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Old School

By Tobias Wolff
Series: Vintage Contemporaries
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Check link for latest rating. ( 13,805 ratings, 1,611 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Old School by Tobias Wolff is set in an elite American prep school during the early 1960s. The novel's protagonist, a scholarship student, eagerly participates in the school's literary contests that offer a meeting with a famous writer as a prize. As he navigates the challenges of identity, ambition, and the pressure to succeed, his journey explores themes of authenticity and the influence of literature on personal growth.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate thought-provoking stories about self-discovery and identity set in an elite prep school environment. The narrative delves into the complexities of adolescence and the power of literature, making it appealing to readers who enjoy character-driven stories with nuanced reflections on the coming-of-age theme.

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Old School

The author of the genre-defining memoir "This Boy's Life" now gives readers his first novel--at once a celebration of literature and delicate hymn to a lost innocence of American life and art.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The protagonist of Tobias Wolff's shrewdly—and at times devastatingly—observed first novel is a boy at an elite prep school in 1960. He is an outsider who has learned to mimic the negligent manner of his more privileged classmates. Like many of them, he wants more than anything on earth to become a writer. But to do that he must first learn to tell the truth about himself.

The agency of revelation is the school literary contest, whose winner will be awarded an audience with the most legendary writer of his time. As the fever of competition infects the boy and his classmates, fraying alliances, exposing weaknesses, Old School explores the ensuing deceptions and betrayals with an unblinking eye and a bottomless store of empathy. The result is further evidence that Wolff is an authentic American master.

Series: Vintage Contemporaries

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Old School by Tobias Wolff receives praise for its profound and ingenious storytelling, with one review noting its significance as a novel of moral inquiry akin to works by esteemed authors like Coetzee and Roth. Critics commend its ability to transform and move readers, highlighting the subtle depth that rewards multiple readings. Its graceful and philosophical approach establishes Wolff as a writer of remarkable talent and inquiry.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780375701498

Publisher: Random House USA Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 31 August 2004

Country: United States

Imprint: Vintage Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 192.0mm

Weight: 164g

Pages: 208

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Series: Vintage Contemporaries Tobias Wolff

About the Author

Tobias Wolff lives in Northern California and teaches at Stanford University. He has received the Rea Award for excellence in the short story, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the PEN/Faulkner Award.

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