Epsilon Zeta [Paperback]

Jock Young (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 2006

Fraternities enjoy a long history of prominence on America 's college campuses. For many young men, an invitation to join a fraternity is a ticket to four (or five, or six) years of privilege, enjoying the bonds of brotherhood within a context of stately tradition. But that is only half of the story. In the most realistic examination of fraternity life ever written, Epsilon Zeta recreates in stunningly humorous and colorful detail the hazing, binge drinking, drug abuse, misogyny, racism, and homophobia found in one fraternity over the course of a semester on the fictional campus of Northwest Florida University . The novel is also a complex coming-of-age story, as one group of brothers faces a moral crisis that will live in their memories long after donning their caps and gowns.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A semester in the life of a fraternity. The Gamma Nu chapter of Epsilon Zeta, on the campus of Northwest Florida University , is straight out of Animal House. The brothers drink with abandon, throw outrageous parties, haze their new recruits and degrade women. In one particularly redolent scene, three members clad only in tube socks walk in on a brother mid-sexual tryst. After interrupting the action, they convince the drunk girl to sleep with all of them in rotation. (All except for the fat, acne-covered brother, of course.) Behind the façade of total debauchery, however, many of the members carry deeper concerns. Martin, the president, is a scholarship student with a father in the nearby jail. Zack, another fraternity leader, is tirelessly devoted to his younger sister, who was born blind. In addition to their personal lives, the brothers must negotiate fraternity politics, particularly the national leadership. Though Dave Holmgren, the regional liaison to the Gamma Nu chapter, is young and forgiving, Martin still has plenty of problems on his hands. He has to expel one member when a large sum of money goes missing, and kick several others out of the house for drug use. The carousing is supposed to be commonly accepted campus behavior, but the brothers of Epsilon Zeta are walking a fine line. When their chapter is kicked off campus, many are left to wonder if it really meant as much to them as they thought. Though the cover copy claims that Light shines on darker side of college fraternities, nobody who has recently set foot on a college campus will be shocked by Young s portrayal of the seedy underbelly of the Greek scene. But he does have a way with details, as unappetizing as they may be to anyone over the age of 25, and his surprisingly well-sketched characters remain interesting throughout the story. Hardly groundbreaking, but entertaining. --Kirkus

About the Author

Jock Young was born in San Francisco, California, and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. He graduated from Florida State University in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in political science. Epsilon Zeta is his first novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harbor House (GA) (August 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891799533
• ISBN-13: 978-1891799532
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,304,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as dark as I thought it would be, March 14, 2008

By 

Jason - See all my reviews

This review is from: Epsilon Zeta (Paperback)

My major criticism with Epsilon Zeta is that it is packaged up as an expose of the dark side of college fraternities, but having been a member of a large fraternity chapter at a large university, and having seen what really happens inside fraternity houses, I was disappointed with what Jock Young revealed (or failed to reveal?). Some of the stories are pretty funny, but many just aren't that impressive which is a surprise since this book is a fictional account of college which should have given Jock Young the freedom to put some wild stuff in here. I guess the author was just trying to stick to what he knew to be true. The most traumatic stories are about a girl falling off a roof busting her face up and some kid stage diving at a football game where he hurts some girl. Not very exciting compared to the wild things I did with my brothers. The hazing was pretty weak too.

The strength of Epsilon Zeta is definitely the dialogue which is both funny and accurate. I have to admit that reading this book brought back memories of my own fraternity days. Some of this stuff is absolutely hilarious. For instance, there is one scene where two brothers are explaining to a young pledge the many reasons why he shouldn't date just one girl. These types of conversations were very much the discussions my brothers and I frequently had with one another. That being said, some of the writing is a little dated. For instance, there is one story where a large meathead makes the following threat, "Let him come down here. I'll twist his arms off." Seriously Jock Young, that sounds like something my Dad would say, not my juicehead fraternity brother. Still, in spite of all this criticism, this is a good book about fraternity life and it gives the reader a clear view into the political battles that occur within fraternities.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Read, January 15, 2007

By 

Tobi-Ann (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Epsilon Zeta (Paperback)

I am a sucker for any novel set on a college campus. I received this book from a friend, and couldn't put it down! No need to be a member of a Greek organization to enjoy the book in its entirety. The author makes it easy to follow along. There are a lot of characters introduced that live in this fraternity house of 60+ residents, but the main ensemble is well sketched and has surprising depth, although you may not necessarily want your daughters dating any of them.

4.0 out of 5 stars Epsilon Zeta, January 1, 2011

By 

Papi - See all my reviews

This review is from: Epsilon Zeta (Paperback)

This is an accurate book about fraternities. It really gets into the internal problems that these organizations deal with. Brothers form cliques that fight with one another for control. Lots of good laughs here too.