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13th out of 18 books
—
5 voters
Everything Changes
Jonathan Tropper’s novel The Book of Joe dazzled critics and readers alike with its heartfelt blend of humor and pathos. Now Tropper brings all that—and more—to an irresistible new novel. In Everything Changes, Tropper delivers a touching, wickedly funny new tale about love, loss, and the perils of a well-planned life.
To all appearances, Zachary King is a man with luck on...more
To all appearances, Zachary King is a man with luck on...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
March 28th 2006
by Bantam
(first published 2005)
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Okay, I knew there was a reason why I gave Jonathan Tropper another chance.
This book was fantastic. I started it late on a Sunday night, in the vain attempt that it would help me fall asleep, and instead, I read the entire book.
Besides Tropper's writing style (which is sarcastic and funny while being warm and engaging...odd feat), the interwoven stories were interesting and touching. I immediately went to the bookstore to buy his other books. Hooray for a new favorite author.
This book was fantastic. I started it late on a Sunday night, in the vain attempt that it would help me fall asleep, and instead, I read the entire book.
Besides Tropper's writing style (which is sarcastic and funny while being warm and engaging...odd feat), the interwoven stories were interesting and touching. I immediately went to the bookstore to buy his other books. Hooray for a new favorite author.
I think it's a testament to Jonathan Tropper's writing skill that he can create characters that I can relate to even as they are having experiences I never have had, such as being male, having brothers or anticipating the results of a biopsy. It took me longer to get into this one than it did Book of Joe, but once it did, once again, I couldn't put it down. I completely fell in love with Zack in the end. How can you not love anyone who creates paragraphs like this one:
I picture my empty cubicle,...more
I picture my empty cubicle,...more
Zach's life seriously changes, everything in his life. Even more than suggested by reading the book jacket. Starting out the book is great, then for about 40 pages in I felt anxious reading the book and could put it down at any time. I was becomming a bit dissapointed. But, by the middle of the book I was laughing so hard. I would laugh for several pages straight.
Zach has a great paying job and engaged to a beautiful wealthy woman. Zach lives in an awesome appartment with his friend Jed rent fre...more
Zach has a great paying job and engaged to a beautiful wealthy woman. Zach lives in an awesome appartment with his friend Jed rent fre...more
Aug 19, 2008
Darrin
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Erin, Chris, Lisa
Shelves:
literary-fiction
This being my second foray into the writings of Jonathan Tropper (the first being How to Talk to a Widower) I continue to be impressed by his writing.
While there are definite similarities in plot between the two books-- conflicted male who thinks his life is in order is faced with adversity and the true uncertainties of life to test his limits-- there are enough differences and the characters in Everything Changes are flawed enough to be believable and likable and there are still enough differen...more
While there are definite similarities in plot between the two books-- conflicted male who thinks his life is in order is faced with adversity and the true uncertainties of life to test his limits-- there are enough differences and the characters in Everything Changes are flawed enough to be believable and likable and there are still enough differen...more
After picking up How to Talk to a Widower on a whim, I became an immediate fan of Jonathan Tropper and went back to read all of his other books. Each one has moments of hilarity and poignancy. This is the type of book that I find truly entertaining--one that can both make me laugh out loud and bring me to tears. I could not help but love the main character in this story; in spite of his ambivalence and lack of drive, I warmed to him immediately, and I attribute that to Tropper's gift with charac...more
I can see it as a movie. In fact, I think all of his books are in movie production, and I think they will be entertaining if not exactly the same movie: lonely successful man has sophisticated, urban worthless life and finds redemption in his past or in his only genuine relationships. There is always a past tragedy that defines his hero, in this case the tragic death of his best friend in a car accident. I preferred the Book of Joe; there was entirely too much ridiculousness about how to live th...more
Winner of funniest book read in 2012. I had forgotton quite how good Tropper is.
Its usual terriotry for him... the dysfunctional family, the upcoming family event and page after page of great lines, laugh out lound set pieces and interesting characters.
Zach is in a bit of a quandary - its a week before his wedding, he is more interested in his dead friends ex wife, he is urinating blood and his dad is back in town. His dad, who is self medicating with viagra and has a permanent tent in his trous...more
Its usual terriotry for him... the dysfunctional family, the upcoming family event and page after page of great lines, laugh out lound set pieces and interesting characters.
Zach is in a bit of a quandary - its a week before his wedding, he is more interested in his dead friends ex wife, he is urinating blood and his dad is back in town. His dad, who is self medicating with viagra and has a permanent tent in his trous...more
First review and I am not sure I am doing this correctly or even if there is a "correct" way to do things. This is the second book I have read by Jonathan Tropper and I am anticipating reading his other novels. Often I can really, really enjoy a book - I mean really like it- but it is fairly rare when I read something that actually takes me somewhere else entirely. With some authors, you just feel a kinship through their style. With Tropper, it's a bit masochistic...in a good way. He tells his s...more
Not good. This is a book about a guy who complains. He complains a lot. You've heard of "stream of consciousness"... well, this is stream of complaining. It is incessant. Zach King, the main character, is a 30-something guy who complains about his job, his friends, his fiancé, and mostly, over and over again, his father. We have the whole magilla here: flat writing style, 2-D characters, boring plot, etc. It is draining.
The book cover promises "razor-sharp wit". OK. The running gag in the book:...more
The book cover promises "razor-sharp wit". OK. The running gag in the book:...more
I think I have now read all of Jonathan Tropper's books and they have all been great in my opinion. Everything changes is about a guy in his mid 30's in a deadend job who is about to get married to a beautiful women while being in love with the widow of his best friend. While this is going on in his life, his deadbeat dad comes back into the families life. They hadn't seen him in around 25 years. One of his brothers is in a punk rock band and clearly has issues with his dad. His other brother is...more
A book about love. Not the soppy kind, or the romantic kind - but the soul fulfilling, complete and utter love that is between parent and child, between siblings, between friends, between parents and yes, between soul mates.
Set around a male, in New York, yet as a female, in rural England, I could relate to Zack's feelings, confusions and journey: which must mean an awesome author, when you end up wanting to be the main character.
It left me feeling sad that I don't have the complexities of the r...more
Set around a male, in New York, yet as a female, in rural England, I could relate to Zack's feelings, confusions and journey: which must mean an awesome author, when you end up wanting to be the main character.
It left me feeling sad that I don't have the complexities of the r...more
Waiting for Biopsy Results and Other Life's Fun Events
I met Jonathan Tropper at a literary presentation in April, 2011 at Eastern Michigan University. He is a droll man with a singular, but not overpowering, wit. I was duly impressed.
I have liked all of his books. I loved "There is Where I Leave You" and I almost love "Everything Changes." His total talent was apparent in "This is Where....." which, I understand, is in the works for a movie. Tropper writes for both men and women, which makes hi...more
I met Jonathan Tropper at a literary presentation in April, 2011 at Eastern Michigan University. He is a droll man with a singular, but not overpowering, wit. I was duly impressed.
I have liked all of his books. I loved "There is Where I Leave You" and I almost love "Everything Changes." His total talent was apparent in "This is Where....." which, I understand, is in the works for a movie. Tropper writes for both men and women, which makes hi...more
Many people's immediate reaction to Jonathan Tropper — author of last year's critically acclaimed This Is Where I Leave You, one of my favorite books of 2009 — is to pigeonhole him as the dude version of chick lit writers like Sophie Kinsella, Lauren Weisberger and Candace Bushnell. Everything Changes certainly has elements of what could be considered "dude lit" — laughably bad dialogue, silly gratuitous sex scenes, drugs and rock'n'roll. Even the cover art plays into this notion of "for fellas...more
Two summers ago I was blown away by Jonathan Tropper's "The Book of Joe." So I've been looking forward to reading Tropper's third novel for many, many moons. And guess what? Tropper does not disappoint; his tome, EVERYTHING CHANGES, successfully captures that funny/poignant hybrid characteristic of this very gifted writer.
Thirty-two-year-old Zack King finds himself in quite the conundrum. He hates his job; he's engaged to to a beautiful, adoring woman, yet finds himself hopelessly attracted to...more
Thirty-two-year-old Zack King finds himself in quite the conundrum. He hates his job; he's engaged to to a beautiful, adoring woman, yet finds himself hopelessly attracted to...more
May 30, 2011
Khaya
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
someone in the mood for something light but not stupid
I've decided to override my inner snob and to give this four stars.
Every now and then, I need something light and readable but not too stupid. Of the two Jonathan Tropper books I've read, both fit that bill.
Sure, I can point to flaws in this book, particularly Mary Sue style wish fulfillment. One major plot point here is that the protagonist, an average guy, is caught between two beautiful and kind Mary Sue-like women, both of whom want him and are willing to forgive a great deal. Whatever.
But...more
Every now and then, I need something light and readable but not too stupid. Of the two Jonathan Tropper books I've read, both fit that bill.
Sure, I can point to flaws in this book, particularly Mary Sue style wish fulfillment. One major plot point here is that the protagonist, an average guy, is caught between two beautiful and kind Mary Sue-like women, both of whom want him and are willing to forgive a great deal. Whatever.
But...more
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One fall day Zack King's comfortable life goes seriously off the rails. He's still grieving for the best friend who died in his arms, but that's only part of the problem. He hates his job. He's not sure he really loves the girl he's engaged to. He may have cancer. And then the long-lost father he despises shows up with reconciliation in mind. Author Jonathan Tropper really likes to push his lead characters far out on a limb and then let them find their way back to a rom-com happily-ever-after. I...more
I enjoyed this a lot, especially in the second half. The characters and their quirks have been established, and a lot of humour is achived by putting them all together in bizarre situations where the quirks emerge and mix hilariously. I laughed out loud at the fight scene, and every time the Elton John wig was mentioned. And I was rooting for the narrator to get with the right girl, and that happened too. Perhaps too pat an ending, but I enjoyed it.
Tropper knows his strengths and plays to them in every novel. Of all the Tropper I've read (five now), though, Everything Changes is probably my least favorite. It had the definite feel of a three-star for the entire first half and maybe longer. Solid effort--but didn't stack up with his other novels.
Boy, did he finish strong.
The payoff of Everything Changes makes the mediocre early read well worth it. As usual, his characters are dead-on, his narration is strong, and his dialogue is usually e...more
Boy, did he finish strong.
The payoff of Everything Changes makes the mediocre early read well worth it. As usual, his characters are dead-on, his narration is strong, and his dialogue is usually e...more
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Zack King can't believe how lucky he is. His fiancee is gorgeous and well out of his league. Though his father left many years ago, Zack has moved on. He lives with his best friend and has a decent job as a middleman. However, hidden behind a happy facade is reality. Zack and jed are simply going through the motions of living as they continue to mourn their best friend Rael who passed away two years before the story picks up. Meanwhile, Zack is in love with Rael's widow but too afraid to do anyt...more
This was a refreshing look at a man's quest for love. It was like reading chick lit, but, it was written by a man and the protaganist is one as well. Most of the characters in the book are, and they're just as confused as the "girl books" I've read lately!
There are surprising elements, and parts of it made me laugh out loud. If you have nothing else going on, I would suggest giving it a shot. It's not bad at all.
There are surprising elements, and parts of it made me laugh out loud. If you have nothing else going on, I would suggest giving it a shot. It's not bad at all.
This came as a recommendation from a family member, who read quite a few Jonathan Tropper books and was raving about him. I'm not as effusive in my praise of his books as she is, but we are at different points in our lives, so her selections tend to skew differently than mine. But onto the book:
It definitely was not a page-turner. The plot moved along at a reasonable pace, but I didn't find myself eager to stay up a bit longer and read just a little more. The story was above average, with an int...more
It definitely was not a page-turner. The plot moved along at a reasonable pace, but I didn't find myself eager to stay up a bit longer and read just a little more. The story was above average, with an int...more
Jul 29, 2011
Catherine Woodman
added it
I really like the way this guy tells a story. It is not an uncommon tale, not by any means. Man in love with his best friends' wife--they develop a friendship, a very close one, and then the friend dies. In a car with the guy. Ugh. Widow is tragic, grief-stricken, and in some ways more unavailable, even though technically she is no longer is best friend's wife. Ok, you have heard this one, I know, I have too, but the telling of the tale, complete with a Tropper sense of what makes up a dysfuncti...more
This was on some list of suggested reads touting rich description and hilarity. True. Man with wacky family seems to have all going for him - beautiful fiancee and good job - but finds he has lost himself. What I didn't expect was the major plot point of the return & disapearance (again) of the deadbeat father - quite cathartic. There's even discovery of a half-brother.
I didn't have high expectations of this book when I picked up the audiobook from the library. I was pleasantly surprised. The book centers around Zach King, a 30-something 'middleman' from NY who is engaged to a great woman, but secretly in love with the widow of his best friend. At the same time, Zach is dealing with the fact that he might have cancer. In case that wasn't enough, Zach's deadbeat father shows up at his door out of the blue after 20 years.
The book was a little over the top with t...more
The book was a little over the top with t...more
Honest, raw, and surprisingly moving. Everything Changes is narrated by Zack King, who is going through a sort-of mini mid-life crisis when a health scare forces him to evaluate his life. Not only does Tropper tell a funny and highly entertaining story but he also creates characters that are complex and relatable in all of their imperfection. Even the minor characters are fleshed out enough to find interesting, like Jed, whose grief for his dead friend causes him to hide behind his television, a...more
I LOVE his books... I really do. I realize that they're all very similar (young Jewish living in the tri-state area, confronted with some sort of tragedy/conflict and then the story plays out involving his twisted, yet ultimately loving, family)... but I LOVE them. Even though they all have a similar layout, they are different from each other. And, it's really Tropper's style of writing that I cannot get enough of. His reads are all so easy (but not in a silly way), the storyline moves along sea...more
Bookstores are not only disappearing, they're thinning out. It seems the only time to find an author's back catalogue is when they've got a new book out. Then, for a moment, their earlier works appear on the shelves. So, with the purchase of Jonathan Tropper's newest novel, "One Last Thing Before I Go," I was also able to grab this 2005 work.
I enjoyed this, but it's not my favorite of his books. I am very inclined towards the hapless, but sympathetic protagonists he creates. In this book, though...more
I enjoyed this, but it's not my favorite of his books. I am very inclined towards the hapless, but sympathetic protagonists he creates. In this book, though...more
Feb 08, 2008
Molly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
My Sister, the girls dinner night group
Recommended to Molly by:
I think My mom
I really enjoyed this book.
You can't help but love the main character with his perfect life, perfect job and how it can get perfectly messy pretty quick.
I kept hearing Mick Jagger sing..."You can't always get what you want" through out this book...And I liked it anyway.
You can't help but love the main character with his perfect life, perfect job and how it can get perfectly messy pretty quick.
I kept hearing Mick Jagger sing..."You can't always get what you want" through out this book...And I liked it anyway.
Just finished this and it was entertaining and an easy read (good for train commute)--not as good as The Book of Joe, but I really liked it! His writing style is refreshing and sometimes it's nice to not have to think SO much when you are reading. Great for the summer.
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| Tropper´s worst book yet? | 4 | 31 | Apr 29, 2013 09:02am |
Jonathan Tropper is the author of Everything Changes, The Book of Joe , which was a Booksense selection, and Plan B. He lives with his wife, Elizabeth, and their children in Westchester, New York, where he teaches writing at Manhattanville College. How To Talk To A Widower was optioned by Paramount Pictures, and Everything Changes and The Book of Joe are also in development as feature films.
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“I wake up like this, this sense that I've somehow been transported to an alternate universe where my life took a left instead of a right beacuse of some seeemingly insignificant yet cosmically crucial choice I've made, about a girl or a kiss or a date or a job or which Starbucks I went into...something.”
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25 people liked it
“here's the thing. I don't think you're in love with her, not all the way. If you were, I think you would seem more certain about it. More jazzed. You wouldn't hug me the way we hug, and say the things you say to me. You definitely wouldn't have kissed me the other day the way you did. I'm not saying you're in love with me. I'm just saying that whatever this thing is you feel toward me, this thing we're both too scared to mention, I don't think it could exist if you were head over heels in live with Hope. And if that's the case, if youre not head over heels in love with her, you shouldnt marry her."
P.268”
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7 people liked it
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