Customer Reviews

On Picking Fruit

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of those stories where some of us will say "I know those people", as their names pop into your head from your past and even your present. For a first attempt, Arthur Wooten has captured so many familiar moments and emotions. To a certain extent, I felt somewhat cheated. The book pulls you in and before you know it, you have finished it, hungry for more. Wooten's timing and quick wit can only be enhanced with a sequel and I surely hope he will have one soon. I left this book saying "what would Curtis do" and no matter how hard you try to do the opposite, you can identify with how easy it is to get consumed by the process of "picking fruit" and having done just what Curtis did.. well done and thanks for a reality check.

BRAVO! FINALLY A NOVEL ABOUT THE OFTEN INVISIBLE MINORITY IN GAY LITERATURE - THE MIDDLE AGED MAN. ARTHUR WOOTEN ESCORTS US ON A PERSONAL JOURNEY THAT IS BOTH HYSTERICALLY FUNNY AND AT TIMES, HEARTBREAKINGLY HONEST. "ON PICKING FRUIT" IS A GIFT OF THIS TALENTED WRITER'S HUMANITY. YEARS AGO, WHEN LILY TOMLIN WAS ASKED WHAT SHE WANTED THE AUDIENCE TO GET OUT OF "SEARCH FOR SIGNS", SHE RESPONDED WITH A QUOTE FROM JANE WAGNER, WHO SAID, " I WANT THE AUDIENCE TO LEAVE WITH A HIGHER OPINION OF THEMSELVES." I NEVER LIKE TO COMPARE ONE PERSON'S WORK WITH ANOTHER, BUT I THINK THAT THOSE OF US WHO WANDER DOWN MR. WOOTEN'S YELLOW BRICK ROAD OF ROMANTIC MISADVENTURES, WILL CLOSE THE BOOK WITH A HIGHER OPINION OF THEMSELVES, TOO. I KNOW I DID.

Looking for a fast and sassy read, full of laughs and good cheer? "On Picking Fruit" delivers all this, and more, as the lead character searches for love in NY, only to encounter everyones worst dating nightmares. Whether you are a romantic or the most cynical of readers, "On Picking Fruit" will leave you with a smile on your face and hope in your heart.

Wooten has a knack for making the gay man's plight for love seem fresh. Too many times, I've read gay authors who attempt humor for the sake of humor and it seems forced and repeated. Everything that happened to Curtis Jenkins as he was looking for mister right made me laugh (sometimes literally outloud) and turn the page to see what would happen next. Though I've been in a loving relationship for years, I still related to the story and to the many places in the book. (Even my old neighborhood on Amsterdam Ave in NYC got a nice little shout-out.) Wooten's style is very clever without getting tired or bogged down. The perfect summer cocktail read! Speaking of cocktail...guess it's time I read the sequel to this book "Fruit Cocktail."

It's deliciously funny. It's a page turner. It's fiction but also reality. In "On Picking Fruit" Arthur Wooten delivers a lesson in life--in our modern love and dating life that is--in an entertaining way and with the help of a funny, yet insightful character, Curtis Jenkins. After reading the last page of "On Picking Fruit," one can only wonder what Jenkins is up to next, in the sequel "Fruit Cocktail."

Arthur Wooten has done an outstanding job on portraying an average gay man in his "midlife" trying to do what we all want in life,find a companion. There were parts where I laughed out loud and wanted to share the scene with everyone. The twists and turns in the book catch you off guard. I can relate to Curtis..not Curt. We have all dated the men in this book. I can laugh about it now.

To be honest, my first thought after I finished the book was, "That was a very good book." I loved the different characters. I like unusual and interesting people and this book had, oh, one or two. :-)

Some of the situations and characters kept flashing back into my mind while I was doing mindless things like driving or washing dishes. So, I decided to read it again.

I was better in some ways the second time because I had missed a few points here and there because I kept getting interrupted by spontaneous laughter from time to time. I caught them all the second time.

This time my immediate conclusion was that it is the best gay themed book I have read. Most of them are about teenage angst and coming out. Besides being imaginative, humorous and well written, yours speaks to an adult audience.

Mr. Wooten has a quirky and enjoyable sense of humor. Initially, this quality holds the reader's attention. But inevitably, the humor wears off
when it is apparent that it cannot take the place of a good, unpredictable
plot. Consequently, this reader soon lost interest in the progress of the
action, which seemed to repeat itself incessantly.

You don't have to be single, male or gay to appreciate the hilarity and hazards of the dating world! I was pleasantly surprised at the number of times I laughed out loud when I read this book! I may not have had the same experiences, but everyone has or knows a "date from hell" story. All of this is set against a believable backdrop of building a life and career at the same time. Arthur has a keen wit and great pacing. I also enjoyed Fruit Cocktail just as much (sequels are almost always a disappointment - not in this case!!)

Curtis Jenkins had the worst luck when it came to dating. His own mother, who openly smoked joints and drank beer while breast-feeding his younger brother, was a seasoned veteran of the dating world and far more successful.

No matter how much encouragement his mother and best friend Quinn provided, Curtis couldn't make a relationship stick. So he embarks on a dating crusade and his efforts result in hilarity.

Arthur Wooten's witty dialog and fast-paced plot gives his readers a highly enjoyable romp through New York and its singles scene. Thanks to his cautious optimism, you'll find yourself cheering on Curtis to break his string of bad dates and find ever-lasting love.