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The Man Who Ate the 747
by
Ben Sherwood
This is the story of the greatest love, ever....
J. J. Smith, Keeper of the Records for The Book of Records, is an ordinary man searching for the extraordinary. J.J. has clocked the world’s longest continuous kiss. He has verified the lengthiest single unbroken apple peel. He has tasted the world’s largest menu item. But J.J. has never witnessed great love.
That is, until h ...more
J. J. Smith, Keeper of the Records for The Book of Records, is an ordinary man searching for the extraordinary. J.J. has clocked the world’s longest continuous kiss. He has verified the lengthiest single unbroken apple peel. He has tasted the world’s largest menu item. But J.J. has never witnessed great love.
That is, until h ...more
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
January 29th 2002
by Bantam
(first published 2000)
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Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
Dec 30, 2013
Sarah B.
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
given-away,
didn-t-finish
I love love stories, but I do have one rule: all parties to the story have to actually be in the story. This book fails. The reader is given page after page after page of the interior life of J.J. Smith, who is a wet dishrag of a protagonist. Holy trivial minutiae, Batman, this guy is boring. BORING. Claw my eyes out, do not care to know him better, too boring for a first name boring. Then he briefly meets and is brushed off by a gorgeous redhead named Willa Wyatt and boom he is "in love" with h
...more
_ i saw this b0ok at the BOOKSALE and i was immediateLy captured by the titLe .. at that time, i d0nt have en0ugh m0ney t0 buy the b0ok, s0 i hid the b0ok under a L0t 0f 0ther b0oks , s0 n0 0ne w0uLd see it .. :))
after a few days, i went back and im s0 happy because it's stiLL there and i b0ught it instantLy .. and i never regretted having b0ught and read this b0ok becuse it is s0o g0od .. the characters were great and the st0ry was n0t a c0mm0n 0ne .. i LOVE it <3
after a few days, i went back and im s0 happy because it's stiLL there and i b0ught it instantLy .. and i never regretted having b0ught and read this b0ok becuse it is s0o g0od .. the characters were great and the st0ry was n0t a c0mm0n 0ne .. i LOVE it <3
I bought this book, the first of this author's, after I read his second work (The Death and Life Of Charlie St.Cloud). I just like his style.
This book is even less dramatic than the second. It's just a love story in which one man literally eats an airplane for the woman he loves, and one man finds a love in the least expected place.
The narrative is so flowing that I can read in one sitting. All in all, it's a warm-heart and pleasant read.
This book is even less dramatic than the second. It's just a love story in which one man literally eats an airplane for the woman he loves, and one man finds a love in the least expected place.
The narrative is so flowing that I can read in one sitting. All in all, it's a warm-heart and pleasant read.
The Man Who Ate the 747 is hilarious, wonderful, lovely, romantic and touching. Wally is the man who would actually eat a Boing 747 which was drifted and crashed on the little farm in Nebraska to show and prove his love to a girl he have been crushing on since he was 10 years old, Willa. On the other hand, J.J Smith, the keeper of The Book of Records, who has spent his whole life dedicated to The Book of Records on finding new record breakers came across a letter and reliable source about a man
...more
I don't know what to make of this book. I think it was supposed to be a Nicholas Sparks wannabe, but I'm not sure it pulled it off. And, to be fair, Sparks is good but certainly not one I run out to buy. So, with that said, I think the attempt at a cute love story was here, but it just didn't live up to it. This is what I think a Lifetime movie special would be. Man works for a pretend Guinness World Records. Travels the world recording greatness, is scientific and has never had love. Goes to po
...more
So you know how you aren’t supposed to judge a book by it’s cover? Well I imagine the same sentiment is probably applied to judging books by their titles. I have to admit that I do both. I have bought books because they were pretty, and very often I buy the most random books simply because they have a cool title. I further admit that they usually end up just sitting in my bookshelf, but as I have said before, I am finally doing something about that.
The Man Who Ate the 747 is one of my weird titl ...more
The Man Who Ate the 747 is one of my weird titl ...more
[spoilers]
Attention authors, current and aspiring: putting your characters in a coma so they can miracously emerge at the story's climax is a wretched plot device.
The campy ending reflects one of the book's major flaws - it lacks originality. It's disappointing that a book about a man eating a 747 could be so boring, but if you fill the pages with bland characters and stock revelations, I suppose anything can happen. Will our leading man, John Smith, discover that love can't be summed up in sta ...more
Attention authors, current and aspiring: putting your characters in a coma so they can miracously emerge at the story's climax is a wretched plot device.
The campy ending reflects one of the book's major flaws - it lacks originality. It's disappointing that a book about a man eating a 747 could be so boring, but if you fill the pages with bland characters and stock revelations, I suppose anything can happen. Will our leading man, John Smith, discover that love can't be summed up in sta ...more
J.J is the record keeper for the World's Book of Records, who has traveled far and wide to record and verify world records of all kinds being created and shattered by aspirants who wanted to immortalize themselves through a mention in the Book. JJ's life revolved around seeking such greatness - he'd witnessed men do the most grueling and incredulous things to achieve that greatness. Through every euphoria of a "record", J.J lived his dreams vicariously and chased his life in search of more great
...more
There are a lot of problems with Sherwood’s first novel. And they start with the cover blurbs. “Smart, funny, touching and quirky,” says Tom Brokaw. And I’m sure he’d say the same thing if Sherwood were not senior producer of NBC Nightly News. That’s right – he’s Brokaw’s boss. Fannie Flagg praises “747” to the sky too. It’s too bad that Ms. Flagg seems to have stopped writing whimsical gothic books like “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café” and now seems to make her living calling peo
...more
Booktalk: How far would you go to show someone you love him or her? Tattoo her name on your arm? Convert to you true love's religion? Eat a whole Boeing 747 airplane? Thats what Wally Chubb is doing. He's been in love with Willa Wyat ever since she was the only guest to show up at his 10th birthday party. They're grown now, but Willa's still not his girl, and the best way he can think of to get her attention is to eat a 747. So far he's eaten his way through the front of the aircraft, from the n
...more
Booktalk: How far would you go to show someone you love him or her? Tattoo her name on your arm? Convert to you true love's religion? Eat a whole Boeing 747 airplane? Thats what Wally Chubb is doing. He's been in love with Willa Wyat ever since she was the only guest to show up at his 10th birthday party. They're grown now, but Willa's still not his girl, and the best way he can think of to get her attention is to eat a 747. So far he's eaten his way through the front of the aircraft, from the n
...more
The first half of this book was really unique and I liked it a lot. It reminded me a bit of Big Fish with it's whimsical feel. However, I just couldn't get sold on Willa's character. She was the clique beautiful loner who loves the smell of newspaper ink and hides away in a dark room. It's just been done too many times before. I really failed to see the appeal that brought these men to their knees before her.
I liked J.J. throughout the book until the end when he left that poor guy hanging for t ...more
I liked J.J. throughout the book until the end when he left that poor guy hanging for t ...more
How do I even begin?
"This is a story of the greatest love, ever. An outlandish claim, outrageous perhaps, but trust me--"
If by greatest love ever means extremely stunted people fall in love with each other for no other reason besides the color of hair and/or eyes, then okay.
Books like these make me want to stop reading, at least for a bit, as I recuperate from a spike in my blood pressure.
Moral of the story: even if the bargain bin says buy one book, get one free, just buy the book you really li ...more
"This is a story of the greatest love, ever. An outlandish claim, outrageous perhaps, but trust me--"
If by greatest love ever means extremely stunted people fall in love with each other for no other reason besides the color of hair and/or eyes, then okay.
Books like these make me want to stop reading, at least for a bit, as I recuperate from a spike in my blood pressure.
Moral of the story: even if the bargain bin says buy one book, get one free, just buy the book you really li ...more
A light read with a good romantic edge for us girlies!
Nice easy book. It was okay.
There isn't much to say about this novel. It was an okay story. There were somewhat interesting facts from the book of records. The big finale was touching. But the romantic premise of love and how to show it never struck me as genuine. I was actually disappointed when everyone ended up exactly as would be expected in a 40's musical. Depthless relationships.
Tip for the audiobook: turn your bass down a lot. To get the volume loud enough to hear caused my speakers to buzz and gave me a headache. I ...more
Tip for the audiobook: turn your bass down a lot. To get the volume loud enough to hear caused my speakers to buzz and gave me a headache. I ...more
Calling this a novel certainly could have a double meaning. Atop the cover of the book is the cut-line from the Washington Post that 'this one is a gem'. It was an okay book but I would never call it a gem. It is a very unusual tale, but Sherwood is no Jon Hassler. And while the tale has a quality that is not dissimilar from 'The Accidental Tourist' it falls far short of Anne Tyler's best. The characters of J.J. Smith and Willa Wyatt are 'nice' as far as Sherwood takes them, but he could have pu
...more
This was a completely random book that I think I got free on my Kindle. I will say that I actually started it last year and it didn’t grab me, so I went on a reading hiatus and went back to it a year later. The second time around it definitely held my interest a bit more.
It’s about a man named JJ Smith who is a Keeper of the Records for The Book of Records (similar to the Genius book of World Records). The story revolves around him being an ordinary man searching for the extraordinary; whether i ...more
It’s about a man named JJ Smith who is a Keeper of the Records for The Book of Records (similar to the Genius book of World Records). The story revolves around him being an ordinary man searching for the extraordinary; whether i ...more
Jan 07, 2011
Grace Hobbs
added it
“Richly romantic, whimsical, and uplifting, The Man Who Ate the 747 is a flight of fancy from start to finish.” So says the back flap of the little book I was unfortunate enough to choose to read, and would in fact very much like to incinerate, but I’ll have to settle for doing it with words rather than fire, as I’m not terribly good with matches but do fairly well using words to get my point across. And this is a point I’m eager to make: The Man Who Ate the 747 is an absolutely abominably bad
...more
This book brings out everything I love in Ben Sherwood. I looked it up after reading The Life and Death of Charlie St. Cloud which I loved! This book is an adorable love story that has some intense heart breaking truths which saves it from being too happy go lucky. JJ Smith is the face of any guy that looks for greatness but fails to see what is right in front of his own face, his dorkiness and tendency to quote world records makes him perfectly imperfect. Wally is probably one of the most roman
...more
Por vezes necessitamos de leituras galopantes, com histórias fora do comum e com vocabulário que nos impede sequer de pensar que existem dicionários. Esta é uma dessas histórias!
Um triângulo amoroso em que cada vértice tem as suas falhas sociais gira em torno de um potencial recorde do Guiness que coloca uma aldeola do interior norte-americano nas luzes da ribalta mundiais. Dois homens enfeitiçados pela mesma mulher tentam mostrar-lhe atabalhoadamente os seus sentimentos: um comendo um 747, outr ...more
Um triângulo amoroso em que cada vértice tem as suas falhas sociais gira em torno de um potencial recorde do Guiness que coloca uma aldeola do interior norte-americano nas luzes da ribalta mundiais. Dois homens enfeitiçados pela mesma mulher tentam mostrar-lhe atabalhoadamente os seus sentimentos: um comendo um 747, outr ...more
The opening chapter hooked me and it's the rare writer who can do that just by describing a character's job duties. JJ Smith, the protagonist, 'authenticates greatness' by observing and recording Guinness World Records. Yet he feels ordinary and inadequate after his girlfriend Emily breaks up with him. A letter arrives on his desk telling about a man literally eating a 747 that recently crashed in the Midwest. Intrigued, JJ heads to Omaha, Nebraska, to authenticate this feat. There he meets Wall
...more
Believe it or not, this is the first book I've bought for my Kindle app on my iPod Touch.
Sweet story. Wouldn't call it a beach read, but more like a before-you-go-to-sleep read, if that makes sense.
We've got J.J., a man who is The Keeper of the Records at The Book of Records, who has a reputation to be heartless or simply just a workaholic man whose got no time for personal life. And we have Wally, the man who actually ate the 747 to prove his love for a woman, Willa. And we have Willa, who is n ...more
Sweet story. Wouldn't call it a beach read, but more like a before-you-go-to-sleep read, if that makes sense.
We've got J.J., a man who is The Keeper of the Records at The Book of Records, who has a reputation to be heartless or simply just a workaholic man whose got no time for personal life. And we have Wally, the man who actually ate the 747 to prove his love for a woman, Willa. And we have Willa, who is n ...more
May 06, 2008
Jennifer Wardrip
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
jens-personal-read
How far would you go for someone you loved? We've all heard people state that they'd lie or die for a loved one, but would you eat a Boeing 747 jet plane?
Such is the case for Wally Chubb, a man on a mission to garner the attention of Willa Wyatt, the town's newspaper editor. Wally has been in love with her ever since she was the only schoolmate to attend his tenth birthday party--and now that he wants her attention, wants her to see just exactly how far he'd go to gain her approval and admirati ...more
Such is the case for Wally Chubb, a man on a mission to garner the attention of Willa Wyatt, the town's newspaper editor. Wally has been in love with her ever since she was the only schoolmate to attend his tenth birthday party--and now that he wants her attention, wants her to see just exactly how far he'd go to gain her approval and admirati ...more
This book is really good, i recommend it to all of the lovers out there and it really traps your feelings and you learn a little something about love or risks people take for whom they love! This is the story is the greatest love, ever. J.j Smith, Keeper of the Records for The Book of Records, is a man searching for things no one has ever seen or have ever done in the world. J.j. has clocked the world’s longest things and kiss just anything. He has tasted the world’s largest menu item which ther
...more
My cousin gave me one of Sherwood's other books, 'Getting Into Guinness', about the author's attempt to break a record printed in the Guinness Book of World Records, and this one was mentioned within. Clearly the author has a fascination with breaking records, as that was the focus of this one too, albeit a fictional record.
Main character John Smith, J.J. to distinguish him in the long familial line of John Smiths before him, is an employee for the Book of Records still looking for the record th ...more
Main character John Smith, J.J. to distinguish him in the long familial line of John Smiths before him, is an employee for the Book of Records still looking for the record th ...more
The title made me think…a man eating a plane? Really? This Alex winner would intrigue teens that enjoy facts and statistics like the Guinness Book of World Records. The book is based on real records, but the story is fiction. The main character, J.J. , The Book of Records fact checker, and Wally, the airplane eater, both learn about themselves and love in this book. Even though the premise is odd, I think the quirkiness will appeal to teens.
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So far I'm not too sure about this one...I added this to my "to read" list a few years ago, and my tastes have changed since then. I'm only a few chapters into it, so I'll give it a few more pages.
So far, it seems to be written from a formula.
Step 1 - describe character that is sloppy, has no success in his job, and has no "joy."
Step 2 - show character as having no success with love, etc....
Step 3 - set him in a situation where love will "find him."
I swear, I've read so many books already like ...more
So far, it seems to be written from a formula.
Step 1 - describe character that is sloppy, has no success in his job, and has no "joy."
Step 2 - show character as having no success with love, etc....
Step 3 - set him in a situation where love will "find him."
I swear, I've read so many books already like ...more
A man who works for the Book of Records travels the world documenting attempts to set records. When he learns of a man eating a 747 in a small rural Superior, Nebraska off he goes. Folks doing crazy things for love, finding love, hoping to find love, seeing love that was there all along. A very pleasant read, although it was just a bit too far-fetched for my taste.
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Ben Sherwood is a bestselling author, award-winning journalist and founder of TheSurvivorsClub.org. From 2004 to 2006, he worked as executive producer of ABC’s Good Morning America during the two most successful seasons in the program’s history. Sherwood guided prize-winning coverage of the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the devastation of hurricane Katrina, and the presidential election of 2004
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