Play Simon and Garfunkel’s Mrs. Robinson and there is no way to avoid the image of Ben Braddock driving his red Alfa Romeo boat tail spider. I love that song and the memories of Dustin Hoffman and Katherine Ross. Ben Learner’s new book does the same thing. He conjures up lost memories - vividly. There I was back in high school, sneaking out as if it were yesterday.
The Topeka School had plenty of story to carry the reader along even without the memory reel. The memories kept streaming though. Relationships, parents, raising kids, therapists, and lawsuits were right there fresh. Adam, the main character, learns how to do the “spread” while rising to the top of the high school debate rankings. It makes sense that the common trial lawyer tactic of creating a flood of low quality arguments forcing the other side to respond to each one would be employed in high school debate. As the name implies, it does “spread” the competition thin, but it also makes me grateful that my girls didn’t participate in high school debate. The world already has too many mean and unhappy lawyers.
In another reading experience I thought was unrelated, I just finished Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch. Turns out it also was a young white male blathering on endlessly about youthful anxieties in the 90s. I think I have had my fill of that genre for a while. I am sure I had a very active inner dialogue during my teens and early twenties. I am just glad no one else heard it!
As far as recommendations go, read The Topeka School – it is a fun ride and I’m going to go back and read his other books. For Nick Hornby, I think I will re-watch High Fidelity.