Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up… under mysterious circumstances. Not much is known about James’ childhood, but something certainly turned him into a strange young man.
Living… in Pittsburgh, obtaining a degree in creative writing. Hannah Green, his best friend, happens to rent a room in Prof Grady Tripp’s house (their writing professor).
Profession… university student. Although unsure about his future, James secretly really enjoys writing – perhaps a career as a professional writer might not be too far fetched. Luckily, Professor Tripp’s editor, Terry Crabtree, has taken a real interest in James’ work.
Interests… lonesomeness, Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, antique guns, writing fiction.
Relationship Status… single. James has been a little too inside his head for a relationship but is starting discover his sexuality.
Challenge… come out of his shell. Rather than becoming an extrovert, James merely seeks to develop healthy relationships with the people surrounding him – for far too long James has had trouble relating to people in any kind of way.
Personality… quiet, gloomy, mysterious, lost soul.
Get to Know him in...
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Grady (Michael Douglas) is a 50-ish English professor who hasn't had a thing published in years -- not since he wrote his award winning "Great American Novel" 7 years ago. This weekend proves even worse than he could imagine as he finds himself reeling from one misadventure to another in the company of a new wonder boy author.
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A modern classic, now in a welcome new edition, Wonder Boys firmly established Michael Chabon as a force to be reckoned with in American fiction. At once a deft parody of the American fame factory and a piercing portrait of young and old desire, this novel introduces two unforgettable characters: Grady Tripp, a former publishing prodigy now lost in a fog of pot and passion and stalled in the midst of his endless second book, and Grady’s student, James Leer, a budding writer obsessed with Hollywood self-destruction and struggling with his own searching heart. All those who love Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union and his Pulitzer Prize-winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay will find the same elegant imagination, bold humor, and undeniable warmth at work in Wonder Boys.
“[A] wise, wildly funny story . . . Chabon is a flat-out wonderful writer– evocative and inventive, pointed and poignant.”
–Chicago Tribune
“Whether making us laugh or making us feel the breathtaking impermanence of things, Michael Chabon keeps us wide awake and reading.”
–All Things Considered
“Beguiling and wickedly smart . . . There is first-rate satirical farce in Chabon’s novel but essentially it is something rarer: satirical comedy.”
–Los Angeles Times Book Review
