Honeymooners: A Cautionary Tale (Paperback)

by Chuck Kinder (Author) "Ralph and Alice Ann had been mere kids and mostly innocent of any adult sense of dire consequences when they first met, fell head over..." (more)
Key Phrases: beautiful roommate, goat heaven, anniversary boy, Alice Ann, Jim Stark, Mary Mississippi (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
An exuberant, raunchy romp, Kinder's second novel (after Snakehunter) is a chronicle of two writers who share a "stupendous dream" of fame and freedom in the Bay Area in the 1970s, the heyday of drugs, booze and indiscriminate sex. Aspiring writer Ralph Crawford (based loosely on Raymond Carver); Jim Stark, his sidekick in friendship, ambition and general fecklessness; and the two writers' mistresses and wives never quite recover from their adolescent pranks, cheerful amorality and determined debauchery, despite Crawford's rise to fame. Rarely, however, have scenes of monumental drinking sprees, skipping out on rent and restaurant checks, fierce domestic spats and promiscuous sexual coupling produced such sheer antic hilarity. Despite his outrageous irreverence, Kinder has a tender regard for his characters, who strive so foolhardily for new beginnings . In the midst of their headlong binges, characters allow some mournful insights to pierce their willful hijinks. "The thought occurred to Ralph that we are all identified finally by what we do to other people, and that betrayal is simply another form of loss." Betrayal is endemic here: Ralph betrays his wife, slightly wacky Alice Ann, with his Missoula, Mont., roundheel mistress, Lindsay; Jim betrays his friendship with Ralph by marrying Lindsay; Alice Ann, too, does her bit to turn the tables. Add to these randy shenanigans the exploits of a character named Mary Mississippi, who makes sleeping around (and that's a gentle euphemism) an art and a career. It's the tone of plangent rue just beneath the surface of this rambunctious story that will keep readers rooting for these characters depicted with such brio and compassion. (June) Forecast: If the media pick up on this book's unusual history its long (25 years) gestation and original length of 3,000 manuscript pages, as well as the fact that Kinder was purportedly one inspiration for the protagonist of Michael Chabon's Wonder Boys it might garner feature as well as review coverage.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
In the making for over 20 years, this third novel from Kinder (Snakehunter, The Silver Ghost) is a roman clef of Bay Area literary life in the 1960s, tracing the loves, careers, and escapades of two dope-smoking, serious-drinking fiction writers. Ralph Crawford is a soon-to-be famous short-story author teaching at Stanford, whose life in permanent crisis mode provides his writing material. He is both in love with and unfaithful to his wife, Alice Ann, a tall beauty who can deliver a sucker-punch as well as drink Ralph or anyone under the table. Jim Stark differs from Ralph mainly in his toughness and predilection for windowpane acid. His second wife, Lindsay, is a former girlfriend of Ralph whom Jim tracks down in Missoula. Her devotion to Ralph and Jim, as well as the men's obvious affection for each other, which transcends their rivalry, gives this hard-edged story its poignancy. Both wives emerge as major characters, reflecting the humor and anguish of living with men who, despite their successes, seem headed for rock bottom. Kinder's speedy, wry prose transports the reader to a time when drug use and personal freedom were unquestioned. A great read.
- Reba Leiding, James Madison Univ. Lib., Harrisonburg, VA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Plume (May 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452283256
• ISBN-13: 978-0452283251
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,121,617 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too Funny, May 21, 2001

By	wordtron (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Honeymooners: A Cautionary Tale (Hardcover)

This book is simply hilarious. If you enjoyed the film "Flirting with Disaster," you'll have a good appreciation for this wonderful, touching, earthy novel. See the plot descriptions above for what happens in the book, but read it to enjoy the numerous moments of surprising lyricism, astonishing humor, and enough literary pot-smoking and alcohol consumption to put you into rehab. Too funny? Thankfully yes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars These characters put the FUN in dysFUNctional, July 11, 2003

By	Maurice Williams "mauricewms" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It took a while to finish this one but I'm glad I did. The novel focuses on the perilously decadent lives of Ralph and Alice Anne. Crafted in the dialectical tradition of the "Honeymooners" television show of old, this contemporary story extracts the dark, vile, highly addictive nature of its characters and their friends. Ralph and Jim are best friends, college professors and writers, whose lives spirals from one disaster to the next as they move through life with no rules no boundaries and a very limited future. Kinder has written a story of drug induced drunken debauchery that is both comical and loathsome at once. His writing is well paced and clear. "Honeymooners" is an overall enjoyable read that highlights the irreverent imagination (or actual life) of a talented author. This is my first read by Kinder and I'm not disappointed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Larger than Life Book, August 26, 2001

By	Gretchen Laskas "Author" (Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Honeymooners: A Cautionary Tale (Hardcover)

This is not the sort of book I usually read. The author is male. The setting and time are ones that don't generally interest me. The characters (in their real lives) were obviously larger than life. So what else was there to say? In a word -- PLENTY. This book surprised me again and again. The women, drawn as bold and savvy as can be written. The setting and time intrinsic to the story, but not dated, for I was there -- right there -- as I followed this story along. And sure, the real life people from whom the characters were based were larger than life by the time I heard about them, but this book gave me a chance to meet and feel for them in a way I never could, reading about then in non-fiction. Gave me a chance to know them in a way. To suffer, to triumph, to cheer, to take comfort.