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When You Were Me [Hardcover]

Robert Rodi (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)


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Hardcover, June 1, 2007 --  
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Book Description

June 1, 2007
In his long-awaited new novel, master satirist Rodi, author of "Fag Hag, Drag Queen," and "Kept Boy," crafts a compelling and witty romp that adds new meaning to the adage, Be careful what you wish for.


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Rodi's tepid latest, Jack Ackerly, 53, has made a pile in public relations and earned himself a comfortable place among Chicago's gay A-crowd, but the recent decamping of his boyfriend, Wicker Park art dealer Harold "Harry" McGann, has left him aware of a hole in his life. At the other end of the social sphere, 26-year-old space cadet Corey Szaslow lives on the kindness of friends, getting by—just barely—on his looks. A crystal meth habit he's lately kicked has cost him most of his friends, and he's now wondering what it would be like to get a job, maybe some health insurance. They meet cute (Jack hits Corey's bicycle with his Porsche), the two quickly engage in an unholy plot to switch bodies via New Age witch Francesca LaBrash: Corey will be middle-aged and liver-spotted with a 36-inch waist and an uninspiring hard-on, but he'll be rich. Jack will be young once more and able to enjoy the promiscuous sex he denied himself while climbing the ladder of Mammon. Queer pulp favorite Rodi (Fag Hag, etc.) makes a rare misstep; Victorian satirist F. Anstey, who originated the body-switching genre with Vice Versa: A Lesson to Fathers in 1882, has a lot to answer for. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Who older than 40 hasn't gazed in the mirror, deplored the skin starting to sag and the incipient laugh lines and crow's feet, and yearned for youth? Not wealthy, successful Jack Ackerly, who didn't come out until nearly 30, thereby missing the heavy hedonism of a twentysomething, and whose lover of 21 years has just left him. Oh, to be young again! Not to worry, Jack. Just spend a lot of money researching supernatural solutions, click your heels, say "abracadabra Francesca LaBranch, fusion witch," and find a reasonably attractive man so down on his luck he is willing to trade bodies. In this enjoyable read, anyway, that works, though readers' best kicks come from watching best-laid plans go not quite as expected. Although his first successful bar foray leads to two nights and a day of hot sex, Jack (and we) come to see that "exhilaration is tiring; ecstacy short-lived." Rodi's quick-paced satire of the joys and sorrows of body swapping is one kind of perfect vacation and beach reading. Scott, Whitney
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Kensington; 1 edition (June 1, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0758215339
  • ISBN-13: 978-0758215338
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,039,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert Rodi (b.1956) was born in Chicago, a town seething with literary and musical energy, and he has spent his life immersed in their currents. His first novels, which quickly gained him cult status, were deftly drawn satires of the city's gay scene. While continuing to write fiction (most recently, "The Sugarman Bootlegs") he's branched out into nonfiction, the better to share his enthusiasm for the world of canine agility (in "Dogged Pursuit") and all things Italian, specifically the great Tuscan horse race, the Palio ("Seven Seasons In Siena").

He also writes comic books for both Vertigo and Marvel, pens a self-described "guerilla lit-crit" blog about Jane Austen called "Bitch In a Bonnet", and covers the local performing arts scene for The Huffington Post. He's a performer himself, being an auxiliary member of Chicago's esteemed monologuist ensemble BoyGirlBoyGirl; he's also the front man for the fusion rock band 7th Kind (whose CD "Sea Monster" is available on Amazon).

For more information, visit his website, http://www.robertrodi.com

 

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Man is Back... But He Is Fortysomething Now, January 1, 2008
By 
Ford Ka (Edinburgh, Scotland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: When You Were Me (Hardcover)
Rodi is back with his new novel after quite a break but he brings back all the good and bad parts of his writing. He is witty and funny, he is able to make a head start but then... it doesn't all go on that well. His characters are not always convincing, the story line depends too much on coincidence and magic (Yes, I know you can't switch bodies without magic but it can be done better! At least in books.) to be credible. Social criticism is quite shallow here and I missed strong women (and not so strong women) from the earlier novels.
In short - not exactly a must-have and if you are still in love with Fag Hag and Kept Boy it may be something of a disappointment but you won't know until you've tried. If this is the first Rodi the purchase of which you are contemplating, I would suggest one of the earlier ones, which incidentally may not be that easy as they are all out of print for a while.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Throughly Charming Book, June 5, 2007
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This review is from: When You Were Me (Hardcover)
I rarely write online review, but I have to say that I loved reading this book. Heart-felt, without being sentimental. It doesn't fall into the obvious plot devices that you would expect from the usual trading lives scenario. This one's a keeper!
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5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it!, August 16, 2011
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This review is from: When You Were Me (Hardcover)
I must say that I totally loved this book. It's extremely funny and the story is quite intriguing. There are plenty of twists in the story to keep you wondering what is going to happen next. It was a really enjoyable read and the ending was excellent.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
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Robert Rodi, Jack Ackerly, Brian Isley, Preston Frye, Corey Szaslow, Gordon Hearn, Janis Ian, Tealight Theatre, Division Street, Karita Mattila, Gary Mahlanki, Aunt Ginger, Edgewater Youth Center, Clark Street, Lois Kohr, Halsted Street, Grace Coolidge, Bar Sharona
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funny, thoughtful book 0 May 13, 2007
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