The Full Catastrophe: A Novel

Jeremy Cook #2

by David Carkeet

A New York Times Notable Book: “A comic chronicle of marital misunderstandings . . . Eccentric, hilarious, wildly inventive” (Los Angeles Times).
 
Linguist Jeremy Cook knows how language works, but he doesn’t know how marriage works. In fact, he is strangely hostile to the institution. So Cook is naturally uneasy about his job with a St. Louis firm specializing in “the linguistically troubled marriage.”
 
His assignment is to move in with Dan and Beth Wilson, a prosperous suburban couple with an impoverished relationship, to analyze their problems with verbal communication and help them—if he can. But as Cook catalogs the Wilsons’ missed signs and signals, he becomes increasingly, and unscientifically, involved . . .
 
“Read this terrific book.” —Los Angeles Times
 
“With humor and insight, Mr. Carkeet’s fourth novel addresses the commonest of social diseases—a failing marriage—with the least likely of therapies: a live-in linguist.” —The New York Times Book Review
 
“Carkeet’s premise is fresh, his characters utterly winning and his comic observations full of affection for those caught up in the complex confusions of love. Laugh-out-loud scenes and swift, convincing dialogue.” —Publishers Weekly

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Novels, Book Club, Roman

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Susane Colasanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Full Catastrophe is freaking hilarious. Every page made me smile. Every chapter made me laugh. David Carkeet's dialogue is spot-on, his observations about marriage so true, that this story will resonate with anyone who has ever experienced conflict in a longterm relationship. Which is, of course, everyone.

[Lynn Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this novel, Carkeet brings back the protagonist from Double Negative, linguist Jeremy Cook, who is his usual neurotic, humorous self. In this novel Cook is tasked with living with a struggling couple to analyze their communication snd head off a divorce. It’s a little less tight than Double Negative. But still, Carkeet’s writing is so original and fun that it’s always worthwhile.

[John Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

With one foot in farce and the other in realism, Carkeet dissects a modern marriage from a dispassionate but never disinterested viewpoint. Jeremy Cook, a lovelorn Ph.D. linguist, accepts a job with the mysterious Pillow Agency (founder: Roy Pillow), which "embeds" researchers in troubled marriages to try to save them. Cook, armed with only the vaguest instructions, is duly sent to live with a thirty-something couple in St Louis. Are their troubles based in language? Not really, although they seem to have as much trouble communicating as any other couple, and Cook's analyses of their conversation patterns can be surprisingly spot-on. Over the course of a week, the root of their problem is given a name, Cook's own most pressing problem is solved, and things are looking tentatively hopeful for all of them. But the journey there is full of episodes both hilarious and tense.

I doubt I've read a funnier book that wasn't complete nonsense. The stage is set early with Cook's absurd miscommunications with the bizarre Roy Pillow, and Beth Wilson's two-word answer to the boilerplate question "Who usually initiates sex?" almost had me on the floor. Yet while the pace never flagged, it never became wearying, and everything wrapped up at the end in as satisfying a way as a good meal. While I can't agree with Carkeet's analysis of "The Horror" at the bottom of every troubled marriage, I root for the Wilsons, wish Cook the best, and wish I could find more books like this.

[Jeffrey May · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Full Fun Catastrophe

“The Full Catastrophe” is one of those books that I’ve read portions of over the years whenever I need a good chuckle. But it’s more than funny. Like most good jokes, it’s humor is rooted in truth. It was such a fun read that I am still recommending it to anyone who will listen. For me, this is Carkeet’s best novel, and that’s saying a lot given his other exceptional work.

The mere idea of a live-in linguist as the solution to a troubled marriage is hilariously ridiculous, but Carkeet manages to make it entirely believable. While portions may seem more relevant to a time when men and women had slightly different roles, the humor still applies to any relationship. The witty dialogue and description and the neat, smartly executed plot lead to a very satisfying ending. Excellent book and a lot of fun.

Jeffrey Penn May, author of Eight Billion Steps: My Impossible Quest For Cancer Comedy, Where the River Splits, Roobala Take Me Home, and others.

[Andrea Mullarkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had so much fun with Carkeet’s Double Negative that I couldn’t resist reading his next book The Full Catastrophe. Linguist Jeremy Cook is back, and in this book he uses his linguistic skills not to solve a murder, but to save a marriage. As preposterous a set up as in Double Negative, this time around Cook is sent to St. Louis as an employee in the Pillow Agency. His first assignment is to help the Wilsons with their troubled marriage. But because Cook has poor social skills, and neither training as a counselor, nor guidance from his agency, naturally he makes a mess of the job. He is so anxious about his performance, that he bumbles through the work, causing more misunderstandings than he clears up. But Cook is such a likable character, and the linguistic jokes abound and the result is a genuinely enjoyable read.

[Raymond Bial · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this book is more than a bit dated. Jeremy Cook is an amiable and clueless protagonist and Carkeet's skewing of the buffoonery of academics is hilarious. However, his humorous treatment of a very unpleasant couple on the verge of divorce falls flat and the conclusion is hardly plausible.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carkeet is a little know treasure. All of his novels are witty, laugh out loud, page turners. His subject matter is the American experience. He loves it;hates it;can't escape it. You might find yourself (as I do) wanting to read selective passages to friends.

[Lesli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Full Catastrophe shows the same intelligence and wierd sense of humor as his mystery, Double Negative. It's about an extremely unusual marriage counseling service. I enjoy his writing and try to read all of his books.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really a funny book. I had to read it for an elementary linguistics class, was not expecting to like it as much as I did. Now I want to read the author's other books.

Someone should get talk to the author and make this into a movie it would make a great comedy, it was fresh and fun.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read in May 2011. This book is so fantastically hilarious in a academia-spoofing-David-Lodgian sort of way that I'm sad that it is not better-known.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still remember this book 9 years after reading it. Recommended for those who love language and those interested in marital issues.

[Louisebrodnitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a ridiculous premise but not a problem at all for this writer. A young linguist sick of academia signs on as a live-in linguist-as-therapist. So fun but with an edge. Love this book.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice and original book about marriage and love, about people trying to fix their relationships. This book is funny, witty approach but do not expect high level litterature.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very funny in parts and yet also boring!

[David Kunau · Rating 5 out of 5]

just read it for the second time. love the comments about STL. Laughed at all the absurdities of living a marriage

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty funny in numerous parts and I appreciated the oddball cast of characters. The story itself was fairly interesting in that this linguist turned "live-in marriage counselor" was basically tasked with saving a couple from the brink of divorce. The author's writing style also made for a smooth and easy read. My only problem with the book was that the ending was a little flat and underwhelming.

[Yael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big doubt about the rating. I liked the book, I found it very entertaining, but not good enough to compete with other 4 stars ones.
I expected more of the linguistic stuff...

[Delphine Tran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un livre plaisant mais avec un peu trop de lieux communs sur le couple... peut être un peu trop comme le 1er opus aussi du coup moins surprenant...

[Rhiannon Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read with some amusing reflections on love, language, and toxic masculinity.

[Damien Tournay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeremy Cook revient, cette fois à Saint-Louis, pour tenter de sauver un couple. La linguistique au service de l'amour

[David Medina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Für ein Komedie Buch zu sein, ich hab darüber sehr viel reflektiert

[Tom Lavoixdulivre · Rating 5 out of 5]

"La catastrophe est annoncée dès le titre : ce livre racontera un drame, un évènement épouvantable qui détruira des vies. Pourtant, le titre énonce clairement une Putain de catastrophe. Or cet adjectif peu commun, vulgaire en soi, déclenche tout de suite la réaction du futur lecteur et suggère soit (1) que la catastrophe est tellement désastreuse qu’elle ne mérite qu’insultes inutiles si ce n’est à déverser sa colère par le langage, soit (2) que cela change totalement le ton du livre : loin d’être un drame plongeant dans le pathos, ce roman haut en couleurs va fouiner la comédie qui alternera tantôt entre un tel registre et un registre tragique. Vous l’aurez compris, ce livre coup de coeur est un rare plongeon au sein d’un drame moderne entre larmes et rires, qui questionne le mariage et le fonctionnement d’un couple d’aujourd’hui, mais peut-être plus encore."

Lire la suite : http://lavoixdulivre.blogspot.fr/2014...

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came looking for more of the hilarious social awkwardness and relational cluelessness of Jeremy Cook, linguist, that I enjoyed in Double Negative. It's here, and I found myself laughing out loud at more than one of Cook's paranoid and academic interior monologues. But there is also painful marital strife here, and more than I expected. That makes The Full Catastrophe a more serious book than its predecessor. I recommend it for those who know what they're getting into.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this novel, one of three of Carkeet's books featuring the bemused linguist Jeremy Cook with which I'm familiar, somewhat less successful than the others. The plot requires that Jeremy be rather boneheaded about the ways of men and women in a relationship, boneheaded even by the standards of 1990, when the book was first published.

To its credit, the story introduces us to Roy Pillow, Jeremy's infuriating boss, comically opaque and grotesque.

[Brittany S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely expected more from this read. While it was most certainly a bit unique when it came to plot, I think that the characters suffered a bit because of it. The lackadaisical Mr. Pillow seemed to be rather idiotic and annoying and while Jeremy seemed to be the man who could only love one woman, it just doesn't come across as believable. A bit disappointing sadly.

[Robert Wechsler]

A self-consciously quirky novel about a down-and-out professor who, as part of a new job, moves in with a family to study their marriage. It’s a good idea, well written, but at well past midway I’d had enough. It takes a lot for me to embrace contemporary self-conscious quirkiness, in novel or film. Carkeet didn’t offset it with enough to keep me interested, not to mention care.

[Reenah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird.

A linguist is sent to help a couple whose "communication" isn't working anymore, and helps his own love life along the way.

Does not make any sense. If you choose to write about couples and their everyday trouble, why involve a linguist?

(Side note: Either Carkeet knows nothing about what linguists do, or he enjoys to confuse other people.)

[Marilyn Matheny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is funny. A linguist is assigned the job of acting as marriage counselor for a troubled couple. He finds his skills are surprisingly helpful. He receives training and instructions from a mysterious and infuriating character. Worth the read.

[Kristine Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great for a good chortle - some real LOL ones in here. Reminds me of a few other writers....Kingsley Amis (Lucky Jim specifically), David Lodge and there's a bit of The Confederacy of Dunces in this too. The dialog between the Wilsons is a little too real. Fun summer read.

[Odoublegood · Rating 4 out of 5]

humorous, when so many books that pretend to be are not; had already read Double Negative; will read more by this author