This Boy's Life: A Memoir

Last updated

This Boy's Life: A Memoir
This Boy's Life.jpg
Cover of This Boy's Life
Author Tobias Wolff
LanguageEnglish
Genre Memoir
Set in American Northwest
Publisher The Atlantic Monthly Press [1]
Publication date
January 1989
ISBN 0802136680

This Boy's Life: A Memoir is an autobiographical book by Tobias Wolff about his childhood in the American Northwest in the 1950s, published in January 1989 by The Atlantic Monthly Press. The book was adapted into a film of the same name.

Background

The memoir is about the first two decades of Wolff's life, [1] much of it taking place in the 1950s, [2] focused on ages eleven through sixteen, when Wolff began private school. [3] Wolff describes his early life in the Northwestern United States, including how his mother's behavior and choice in partners taught him "the virtue of rebellion", and how he adapted "in hiding" to overcome his troubles. [4] The book covers Wolff's deeds as a youth: he would "lie, cheat, steal, drink, run away and forge checks." [5]

Reviewers found the depiction of Wolff's childhood and coming-of-age effective. [4] For The New York Times , Joel Conarroe suggested the book offered insight into "how a troubled boy's experiences became a mature artist's material". [1] Charles Solomon of the Los Angeles Times wrote "He was clearly an incorrigible thug as a youth, but his pain is so overwhelming that the reader longs to comfort him rather than discipline him." [5] And Kirkus Reviews found "familiar boyhood rituals" described in a way the reader may not have seen before. [2]

Wolff's writing was praised by multiple reviewers. Publishers Weekly found a "customary skill and self-assurance" in the storytelling. [4] Kirkus Reviews called the memoir "lucid" and "precise". [2] Conarroe described the work as "literate and entertaining". [1] Reviewers and academics have discussed the directness, efficient pace and episodic structure of Wolff's style. Solomon described "vigorous, straightforward prose" without attempt to soften the story. [5] Clifford Thompson of The Threepenny Review highlighted the book's honesty and perceptiveness, also noting the lack of excuses on the author's part. Thompson used the sport of boxing as a metaphor for the writing, suggesting that the sentences "contain the force of punches" and praising an efficiency in stringing together meaningful sentences. [6] Kirkus Reviews described how Wolff sets a dark tone at the start, leading to a series of dark "episodes". [2] Martin Scofield described the structure similarly, highlighting the "short-story-like episodes" that worked together to produce the whole, also finding a sense of immediacy throughout. [3]

The memoir was adapted into a screenplay by Robert Getchell for the 1993 film This Boy's Life , directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Getchell told Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times that he was "surprised" how the book reminded him of emotions he had experienced in his youth; Goldstein reported that Caton-Jones had felt a similar identification with the material. [7] The book has been used in secondary education; teaching critical reading, Lori Mayo explained in The English Journal how she used a scene in which Wolff described salmon dying after spawning upstream as an example of symbolism or foreshadowing, the scene giving a sense of problems to come. [8]

Related Research Articles

An autobiographical comic is an autobiography in the form of comic books or comic strips. The form first became popular in the underground comix movement and has since become more widespread. It is currently most popular in Canadian, American and French comics; all artists listed below are from the U.S. unless otherwise specified.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobias Wolff</span> American author (born 1945)

Tobias Jonathan Ansell Wolff is an American short story writer, memoirist, novelist, and teacher of creative writing. He is known for his memoirs, particularly This Boy's Life (1989) and In Pharaoh's Army (1994). He has written four short story collections and two novels including The Barracks Thief (1984), which won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. Wolff received a National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in September 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice Sebold</span> American writer (born 1963)

Alice Sebold is an American author. She is known for her novels The Lovely Bones and The Almost Moon, and a memoir, Lucky. The Lovely Bones was on The New York Times Best Seller list and was adapted into a film by the same name in 2009. Her memoir, Lucky, sold over a million copies and describes her experience in her first year at Syracuse University, when she was raped. Anthony Broadwater was incorrectly identified as the perpetrator. Broadwater spent 16 years in prison. He was exonerated in 2021, after a judge overturned the original conviction. Consequently, the publisher of Lucky announced that the book would no longer be distributed.

<i>Old School</i> (novel) 2003 novel by Tobias Wolff

Old School is an American semi-autobiographical coming-of-age novel by Tobias Wolff that was first partially published in The New Yorker as a short story ahead of novelization in 2003. It acts a memoir for a fictional unnamed writer, who recalls his senior year at a New England preparatory school in 1960–1961. The novel explores intertwining themes of identity, class, belonging and literature. It was a finalist for the 2004 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

<i>In Pharaohs Army</i>

In Pharaoh's Army: Memories of the Lost War is the second memoir by American writer Tobias Wolff, published on October 4, 1994.

<i>Teacher Man</i> 2005 book by Frank McCourt

Teacher Man is a 2005 memoir written by Frank McCourt which describes and reflects on his development as a teacher in New York high schools and colleges. It is in continuation to his earlier two memoirs, Angela's Ashes and 'Tis.

Minor Characters: A Beat Memoir (1983) is a memoir by Joyce Johnson documenting her time with Jack Kerouac. The book also tells the story of the women of the Beat Generation, the "minor characters" of its title.

I'm with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie is a 1987 memoir by former groupie Pamela Des Barres. It was a New York Times best seller.

<i>This Boys Life</i> 1993 film by Michael Caton-Jones

This Boy's Life is a 1993 American biographical coming-of-age drama film directed by Michael Caton-Jones. It is based on the eponymous memoir by author Tobias Wolff. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Ellen Barkin. This was DiCaprio's theatrical film debut. It marks the first time Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro ever collaborated. The film also features Chris Cooper, Carla Gugino, Eliza Dushku and Tobey Maguire's first credited appearance in a feature-length movie.

Karen Karbo is an American novelist, non-fiction writer and journalist.

<i>Half the House: A Memoir</i> 1995 book by Richard Hoffman

Half the House: a memoir is written by Richard Hoffman. It was first published in 1995, then republished in 2005 with an afterword from 1996 and a postscript from 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Rosenblatt</span> American writer (born 1940)

Roger Rosenblatt is an American memoirist, essayist, and novelist. He was a long-time essayist for Time magazine and PBS NewsHour.

<i>Girl in a Band</i> 2015 autobiography by Kim Gordon

Girl in a Band: A Memoir is a 2015 autobiography written by former Sonic Youth bass guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Kim Gordon.

<i>Time and Tide</i> (novel) Novel by Edna OBrien

Time and Tide is a 1992 novel by Irish novelist Edna O'Brien, published by Viking in the UK and by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux in the US. The novel depicts the hardship of Nell, an Irish beauty, during her challenging life in England. The New York Times described the plot as "disturbing", and focus heavily on the mourning created by Nell's misfortune.

<i>Boy Erased: A Memoir</i> 2016 memoir by Garrard Conley

Boy Erased: A Memoir is a 2016 memoir by Garrard Conley recounting his childhood in a fundamentalist Arkansas family that enrolled him in conversion therapy. According to The Week, it aims to bridge the cultural divide—"one that makes gay conversion therapy seem a natural choice in some places and unfathomable in others". It was adapted into the 2018 film Boy Erased.

<i>My Life in Court</i>

My Life in Court is a 1961 memoir by American trial lawyer Louis Nizer documenting his career in law. The work was a best seller when it was first released, lasting for 72 weeks on The New York Times Bestsellers list.

<i>Born a Crime</i> 2016 book by Trevor Noah

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood is an autobiographical comedy book written by South African comedian Trevor Noah, published in 2016. The book focuses on Noah's childhood growing up in South Africa after he was born of an illegal interracial relationship during the apartheid era. The book was a bestseller and has received overwhelmingly positive reviews.

<i>A Natural Woman</i> (book)

A Natural Woman: A Memoir is a 2012 memoir by musician Carole King.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tillie Walden</span> American cartoonist and author

Tillie Walden is an American cartoonist who has published five graphic novels and a webcomic. Walden won the 2018 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work for her graphic novel Spinning, making her one of the youngest Eisner Award winners ever. She was named Vermont's Cartoonist Laureate for the years 2023 - 2026, making her the state's youngest-ever Cartoonist Laureate.

<i>How Not to Kill Yourself</i> 2023 book by Clancy Martin

How Not to Kill Yourself: A Portrait of the Suicidal Mind is a 2023 memoir by philosopher Clancy Martin, published by Pantheon Books, which is a subsidiary of Penguin Random House. The memoir documents Martin's struggles with depression and addiction as well as his rumination about suicide including his multiple suicide attempts throughout his life. The book was a finalist for the 2023 Kirkus Prize in non-fiction.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Conarroe, Joel (January 15, 1989). "Fugitive childhoods". Book Review. New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "This Boy's Life: A memoir". Kirkus Reviews . January 1, 1988. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Scofield, Martin (2001). "Winging It: Realism and Invention in the Stories of Tobias Wolff". The Yearbook of English Studies . 31 (North American Short Stories and Short Fictions): 93–108. doi:10.2307/3509376. JSTOR   3509376. S2CID   170890381.
  4. 1 2 3 "This Boy's Life: A Memoir". Publishers Weekly . December 1, 1988. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Solomon, Charles (January 7, 1990). "This Boy's Life A Memoir by Tobias Wolff" . Los Angeles Times . ProQuest   280985553 . Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  6. Thompson, Clifford (Fall 2013). "This Man's Books". The Threepenny Review . No. 135. pp. 6–8. JSTOR   24429697.
  7. Goldstein, Patrick (April 4, 1993). "Life With Stepfather Tobias Wolff's memoir of a brutish '50s childhood, 'This Boy's Life,' proves to be a rewarding challenge to its film adaptors" . Los Angeles Times . p. 6. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  8. Mayo, Lori (March 2000). "Making the Connection: Reading and Writing Together". The English Journal . 89 (4). National Council of Teachers of English: 74–77. doi:10.2307/821988. JSTOR   821988.