titles.
The book is a one-of-a-kind find. It's appearance imitates that of a usual girl's romance novel but inside, it couldn't be more different. Though I classify this as a slice of life, it isn't based on a cliche romance. Rather, it looks into a more modern perspective on the reality of love--it reflects revenge from heartbreak, the natural obsession of a man to long for intimacy, and the rage of jealousy. The figurative language overflows, and the connections the author pulls from the most unthinkable sources make this novel eclectic to all the personal tragedies of life. Never was I bored reading, and never have I willingly put the book down to get on with my own tragic life story. Thomas has been my favorite and most inspirational character, his disposition on life in general is emotionally stimulating and sensible.

Overall, Tomcat in Love was by far one of the most amazing titles I have ever come upon, and it is greatly recommended for one who is sick of the usual lovey-duvey romances and needs to step into the captivating reality of romantic tragedy. The point is clear and concise with every page, and by the end you'll still be living Thomas's life, realizing the connections to life as he had seen.

As clearly conveyed in my lengthy review, I enjoyed this book to an immense extremity. However, there is one unfortunate downside to this novel that limits its readers. There is a level of maturity required, and the vocabulary and structure may be challenging to some readers who desire simpler reads. I still recommend struggling through with it, though, because this narrative is well worth anyone's time.

I always have mixed emotions about these kind of books. It was depressing for the most part. But I kept reading hoping it would get better. Did come together in the end and some questions were answered which helped understand where the author was going with this. These are the kind of books that stick with me though. Maybe the depressing part is that it’s kind of making me look inside myself. All I know is my next book needs to be more lighthearted.

The ending made it all worth it. Bravo, Mr. O'Brien, bravo.

Interesting twisted mind.

This whole book is written from the perspective of a man. It's simply his self-reflection or even a letter if you will of him justifying and explaining away. What an awful a****** he is. He is sexist, racist, and a predator, but he thinks that he is charming, delightful and desired by every single woman, particularly young girls. The whole book is very ironic and I think my favorite part is how he is a professor and is presenting a class titled Methodologies of Misogyny . I'm giving this book three stars because even though I found the main character to be insufferable and annoying, I love the way the author focused on words and meanings and I loved the writing style of the book. It had a very nice flow. If you don't mind listening in on the mind of a do***** man who is attracted to young girls and you want to enjoy a well written book, this is the one for you.