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30th out of 31 books
—
10 voters
My American Unhappiness
“Why are you so unhappy?” That’s the question that Zeke Pappas, a thirty-three-year-old scholar, asks almost everybody he meets as part of an obsessive project, “The Inventory of American Unhappiness.” The answers he receives—a mix of true sadness and absurd complaint—create a collage of woe. Zeke, meanwhile, remains delightfully oblivious to the increasingly harsh realiti...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
June 7th 2011
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(first published May 31st 2011)
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Zeke Pappas, is the engaging, and unreliable, chronicler of American unhappiness in this absurd, sad and funny second novel by Dean Bakapoulos. He begins to unravel personally and professionally as he embarks on a search for a wife in this disturbing view of America during George Bush's recent reign of error. Unfortunately his greatest asset is a talent to predict what a stranger will order at Starbucks.
He spends his days and nights lusting after pictures of models from J Crew catalogues, drin...more
He spends his days and nights lusting after pictures of models from J Crew catalogues, drin...more
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I realize, compared to most goodread reviewers, I like a lot of shitty books. Well, if you look at most reviews of this particular book, most people gave it a low score. When I try to read the books with an average rating of four or higher, I usually have a hard time getting into them. Zeke Pappas is probably the most unlikable character I've come across in a fully read book, yet I enjoyed the book to the fullest extent, minus one-star. How did the writer manifest such a feat within me? Maybe, d...more
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This week I read My American Unhappiness by Dean Bakopoulos. It is about Zeke Pappas, a thirty-three year old liberal scholar living in Madison, Wisconsin, perhaps the most liberal of all American college towns. Zeke heads the Great Midwestern Humanities Initiative, a federally-funded program meant to "foster a greater sense of community, increase public literacy, and strengthen levels of civic engagements in the American heartland." His pet project is An Inventory of American Unhappiness, an at...more
So, I read Dean Bakopoulos's My American Unhappiness for my Michigan Beer & Book Club, and while I found it to be a breezy, light read, I can't recommend it across the board. The book, which is narrated by the main character, Zeke Pappas, has a lot going for it. It has some really funny moments in which Zeke talks or acts in an over-the-top, silly manner that is nevertheless quite sad and charming at times. The main character is easy to listen to, despite the fact that he's completely ridicu...more
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Zeke, the Executive Director of the Great Midwestern Humanities Initiative (GMHI), has six months to find a wife. His mother is dying (stage four cancer), and if he is not married before she dies, custody of his nieces--who have been living with he and his mother since the tragic death of their parents a year earlier--goes to his sister-in law and her husband. Zeke desperately wants to keep them. His prospects are varied: Sofia Coppola ("Why not aim high?); his favorite Starbucks barista, Minn;...more
This book is a thoroughly enjoyable and compulsive read, yet it retains a sneaky ability to catch you off guard with its profundity in the moments when the author grounds the breezy narrative in its larger historical context.
There were times when the protagonist, Zeke Pappas, has a tendency to come off as absurdly unaware of the goings-on around him -- so much so that at first I found this off-putting because it came off as unrealistic. And yet, as the story went along I realized that this habit...more
There were times when the protagonist, Zeke Pappas, has a tendency to come off as absurdly unaware of the goings-on around him -- so much so that at first I found this off-putting because it came off as unrealistic. And yet, as the story went along I realized that this habit...more
This is so clearly a case of the wrong book ending up in the wrong hands that I question if I should even write this review.
Zeke Pappas, director of the Great Midwestern Humanities Initiative, is working on a special project, a chronicle of American Unhappiness. He spends his days interviewing subjects on what makes them unhappy and his nights caring for his two young neices (his brother died in Iraq and sister-in-law died driving drunk) and his ill mother. When his mother learns she is termina...more
Zeke Pappas, director of the Great Midwestern Humanities Initiative, is working on a special project, a chronicle of American Unhappiness. He spends his days interviewing subjects on what makes them unhappy and his nights caring for his two young neices (his brother died in Iraq and sister-in-law died driving drunk) and his ill mother. When his mother learns she is termina...more
My American Unhappiness begins as incisive satire on the lives of liberal arts educated sometimes activists in the panegyric-inducing Bush years, and in that is clever and clear-eyed and perhaps even necessary, but quickly morphs into an off-putting mess. Bakopoulos’s aims and interests are simply too varied. He wants to first, skewer the nonprofit funded navel gazing lives of over-educated liberals, second, create an engaging but increasingly dangerous and unreliable narrator, third, borrow the...more
I really enjyed this. Zeke is a likeable character who is, I believe sad, but not unhappy. He is a caring uncle and son. Life's tragedies have burdened him. He has accepted tremendous responsibilities with love.
Yes, he's lazy, unfocused and a bit of a drunk. These self admitted qualities, add to his attraction.
American Unhappiness reminds me of Ann Tyler novels. Odd people, who don't fit in, but do.
The other part of this novel that I like is the setting. Yes, it's Madison, Wisconsin and I've nev...more
Yes, he's lazy, unfocused and a bit of a drunk. These self admitted qualities, add to his attraction.
American Unhappiness reminds me of Ann Tyler novels. Odd people, who don't fit in, but do.
The other part of this novel that I like is the setting. Yes, it's Madison, Wisconsin and I've nev...more
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I was very disappointed with this book. I read his first book (Please don't come back from the moon) and thought it was insightful and entertaining. My American Unhappiness lacked a sense of focus (how many times do we have to read almost the same paragraph attributing individual unhappiness to the Bush Administration? I mean, I was a fan of Clinton and quite relieved when Obama took office, but really are we going to talk about politics through this very personality based novel?), was very cont...more
What a depressing book -- the beloved wife who may or may not have died, the twin nieces, the long-suffering mother who concocts an ultimatum that results in Zeke's mad dating spree, the list of marriageable "possibilities”, the uncanny coffee drink predictions, the "unhappiness" blogs. The dead wife subplot never ignites, the twin nieces are cardboard cute, mom is alternately noble and inane, the government investigation of the government supported company goes nowhere, and the potpourri of you...more
My American Unhappiness is the a fiction story of Zeke Pappas who is a widowed man working on an oral history of “The Inventory of American Unhappiness.” He is the director of the Great Midwestern Humanities Initiative (GMHI). Zeke’s mother and his nieces are living with him. Zeke is quite happy with this arrangement but his mother wants him to marry and if he doesn’t she is going to have the girls go to Michigan and live with their aunt. Zeke is desparate to find a wife before his mother dies o...more
Ugh! This book's title caught my eye near the checkout of my local library. Perusing the flyleaf, I decided to give myself a light read break with this one. At the outset, that's what this appeared to be - mildly humorous, sardonically witty, consistent pace. As it progressed, however, I felt a steady tidal pool of unhappiness building, drawing me inward and down. Just enough of a thread of hope is offered throughout (could Zeke seriously be that delusional and out of touch with reality?) that k...more
In my readings I have rarely encountered a less likeable character than Zeke Pappas, the "protagonist" of this book. Even his mother doesn't like him very much. He spends his work days switching back and forth between consuming coffee and consuming alcoholic beverages. It is easy to see why his life seems to be falling apart around him, since he's never made a serious attempt at making a life. And he never gets to that point in the book, either. I kept waiting for Zeke to redeem himself, but he...more
You know, I liked this a great deal more than you are likely too. Or than I would have thought. The social commentary is incisive if not particularly keen - consumption is bad, the suburbs are bland, about 3/4 through I finally figured out the chapter titles could double as FB status updates. But unlike Adam Ross's Mr. Peanut or Johnathan Tropper's This is Where I Leave You or Sam Lipsyte's The Ask for that matter, this book and the main character have a kernel of sweetness that redeems all the...more
Why are you unhappy? That’s the question thirty-something midwestern Zeke Pappas asks his subjects. He’s gathering answers for his magnum opus, a study of American Unhappiness. When the novel opens we’re nearly finished with the Bush administration, seven years after 9/11, and Zeke is hoping to figure out what it is that makes Americans unhappy, which is different from sad, he explains at one point in Dean Bakopolous’ novel My American Unhappiness. The novel is littered with the answers Zeke get...more
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I . . . can't decide if I think this book is unique and creative and fresh or just plain strange and not that good. The whole time I was reading it, I was analyzing it, wondering if it would be better written in third person, trying to put my finger on what felt "off." The best thing I can think of to compare it to is a cross between Franzen's The Corrections, an awkward Ben Stiller movie, an NPR feature story, and the voice of the narrator who has Asperger's Syndrome in The Curious Incident of...more
This novel had some good moments, but overall, it was merely okay. The author's intentions seem somewhat muddled in terms of the narrator's reliability, and I imagine that most readers who empathize with the narrator will do so mostly out of pity. While the testimonials on American Unhappiness keep the book moving forward, there are a number of turns (namely one involving the narrator's dead wife) that felt contrived and unbelievable. On the sentence level, the book is a smooth read, but seems t...more
This was an odd book, but I found it strangely delightful. The last page had me looking at the text wondering about the fate of the character and remembering that time he just finished describing (November of 2008 right after the election). Zeke, the main character, at points had me cringing for him, hating him and cheering him on. I'm not sure who I would recommend this book to, most people wouldn't like it (I first heard it mentioned on NPR and indeed I can't imagine someone who doesn't listen...more
Despite having some great passages, the book seemed to be a standard critique of American society during the Bush years. The issue has been mined to death, and I didn't feel like there was any original insight into the Bush years.
Also, the book goes on a strange tangent, and the second half the protagonist becomes extremely erratic, and his behavior unbelievable.
This is unfortunate, because Bakopoulous's first book, "Please Don't Come Back from the Moon" I found to be very engaging, and did ha...more
Also, the book goes on a strange tangent, and the second half the protagonist becomes extremely erratic, and his behavior unbelievable.
This is unfortunate, because Bakopoulous's first book, "Please Don't Come Back from the Moon" I found to be very engaging, and did ha...more
Zeke Pappas is on a mission - to compile a list of what makes Americans unhappy. Which is perfect, because he works at the Great Midwestern Humanities Initiative. Aside from having a pretty sweet job Zeke plays father figure to his twin orphan nieces and roommate to his elderly mother. When his mother has a change of heart Zeke needs to find a wife before everything he knows is taken from him.
My American Unhappiness sounds interesting, right? What with interviews of the general population and a...more
My American Unhappiness sounds interesting, right? What with interviews of the general population and a...more
This may have gotten two stars if the book wasn't set in Madison, WI - there are so many references to the Madison scene, landmarks (Hilldale Mall! Monroe street!) and the social vibe here in Madison that I mostly enjoyed reading it because I could picture what was happening as I read through it. I thought the story line was uneven and waffled too much between a poignant almost saccharine story about family loyalty and a ridiculous story of an utterly desperate 34 yr old guy. The two fit togethe...more
May 10, 2013
Kate
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
American's, especially NPR enthusiasts
"We see ourselves in a struggle of epic, or at least interesting, magnitude, and so we go about documenting it ourselves, not waiting for some future historian, anthropologist, or novelist to find our tale and tell it to us. YouTube, FaceBook, blogs - all of these things are ways for us to make ourselves protagonists on a very crowded, violent, and unjust stage."(p.252)
I chose this book to take with me on my trip back home to visit my parents and I'm really glad this was my companion there, duri...more
I chose this book to take with me on my trip back home to visit my parents and I'm really glad this was my companion there, duri...more
"My American Unhappiness" was not at all what I thought it would be. The book is filled with political opinions that I found unnecessary, and I read books to get away from those opinions on politics and religion. On top of that the political opinions are poorly written and just so negative, without a view of "both sides". The story began very slowly, and was very uninteresting. Then the author turned it around, made you want to know what was happening, who was behind the "issue" and what was the...more
Zeke Pappas, 33, and widowed (so to speak), begins a project called "The Inventory of American Unhappiness" in which he interviews Americans to find out what makes them unhappy. Meanwhile, he begins a quest to find a wife so he can gain custody of his orphaned nieces.
I really enjoyed this book, mainly because of Zeke's narration. Zeke spends a majority of his time in despondent, but comical reverie. There are many lines that made me laugh out loud. He becomes increasingly filled with despair, w...more
I really enjoyed this book, mainly because of Zeke's narration. Zeke spends a majority of his time in despondent, but comical reverie. There are many lines that made me laugh out loud. He becomes increasingly filled with despair, w...more
Dec 30, 2011
Jamie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who want a laugh along with a touching story
If the title or the beautiful cover doesn't pull you in on this book, then the very clever writing probably will do the trick. Zeke Pappas is, as far as I can tell, an unusual young man of 34: he is witty, conscientious, and considerate. He is also horny and conflicted and so all to common among his gender.
Whereas I would probably be horrified to read a similar non-fiction account by a man his age (see "Honeymoon with My Brother"), I was thoroughly entertained--charmed, even--by his tale of sta...more
Whereas I would probably be horrified to read a similar non-fiction account by a man his age (see "Honeymoon with My Brother"), I was thoroughly entertained--charmed, even--by his tale of sta...more
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It's no secret I adore Dean Bakopoulos. His first novel Please Don't Come Back from the Moon is one of those novels I recommend to, well, everyone I know. My American Unhappiness is a different novel (love when authors evolve!); it's a bit more broad, a bit more seasoned, but it is still Bakopoulos' same observational genius and heart. I loved it so very much. It's the first novel in a long time where I simply had to stop and underline certain lines (okay, whole paragraphs) because I felt so con...more
Zeke is the sort of character you probably know: seems like a great guy but is not married (which concerns us and modern society). His mother desperately wants him to marry and he embarks on a quest based on recommendations from a women's magazine article.
He is ultimately a very sad character -clueless about women and relationships. He lives in a fantasy world.
The book is very entertaining and strangely funny. There is an underlying sadness and some incisive views on society.
I really enjoyed it....more
He is ultimately a very sad character -clueless about women and relationships. He lives in a fantasy world.
The book is very entertaining and strangely funny. There is an underlying sadness and some incisive views on society.
I really enjoyed it....more
I really hate to give a book 2 stars, but I couldn't get into this one. Perhaps as a reader I should be comfortable with characters I do not like, but in this case I couldn't care much about what was going to happen to Zeke Pappas because I really did not like him (and didn't have much reason to like anybody else in the story, save for a couple of Zeke's family members).
This book has a specific audience that will really dig it--unfortunately, I'm not one of those audience members.
This book has a specific audience that will really dig it--unfortunately, I'm not one of those audience members.
I enjoyed this book, but I didn't "really like" it. It certainly was interesting -- the main character is an eccentric man who at first you like, then you kind of hate him at the same time and by the end of the book you realize you have witnessed his complete unraveling and that he was pretty nuts all along. I like the way the author did that in the development. That aside- the dialogue and text were full of intelligent and often irreverent commentary on society, politics and "America" today. It...more
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Dean Bakopoulos was born in Dearborn Heights, Michigan on July 6, 1975 to a Ukrainian mother and a Greek father. A child of immigrants, he grew up speaking both Ukrainian and English, was shy to the point of psychosis, and avoided group gatherings and rarely left his mother’s side. He ate copious amounts of borscht and cabbage rolls. When his grandfather, Gregory Smolij, retired from 25 years on t...more
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