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51st out of 177 books
—
141 voters
Lottery
by
Patricia Wood (Goodreads Author)
Perry's IQ is only 76, but he's not stupid. His grandmother taught him everything he needs to know to survive: She taught him to write things down so he won't forget them. She taught him to play the lottery every week. And, most important, she taught him whom to trust. When Gram dies, Perry is left orphaned and bereft at the age of thirty-one. Then his weekly Washington St...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
August 2nd 2007
by Putnam Adult
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Perry L. Crandall would like you to know that he is not retarded. Retarded would be 75 on an IQ test, and he is 76. Besides, Perry takes care not only of himself, but also of his Gran, a crusty, no-nonsense woman who loves him for who he is and lets him shine his light through his own accomplishments. (She tells him the L in his name stands for Lucky.)
Perry describes his life in simple and succinct sentences that manage to be full of wonder and surprise. As he speaks, we see all too clearly the...more
Perry describes his life in simple and succinct sentences that manage to be full of wonder and surprise. As he speaks, we see all too clearly the...more
I just finished reading LOTTERY! I was thinking of three writers as I was reading it: Charles Dickens and Annie Proulx and John Irving. I was thinking of Annie Proulx and John Irving, because the language of the characters is so real and honest, and yet there is something unreal about them as well--not in a bad way, of course! And that's where Dickens comes in, I think. Ms. Wood's characters seem to be completely evil or completely good as are Dicken's characters, for the most part. The only exc...more
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this review, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)
So what do you think -- do you think it's okay for a book reviewer to occasionally recuse themselves from reviewing certain books for ethical reasons, kind of like how judges sometimes do it during certain trials? Because I have to admit, I originally wanted to pick up Patricia Wood's Lottery because...more
So what do you think -- do you think it's okay for a book reviewer to occasionally recuse themselves from reviewing certain books for ethical reasons, kind of like how judges sometimes do it during certain trials? Because I have to admit, I originally wanted to pick up Patricia Wood's Lottery because...more
9 likes · like · see review
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Dec 25, 2007
Natalie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone over about 14 due to explicit sex and LOTS of swearing
Throughout the first quarter or so of the book, I thought it was going to be just another lightweight, insipid story about the triumph of the underdog. Well, it is kind of about the triumph of the underdog. It is about the triumph of the human spirit. And it really is about what really constitutes intelligence. And how great a part does our intelligence play in making us the best humans we can be.
I was worried that it would just be another "don't judge a book by it's cover" parable. And in a se...more
I was worried that it would just be another "don't judge a book by it's cover" parable. And in a se...more
Perry is not retarded. Perry is slow. Perry buys lotto tickets with his Gram each week and after she dies, he wins. And then his family comes out of the woodwork. But Perry is not retarded. Perry wants to be a businessman. Perry makes good decisions. Perry knows that love is important and money is just money.
I read this book cover to cover in one sitting. I thought there was too much swearing and there are some explicit sex scenes. I loved the cast of characters.
I read this book cover to cover in one sitting. I thought there was too much swearing and there are some explicit sex scenes. I loved the cast of characters.
I just remembered I read this after one of my friends gave it a review. The only reason it's not getting higher marks is because I don't throw 4 or 5 stars away very easily, they're for books that stick with me for a long time. But this was a very enjoyable read, very sweet and easy - I spent a nice day on the couch with it, not putting it down except to go to the bathroom and eat. Oh, and probably walk the dog.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This is part review and part commentary about the other reviews here. Many readers compare Lottery to Forest Gump. Besides the main characters having a low IQ in common, the stories are not similar at all. Forest Gump was purposely absurd and mocked Forest’s disability, while Lottery, in my opinion, tells a genuine and believable story in a way that is respectful to Perry’s shortcomings.
At least one reader said “I freaking despise ‘Retard with a heart of gold’ stories” but read the book anyway a...more
At least one reader said “I freaking despise ‘Retard with a heart of gold’ stories” but read the book anyway a...more
6 likes · like · see review
Forrest Gump wins the lottery. A pleasant feel-good book that made for a nice diversion among more serious books. Fast read, not very deep. Will probably be a nice Christmas time movie release in a couple of years.
I found an advance manuscript copy at a local library sale that included eight pages of author interviews at the end of the book...hopefully these aren't in the edition that will be sold in bookstores, as it really goes out of the way to beat the author's themes into the reader's head...more
I found an advance manuscript copy at a local library sale that included eight pages of author interviews at the end of the book...hopefully these aren't in the edition that will be sold in bookstores, as it really goes out of the way to beat the author's themes into the reader's head...more
This is definitely a heart-warming type of story. It is told entirely from the perspective of Perry L. Crandall. When asked what the L. stands for, Perry says, "Lucky." Perry's IQ is 76. He says he is "not retarded. Your IQ has to be 75 or less to be retarded so I am not." Perry is raised by his grandparents as his mother and siblings really want nothing to do with him. Until he wins the Washington Lottery and 12 million dollars. As it turns out Perry is smarter than he is given credit for. He h...more
1 like · like · see review
This book was great, makes you happy and sad and angry. But mostly makes you think about the good people in your life.
5 likes · like · see review
In the Lottery the book tells about a man named Perry, who many say is stupid, but he say he is not stupid because he has an IQ of 76 and to be seen as stupid he must have an IQ of 75. Perry lives with his gram who teaches him lessons of who to trust and how to take care of money. But the most important lesson Perry’s Gram teaches him is, how to play the lottery. After Perry’s Gram dies, Perry is alone, but continues to work and, more importantly play the lottery. When Perry wins the lottery, h...more
A heartwarming story about the rights of people who are "slow". The main character is not retarded, but right on the edge of it. He wins $12M in the lottery. The question then is, how does he act in his own best interest when he has trouble understanding what that is? He has full rights as a human, but will anyone protect them? Can anyone be trusted to act in his best interest? Perry is lucky. He has friends who are clearly on his side, just as he has family who want to take the money away and s...more
I should have written a review for this book before my book club discussed it, because now my thoughts are all jumbled up with the conversation. It was not especially well-loved by my fellow book club members, but I liked it a lot.
The story follows the life of Perry L. Crandall (L stands for Lucky!) who has an IQ of 76, which he tells us many times means he is not, in fact, "retarded". He is just slow. Shortly after his grandmother passes away Perry wins 12 million dollars in the lottery - and...more
The story follows the life of Perry L. Crandall (L stands for Lucky!) who has an IQ of 76, which he tells us many times means he is not, in fact, "retarded". He is just slow. Shortly after his grandmother passes away Perry wins 12 million dollars in the lottery - and...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Lottery by Patricia Wood is about a guy, called Perry, who is slightly retarded because he has an IQ of 76. He lives with his grandma's and has done so since he was a little boy because his real parents didn’t want him. His grandma have always been there for him, protecting him from his awful parents and those who make fun of him because he's slow.
When his granadma suddenly dies, he has to learn to cope by himself. Good luck goes his way and he soon wins the lottery, winning 12 million dollars....more
When his granadma suddenly dies, he has to learn to cope by himself. Good luck goes his way and he soon wins the lottery, winning 12 million dollars....more
This book has 61 short chapters, which didn’t really work well for me at first. Normally I’m not a fan of long chapters, but these chapters were definitely too short. At first it felt like it was taking me a long time to read this book. Sometimes when I’m reading I’ll give myself a goal to go to the end of the chapter and in this case, I was stopping really fast! I changed my mind on that one and would look ahead to find a good stopping point instead. Once I got really into the book I couldn’t p...more
I admit it, when I initially read the description of Lottery I questioned whether or not to read the book. Of the few books I've read which feature a character with a low IQ, I often finished the book with a feeling that the author was patronising towards their character or failed to understand that a low IQ does not mean a person or character is somehow less human. My fears turned out to be unfounded once I started reading; Patricia Wood treats Perry with an immense level of respect and success...more
I really enjoyed reading this book. There was a lot of profanity, and a lot of the profanity was diety and f-word, the main reason I give it a 3. Is it still worth reading, with all the profanity? That is a topic of discussion that is ongoing (as is evidenced by books like Catcher in the Rye) and I won't attempt to get into those issues here. Suffice it to say that I was amazed at the wisdom with which the main character Perry was able to approach life and how winning the lottery changed his lif...more
Apr 01, 2011
Kathy Chung
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone.
Recommended to Kathy by:
winnie
Shelves:
inspirational,
funny
Reviewed at : Mama Kucing Meow : Lottery by Patricia Wood
The cover of the book was not that attractive. Looks like some sort of cheap novel. But after reading this book, I totally revised my opinion. I think it's fantastic. It is a MUST READ.
To me, it's like a motivational book. To know what is our personal goal and target instead of comparing it with others. Take one step at a time for each person will have their own pace. Be thankful for the thing you having now. Always know what is your needs...more
The cover of the book was not that attractive. Looks like some sort of cheap novel. But after reading this book, I totally revised my opinion. I think it's fantastic. It is a MUST READ.
To me, it's like a motivational book. To know what is our personal goal and target instead of comparing it with others. Take one step at a time for each person will have their own pace. Be thankful for the thing you having now. Always know what is your needs...more
This is not the type of book I would normally read but due to it's Times Notable classification I thought maybe I was unfairly judging a book by it's cover. I'm still trying to figure out what was notable about it.
I would classify this as a "beach read" which means, to me, that it's an easy to read and lighthearted book that would leave you the way it found you. You won't learn anything new, you won't have your beliefs or values challenged, and you will probably forget the plot as soon as you c...more
From Musings: Perry Crandall is a 31-year-old man with an IQ of 76, which is just above the level that defines mental retardation. Perry was raised by his grandmother and grandfather, his own parents having bailed on him for reasons that are never fully explained. Thanks to Gram’s affirming parenting style and deep love for Perry, he grew into an adult capable of living independently, although complex decisions are difficult for him to make on his own. Perry’s life changes permanently when Gram...more
Perry is such a likable character, right from the beginning. There is so much to like about him: the way he studies several words from the dictionary each day (one of his favorite words to use is "echt" - true, and it's fun to see how he uses what he's learning and how he inspires others in the story); how he remembers what his Gram has said and what she's taught him (it's neat how he knows her personality and can guess from past experiences how she might react or comment on something); how he v...more
Publishers Weekly Reviews
Perry Crandall has an IQ of 76, but is not retarded, as he'll have you know: his IQ would need to be less than 75 for that, and he knows the difference even if others may not. Perry, the 32-year-old narrator of Wood's warm-fuzzy debut, has worked at the same marine supply store for half his life and lives with his wisecracking grandmother Gram, whose gems of folk wisdom help him along. But when Gram dies, Perry's selfish, money-grubbing family members swoop in and swindl...more
Perry Crandall has an IQ of 76, but is not retarded, as he'll have you know: his IQ would need to be less than 75 for that, and he knows the difference even if others may not. Perry, the 32-year-old narrator of Wood's warm-fuzzy debut, has worked at the same marine supply store for half his life and lives with his wisecracking grandmother Gram, whose gems of folk wisdom help him along. But when Gram dies, Perry's selfish, money-grubbing family members swoop in and swindl...more
Ok....here i go...
This is author Patricia Wood's foray into the world of writing novels. A VERY simple read (think plane flight or beach)with predictable characters. The intrigue for me - i could not put this book down - was probably the money. Or maybe it was my love for principle character, Perry, who is NOT retarded since he scored 76 on the school-mandated IQ test and retarded is a score of 75. My preoccupation with anything financial and my cheerleader desire for Perry helped me to overlook...more
This is author Patricia Wood's foray into the world of writing novels. A VERY simple read (think plane flight or beach)with predictable characters. The intrigue for me - i could not put this book down - was probably the money. Or maybe it was my love for principle character, Perry, who is NOT retarded since he scored 76 on the school-mandated IQ test and retarded is a score of 75. My preoccupation with anything financial and my cheerleader desire for Perry helped me to overlook...more
As this book opens, you meet Perry, a 30-something guy with an IQ of 76. But that means he's slow, not retarded, and he'll tel you that if you ever ask. He lives with his tough-taling profane grandma who teaches him how to survive in a world of so-called intelligent people. They create lists of people he can trust and things he can do. When Gram dies, Perry is better equipped to take on the world--until he wins a 12 million dollar lottery.
There's probably more profanity in this book than you wan...more
There's probably more profanity in this book than you wan...more
I picked up Lottery on the cheap from the Green Valley Book Fair a few months ago. It's about Perry, a man who is NOT retarded, he is just slow. Perry lives with his grandmother, who has raised him and homeschooled him. They love each other and they understand each other. Perry works a job he really enjoys at the fishing shop down the street from his house with his boss, Gary, who appreciates his hard-working attitude, and his best friend, Keith, who has never treated Perry any differently than...more
A Basic Overview
This book tells the story of Perry L. Crandall. (His grandmother tells him the L stands for "Lucky.") Perry has an IQ of 76 -- but he'll be the first to tell you that he "is not retarded." However, much of the world treats his as such. Most of his family has abandoned him except for his grandparents, who raise him. After the death of his grandfather, Perry lives with his grandmother, who does her best to teach him ways to protect himself--spend half, save half; write things down;...more
This book tells the story of Perry L. Crandall. (His grandmother tells him the L stands for "Lucky.") Perry has an IQ of 76 -- but he'll be the first to tell you that he "is not retarded." However, much of the world treats his as such. Most of his family has abandoned him except for his grandparents, who raise him. After the death of his grandfather, Perry lives with his grandmother, who does her best to teach him ways to protect himself--spend half, save half; write things down;...more
Absolutely a must read!
When I originally read this novel, I figured that it would be your typical book about autistic kids and pathetic people that manage to find strength in bullying the weak. As I progressed more and more into the book, I realised how wrong I was and what a truly emotionally strengthening book this is. I admit I was close to tears when I read the part where the grandmother passed away and he was so lonely and helpless without her. I felt truly awful for him and thought he di...more
When I originally read this novel, I figured that it would be your typical book about autistic kids and pathetic people that manage to find strength in bullying the weak. As I progressed more and more into the book, I realised how wrong I was and what a truly emotionally strengthening book this is. I admit I was close to tears when I read the part where the grandmother passed away and he was so lonely and helpless without her. I felt truly awful for him and thought he di...more
Lottery was a very pleasant easy book to read.
It is the story of Perry who with an IQ of 76 was brought up by his Grandparents. That love can change the world is evident in the way Gram teaches Perry to cope with life.The family association with Keith knits this little group into a tough fighting unit. Each are social misfits in their way but together they take on the world of prejudice and greed.
The battle reaches it,s climax when Perry wins $12million in a lottery. The shady elements of socie...more
It is the story of Perry who with an IQ of 76 was brought up by his Grandparents. That love can change the world is evident in the way Gram teaches Perry to cope with life.The family association with Keith knits this little group into a tough fighting unit. Each are social misfits in their way but together they take on the world of prejudice and greed.
The battle reaches it,s climax when Perry wins $12million in a lottery. The shady elements of socie...more
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Patricia Wood was born and raised in Seattle, Washington She has served in the U.S. Army, has worked as a Medical Technologist, horseback-riding instructor, and most recently as a marine science teacher working with high risk students in Honolulu. Patricia is an avid SCUBA diver, has assisted with shark research, won the Hawaii State Jumper Championship with her horse Airborne, crewed in a 39-foot...more
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