Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page?s stinging satire, How I Became Stupid?a modern day Candide with a Darwin Award?like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today?s culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary?in order to become ?stupid? enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.
How I Became Stupid
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Browse the best books of summer including blockbusters, beach reads, and editors' picks in our Summer Reading Store. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Twenty-five-year-old Parisian Antoine is sick. The disease? Intelligence. Desperate to find a cure for his overactive brain, Antoine considers alcoholism, suicide, and lobotomy, but none seems quite right for his special needs. A new job, though, is just the ticket. Accepting a position in his high-school friend's brokerage firm, Antoine finds the burdens of consciousness gradually slipping away. This delightfully over-the-top debut novel was a smash when it was published in France in 2001, but will it play as well stateside? After all, the mediocrity that Antoine deems essential to being happy in today's society features many elements common to mainstream American culture. Still, there is always an audience--if not an enormous one--for novels that skewer thick-headed simplicity, and this absurdist comedy mounts a formidable attack. Only an abrupt and puzzlingly optimistic ending detracts from the note of cheerful pessimism that drives the story. Beth Leistensnider
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
A harmonious and surprising mixture of optimism and nihilism. (La Vie Magazine)
A wild yet powerful book. (Elle)
A wild yet powerful book. (Elle)
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By M. Miller
Format:Paperback
Antoine, a twenty-five year old Frenchman, wants the finer things in life. He decrees that he shall no longer be burdened by intelligence, critical analysis, or culture. Instead, he wants to be stupid.
Now, this may seem like an idiotic thought, but to Antoine it makes sense because his attempts at becoming an alcoholic failed, after only a half-glass, and his suicide instructor accidentally led him away from the morbid path. Go figure.
Overall, this book is a glimpse, as one reviewer put it, into Antoine's "wonderful existential journey." Not too deep mind you, and that is one of the main faults. This book, sensibly enough, is especially alluring to the reader who finds that he or she relates to Antoine - pre-stupidity attempts. In this sense we feel his pain, and see a tidbit of ourselves. However, as previously mentioned, this book is short and does not offer us the expanded view, into either ourselves or existentialism in general, that we might have wanted.
(Also especially poignant for the Huckabees fan)
Now, this may seem like an idiotic thought, but to Antoine it makes sense because his attempts at becoming an alcoholic failed, after only a half-glass, and his suicide instructor accidentally led him away from the morbid path. Go figure.
Overall, this book is a glimpse, as one reviewer put it, into Antoine's "wonderful existential journey." Not too deep mind you, and that is one of the main faults. This book, sensibly enough, is especially alluring to the reader who finds that he or she relates to Antoine - pre-stupidity attempts. In this sense we feel his pain, and see a tidbit of ourselves. However, as previously mentioned, this book is short and does not offer us the expanded view, into either ourselves or existentialism in general, that we might have wanted.
(Also especially poignant for the Huckabees fan)
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By paxorbis
Format:Paperback
"How I became stupid" is a gracefully narrated tale of a man afflicted by his intelligence. As the character tries to escape his curse by becoming stupid he learns of his own limitations, the true value of stupidity and the importance of friendship. This type of book teaches philosophy by showing rather than telling, and it does so in a hugely entertaining and funny fashion. At fewer than 200 pages and written in a very straightforward way, the book is a great, great afternoon read.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By C. Tucker
Format:Paperback
This small book is a dazzling journey from the hallowed halls of academic life, wherein the main character is somewhat chronically depressed, to the bright, shiny corporate world outside (where he is breifly less depressed). Although the book does not resolve the Big Questions of existence that it brings up,I'm not sure that resolution is the point here. Page makes a brilliantly foray into the long literary conversation about the true meaning of happiness, joy, and the pursuit of knowledge. It makes a highly entertaining, smart afternoon read.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best gluten free snack bar ever!!
We order these monthly and love them. The best gluten free snack bar we have eaten by far. Highly recommend.
Published 4 months ago by susan carpenter
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Exactly What the Title Might Suggest
I bought this book after reading a sample. I love the main character and the premise of the story. It's funny but there's more to it than that. Read more
Published 4 months ago by jg
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the funniest, most provocative boooks I've read in a while
It's absolutely not true that this book doesn't have enough 'flesh'. What I understand by the meaning of flesh is a bunch of paragraphs and stories that don't add to the overall... Read more
Published 17 months ago by JuliaW
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightfully witty book
This French cult classic is endearingly surreal and pleasantly witty. This is a decent enough paperback edition for one of my favorite short novels/existential ramblings.
Published 20 months ago by Isis
2.0 out of 5 stars
.
I expected a less funny version of Apathy and Other Small Victories but I didn't expect it to be SO less funny.
Published on July 16, 2010 by Christy Leigh Stewart
4.0 out of 5 stars
Smart enough to be dumb?
Seeing no way to be brilliant and happy, Antoine sets out to stop living a bright but blah life. In this very quick read, Page continually raises the "cringe" factor as Antoine... Read more
Published on December 31, 2009 by Dick Johnson
3.0 out of 5 stars
I kind of sort of get the point he was trying to make . . . but . . .
Here's the problem with this book - it's black and white. A liberal-minded, socialistic individual with self-proclaimed "intellect" attempts to become stupid by making asinine life... Read more
Published on June 16, 2009 by Glitter Girl
3.0 out of 5 stars
Kind of a mixed bag
This book was kind of a mixed bag. I started out expecting to really like it a lot. In the beginning in was particularly funny and I was telling everyone about it. Read more
Published on April 5, 2009 by oodles
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not what I expected
*Spoiler alert*
When I read that this book was an international cult phenomenon I thought it might be worth a few hours of my time. Read more
When I read that this book was an international cult phenomenon I thought it might be worth a few hours of my time. Read more
Published on March 17, 2009 by Linda Isakson
2.0 out of 5 stars
good idea, lame finale
This could have been a really good book, humorously tackling serious issues in modern society, and in particular the role of intelligence in social living. Read more
Published on February 13, 2009 by Massimo Pigliucci
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
|
|
So You'd Like to...
|
|
