Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The Book of Ralph: A Novel
by
John McNally (Goodreads Author)
All of us need a Ralph in our lives.
Chicago, 1978. Hank Boyd, a solid B+ student, a good kid, wants eighth grade to be his special year. But when Ralph, an oddball troublemaker who ' s been held back twice, gets the idea that he and Hank are pals, Hank's year devolves into an odyssey as frightening as it is hilarious.
John McNally, acclaimed author of Troublemakers, de
...morePaperback, 304 pages
Published
April 19th 2005
by Free Press
(first published 2004)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
331)
I didn't grow up in the seventies; I was already married and a mom. I didn't grow up in Chicago, though I live there now. But I identified with this book for two reasons. First of all, I knew a Ralph a long time ago. In fourth grade, he was the class outcast and I kissed him in front of our principal's office. I don't know why. Secondly, John McNally has this eye for detail that's universal. Details like the smell and whssss of a freshly opened can of beer, the angst of junior high, the embarras...more
A celebration of the oddballs who can only live as the oddballs they are. It's about how creepy getting older is; all of us haunted by these children and clueless adolescents we once were and never totally left behind. It's about how amusing it all is, and how some people never really change, and the beauty that co-exists with the tragedy of that.
Then you find yourself a grown-up, after all these odball adventures, and maybe its a little bit hard to believe. Deeply funny, incredibly observation...more
Then you find yourself a grown-up, after all these odball adventures, and maybe its a little bit hard to believe. Deeply funny, incredibly observation...more
I liked this book perfectly fine up until the end, which is set in a different time decade than the rest of the book and just seems to throw everything off-kilter.
I think basically everybody knew somebody like Ralph growing up. Pretty much everybody knew somebody like a lot of the characters in this book. Even set 30-40 years ago, some things just stay the same with time, and one of those is adolescence - confusion over the opposite sex, a conviction that you must be a pervert because you have a...more
I think basically everybody knew somebody like Ralph growing up. Pretty much everybody knew somebody like a lot of the characters in this book. Even set 30-40 years ago, some things just stay the same with time, and one of those is adolescence - confusion over the opposite sex, a conviction that you must be a pervert because you have a...more
John McNally's book came highly recommended to me, with most people calling it hilarious. I just found it depressing.
The story centers around a boy named Hank, with most of the story taking place when he is 13 and in 8th grade. He's friends with another 8th grader who is 2 years older and gets into all sorts of trouble and is always scheming on how to make money by extorting kids, or ripping off stores.
Hanks own family is dysfunctional, with an alcoholic father, an unhappy mother, and a depress...more
The story centers around a boy named Hank, with most of the story taking place when he is 13 and in 8th grade. He's friends with another 8th grader who is 2 years older and gets into all sorts of trouble and is always scheming on how to make money by extorting kids, or ripping off stores.
Hanks own family is dysfunctional, with an alcoholic father, an unhappy mother, and a depress...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is hilarious, but on the other hand, the author isn't constantly setting himself up for the next joke. This leaves plenty of room for character depth and even some incredibly sad, and--dare I say it?--heartfelt moments (of the non-cheesy variety, thank god). Also it brings up some social issues through the story telling itself, without it feeling like the author is trying to make some grand statement and disguising it as fiction. The only small complaint I have...more
Ralph is the oldest 8th grader at Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Junior High, having been left back twice. His only friend is the narrator and main character Hank (also in the 8th grade but two years younger), and, unsurprisingly to the reader if not to Hank, Hank's only friend is Ralph. Ralph is on his way to becoming a minor criminal, though many of his schemes originate with his low-life cousins Kenny and Norm, and Hank is an average kid with poor social skills who thinks he's above average but u...more
Lent to me by a student, this book sat on the floor (the floor, even!) of my office for almost two years while I puttered around and read other things. And then, finally, I decided I'd read it, and it's pretty good-- it's another coming-of-age story, this time shorter on the music than I usually go for, but invested with some other goodness. Mostly, the book's successes are drawn from the kind of crisp observations that are maybe more often funny than illuminating, but only by a little bit. Ther...more
Good Enough to Read Twice
This is a fantastic read--a real page-turner. Congratulations to John McNally for being a gifted storyteller and for putting this collection together in an interesting and creative manner. He has presented a true time capsule complete with scenery, music, language and costume.
Ralph is the boy we all knew--an attention hound dressed in a flannel shirt, who spent a lot of time in the school hallways on his way to the dean's office. Hank, however, who tells his stories fro...more
This is a fantastic read--a real page-turner. Congratulations to John McNally for being a gifted storyteller and for putting this collection together in an interesting and creative manner. He has presented a true time capsule complete with scenery, music, language and costume.
Ralph is the boy we all knew--an attention hound dressed in a flannel shirt, who spent a lot of time in the school hallways on his way to the dean's office. Hank, however, who tells his stories fro...more
A realistic, humorous look at the awkward years of adolescence, this book incorporates so much of that time with brilliant details. As a mother I was filled with dread at some of the decisions Hank made, hoping he wasn't going to land himself in too much trouble. As for Ralph, I just expected his continued perversion and disturbing behavior. He was a skewed character, but his loyalty to Hank was redeeming. The Book of Ralph was an 'ooh...wow...what?' goofy story!
This book was written about my hometown and the story takes place at my grammar school. From that point of view, I enjoyed it tremendously. I give it a 5 for the fun memories it gave me, however, the story did not resonate with me at all. I could not connect with it on any level and the ending left a lot to be desired. For content, it got a 1 for me. Hence, the rating of 3.
"The Book of Ralph" had me wrapped in a warm glow of good-natured mellowness for most of its length -- content to re-live a specific time and place, surrounded by the soft-focused haze of half-forgotten, golden suburban memories. But this approach is squandered in its final act, leaving an unsatisfying aftertaste to what should have been a sumptuous TV dinner of comfort food.
I first heard of this book a few years ago. The Today show had a segment at the time ( I think they were calling it "Today Book Club") where an author of a popular book would choose an unknown author's book to profile. This particular author (I think it was the author of "The Lovely Bones", but I could be wrong) chose "The Time Traveler's Wife" which obviously skyrocketed in popularity after that. He gave this book an honorable mention.
I wouldn't say this book was BAD, but it certainly wasn't my favorite. It's told from Ralph's friend's POV and spans some jr. high time as well as some twenty-something time. I think it had the potential to be really good as the story was not bad. I don't even think the writing sucked, but this book certainly lacked something.
I grew up in the same area described by the author but I think I'm several years older than the author. It was fun to read about places I was familiar with but the characters were from a different time and generation. Nevertheless it was like going home for me but remembering why I left.
I do like this book, don't get me wrong. And the writer is one of my favorites and a super nice guy... But Ralph just annoys me. There's only so much I can take. The stories are well-written and entertaining but I just got annoyed with Ralph. Didn't care for the last story, went on way too long.
After reading "The Vomitorium" and Troublemakers awhile ago it was fun to get back with Hank and Ralph. I wasn't crazy about the last chapter, but I thought this was funny and sad and pretty much nails these characters. We all knew kids like this. Maybe we were kids like this.
The main reason I like this book so much is the author is from my home town and most of it is set there. This guy really captured the feeling of that shitty little place and reminded me why I love and hate Burbank. Great story. Kind of quirky.
I laughed a lot at this crazy book. Something about growing up in the 70s is downright funny, if that is when you did. Hank and Ralph lived the life. Their worldwide view was unique and sadly entertaining. The author, McNally, is a charming and strange. Plus this book helps me prepare for my son becoming a teenager this year.
Dec 11, 2011
Sarah Funke
added it
Definitely worth a read, whether or not you grew up in the 70s. Hard to put down for the first half or more. Goes off the rails at the end -- the book, not the protagonist. That was a bit of a let-down for me.
Funny as hell. A small excerpt in the New Sudden Fiction anthology wet my appetite. The chapter about working at a record store and the one about a father creating christmas decorations out of junk are my favorites.
The south side of Chicago in the 70s, through the eyes of a 13-year-old and his delinquent friend Ralph. Hilarious capers, oddball characters, and the warm glow of long gone people and places we might have known.
i wouldn't have picked this book up, just because of the title. but my husband bought it for me and it turned out to be a pretty interesting read. it's set on the southwest side of chicago (and nearby suburbs) and there's mention of many 'landmarks' that i recognized. ralph and hank are interesting characters, too. i think everybody knew a ralph in school and will recognize him in this book. (i identified with hank a bit: "Politeness, I knew, would be the death of me.")
this isn't a novel, so muc...more
this isn't a novel, so muc...more
Hilarious. Young adolescent boys (I grew up with three of them) are just the most funny funny funny, and touching. I loved this book.
An important read. A true-to-life account written in the voice of someone with Asperger Syndrome.
Think "Christmas Story" 1970. Lost a little steam towards the end, but still a funny read.
I grew up with John so it was fun to read (he changed the FIRST names of several people)
It was ok - not amazing or anything but funny in parts.
A quick read
I was excited to read this book as I went to school with the author John McNally. What I was knocked out by was the brilliance of his storytelling. He uses such wonderful visuals with his writing that I couldn't put this book down. Using Chicago's South Side during the 70's as his backdrop will have you walking down memory lane while his character's remind you of people you once knew. Definitely a book not to be missed!
Wow, I can't believe it took me this long to read 287 pages. It was slow going.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
John McNally is the author of three novels (After the Workshop, America's Report Card and The Book of Ralph) and two story collections (Ghosts of Chicago and Troublemakers). He's written two books on writing: Vivid and Continuous: Essays and Exercise for Writing Fiction and The Creative Writer's Survival Guide: Advice from an Unrepentant Novelist He's edited six fiction anthologies, on subjects ra...more
More about John McNally...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Rebecca
Jul 29, 2008 04:38pm