Loved this book, not because the story was so fantastic, but because of the authors knowledge and skill with word "games." I opened to a random page and here's a fun line.."Her eyes were slick, like freshly Zambonied ice..." Another example " The U-haul had vanished, it had been annihilated--Latin for "something reduced to nothing. Annihilation had ist's antithesis, but that was a tougher trick to pull off: exnihilation -- turning nothing into something." One more to close out and convince you how much fun this book was. (Also read it in two days because I had no electricty for 5 days due to a snow-ice storm! Enjoyed all the laughter under less than ideal circumstances). "The best meal I ever had was shabu-shabu in Bora bora. Or was it mahi-mahi in Walla Walla?" It's just a fun read, made me smile A Lot! Rodney's an unemployed man in his 30's who loves wordplay and grammar, spends all his free time at a local bar called Boyle's, and is interested in a woman his best friend set him up with on a blind date. This book covers probably two weeks of his life, starting when he first meets Mairead (the love interest) and continuing through problems the two of them face, as well as problems Rodney has with his best friend, who's currently crashing at his apartment.I think I would have liked this novel a lot more if I were someone who loves drinking beer at dive bars or male. Since I am neither, I think a lot of the book's potential charm was lost on me and instead I simply read it as a coming-of-age novel for a 30-something. There are some amusing exchanges in the book about words and grammar, and the author definitely came up with some fun wordplay. I liked the fact that Rodney's obsessed with words and that he falls for Mairead because she understands and finds him charming because of it. However, that said, there was a lot of filler material in the book that didn't amount to much at the end, such as a subplot about Rodney's best friend and his fiancee. It was also filled with a lot of bar descriptions and talk that, to me, lacked the urgency to keep me glued to the page. I'm pretty sure the target audience for this book would no doubt find it much more relatable than me. I think there simply wasn't enough depth to the book - which, by itself, can be fine, but it didn't entertain me enough for me to overlook its lack of importance. However, if you like beer, dive bars, witty banter, and reading about single men trying to navigate this sort of world, this is a book for you.
What do You think about The Pint Man: A Novel (2010)?
Outstanding wordsmithing. Super fun light read. I'd read his next book for sure.
—jotaffe
Warm enjoyable first chapter...like havin' a pint at the neighborhood pub.
—doctor
A man I'd drink with any day.(and his lovely wife, too)
—Jinu366
