Fiction_L Archives Gentlemen of a Certain Age Dates: 1/4/01,10:12 AM  through  1/6/01,3:26 PM  (10 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to January 2001 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Chapple Langemack" <[removed]@kcls.org>
REC'D: 1/4/01, 10:12 AM

Hi all,

I have a request from a patron for what I'll call 'mortality novels'. He
has come to an age where he realizes he will never be shortstop for the
Yankees or CEO of his company and he would like to read some fiction
revolving around men who have similarly realized their big dreams will not
be achieved and have come out the other side. Your suggestions would be
most appreciated.

Many thanks,

Chapple

Chapple Langemack
Reader's Services Coordinator
King County Library System
960 Newport Way NW
Issaquah, WA 98027
425.369.3318
[removed]@kcls.org
www.kcls.org

FROM: Patience Beer <[removed]@metronet.lib.mi.us>
REC'D: 1/4/01, 11:52 AM

Straight Man by Richard Russo is a comic and warmhearted if wry look at this
dilemma.

Chapple Langemack wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I have a request from a patron for what I'll call 'mortality novels'. He
> has come to an age where he realizes he will never be shortstop for the
> Yankees or CEO of his company and he would like to read some fiction
> revolving around men who have similarly realized their big dreams will not
> be achieved and have come out the other side. Your suggestions would be
> most appreciated.
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Chapple
>
> Chapple Langemack
> Reader's Services Coordinator
> King County Library System
> 960 Newport Way NW
> Issaquah, WA 98027
> 425.369.3318
> [removed]@kcls.org
> www.kcls.org
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html

FROM: Kelly Marszycki <[removed]@rcn.com>
REC'D: 1/4/01, 12:00 PM

Jon Hassler and Richard Russo come to mind -- ?

Kelly Marszycki

Chapple Langemack wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I have a request from a patron for what I'll call 'mortality novels'. He
> has come to an age where he realizes he will never be shortstop for the
> Yankees or CEO of his company and he would like to read some fiction
> revolving around men who have similarly realized their big dreams will not
> be achieved and have come out the other side. Your suggestions would be
> most appreciated.
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Chapple
>
> Chapple Langemack
> Reader's Services Coordinator
> King County Library System
> 960 Newport Way NW
> Issaquah, WA 98027
> 425.369.3318
> [removed]@kcls.org
> www.kcls.org
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html

FROM: "Brad Scott" <[removed]@ci.allen.tx.us>
REC'D: 1/4/01, 1:07 PM

Here are a few titles that came to mind:

"Duane's Depressed", by Larry Mcmurtry
The "Rabbit" novels by John Updike

"Independence Day" by Richard Ford was suggested by a co-worker. (Thanks, Sandra.)

Your mention of playing for the Yankees made me think of Bernard Malamud's "The Natural", which does address the issue of failing to live up to one's dreams; however, it might be a downer for the patron, since unlike the movie it doesn't end with Roy bashing a home run into the stadium lights.

Bradley A. Scott
Allen (Texas) Public Library

** All opinions are personal. **
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Chapple Langemack" <[removed]@kcls.org>
Reply-To: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 08:18:32 -0800

>Hi all,
>
>I have a request from a patron for what I'll call 'mortality novels'. He
>has come to an age where he realizes he will never be shortstop for the
>Yankees or CEO of his company and he would like to read some fiction
>revolving around men who have similarly realized their big dreams will not
>be achieved and have come out the other side. Your suggestions would be
>most appreciated.
>
>Many thanks,
>
>Chapple
>
>Chapple Langemack
>Reader's Services Coordinator
>King County Library System
>960 Newport Way NW
>Issaquah, WA 98027
>425.369.3318
[removed]@kcls.org
>www.kcls.org
>
>
>
>......................................................................
>Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
>Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>

FROM: Rachel Berrington <[removed]@teleport.com>
REC'D: 1/4/01, 1:15 PM

I would HIGHLY recommend David Guterson's "East of the Mountains."

Not only is it set in Washington state, with some great descriptions of
working on the apple farms of central WA, but it is a beautifully written
book about an aging man who's ready to end his life after being diagnosed
with cancer. Given the subject, this is a joyful, tender novel that can't
be easily categorized. I read this over a year ago, but still think often
about it.

Guterson also wrote "Snow Falling on Cedars" but I enjoyed this one much
more (me being a thirtysomething female, even!).

-Rachel

On Thu, 4 Jan 2001, Chapple Langemack wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I have a request from a patron for what I'll call 'mortality novels'. He
> has come to an age where he realizes he will never be shortstop for the
> Yankees or CEO of his company and he would like to read some fiction
> revolving around men who have similarly realized their big dreams will not
> be achieved and have come out the other side. Your suggestions would be
> most appreciated.
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Chapple
>
> Chapple Langemack
> Reader's Services Coordinator
> King County Library System
> 960 Newport Way NW
> Issaquah, WA 98027
> 425.369.3318
> [removed]@kcls.org
> www.kcls.org
>
>
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>

FROM: Annette Weiss <[removed]@metronet.lib.mi.us>
REC'D: 1/4/01, 2:32 PM

Try Dave Lodge Therapy
hilarious and moving account of a middle age man who goes from aroma
therapy to physical therapy to psychotherapy.

Annette
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So let me get this straight: You want information about why reference
librarians always answer a question with another question, right?

Annette Weiss Phone: (248) 553-0300
Adult Services Librarian Fax: (248) 553-3228
E-Mail: [removed]@metronet.lib.mi.us
Farmington Community Library
32737 W. 12 Mile Rd.
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

FROM: Brett Castleberry <[removed]@garnet.acns.fsu.edu>
REC'D: 1/4/01, 11:05 PM

> I have a request from a patron for what I'll call 'mortality novels'. He
> has come to an age where he realizes he will never be shortstop for the
> Yankees or CEO of his company and he would like to read some fiction
> revolving around men who have similarly realized their big dreams will
> not
> be achieved and have come out the other side. Your suggestions would be
> most appreciated.

May I suggest, "The Cliff Walk: A Memoir of a Job Lost and a Life Found,"
by Don J. Snyder? It's about a professor of english who is fired and has
to start over. It's not fiction, but may be worth a look. Here's a link
to an excerpt and a review:

http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/s/snyder-cliff.html

Brett Castleberry
Adult Reference Services
LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library
Tallahassee, Florida
(Yes, the one where the votes weren't counted)

FROM: David Wright <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 1/5/01, 12:29 AM

Hi, Chapple!
(This one's easy - I just ask my dad about the books
he just loves, but he's not sure WHY...)

Although many of the books I like about midlife crises
aren't particularly uplifting, some worthwhile titles
that come to mind are:

David Borofka's Hints of his Mortality (collection of
short stories on this theme)

Russell Banks' Continental Drift

Anne Tyler's Patchwork Planet (well, he ain't middle
aged, but he sure does seem to be having a midlife
crisis. I love this book)

Bernard Malamud's Dubin's Lives

Carol Shields' Happenstance

Louis Begley's About Schmidt and Schmidt Delivered

Corman Avery's 50 and The Old Neighborhood

Tabitha King's The Book of Reuben

Richard Ford's Independence Day

Willa Cather's The Professor's House

Iris Murdoch's The Sea The Sea

John Gardner's Mickelsson's Ghosts
(MAN I wish Gardner's stuff would come back into
print!)

John Jerome has some great, inspiring and enjoyable
nonfiction about his own personal renaissance in
middle age:
Staying With It : On Becoming an Athlete
(at 47, no less!)
Stone Work: Reflections on Serious Play and Other
Aspects of Country Life.
The Sweet Spot in Time.
On Turning Sixty-Five: Notes from the Field.

I also think for a thoughtful reader books like Robert
Grudin's Time and the Art of Living or Robert Nozick's
Examined Life can be good.

Spalding Gray's Its a Slippery Slope is just
delightful stuff about aging, and his Morning Noon and
Night recounts one way of coping with turning 50:
having a baby (!)

V.S. Naipaul's A House for Mr. Biswas is such a sweet
pathetic funny book about a middle-aged man's attempt
to eke out a little security and independance.

David Wright
Seattle Public Library


--- Chapple Langemack <[removed]@kcls.org> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have a request from a patron for what I'll call
> 'mortality novels'. He
> has come to an age where he realizes he will never
> be shortstop for the
> Yankees or CEO of his company and he would like to
> read some fiction
> revolving around men who have similarly realized
> their big dreams will not
> be achieved and have come out the other side. Your
> suggestions would be
> most appreciated.
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Chapple
>
> Chapple Langemack
> Reader's Services Coordinator
> King County Library System
> 960 Newport Way NW
> Issaquah, WA 98027
> 425.369.3318
> [removed]@kcls.org
> www.kcls.org
>
>
>
>
......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L:
http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online!
http://photos.yahoo.com/

FROM: Susan LaBelle <[removed]@metronet.lib.mi.us>
REC'D: 1/5/01, 10:02 AM

While it is not fiction, I think that The Cliff Walk: A Memoir of a Job
Lost and a Life Found/ Don Snyder would be of interest to your patron. It
is the story of what happens when a man discovers he is not going to have
the "highly regarded" academic career he always thought he would have.
I recommend it.

*******************************************************************************
Susan LaBelle Voice 248.647.1700
Librarian Fax 248.647.6393
Adult Reading
Baldwin Public Library
300 W. Merrill
Birmingham, Michigan 48009

FROM: "Alan Nichter (HMS)" <[removed]@chuma.cas.usf.edu>
REC'D: 1/6/01, 3:26 PM

Other Men's Daughters by Richard Stern.

Return to January 2001 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

The Webrary® and Fiction_L are services of the Morton Grove Public Library "Webrary" is a registered trademark of the Morton Grove Public Library. All rights reserved. Copyright of Fiction_L postings belongs to their respective authors; postings may only be reused with the author's permission. Compiled lists (compilations of titles or authors from earlier postings on a particular topic) may not be reused for commercial purposes. To use a compiled list for non-commercial purposes, please credit "Subscribers of the Fiction_L mailing list." All other content is ©2012 Morton Grove Public Library, 6140 Lincoln Ave., Morton Grove, IL 60053-2989, (847) 965-4220.