* Written by Michael Chabon in 1995. The official site of Michael Chabon is home.earthlink.net/~mchabon with a link to amazon.com, the virtual library.

French translation 1995, Robert Laffont editions.

The film is from 2000 by Paramount and Warner Bros. The site is www.wonderboysmovie.com

The book and integral text of the film in French (version i have) is from January 2001, Robert Laffont Editions. It is on this book that I base a review.

* In the film the following characters are played:

Michael Douglas plays the role of Grady Tripp. He's a professor who's older amongst the characters.

Tobey Maguire incarnates James Leer, a student of Grady's.

Frances McDormand interprets Sara Gaskell, Rector-Chancellor of Pittsburgh University. She is married in the book to Walter Gaskell who is responsible for the Literature Department.

Robert Downey Junior plays Terry Crabtree. He is Grady's New York editor. He is accompanied by the character Antonia Sloviak who lives in Bloomfield near Pittsburgh. In reality Sloviak is a transvestite; he is a masculine character called Tony.

Katie Holmes plays Hannah Green a student who lodges near Grady. Katie Holmes acted in the series Dawson's Creek.

Rip Torn plays Q, a writer.

* The story takes place in Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania in the United States. The University = Carnegie-Mellon University. It's a campus which dates from the 1890s. The Wordfest is the literature festival of the University. It is organised by Walter. The story is told through the eyes of Grady who is the narrator. Grady says ".... Albert Vetch was the first flesh and bones writer that I met" (p15). August Van Zorn is the literary pseudonym of Albert Vetch. Wonder Boys is the title of the fourth book by Grady (p22). It refers to three brothers in a small town in Pennsylvania which is haunted. Grady is married to Emily, his third wife who is of Korean origin. She has a sister Deborah. Grady has a mistress Sara. Grady mentions two aunts. Grady has experienced the University of Life. His father, cp, committed suicide when Grady was four years old. At university Grady studied writing. He was in the same class as Terry. Both copied texts by Albert Vetch. The second novel by Grady was called The Pyromaniac's Daughter. Grady's third book was called The lower territories (p22). But later Grady says that The Lower Territories was the title of his first book published in 1976. The book talks of the cinéaste Frank Capra, who would die on the 3rd of September 1991 - "last autumn" in the text which situates Grady's account in 1992. Grady has a hurt ankle. Grady continually absorbs the media: television, radio, et cetera. Terry works for Bartizan, Grady's editor.

There is a reception at the house of Sara and Walter Gaskell. They have a dog called Doctor Dee. Sarah is the rector of the University. She became rector at thirty-five years old. She is presently forty-five. She likes reading a lot but is pregnant from Grady. She has a red Citroën DS 23 automobile. Grady goes to the reception with Terry and Sloviak. James Leer and Hannah Green also go. Drugs are mentioned a lot in this novel. In fact the film is classed R for its "language and drugs content" !

The author Chabon uses names which one finds on his internet site like August Van Zorn and Golem. A Golem (p112) is a man of clay who is given life by enchantment.

* The novel describes at present the farm of Emily's parents at Kinship. Emily Warshaw was adopted, like her sister Deborah Warshaw who is 7 years older than Emily and who is more extrovert. Deborah has been married three times. Philly is their brother. Phil is married to Marie who is thus the daughter-in-law of the parents. He arrived from Korea in 1965. The parents, Irene and Irv Warshaw had organised the adoption of Korean babies in Ohio. On the farm there is also a serpent called Grossman. The Warshaws are Jewsh and are celebrating seder. Irv Warshaw, who has a separate old house, is interested in science like mechanics and chemistry, and in music. Emily's automobile is a Volkswagen Beetle.

* James Leer also wrote a novel manuscript entitled Love Parade. James Leer is twenty and has a false history. James' parents are called Amanda and Fred.

* Hannah's automobile is a Renault 5 Le Car. It is borrowed by Grady and Terry.

* There are references to the writer George Gamows (JPS note : George Gamow), science populariser. There are references to films like Mr. Deeds, Lost Horizon, Dirigible, American Madness, It's a Wonderful Life and Meet John Doe (all older than 1995!). Films by Frank Capra with Jimmy Stewart, Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. Grady and James, professor and student are both fans of Frank Capra. Also mentioned are the films Annie Oakley, Ziegfield Girl, et cetera. There is also a reference to the actor of French origin Charles Boyer. There are astro references to Mars and its elevated crater Nix Olympica (p215).

* Quote1: "This brutal cretin had spent his life terrorising our hero with so much imagination and cruelty that the reader did not begrudge the justiceer his vengeance. Actually (s)he welcomed it with relief."(p284)

Quote2: "Work at it for a good hour and write the word end."(p323)

Quote3: "I said to myself that an editor in the artistic domain did a bit like lab physicists. (S)He protected himself against the reaction, against the spark produced by the author's pride, by using a thick windscreen." (p329)

There is reference to the writer Jean Genet. He was French and lived from 1910 to 1986. He was a novelist and dramaturge. Ref-Quid99 [www.quid.fr]

* Quote4: "Grady Tripp, Writer, read Crabtree on the visiting card which did indeed show my address, my telephone, and this dubious mention."(p336)

Quote5: Grady on the manuscript of his novel Wonder boys; "It's a book of a certain type, you understand. A bit like Ada, or like Gravity's Rainbow. The more you advance, the more it reveals its user's manual.."(p354)

Quote6: "Hannah remained very ordered, the roadmaps were wisely piled up, these maps which had led her from Provo to Pittsburgh two years earlier."(p370)

Quote7: "..this fundamental and legitimate pessimism of women, which vied with the plain old stupid and animal-like optimism of men. The latter was besides at the origin, largely, of the lamentable state in which our world found itself."(p374)

More writing ! Terry, the editor from Bartizan will then publish Love Parade by James. In fact he will be published "in the spring of the following year" with a changed title, the End of Year Ball. Furthermore, Terry/Bartizan will publish the book of the President of the Wordfest Festival at Thaw Hall, Walter, entitled The Last American Marriage. Grady describes that he has had an OBE, an out-of-body experience, i.e. that he left his body (p388-389). WILL GRADY'S NOVELETTE BE PUBLISHED ? Maybe some day.

End.

 

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