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118th out of 270 books
—
285 voters
Plan B
Turning thirty was never supposed to be like this. Ten years ago, Ben, Lindsey, Chuck, Alison, and Jack graduated from New York University and went out into the world, fresh-faced and full of dreams for the future. But now Ben's getting a divorce; Lindsey's unemployed; Alison and Chuck seem stuck in ruts of their own making; and Jack is getting more publicity for his cocai...more
Paperback, 368 pages
Published
February 4th 2001
by St. Martin's Griffin
(first published February 5th 2000)
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This could be a fun movie -- and I would enjoy playing the party game of guessing whom would be cast in each of the five starring roles. These roles represent each of 5 people who went to college together and have remained good friends through their 20's. Now they are turning 30, and each separately finds him- or her-self unsatisfied with either where they think they are or with the reputation that they feel they are carrying from earlier years. Instead of having achieved the dreams and goals th...more
Jonathan Tropper always writes the best characters. I love them, even the jerky ones.
Each character seems realistic and react in much the same way I imagine I would in any given situation.
This is the second Tropper book I've read, the other being This is Where I Leave You. Plan B is also his first novel, telling the story of a group of friends hitting the 30 year mark and questioning every thing about their lives, their choices, their mistakes while staging a homemade intervention for one of th...more
Each character seems realistic and react in much the same way I imagine I would in any given situation.
This is the second Tropper book I've read, the other being This is Where I Leave You. Plan B is also his first novel, telling the story of a group of friends hitting the 30 year mark and questioning every thing about their lives, their choices, their mistakes while staging a homemade intervention for one of th...more
Another good read from Jonathan Tropper. As with the other books of his that I have read so far, the main character is another conflicted male with relationship issues. He wrote this in 2010 and from what I heard and read, it has already been optioned for a movie. Think Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing the lead role.
It is about five people who bonded in their college years and remained close as they matured into adulthood. Each one felt that aside from occasional getting together, they were driftin...more
It is about five people who bonded in their college years and remained close as they matured into adulthood. Each one felt that aside from occasional getting together, they were driftin...more
I very rarely abandon a book midway through, but I made an exception for Plan B. I've read and enjoyed a couple of Jonathan Tropper books before (The Book of Joe and Everything Changes). But I found the whiny characters, the constant reminiscing and the long trying-to-be-witty soliloquies to be unpalatable. The main character feels like a loser because he has what he considers a dead-end job at Esquire magazine. He wants to be writing the big features, but is stuck doing silly lists... in the bo...more
Jan 17, 2010
Amanda Westmont
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2010
This is my third Tropper novel, but it was his first and it definitely reads that way. The writing was still great - he writes excellent, hilarious characters - but there was a bit of adjective abuse, particularly in the first chapter (like this horrifically over-written sentence: "The restaurant's dim lighting lent a jaundiced pallor to his already ashen complexion, making him appear gaunt and sickly.") and I'm not really much of a fan of protagonists who are also authors.
Also - it wasn't in pr...more
Also - it wasn't in pr...more
There was a time when books were automatically going to be better than their cinematic knock offs. I think it's no coincidence that with the rise of movie making and viewing the opposite is becoming more and more true.
I have noticed that in the last twenty years of writing, books have sounded either like they are trying too hard to be a sitcom or movie because that is mainly what the writer has been exposed to, or that the book is just waiting to be put to movie form, thereby secreting superfici...more
I have noticed that in the last twenty years of writing, books have sounded either like they are trying too hard to be a sitcom or movie because that is mainly what the writer has been exposed to, or that the book is just waiting to be put to movie form, thereby secreting superfici...more
Ahh…the existential crisis of turning thirty. I listened to these characters whine and mope and groan the “I can’t believe I’m turning thirty” mantra. On the brink of just turning thirty myself, there couldn’t have been a better time to read this. You turn thirty and all of a sudden you become introspective, wondering when you stopped going to frat parties and started going to dinner parties, when weddings turned into baby showers, and the list, if you are so lucky, goes on. You turn thirty and...more
I had very high hopes for this book after falling hard for my first Tropper read, This Is Where I Leave You. Tropper has a real knack for realistic fiction, causing his readers to fall hard for his characters and connect to their lives. This story was no exception. I quickly associated the five main characters of this story with people in my life with whom they reminded me. Yet after feeling like this story was going to be a perfect reflection of any 30 year old’s life (splayed across the cover...more
This is the 3rd or 4th novel by Tropper that I've read. My favorite so far is The Book of Joe. By now, I've realized that his protagonist is basically the same dude, with different friends and family and circumstances, but grappling with the same things: an old love that he somehow fucked up and would like to win back; a father with whom he has some big struggle, or who is simply absent; a controlling mother; a lack of a sense of purpose; and a life littered with mistakes he can't rectify but wa...more
Slow to start I was concerned I wasn't going to like this but after about 70 pages it really picked up.
University friends Ben,Lindsey, Chuck, Alison and Jack graduate and as the years go by everything changes, now approaching 30 they take stock of their lives. Ben graduated as a writer but his job at Esquire only let's him compile lists, he used to be in love with Lindsay and has just got divorced. Lindsay is currently unemployed, Chuck is a surgeon who while great at his job has a penchant for...more
University friends Ben,Lindsey, Chuck, Alison and Jack graduate and as the years go by everything changes, now approaching 30 they take stock of their lives. Ben graduated as a writer but his job at Esquire only let's him compile lists, he used to be in love with Lindsay and has just got divorced. Lindsay is currently unemployed, Chuck is a surgeon who while great at his job has a penchant for...more
Just OK. I have read 3 other books by Tropper and enjoyed them much more than this one. This is his debut novel, and I can definitely say that his writing and stories got better as they went along.
I didn't care for the plot of this book very much--I found it very unrealistic--so it was hard to love the book as a whole when the plot bugged me so much. 5 college friends who are now turning 30 are all struggling with who they are and trying to come to terms with the fact that for most of them, life...more
I didn't care for the plot of this book very much--I found it very unrealistic--so it was hard to love the book as a whole when the plot bugged me so much. 5 college friends who are now turning 30 are all struggling with who they are and trying to come to terms with the fact that for most of them, life...more
I went to high school in the 80's and for good or bad seem to be able to reference much of life's moments back to television, music and pop culture. I guess that is part of being in the X generation. Plan B is about 5 friends from college from the X generation who met at NYU in the late 80's and also spend time reflecting their lives through a pop culture filter. Reading the book was like watching a romantic comedy and I could picture Paul Rudd as the main character and narrator Ben - funny but...more
Oft hat mich die Geschichte sehr an "St. Elmo's Fire" erinnert, wo sich eine Clique ehemaliger Studienfreunde mit den Problemen des 'echten' Lebens nach der Uni rumschlagen muss.
Auch hier gibt es den Schriftsteller, den Künstler, die Anwältin (im Film war diese Rolle männlich besetzt) und einen Arzt (im Film war diese Rolle von einer weibl. Nebenrolle ausgefüllt), und ein Mädel das ihren wahren Beruf noch nicht so ganz gefunden hat. Ebenfalls gibt es hier ein (Ex-)Pärchen, eine heimliche und ei...more
Auch hier gibt es den Schriftsteller, den Künstler, die Anwältin (im Film war diese Rolle männlich besetzt) und einen Arzt (im Film war diese Rolle von einer weibl. Nebenrolle ausgefüllt), und ein Mädel das ihren wahren Beruf noch nicht so ganz gefunden hat. Ebenfalls gibt es hier ein (Ex-)Pärchen, eine heimliche und ei...more
Three books in, and it's safe to declare that anything I read of Tropper is a slam dunk for me.
This is his first novel and, while it shows (helllooo adjective abuse!), it's still one of those novels that makes you feel an instant familiarity to its characters, to the storyline, to the ease with which Tropper makes this whole process appear. And by process, I mean, you know, WRITING A NOVEL.
In Plan B, we have five college friends, Ben, Lindsey, Alison, Chuck and Jack — all hitting the milestone...more
This is his first novel and, while it shows (helllooo adjective abuse!), it's still one of those novels that makes you feel an instant familiarity to its characters, to the storyline, to the ease with which Tropper makes this whole process appear. And by process, I mean, you know, WRITING A NOVEL.
In Plan B, we have five college friends, Ben, Lindsey, Alison, Chuck and Jack — all hitting the milestone...more
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Loved it!
Okay, there were moments when I found the story far-fetched, and I always have difficulty when history is tampered with (though this wasn't such a big deal - who cares if Julia Roberts and Harrison Ford never made the movies they made in Plan B?), but in the end, it felt great to have read this book. In fact, when I closed the book at the end, I felt better about myself, which is not a feeling I think I've ever gotten from a book before. It was really cool to read about a group of peopl...more
Okay, there were moments when I found the story far-fetched, and I always have difficulty when history is tampered with (though this wasn't such a big deal - who cares if Julia Roberts and Harrison Ford never made the movies they made in Plan B?), but in the end, it felt great to have read this book. In fact, when I closed the book at the end, I felt better about myself, which is not a feeling I think I've ever gotten from a book before. It was really cool to read about a group of peopl...more
Another entertaining ride by Tropper. Four college friends conspire to cleanse the fifth of his recent drug habit. Problem is, the fifth is Jack Shaw, Hollywood A-lister. Jack is blindsided by their interference and reacts as one would expect an addict to react. It made me chuckle thinking I was around 25 or 26 when this book was written; there were several pop culture references from the 80s and 90s. And I remember thinking 30 was when I'd have everything figured out. Although not necessarily t...more
I read this book in about 48 hours while on a business trip. I got about 50 pages into it and was wishing I had brought an alternative. This is Where I Leave You, Tropper's latest book, was a collection of tight sentence after tight sentence allowing the natural wit and deep sadness of the story to unfold. Plan B, written nearly ten years ago, starts with clunky and dull conversation, lacking the introspective Tropper captures so clearly. After the first 100 pages, Tropper settles into Ben's cha...more
3 1/2 stars. I have this bad habit of reading a book, loving it, proclaiming my love for the author and swearing I will read everything the author has written. And then I end up reading no other books by the author. I was so taken with Tropper's, "This is Where I Leave You," that I made my similar declaration, but this time I followed through. This is Tropper's debut novel, and it definitely has a first novel feel. It's interesting to read a debut novel after reading a novel from several years l...more
This is the 3rd book I have read by Jonathan Tropper and again, I LOVE his books. Sure the plot gets slightly stretched; I mean, really? Kidnapping a major Hollywood star? But I think it is done to show how far you would be willing to go for a friend in need. I love how each character had their own viewpoint of where their friends were in their life at 30 and how each couldn't see the others silent suffering. Largely due to the fact that I turned 30 this year and my life is not where I thought i...more
I don't remember how Tropper ended up on my radar, but I knew I wanted to read at least one of his books, so I picked up "Book of Joe" at a used bookstore for my mom to read (and I would read it later.) She loved that book so much she proceeded to immediately buy every book Tropper has done.
Instead of reading "Book of Joe," I started with "Plan B."
It was cute. The premise was fine, the characters had likable qualities and unlikable qualities, but somehow felt more like close approximations of...more
Instead of reading "Book of Joe," I started with "Plan B."
It was cute. The premise was fine, the characters had likable qualities and unlikable qualities, but somehow felt more like close approximations of...more
I picked up Plan B because I read two of Jonathan Tropper's other novels and absolutely loved them. I started Plan B with high hopes and was sorely disappointed: the characters were whiny, self-obsessed, and depressing. Their "plan B" was so ludicrous that it was unbelievable. It's hard to get into a book that feels utterly absurd.
Tropper's writing in this novel has the whiff of witty humor that he nails effortlessly in his later books, but in Plan B, I felt most of his witticisms fell flat. I g...more
Tropper's writing in this novel has the whiff of witty humor that he nails effortlessly in his later books, but in Plan B, I felt most of his witticisms fell flat. I g...more
I think I would have felt differently about this book if I was younger. The fact that all characters were freaking out that they were turning 30 was a problem for me, since I am over 30. I tried to think back two years ago to when I turned 30 - did I freak out? Was I freaked out about where I was in life? Did I wish I could go back to college?
Sometimes. Mostly so I had less responsibilities. But I was never sad about where I was. I sort of hate when people wallow. A day or two, I fully support....more
Sometimes. Mostly so I had less responsibilities. But I was never sad about where I was. I sort of hate when people wallow. A day or two, I fully support....more
Tropper is a great character author, even if his characters tend to have similar elements. I've often heard people say, 'You can tell he/she is a young/inexperienced author'. Having read several other Tropper books, you can tell Plan B is his first work. It's, as usual, a delight to spend time watching his characters traverse through their story, only here Tropper tends to make the green author mistake of hammering his points home a little too forcefully and making three points when two--or even...more
Outrageous storyline. Realistic and likable characters. Fun and witty banter. A few profound moments. Nice ending, not too neatly wrapped up. And it's comforting to know I'm not the only person that had the "30 midlife crisis"...all that pondering about "I thought I would have it all together now" and "is this it?" Apparently, that's normal. (Plus, it was interesting to hear all that pondering from a male point of view.) As outrageous as this story was, the author did a great job of representing...more
Feb 04, 2009
Jamie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of Nick Hornby, Chuck Klosterman
Shelves:
the-lighter-side
I just reread this book for the 7th time. I bought it back in 2000 - when it first came out - and read it in one night. Rereading it this last time, again, took about 4 hours. I decided to reread it because I needed to get out of my post Infinite Jest funk, and wanted to be able to say that I had finally finished a book (despite it being a book I had read six times before).
There's nothing super special about this book, it's just a nice book to read really quickly for fans of Nick Hornby. It's ab...more
There's nothing super special about this book, it's just a nice book to read really quickly for fans of Nick Hornby. It's ab...more
Ohmygodsodisappointing.
I love Jonathan Tropper. And I'm not going to hold Plan B against him. It happens.
This was bad. Cheesy one-liners, everything always working out just when it needed to...it was kind of like reading a super-sized episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 (original, duh). I love 90210. Because I know what to expect. I don't expect this hokey BS from Tropper.
There was even a kid that found his way into the plot. Seriously, how many times did Brandon find himself giving some fatherly g...more
I love Jonathan Tropper. And I'm not going to hold Plan B against him. It happens.
This was bad. Cheesy one-liners, everything always working out just when it needed to...it was kind of like reading a super-sized episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 (original, duh). I love 90210. Because I know what to expect. I don't expect this hokey BS from Tropper.
There was even a kid that found his way into the plot. Seriously, how many times did Brandon find himself giving some fatherly g...more
This is the first book by Jonathan Tropper that I've read, and I was pleased. The summary on the book was very vague, so let me describe the plot a bit more. There are four friends who all turned 30, one of whom is a famous actor. This actor has a drug addiction spinning out of control and the other three friends are forced to watch it from the sidelines--until they hatch a plan to kidnap him and get him to detox once and for all. Amidst this intervention, a pair of college sweethearts rekindle...more
i seemed to have read Tropper's books backwards and finally finished with this one-his first. i can definately see his developement as an author as i believe i have read all of his books. plan b hones in on 5 friends who have just hit their thirties. they all seem to be evaluating their lives thus far. all except Jack their friend the hollywood actor. he seems to be delving deeper into drug use. they plan an intervention and imprison jack in a house in the country. once their (with really no mas...more
As a Jonathan Tropper fan, it was hard not to compare this to his other books. As his debut novel, Plan B was good. While I found the story line a little hard to believe, I enjoyed the writing.
Although *very small spoiler* I found these thirty year old characters who were dissatisfied with their lives, not very relatable. There is a surgeon, an attorney, a staff writer for Esquire, a huge movie star, and a teacher who is temping. Really? Given a serious suspension of reality, I enjoyed the book...more
Although *very small spoiler* I found these thirty year old characters who were dissatisfied with their lives, not very relatable. There is a surgeon, an attorney, a staff writer for Esquire, a huge movie star, and a teacher who is temping. Really? Given a serious suspension of reality, I enjoyed the book...more
I absolutely loved this book! Five college friends discover, much to their dismay, that their plans didn't exactly work out. All of them turning 30, we see one with a failed marriage, one with a drug problem, and one who can't stay in one place. Four friends band together to force Jack Shaw, movie star and drug addict, to realize that he is on a dangerous path. What they don't realize at first, is that the intervention is not just for Jack. Each of the other four have an ulterio motive and the i...more
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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 loved her for the way she embraced the unknown, how she opened herself up to every experience. When I was with her, she opened me up, too, stirred my passion and heightened my every sensation. Which was great, until she left me and all my heightened senses to deal with the heartache of losing her.”
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15 people liked it
“I would have done the same thing I did. I would have put all my energy into loving someone that wasn't you. I would have tried in vain, every day, to not think about you, and what could have been. What should have been. I would have tried to convince myself that there's no such thing as true love, except for the love you yourself make work, even though I know better....The bottom line is I never had any business marrying anyone who wasn't you.”
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11 people liked it
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