Items related to The Extra Man
Synopsis
A sometimes hilarious, but always compassionate tale of a young man exploring his sexuality and searching for love in the bars and clubs of Midtown New York.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review
Louis Ives was leading a quiet life at the Pretty Brook County Day School in Princeton, New Jersey, until the spring of 1992, when he encountered the brassiere of his colleague Ms Jeffries. As the upshot of that unsavoury episode, Louis is propelled towards Manhattan, and life as the flatmate of the eccentric Henry Harrison, who ekes out a living in his grotty flat as an elderly gigolo, or (put more politely) "the extra man" at society gatherings. They discover a shared admiration of Mrs Slocombe of Are You Being Served fame, and this bizarre arrangement suits Louis fine until he can no longer ignore the urges of his cross-dressing fantasies.
The Extra Man hardly reads as a novel. Its plot slides in and out unobtrusively through a series of well-observed, hilarious anecdotes, full of ironic Manhattan wit. Enough names are dropped, however, to make you realise that this jollity has a serious side--with references to the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Dr Krafft-Ebbing
Jonathan Ames has fashioned an unremittingly good-humoured book, whose constantly beaming face conceals its deeper purpose. Imagine sharing a two-room flat with Quentin Crisp. You're nearly there. --Alan Stewart
Review
Francine Prose
"The New York Observer"
Ames has the one thing Fitzgerald lacked: a sense of humor..."The Extra Man" wins us over with its sheer energy and good will, its confidence in the ability of its own humor and intelligence to widen our ideas about the possibilities of love, and about the permissible range of inner and outer lives to which today's young gentleman may properly aspire.
"Booklist"
(starred review)
A miracle....This novel is not to be missed.
"Booklist"
(starred review)
A sort of "Odd Couple" for the next millennium.
"The Washington Post"
By updating the moral education of a young gentleman, Ames has written a "Bildungsroman" for the end of our century.
"The Village Voice"
The Louis and Henry show is honest, funny, and original, making the meaning of "human" deep and strange in the best way.
"The New York Times Book Review"
A sure-footed exploration of sexual confusion and a loopily elegant, surprisingly moving urban comedy of manners.
"The New York Times"
Ames makes it clear that his protagonist's sexual tentativeness and anxiety are really just flimsy covers for his passion and warmth. That's what makes "The Extra Man" work so well. Louis may feel as awkward as Milton Berle in drag, but inside he's really Fred Astaire -- he just doesn't know it yet.
Martha McPhee
author of "Bright Angel Time"
Wonderfully odd and charming, at times riotously funny, Jonathan Ames' "The Extra Man" strikes a perfect balance between sympathy and comedy, drawing upon deep reserves of compassion for the strange and unnamable urges that infiltrate the lives of his two remarkable characters.
Rick Moody
author of "Purple America"
Jonathan Ames has always been one of my favorite contemporary writers, both for his limpid and elegant Lost Generation prose style and for his utterly fearless commitment to the most demanding psychosexual comedies. "The Extra Man" extends his accomplishments considerably. This is one of the most charming and alarming books of recent years.
Jeffrey Eugenides
author of "The Virgin Suicides"
Not since "Harold and Maude" has there been such a lovable odd couple as Louis Ives and Henry Harrison. Told in a lucid, diverting prose style, "The Extra Man" is a picaresque tale of a young man's sentimental education (in subjects ranging from tuxedo studs to transsexuals). In Henry Harrison, Jonathan Ames has created a truly memorable character.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherScribner
- Publication date1999
- ISBN 10 0684851628
- ISBN 13 9780684851624
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages336
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The Extra Man
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Paperback. Condition: USED_VERYGOOD. The Extra Man This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780684851624
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Paperback. Condition: USED_VERYGOOD. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780684851624
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Soft cover. Condition: USED_VERYGOOD. Edge wear and some creasing to cover and spine; remainder marks on bottom of book; light shelf soiling/foxing to edges of book block. Seller Inventory # 071856
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