Customer Reviews

Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine

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One day you are no longer passing notes in gym class. You are an adult, of sorts. Your father is telling you that marriage is a stale social convention and you, somehow, are arguing against him. Sex has ceased to be consistently thrilling, or even pleasant, and, worse, you realize sex was never consistently thrilling or pleasant, and you find yourself nostalgic for snippets of a half-imagined past, having more and more conversations about old television shows, old television commercials, and more and more conversations about loneliness.

Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine charts a bruised path toward love, through ordeals of courtship, family relations. Words are spoken in public like this: "`Dude,' says Bob the bankruptcy restructuring guy, `four days is the minimum. One day makes you seem too eager, and two days makes you look like you were aware of the fact that calling her on the first day would have made you look too eager.'" Yet words are thought, in private, like this: with a woman sleeping, in overlap, across his body, Geoff "thinks he should enjoy this, wallow in it, and hold onto it as best he can, because something will go wrong, something has to go wrong, it always does."

I learned that Ben Tanzer has a way of writing that gives the reader a feeling of that urban college lifestyle which I believe many college age readers can identify with. The hang outs were easy to imagine as were the thoughts and the angst of single life. An enjoyable read that had me wishing for my youth again.

Once again, I am impressed by a Ben Tanzer novel. Ben Tanzer's writing has been featured in Rated Rookie, Chicago Parent, Abroad View, Clamor, Third Coast Press, and The Truth Magazine. Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine follows his first book, Lucky Man. Ben Tanzer resides in Chicago, Illinois with his family.
Centering around four people in their late twenties, this story follows the often medial relationships between family, friends, and lovers- giving you an inside peek at secret thoughts, unusual and uncomfortable conversations, big city culture, the pain of rejection, and the elation of a newly budding romance. Geoff, not knowing at all what he wants in life, meets Jen, a woman who outwardly knows what she wants but never seems to reach it. Together with their friends, Paul and Rhonda, Geoff and Jen find themselves on new ground in their relationship and wondering if men and women will ever entirely understand each other.
The book was littered with comma errors, making me have to reread sentences more than once. Some of the sentence structure could be erratic at times, as well. It could use a period and start a new sentence to tie it together. I'm going to issue an age warning- not to be read by anyone under fifteen, due to language.
Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine is a brilliant, clever, humorous, edgy, and raw portrayal of urban single life. Deftly written, it will capture your attention from the first page and leave you shaking your head in awe until the end. The plot flowed well and I didn't find any dead spots where I lost interest. The characters were convincing and relatable, reminding you of just how uncertain your twenties and the dating scene could be. And anyone who can get a character to literally talk like Yoda while giving advice is fabulous in my opinion. The dialog was spectacularly honest, as if you were listening in on a real conversation. I particularly loved the coffee machine sequences, where Geoff is at work and mumbling about whatever ailments he has, and is given quirky and useless advice by his co-workers. It popped up several times in the book, making me shake my head, laughing. A recommended read!

Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer

The first thing I thought when I finished this book was, that I saw the ending coming relationship-wise. It matters, not because I need a shock at the end of every book I read (I really don't). It matters because there is a natural progression to the end, and it feels like there would be loose ends if it ended differently. The couple that ends up together at the end have to work for what they have, to quit looking at the little things for evidence that they should be together and just go with where they are being driven, to see that their brokenhearted balms only inflame the injury they ultimately inflict upon themselves. With the other couple, it is pretty clear what their functions are in the story, and that was fine, if not mildly comforting. Not everyone reaches a state of relationship stasis at the same time, and a double-wedding ending would seem contrite.

I liked the indecision, the way at this age you never know what you should really do, especially when everyone else around you seems to know better. When Geoff asks his co-workers, they each speak in turn in a succinct succession, and they all bring their job title-shaded "expertise" to the table, even though they are just as lost as Geoff. they tell him what they would do, how they would want things to be, but they expose a bit of maturity in not telling him he has to do it their way despite the general immaturity of these suggestions. Jen has her sister and best friend to guide her, who falter along the paths of their own love lives but she still wonders if she should model after them. These are very real examples of how we use peer pressure to make decisions in our youth, and sometimes beyond.

Geoff and Jen also look to their parents, while acknowledging the parents' choices have led to dysfunction but still wanting to turn to the one who has helped them since their birth. I was a bit surprised to see the parents' ability to overlook their children's active sexuality when they feel like they may need to move on or when they move too quickly. Perhaps this is because I am from a small town with parents who are sexually conservative that I can't really talk to about intimate matters...even if I wanted to. This parenting model in the book feels like it comes from a place of personal liberation. Still, I was glad to see a model of caring parenting with lots of honesty. They seem a bit too much like friends at times, as is the case in some parent-child relationships, but they ultimately truly want the best for their children. Steven is a good addition because he not only fills out the story a bit more; he also shows that most parents will not give up on a child even when they struggle so greatly.

What I didn't like was the incredible sameness of the characters at times. They all have their own things going on and individual things to work out, but some things are a bit too close. Both Geoff and Jen had a parent move out when they were children. Geoff and Jen are paralyzed at times by their own neurosis and indecision. These are questions that enter every relationship, but they feel them at the same time from the start of the relationship. They both rely on a parent and either a group of friends or a friend and a sister for advice that gets them nowhere most of the time. This is realistic, but I would like to see maybe one struggle more individually or have a more adept sounding board board to switch things up. The uncaring girl with the tattoo was a good way to switch things up and to demonstrate to Geoff what not to want.

At first I mistook the brief chapters as laziness or ineptitude, and then I saw the genius of being able to switch between perspective so neatly, which is something I think a lot of other authors have a problem with. Also, the short snips and resulting disjointed feel of the quick switching of gears says something more of the inattention of youth and the aimlessness of those who are uncertain. I'm glad sometimes the jumps also served to move to a different point in time. This probably eliminated some filler in a book that keeps to a snappy clip. I think it is somewhat courageous to take a chance with a tableau-like series of vignettes instead of just moving beginning to end and acting like nothing else happens in between. On the topic of time, I think the time period is well-established in many ways: the slang, the music references, the attitudes, the bombing especially since it can be pinpointed in time. I also like that they mention past things they still like, such as Bob Dylan, since it's more realistic not to just deal with what is currently popular. It's nice to see a bit of nostalgia in a nostalgic novel. I think the title itself is good because it has a pop culture reference as a Bob Dylan song and sets a real tone for the story to come. I was supremely pleased to see mention of journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" mentioned, both because of its status as one of my favorite songs and also because it is meaningful to the text on a level beyond simply being mentioned.

What I couldn't stand is the numerous errors. Winona Ryder's name is spelled differently in different parts of the book, and another celebrity's name is misspelled, both of which could be remedied with a quick visit to imdb.com or similar simple research. The errors of grammar and other spelling (I spotted the wrong "too" once, for example) could also stand to be fixed. Since I majored in writing in college, I realize the over-sprinkling commas are most likely stylistic, standing in for natural pauses, another manifestation of the uncertain, among other things. I think it does turn off a quantity of readers who may not realize this, so it's a gutsy decision that makes repeating the reasoning worth it. Still, there were some straight punctuation errors. there is even one or two in the author bio and blurb on the back cover.

Overall, I really liked this book. I can see beyond its shortcomings to a story that feels very natural emotionally to someone who has dated or tried to get advice and came up wanting. I saw myself in the characters and wanted the best for them because of it. I felt several times that i wished I had been a part of the scene as it happened, to have such haphazard control over my flailing life. I wanted to have friends who could accept me and give me their frankness instead of playing games to try to hide their hearts and ill choices in exchange for trying to act like the ideal is always achievable. The stringency of the rules and thorough discussions of such rules remind me of how important standards are in life and how the ones society sets forth mean little when we want something different. Just reading this book felt like that for me. I don't like the best-sellers--I crave something a bit more unique, more risk-taking. I found that in much of this book and hope others will as well.

F. Scott Fitzgerald said: "We should write for the youth of today, the critics of tomorrow, and the school masters thereafter."

As some of the other great reviews have mentioned, this book makes dialog look effortless, does the magic of churning everyday life into story, but I feel most importantly, it stares into the days of our youth and finds our lives have meaning behind the murmur of chatter, endless self-doubt, and loneliness. Tanzer captures what a lesser writer misses. He does the heroic thing of taking everyday life to task. Arguably, examining the Here and Now is one of the most important things a writer can do. Tanzer does this with skill and charm.

He also employs some unique and interesting story-telling devices. For example, there's a bonafide Greek chorus that shows up between action in the form of guys talking around the water-cooler. There's a chapter where we only get the one-side of the same phone conversation. Tanzer seems to enthusiastically jump up on the tightrope.

I recommend the book to every reader who is or has been 23. But also to every young writer who finds themselves groping for material in the exceptional. There's a 'Friends' quality to this book. It's about young people. It's about everyday relationships and life. But maybe that's the problem with literature these days. We aren't writing about this. We aren't examining what it feels like to be alive today. Characters aren't worthwhile unless they're autistic, blood-sucking, oddly-named or from a country most of us couldn't find on a map. This book isn't navel gazing; it looks just past the front porch and finds things of importance and beauty.

Attention Kevin Smith fans (and strangely, Gilmore Girls fans): you are going to love this book. Though Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine (Orange Alert Press) arcs as a novel, it is written as a series of dialog-heavy exchanges of wit between characters that define themselves by a pop culture context. Knots Landing vs. Dallas is their war. The gospel of Star Wars is their religious creed.

What is perhaps most interesting and impressive with this, Ben Tanzer's second novel (released in 2008; in 2009 CCLaP Publishing released Repetition Patterns, a collection of stories) is just how much the author relies on dialog and pop culture to describe the characters. Physical description is sparing, and despite the implications there, the novel is quick and engaging. Who needs setting when you've got exchanges like this:

"What? You never got why people liked Star Wars? Is there something wrong with you?"

"Maybe. I definitely feel that way most of the time." (pg. 18)

And character portraits like this:

Jen and Gracie believe that love has to knock you over, though even if it does, it not only can't be trusted, but you are likely doomed to endless struggle, inane dissections of problems big and small and always at risk of perpetually losing oneself in the murky swamp of confusion and loathing that inevitably attaches itself to most relationships. (pg. 54)

The four main characters (helpfully depicted on the novel's cover) endure life as they search for human connection. These are quick-witted, intelligent people that we all wish we knew. And for Most Likely You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine's 172 pages, we do.

Tanzer evokes what it is to be smart and puzzled, and full of ennui. A deft portrait of characters in mid-wander.

When I discover authors like this one, it reminds me why I seek out new authors. His voice is so fresh, so uniquely beautiful that he makes reviewing a pleasurable joy.

In "Lucky Man", Tanzer gave us a coming of age book about four adolescent boys. It was one of the most real stories I read in 2008. Now Tanzer has returned with his second novel, "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine". This time, we meet two couples in their mid-twenties, struggling through a budding romance. Each comes with their own personal baggage that follows them through the relationship.

Some readers have a thing for covers. I have a thing for titles. The whole way through a book, a title will bother me if I can't figure it out its significance. For those trivia buffs and title crazies like me, it comes from a Bob Dylan song - something I didn't know, but fit well with the story.

One of Tanzer's strongest attributes in his first novel was his ability to tell a realistic story through the dialogue of his characters. In his second book, there was the same strong trait for the most part, but the two female characters, Jen and Rhonda, blended too close together in their speech. It was hard for me to distinguish them at times. Even with this minute issue, the story was well worth the price of admission. I look forward to more of Ben Tanzer.