Manhood for Amateurs, published in 2009, is Michael Chabon's loose collection of vignettes about himself, his family and particularly about being masculine. The unstructured pieces explore Chabon's childhood, adolescence, married life and life as a parent. He has a remarkably middle-class lifestyle, and can certainly poke fun at its conventionality. The most interesting discussions are about the differences between his own childhood, growing up in the 1970s and that of his kids. He basically asserts that kids today lack the freewheeling, unstructured room to grow an imagination and even to rebel on their own terms. It's a sad state of affairs, but one he is determined to "fight", albeit on conventional grounds (e.g., building a treehouse/clubhouse for the kids to "escape to"). The book is engaging, often funny, and provides a window on the daily life and values of a truly enjoyable writer of great creativity and imagination.
For a review of the book from NY Times, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/books/review/Kamp-t.html?_r=0
For a review of the book from NY Times, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/books/review/Kamp-t.html?_r=0
