“Why are you so unhappy?” That’s the question that Zeke Pappas, a thirty-three-year-old scholar, asks almost everybody he meets as part of an obsessive project, “The Inventory of American Unhappiness.” The answers he receives—a mix of true sadness and absurd complaint—create a collage of woe. Zeke, meanwhile, remains delightfully oblivious to the increasingly harsh realities that threaten his daily routine, opting instead to focus his energy on finding the perfect mate so that he can gain custody of his orphaned nieces. Following steps outlined in a women’s magazine, the ever-optimistic Zeke identifies some “prospects”: a newly divorced neighbor, a coffeehouse barista, his administrative assistant, and Sofia Coppola (“Why not aim high?”).
A clairvoyant when it comes to the Starbucks orders of strangers, a quixotic renegade when it comes to the federal bureaucracy, and a devoted believer in the afternoon cocktail and the evening binge, Zeke has an irreverent voice that is a marvel of lacerating wit and heart-on-sleeve emotion, underscored by a creeping paranoia and made more urgent by the hope that if he can only find a wife, he might have a second chance at life.
My American Unhappiness
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In Bakopoulos's wan second novel (after Please Don't Come Back from the Moon), Zeke Pappas, the director of a humanities institute in Wisconsin, is conducting an epic survey of American unhappiness, a project he considers his life's work. Misery is a hobby of this self-regarding misanthrope, whose interest in others' sadness can verge on fetishism ("Show me a sad woman, and I will fall in love"). As if to oblige his brooding, fate afflicts him with a relentless barrage of personal tragedies. Zeke, who is already a borderline alcoholic widower caring for his two orphaned nieces, learns that his mother is dying of cancer and that she plans to deny him custody of the girls unless he gets married before she dies. His candidates are a barista, his assistant, his neighbor, and, naturally, Sofia Coppola—though, really, any female will do. Zeke, unfortunately, comes off as more odious than endearing, glib and pompous for all of his slapstick moping, and lacking the depth of character needed to reveal him as anything other than an unpleasant schmuck, which is especially unfortunate considering Bakopoulos's wit and breezy prose. (June)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review
My American Unhappiness "shimmers with mischief and offbeat charm. A dark entertainment infused by a bluesy yearning for a better America."
-Kirkus Reviews "Bakopoulos writes with great heart and a cold eye, and his limpid, ironic prose will appeal to those who like the early work of Martin Amis."
-Library Journal"My American Unhappiness is a smart, funny, charming novel - an incisive critique of the way we live now, but aremed, unlike contemporary satire, with a big, generous heart. I got addicted to the misadventures of Zeke Pappas. I didn't want the book to end."
-Dan Chaon, author of Await Your Reply
"In Zeke Pappas, Dean Bakopoulos has invented a man for all rainy seasons - a horny, heartbroken cousin of Richard Ford's Frank Bascombe, telling a long, tall tale of anomie in the heartland."
-Tom Piazza, author of City of Refuge
"If the nature of despair, as Kierkegaard wrote, is to be unaware of itself, then Zeke Pappas is its perfect spokesman: a blithely deluded nebbish whose epic longings—to document the emptiness at the center of American life and to win the heart of Sofia Coppola and/or his local Starbucks barista—propel him into ever more twisted predicaments. There's no such thing as unhappiness when you're holding a Dean Bakopoulos novel in your hands."
- Jonathan Miles, author of Dear American Airlines
"Vivid as a searchlight gliding across suburban picture windows , MY AMERICAN UNHAPPINESS displays its author's saddened comic wisdom, as apparently self-effacing as it is marvelously inventive and observant. Dean Bakopoulos is a writer to watch, a novelist to cherish."
- Peter Straub, author of A Dark Matter
"Zeke Pappas, the visionary behind the American Unhappiness project, is the perfect hero for our times - an age of J. Crew catalogs and Starbucks lattes, of political absurdities and almost-fractured families barely holding themselves together. In telling Zeke's story, Dean Bakopoulos brings together razor-sharp comic timing, brilliant social commentary, and big-hearted compassion that embraces the imperfection of American life. The result is a smart, funny and exceptionally entertaining book."
-Alix Ohlin, author of Babylon and Other Stories "My American Unhappiness is a major accomplishment from one of my generation's finest storytellers, a profoundly funny, moving, beautifully-detailed, and ultimately hopeful portrait of our country in a certain moment. Its self-deprecating hero, Zack Pappas, earnest, kind, and brooding, with wry intelligence and deep compassion, is indelible. I loved every page of this book. The torch has been passed -- Dean Bakopoulos is our next great Midwestern writer."
- Davy Rothbart, The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas: Stories, founder and editor of Found Magazine, contributor to public radio'sThis American Life "Dean Bakopoulos in an American prophet -- who divines the end of optimism in this brilliant new novel that will choke you with tears and laughter. My American Unhappiness deserves a hallowed place on the shelf somewhere among Studs Terkel's Working and Walker Percy's The Moviegoer. "
- Benjamin Percy, The Wilding and Refresh, Refresh
-Kirkus Reviews "Bakopoulos writes with great heart and a cold eye, and his limpid, ironic prose will appeal to those who like the early work of Martin Amis."
-Library Journal"My American Unhappiness is a smart, funny, charming novel - an incisive critique of the way we live now, but aremed, unlike contemporary satire, with a big, generous heart. I got addicted to the misadventures of Zeke Pappas. I didn't want the book to end."
-Dan Chaon, author of Await Your Reply
"In Zeke Pappas, Dean Bakopoulos has invented a man for all rainy seasons - a horny, heartbroken cousin of Richard Ford's Frank Bascombe, telling a long, tall tale of anomie in the heartland."
-Tom Piazza, author of City of Refuge
"If the nature of despair, as Kierkegaard wrote, is to be unaware of itself, then Zeke Pappas is its perfect spokesman: a blithely deluded nebbish whose epic longings—to document the emptiness at the center of American life and to win the heart of Sofia Coppola and/or his local Starbucks barista—propel him into ever more twisted predicaments. There's no such thing as unhappiness when you're holding a Dean Bakopoulos novel in your hands."
- Jonathan Miles, author of Dear American Airlines
"Vivid as a searchlight gliding across suburban picture windows , MY AMERICAN UNHAPPINESS displays its author's saddened comic wisdom, as apparently self-effacing as it is marvelously inventive and observant. Dean Bakopoulos is a writer to watch, a novelist to cherish."
- Peter Straub, author of A Dark Matter
"Zeke Pappas, the visionary behind the American Unhappiness project, is the perfect hero for our times - an age of J. Crew catalogs and Starbucks lattes, of political absurdities and almost-fractured families barely holding themselves together. In telling Zeke's story, Dean Bakopoulos brings together razor-sharp comic timing, brilliant social commentary, and big-hearted compassion that embraces the imperfection of American life. The result is a smart, funny and exceptionally entertaining book."
-Alix Ohlin, author of Babylon and Other Stories "My American Unhappiness is a major accomplishment from one of my generation's finest storytellers, a profoundly funny, moving, beautifully-detailed, and ultimately hopeful portrait of our country in a certain moment. Its self-deprecating hero, Zack Pappas, earnest, kind, and brooding, with wry intelligence and deep compassion, is indelible. I loved every page of this book. The torch has been passed -- Dean Bakopoulos is our next great Midwestern writer."
- Davy Rothbart, The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas: Stories, founder and editor of Found Magazine, contributor to public radio'sThis American Life "Dean Bakopoulos in an American prophet -- who divines the end of optimism in this brilliant new novel that will choke you with tears and laughter. My American Unhappiness deserves a hallowed place on the shelf somewhere among Studs Terkel's Working and Walker Percy's The Moviegoer. "
- Benjamin Percy, The Wilding and Refresh, Refresh
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More About the Author
Dean Bakopoulos is the author of PLEASE DON'T COME BACK FROM THE MOON and MY AMERICAN UNHAPPINESS, both published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a novel that I was very excited to read, because it deals with a very relatable issue for people my age, the "Gen Y" crowd. That is the issue of our collective unhappiness, our dissatisfaction with life in general. In recent years I've personally dealt with this issue, mainly stemming from job frustration and having a BA degree that I've never really used. My friends and family have all at one point expressed a similar feeling of general malaise, whether it be related to jobs, relationships, money, or living situations. So why are Americans so unhappy?
In My American Unhappiness, Zeke Pappas tries to find the answer to that very question. As the head of a project called "The Inventory of American Unhappiness," he collects interviews with people across the nation in an attempt to distill a singular answer to why, despite greater (relative) wealth and opportunity than people of other countries, Americans are generally unhappy. While working on this project, Zeke finds himself entering a dark period of his own life. He is trying to come to terms with being a young widower, while taking care of his sick mother and fighting for custody of his orphaned nieces.
This is a very deep and meaningful story, with an unexpected plot twist and a surprisingly uplifting ending. Well written and thought-provoking, the book is filled with poignant comments on the hopes of young Americans:
"...that life will offer you much, that you will have choices upon choices set out before you like a feast, and all you have to do is choose the kind of happiness you would like to pursue."
And the reality when they grow up:
"...you don't care how somebody's novel, thesis, art, job, marriage, life is going...because you simply don't have the energy to hear about other people's struggles and triumphs. Your own joys and woes are exhausting enough, aren't they?"
The characters are interesting and complex, especially the character of Minn. On the surface she is a typical "girl who majored in Humanities but now works at Starbucks," but her positivity provides a nice contrast to Zeke's cynicism.
The only thing that detracted from the book was the political commentary. For me the intermittent side remarks about Bush, Obama, and 9/11 did little to help me understand Zeke's character, and struck me as self-indulgent on the part of the author. They bordered on obnoxious and did nothing to advance the story.
That being said, My American Unhappiness is a valuable novel to read, because it speaks to the sentiments of many modern Americans. If you've ever woken up one day and thought "this isn't what my life was supposed to be like," you can get something out of this book.
In My American Unhappiness, Zeke Pappas tries to find the answer to that very question. As the head of a project called "The Inventory of American Unhappiness," he collects interviews with people across the nation in an attempt to distill a singular answer to why, despite greater (relative) wealth and opportunity than people of other countries, Americans are generally unhappy. While working on this project, Zeke finds himself entering a dark period of his own life. He is trying to come to terms with being a young widower, while taking care of his sick mother and fighting for custody of his orphaned nieces.
This is a very deep and meaningful story, with an unexpected plot twist and a surprisingly uplifting ending. Well written and thought-provoking, the book is filled with poignant comments on the hopes of young Americans:
"...that life will offer you much, that you will have choices upon choices set out before you like a feast, and all you have to do is choose the kind of happiness you would like to pursue."
And the reality when they grow up:
"...you don't care how somebody's novel, thesis, art, job, marriage, life is going...because you simply don't have the energy to hear about other people's struggles and triumphs. Your own joys and woes are exhausting enough, aren't they?"
The characters are interesting and complex, especially the character of Minn. On the surface she is a typical "girl who majored in Humanities but now works at Starbucks," but her positivity provides a nice contrast to Zeke's cynicism.
The only thing that detracted from the book was the political commentary. For me the intermittent side remarks about Bush, Obama, and 9/11 did little to help me understand Zeke's character, and struck me as self-indulgent on the part of the author. They bordered on obnoxious and did nothing to advance the story.
That being said, My American Unhappiness is a valuable novel to read, because it speaks to the sentiments of many modern Americans. If you've ever woken up one day and thought "this isn't what my life was supposed to be like," you can get something out of this book.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By glparker389
Format:Hardcover
Poor Zeke Pappas. Will he ever catch a break? His losses prove to be our gains. Dean Bakopoulos uses Zeke's turmoil as the basis for a deft satire, a penetrating look at the first decade of the 21st century. The author took a chance with this novel, his second. Satire isn't easy to pull off, but Bakopuolos manages the feat. When you put it down My American Happiness, you realize there's more to Zeke -- and to the book -- than meets the eye.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By M. J. Cotner
Format:Hardcover
This is a fun, quick read. I have to say, I was very surprised when I read the reviewers who said they found it depressing: I laughed out loud several times and smiled quite a lot at the storytelling. At first I found the hefty dose of "mainstream lefty" political commentary a bit heavy-handed, to the point of didacticism. However, as the novel progressed I began to appreciate the way the politalk actually suits the plot.
As end of the novel approaches, the plot takes a bizarrely comic (one might almost say "comic-bookish") turn -- to the point that I wondered how on earth Bakopoulos was going to steer smoothly into an ending. But he managed to pull it off with flying colors, and I closed the book happy!
As end of the novel approaches, the plot takes a bizarrely comic (one might almost say "comic-bookish") turn -- to the point that I wondered how on earth Bakopoulos was going to steer smoothly into an ending. But he managed to pull it off with flying colors, and I closed the book happy!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Having Fun with Unhappiness
I JUST FINISHED THIS NOVEL AND FOUND IT FUNNY AND SERIOUS, BY TURNS. I THINK THE AUTHOR IS PRETTY ORIGINAL. HIS UNHAPPINESS PROJECT IS A RELEIF FROM ALL THE HAPPINESS STUDIES. Read more
Published 2 days ago by readernyc
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
I must say, I was intrigued by the idea of the main character's ability to predict a stranger's coffee order at Starbuck's. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Ann Gram
2.0 out of 5 stars
Sturm und Drang
What a depressing book! If your mood ring shines brilliant black, then this is your book. The main character, clairvoyant when it comes to spewing customer's Starbucks orders,... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Heather A. Henry
5.0 out of 5 stars
The way I wish I could write...
This book is fun and thought provoking. Traveling with Zeke is a wild ride that sometimes will make you laugh out loud, might cause you to cover your eyes and shake your head, and... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Todd Neumann
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting premise, mediocre execution
I liked the idea of the search for the root cause of the general unhappiness of Americans. What I got instead felt like politicking, and a half-hearted attempt at a fictional... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Ravenskya
3.0 out of 5 stars
3.5 stars
This book depressed me, and I had to put it down for several weeks. Zeke Papas is documenting American unhappiness while vehemently denying his own as his world crumbles all around... Read more
Published 20 months ago by missed
3.0 out of 5 stars
Offbeat
Protagonist Zeke Pappas in Dean Bakopoulos' new novel, My American Unhappiness, may be the poster boy for why some politicians want to stop government funding for arts and... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Stephen T. Hopkins
3.0 out of 5 stars
Glimmers of promise
Dean Bakapoulos mentions, in the author's note, that he worked for the Wisconsin Humanities Council for eight years. Read more
Published 20 months ago by JoAnne Goldberg
2.0 out of 5 stars
My Reading Unhappiness
In My American Unhappiness Dean Bakopoulos poses and interesting question - what makes American's so unhappy? Read more
Published 22 months ago by Sarah J. Andrus
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book to dive into
I savored this book and didn't want it to end. I loved the writing, thought it was funny, wry and of course also tragic. It seemed to me spot on about life in America today.
Published 23 months ago by Patricia Kramer
