Guida Per Gentiluomini All'arte Di Vivere Con Eleganza (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
Super fast read about a guy so pathetic it's a tribute to the literary powers of Michael Dahlie that he's able to sustain interest in a guy who's run his family's import-export business into the ground and is left by his wife of 32 years and is ridiculed by all for his ineptitude. Despite his angst and failures, Arthur lives a cushy life on Manhattan's privileged upper east side; he considers the other 10 gentlemen in his private fly fishing club to be his best friends, but then he accidentally burns down their clubhouse. What at first is a Schadenfreude-ian laugh at some miserable rich guy's expense turns into a more joyful root for a ridiculously hilarious underdog. The beauty in this story is seeing Arthur finally acquire some much needed self-awareness. The Gentleman's Guide To Graceful Living, by Michael Dahlie, was a really fun read, and an impressive debut novel.The reader is introduced to Arthur Camden, fifty-something, who lives on the upper East side of Manhattan. Arthur is a devoted husband and father who loves fly fishing and belongs to an elite club for fly-fisherman. Suddenly, Arthur's life is full of bad breaks: his wife leaves him for another man, his business fails due to his own incompetence, he has trouble making a good impression on dates, and he even burns down the beloved fly-fishing lodge in the Catskills.Despite all of Arthur's short comings he is very introspective; he just has trouble getting out of his own way. I found myself rooting for Arthur all the way. If you need a book that will make you chuckle, try this one. 4.5/5 stars
What do You think about Guida Per Gentiluomini All'arte Di Vivere Con Eleganza (2008)?
Excellent writing about a man who tries to live right but somehow everything goes wrong.
—EvelynReid
If you liked "The Comeback" with Lisa Kudrow, you'll like this book.
—wenzhe
