"This Boy's Life" is the quintessential "coming-of-age" memoir by the American writer, Tobias Wolff. Set mostly in the late 1950s (and early 60s), the memoir recounts the journey taken by a teenage Tobias (or 'Jack' as he preferred to be called in honor of one of his favorite authors) and his mother as they travel from place to place in search of a better life for themselves. Unfortunately, with his penchant for getting into trouble, his mother's inability to find a man who can treat both mother and son with respect, Tobias finds himself stuck in a place called Concrete, Washington with a future bleaker than he ever thought possible. With a stepfather in Dwight, who proves to be abusive and strict, Tobias sets about trying to find himself as best he knows how. It's a story of reckless youth, survival and finding solace in the most unexpected of places or things.

Anyone interested in coming-of-age stories, memoirs, stories based in the 1950s and 60s, as well as dramatic and emotional tales.

The 'rawness' in Tobias's storytelling. Though he goes through a difficult time with his abusive stepfather, he does not sugarcoat how much of a hellraiser he was in his own right. There are times when you literally feel like sitting the stubborn Tobias down and giving him a lecturing. However, you get to see how misguided he is and how much he truly does need a strong father-figure in his life.

The way it ended, but then again...memoirs are not usually easy to 'end' perfectly especially if the writer is still alive. It leaves an 'opening' at the end, as if one ought to expect more, but there's nothing coming.

Watch the movie based on the movie, which actually does a comparably good job with the subject matter. I had watched the movie first, and was quite surprised to see how much more the book had in content (and some of the liberties the movie took...but then again that's to be expected with Hollywood).

Restless and troubled for Tobias. It speaks to the intensity of Wolff's words especially in scenes where he confronts his stepfather, Dwight. The tension is palpable, the pain felt with every hurled insult, slap or blow a reminder of just how difficult living conditions must have been back then.

Tobias Wolff

It is an intense reading experience. You live through Tobias and get to 'see', 'feel', and grow with this young man who desperately seeks a way out of the 'Hell' he finds himself in.

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Created Jun 02, 2013 at 3:55pm • Submit your own review...