Men in Black

by Scott Spencer

Selected by The New York Times as a Notable Book of 1995, the author of Endless Love pens a penetrating tale about a novelist's unsteady relationship with his work, his wife, and his country. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction, Novels, Literary Fiction, Literature

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Scott Spencer (b. 1945) is the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of ten novels, including Endless Love and A Ship Made of Paper, both of which have been nominated for the National Book Award. Two of his books, Endless Love and Waking the Dead, have been adapted into films.

He has taught at Columbia University, the University of Iowa, and Williams College, and Bard College's Bard Prison Initiative. Spencer is an alumnus of Roosevelt University. In 2004, he was the recipient of a John S. Guggenheim Fellowship. For the past twenty years, he has lived in a small town in upstate New York.

Spencer has also worked as a journalist. He has published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, GQ, O, The Oprah Magazine, and he is a regular contributor to Rolling Stone.

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an older Scott Spencer book - a $1.99 special. I read it in under the covers and quietly laughed.

Here’s a sample:
“This morning, I had awakened from dreams of sex, and with full prior knowledge I would not be winning any popularity contests with this gesture, I nevertheless turned toward Olivia and pulled her close. She wore a cotton nightgown, ankle length; she took care to keep herself warm, even wore socks to bed. That use to drive me crazy, but now I sorta like it; there was something a little wonderful about making love to a woman who was wearing kelly-green mid-calf socks”.

Slop omelettes … (too funny) … cooking with son Michael (when he was still little), who would stand on his Woody Woodpecker stool next to the stove …..
( awww… the good-old-days of cooking with our munchkins) …

Soooo…..
This is a story about a protagonist named Sam Holland who was a writer who couldn’t seem to sell any of his books.
He moves his family- wife and two kids to upstate New York and started writing non-fiction under a pseudonym.
“Visitors From Above” was written by John Retcliffe ( a UFO story).
The book sells like hotcakes.
Now the publishers are interested in him and he’s making good money but his marriage is beginning to take a nose dive.

In the meantime, Sam meets a young woman named Nadia whom he has an intense short affair with. Michael, no longer a munchkin, age thirteen now, learned of his father’s affair - is mad - and runs away.

Of course, Sam’s wife, Olivia learns of the affair— and suspects it’s why their son ran away…. and goes searching for him.
The younger child in the family, Amanda is having trouble with reading.

This book is not perfect — there was trouble in Paradise, the characters were semi-annoying—but funny. (in a sick-warped mind-way).

The writing is witty, …. pathetically- endearing (pimples and all) of an American family ….

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tend to binge on authors I like. Spencer has a lot of bingeworthy potential, specifically a very natural storytelling ability. This one didn't win me over, though. The darkly comic aspect of it as advertised wasn't really there. It was a clever expertly done exploration of a typical newly suburban family of a certain social status in a crisis mode, but it was too meticulously crafted for its own good at times. Tapping into that bygone now plain silly premise of Y2K a pseudonymed pay per page sort of author finds his book on aliens to be all the rage and must reluctantly deal with his newfound fame on top of dealing with the ramifications his recent affair has had on his marriage. Interesting, satirical at times, but all too often exhausting somehow, almost if burdened by its own wit and weight. Men in Black for me will always be the awesome, awesomely entertaining Will Smith movie and in fact it is that precise vim and charm that this book seems to lack. Understandably, comparing the two isn't even like apples and oranges, more like cucumbers and oranges, but reading a novel that attempts to be comical should be fun with maybe some lightness thrown in for good measure. The quality is still there, though, in the right mood, it's a pretty decent, though plodding, read. Then again Men in Black can come erase your memory of this right now and it wouldn't really matter. Bleep. Beep. Done.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I periodically re-read this book, knowing I'm going to be entertained again. I think of it as a really funny look at the little delusions that get us through the day, though the plot centers on a middle-aged writer whose life is coming unraveled at the instant of his biggest, if most puzzling success. Not to be confused with the movie starring Will Smith, it's about a novelist who never lived up to his earlier promise, and who now writes non-fiction throwaways like 'An Intelligent Woman's Guide to Pro Football,' and a book about the dangers of table salt. When his book on UFOs inexplicably takes off, he takes off on a multi-city tour just as his son runs away and his mistress announces her pregnancy. A lively and funny read populated by characters who are recognizable and real.

[Sharon]

I abandoned this book when I realized that I did not care what happened to the narcissistic protagonist, his much put upon wife or his unhappy children. Seriously this book has little to offer and even though it was a free book, even at that price it was not worth the time I invested reading the portion that I did.

[Chris H-C · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up two-thirds in. What a petty little man with problems of his own creation.

It seems well-written, but I stopped caring what happened to any of the characters. A death knell for fiction, if ever there were one.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and original story about a writer who gets himself into a fix, and his relationship with his son. I like the way Spencer handled multiple point-of-view.

[Tony Perez-Giese · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author attempted to roll three books into less than 300 pages, and it didn't work. It seems like he realized this 250 pages in and just gave up on any and all semblance of a realistic and/or enjoyable ending. If you want to read a book about an author coping with sudden success, check out "Fools Die" by Mario Puzo. A good read on the subject of a deteriorating marriage is "Light Years" by James Salter. As for a novel about a runaway son, I'm at a loss, but I'm sure there's a better one out there than this half-hearted effort. With all three subjects given equal weight in this book, it was very difficult to buy into any of them being serious.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. Maybe it's just where I'm at in life, or maybe it's how he captured so perfectly the weirdness and ordinariness of life in general. So true, so sad, so great.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read that is dark in its' own way. Love this different take on life. Sam Holland is a writer who doesn't handle fame well, neither does his dysfunctional family.

[Wendy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sam Holland is a writer who hasn't had a good selling book for a long time. His manager has him write books that are written under a pen name. One of these books is about the Men in Black who deal with folks who claim to have seen extraterrestrials. That book is made up with some already thought of stuff thrown in.

Sam's marriage to Oliver isn't horrible, though Sam would like a little more zip. So, what does he do? He has an affair, of course. Their son Michael finds something by accident that tells him what he thinks he needs to know about his father. He leaves home. Doesn't tell anyone anything. There's a lot more to this, but it's not worth writing about. Suffice it to say, Sam's a heel. A jerk. A nob. A wretched human. The story is flat, dull, dead end. The characters are equally flat and dull.

I can't believe the same person wrote A Ship Made of Paper. Read that book instead of Men in Black.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Psychotic experience, not my favorite use of reading time.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam Holland is his his mid forties,a husband of sixteen years, a failed father(He believes) and a struggling novelist that is trying to make his mark in the world. His marriage, work and life is deflating as the times goes by and he seeks to find redemption. After many failed novels to his credit, he writes a bestselling book about UFOS, that is quickly getting all the rave reviews, not to mention the amount of money that he is receiving. Although he tries to be committed to Olivia and daughter Amanda, Michael holds a special place in his heart though his relationship with him is strained. A therapy section takes a turn for the worst when Michael goes missing leaving Sam distressed. The aftermath of finding Michael throws Sam's life in a whirlwind of betrayal, deception and secrets, that will ultimately end his life.

I am a fan of Scott Spencer earlier work but this did not captivate me like his other novels. I loved some characters but it was not as developed as I would like. Amanda in particular was an afterthought, I would have like to learn more about her role in the book. Also the plot was not consistent, when it wrapped up,there were many unanswered questions. It could have been much better if the ending was not as rushed.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 of 5

Self-absorbed Sam Holland is a frustrated literary writer - all he wants to do is work on the great novel w/in. However, his family (two kids) and lack of capital make living in NYC impossible, so he moves to the country, meanwhile writing money-making drivel like "An Intelligent Woman's Guide to Pro Football." His deepest moral reserves are called upon when his son runs away after finding a dirty letter from his old mistress. Concurrently his latest drivel is skyrocketing in sales - this book about aliens and the fabled Men in Black becomes a media sensation.

Scott Spencer is a genius at writing people. I want to be friends w/ his characters, despite (or b/c of?) their flaws. These are real people despite the fact that they are fictious. This book plays on the parallels between the Men in Black (masters of disinformation, paid to zap people who have seen aliens, to stifle truth) and Sam's desire to hide his affair w/ Nadia (yep, that's her name) from his family; the cover-up angle is even present in his use of a pseudonym for his crazy alien book.

Start w/ "Ship Made of Paper" by Spencer, which is fabulous.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most memorable moments that I had while reading this book were... the forty times that my co-worker read the title and asked me in an off-hand sort of way, "hey buddy, are you at the part where Will Smith has his big dance number?"

I didn't have the heart to break it to him, but the written word is simply incapable of capturing and bottling the magical moves of Will Smith.

I'm not sure he is ready to hear that... and I'm not even sure if I'm ready to hear that.

Nevertheless, "Men in Black" did it's job. You will find yourself teetering between feeling either hatred or sympathy towards the main character. The whole book felt isolated to me, which I guess served it well.

A good deal of this seemed like it was semi-autobiographical.

I've done a pretty poor job of describing this book.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed reading Scott Spencer in the past....Ship of Paper and Waking the Dead.... but I found this one a little dull in the middle. It started off great and grabbed my interest, but then slogged in the middle and I had to force myself to finish it. I started to not like the main character. Instead of this character developing further as the novel went on, he seemed to become more and more shallow and less and less of a person. Read Spencer's other two mentioned above if you want to read him at his best.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, to be honest, if you read the blurb from Robert Owen Butler, this is the greatest book ever.

It's not that. There are places that are good, the opening, the end, but the book waned for me in the dreaded middle. I can't say I found it funny. It does cover the anonymity and anomie of daily life, this is true, but funny? I don't recall laughing one time.

If you want funny in a wry way, try Floaters, Calvin Trillin.

[Pat Fahrenthold · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the story of a East Coast writer who makes up stuff about extraterrestrials and creates a bestseller. His idea about a secret agency that cleans up after UFO sightings and close encounters may have been the idea for the Tommie Lee Jones/Will Smith movie. Otherwise it is a typical navel-gazing novel of a dysfunctional New York City family who move to the suburbs and are really unhappy.

[Sonia Diaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is no doubt that Spencer is a remarkable and talented writer. I really enjoyed how his words touched my senses. However, I was expecting this to be a dark comedy, like the reviews I have read, or at least entertaining. However, he threw me the hook, line and sinker...didn't love the vague ending that left me hanging.

[Scott Drummonds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written book. Spencer's prose is poetic. And he has a key imaginative eye for the small thoughts and actions of daily life. He understands they way our minds work in love and touches on the neurosis that afflicts us all with the ones we love.

But the story is not terribly interesting. At least not until the last third, when things become challenging for the characters.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liked this so much when I read it years ago, I read it again, and loved it as much as the first time.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Men in Black by Scott Spencer (1998)

[Beth Shields-Szostak]

1st edition

[Debra]

Stephen King recommended.

[Rebekkila]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10305526

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

f

[Amyd · Rating 1 out of 5]

First page the protag has sex with his wife while she is asleep, compares her to his mother, and begins describing his mother while having sex with his wife who reminded him of his mother. He describes his wife's breasts while describing her and his mother in the same sentence. He repeatedly subtle brags about how often he has sex with his unwilling wife, including another brag when he brings up her complaint about how often he takes advantage of her. He then implies that his son used to curiously watch/listen to them having sex. He then looks at photos of him and his son both staring at the wife/mother. He describes his young daughter as "innocent" and that is literally (creepily) all he has to say about her.

I skipped ahead a hundred pages, and the book does not get more interesting or more bearable than that. It also is never once "funny" or "satirical" as mentioned in the endless reviews on the covers. It's just a guy who can't think about anyone but himself, and makes light of serious topics as a coping mechanism for continuously screwing up everything he touches simply because he can.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tale of publishing success in the mid-1990s and an author who is becoming famous for a book he wrote using a pen name to make money to be able to write the books he wants. This creates issues when the book quickly becomes a hot seller. Readers also go inside the home to see the struggles the family is experiencing. The book was written before wide adoption of the internet and the influence of social media. One scene that illustrated it was when the author had to borrow someone’s mobile phone to call home. I enjoyed the book as a historical snapshot and the main character’s experiences.

[David Kinzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ostensibly a comedy, this melancholic story is about a writer (Sam Holland) who finds unexpected success with a book about aliens and UFOs. We are privy to Sam's endless brooding about his love life, family, and career. The book is full of witty metaphors and "turn of phrase" observations, which admittedly the author is quite good at. A happy ending solidifies my 3-star rating.

[Patrick Quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

At least now I know why my library doesn't have this book. "A darkly comic novel" says the New Yorker on the cover, well it's a novel. No comedy, dark or otherwise, that I could find. Skip it

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

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