What do other writers sounds like? You can hear them in this book. The narrator and his friends are writers and students in a boarding school. They discuss writing and writers, such as Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway and Ayn Rand. Wolff has accurately captured the voice of young writers--the way they speak to each other, the way they support each other while competing, the way they attack famous writers but secretly attack themselves.
The book is about secrets. The narrator spends most of the book hiding a secret from the other students and trying to fit in with boys who come from very different backgrounds. The book climaxes when writing competition becomes too intense and drastic measures are taken. The secrets and the surprising consequences are worth the read.
As a lifelong fan of Tobias Wolff, I was not surprised by the high quality of this book. Like his other work, the characterization is strong and the description is vivid. It is a great read for anyone, but it is especially fun for writers due to the writing references.
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