18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
Seething/hilarious social/sexual commentary
Relentlessly cynical and f***ing funny. One of Kultgen's accomplishments is that he has created a tale that has a crunchy, amusing coating, a creamy, despair-filled center, and is topped with a fine drizzle of uncomfortable truth. You may not see yourself as the Average American Male, but no heterosexual man can deny having had at least some of the same thoughts cross his...
15 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
I Really Wanted To Like This Novel....
I really, REALLY wanted to like this novel. I really did. I paid the full price of admission and I set aside an entire Saturday... and I read it straight through, too. Cover-to-cover in maybe 3-4 hours. I gave it a truly fair reading -- and parts of it, a re-read. And, the thing is... that I wish I didn't have to say this... because even now, even after I've read it, I...
Relentlessly cynical and f***ing funny. One of Kultgen's accomplishments is that he has created a tale that has a crunchy, amusing coating, a creamy, despair-filled center, and is topped with a fine drizzle of uncomfortable truth. You may not see yourself as the Average American Male, but no heterosexual man can deny having had at least some of the same thoughts cross his mind. Some reviewers have complained that the character in the book is one-dimensional and does not really represent the average American male. Sorry, but most men are narcissistic, sex-obsessed s***-bags. I would know. In an case, pretty much ALL the characters are sexual caricatures. The total focus on sexual relations is the point. Some reviewers have found this book to be crude and mean-spirited. And yest, it definitely is both those things. But, what drives the book is an underlying sense of despair and emptiness in the main character's life - his existence has been boiled down to the pursuit of sex and playing video games. With nothing to care about except "blowing a load," the Average American Male is doomed to boredom and dissatisfaction. This is not only a commentary on sexual relations, but the emptiness of American culture in which Sex and Money is the national religion.
Long story short: this is not a pleasant tale. But there are moments that will make you laugh at loud, and it will make you think about what it means to try to find love and fulfillment in these modern times.
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This is one brilliant book. Its spirit recalls Aristophanes, who, in "Lysistrata," ridiculed ancient Athenian men because they were apparently obsessed with something silly, war, but in fact devoted to something even more ludicrous, sex. We post-moderns are still sentimental about sex; Aristophanes and Kultgen aren't.
Kultgen, like his Greek predecessor, sees that Aphrodite in particular often has one big satiric smirk on her face. His unnamed hero wages a species of war when he plays competitive video games, but he lives more for sex 24/7, even though his comically grotesque desires inevitably result, as experience has always taught, in necessarily diminished rewards.
Kultgen, happily, is an equal opportunity offender. Not only does his witty, knavish hero come in for a finally satirical drubbing, but so do the other serial polygamist characters, who include a variety of contemporary straight men and women, along with assorted gays and lesbians. All of them lead hilariously limited lives, for none of them is able to raise his or her head above the belts of the nation. This book is less the send-up of modern feminism some reviewers have indicated than it is a send-up of the low, finally empty values of all the characters.
The hero lives in a narrow world that has, he sadly recognizes at the end, "no escape." Kultgen, as I read him, is gently suggesting the comic emptiness of the world view that all his younger characters share. The only positive value in their world is "bluntness," a trait distinguishing both the narrator and his paramour Alyna. Certainly, such bluntness is preferable to the whiny manipulativeness of the vulgarly too eager-to-marry Casey and her horrible family. At the same time, the narrator and the more sophisticated Alyna are merely just a boy-man and a girl-woman. They are, Kultgen slyly intimates, nevertheless the finest products of modern American child-raising.
Years ago, Dostoevsky in "Notes From Underground," said of his central character that "such persons as the writer of these notes not only may but must exist in our society, taking into consideration the circumstances under which our society has generally been formed." Kultgen is asking his readers to look at the stunted, even if witty, men and women in his novel and contemplate what comic monsters we "caring" American parents have inadvertently wrought.
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With my wife out of town for the weekend, I couldn't think of a better book to consume me in my "down" time. In fact, if anything, "The Average American Male: A Novel" made me feel a bit guilty because I too am "average" in my experiences. Call it a cathartic experience, but I laughed out loud through nearly every chapter. And as every "Average American Male" knows, we've all experienced the lead character's life in some way or another. The story line was sexy, thoughtful, erotic, humorous and frankly...quite delightful. The author - Chad Kultgen - could be the next Nicholas Baker.
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This was a surprisingly exceptional novel that i picked up from the "new paperback books" at Barnes & Noble after reading the first chapter, which consists of three words. The first few chapters promise an entertaining romp through the daily life of an average guy, with witty comments and satire concerning contemporary icons and ideas, particularly ones that females erroneously hold in high regard, such as Oprah. I've never literally laughed out loud while reading, but i could not help it with some of the satirical moments Chad Kultgen inputs through his nameless protagonist, and while it becomes more tame as the novel progresses, the vulgarity and sex escapades never cease. The first novel by Kultgen missed a five star rating because most of the energy of the novel is in the first third or so, even though the rest was still interesting. Overall, it was a quick read of only one day, and was well worth it for the entertainment and the highly satisfying storyline that all us males can relate to. I'm eager to read Kultgen's next work of contemporary literature, great fun. Strongly recommended.
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This is one of the most origninal and beautifully written books I've ever read. No woman should read it unless they are interested in how the male mind works (and as we learn from this book, most women are not). What astounded me was the realization that the concept of such a book, although obvious to the extreme, had not been previously attempted. I laughed, I pondered, and, finally, I understood. Bravo Chad. A genuine contribution to socially-incorrect literature. I loved it!
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Being a 20-something guy, this book had me cracking up. (Nod to other reviewers: yes, there is more to males. But not much.) Even though the conversations are more simplistic, the sex is over the top and the emotional dryness of the character is exaggerated, "The Average American Male" hits the basic thoughts and motivations of every young male, especially those who are part of the generation of internet porn and Xbox. It makes you laugh because it's true, the same way "Everybody Loves Raymond" does for any married couple. I especially like when he describes trying to come up with the best strategy to turning every conversation with his girlfriend into sex - it's dead-on. This isn't a book you can sink your teeth into, but it's a great Saturday afternoon distraction when there's no Family Guy on and you're tired of playing Halo.
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I hardly ever find a book that keeps my interest or do I rarely seek a book to read. I was in the bookstore with my daughter and mother, they were looking for a book on planets and I saw this book in the center isle, I picked it up and read the first three chapters while waiting, and I was hooked. Great book and I hope the author writes again.
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I think you have to take this book for what it is worth. It is not going to win any awards for its technical writing prowess nor will it break any new ground in the world of fiction. It is an extremely entertaining look at the world through the eyes of a young male in his 20s. The humor in the book can at times trump the storyline, but those times make the book incredibly enjoyable.
I highly recommend taking the quick read...you will not be disappointed.
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This is a fantastic book. Such a simple story, yet so deep - reflecting the true nature of men, and the depressing reality in which we all live. And although I'm Swedish, living in Sweden, the portraying of men and women in this book seems universal.
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I'll do my best to stay focused here. Is every line of this work expertly composed and written? No. Alright, now that we have that out of the way... This book was recommended to me by my brother who's 29. I brought it with me to Iraq and didn't read it until the 2nd month in country. While procrastinating in Kuwait, i loaned my original copy out to another soldier. He consequently loaned it out to another, and so on. After tracking down the first 3 people who read it, i gave up. My brother sent me a new copy which i read. The first chapter was genius, with a short piece afterward during which i aclimatized to the author's nature. After being primed, the rest was always enjoyable. I found myself laughing aloud several times. This was my first time reading a work (of any real length) written in pure, uncensored straight-up male thought. Normally it seems an author takes thought and converts it to written word. Of course, that is always done in writing. What i mean exactly, is that there is no translation necessary here.. the conversion is DIRECT from thought to ink with no water added. This is the aspect i appreciated most. I somewhat questioned relationships after this read. If one takes sexuality out of a relationship completely, what is the primary motivation for anything in the relationship? An interesting question which i think this work poses in a unique way. The work also provoked thoughts of ideas about marriage and what it means to be happy. In my mind, the contemplation of these key points i've mentioned were the author's primary intent - Not to produce something written within all the cookie-cutter literary guidelines.
The bottom line - this is a hugely FUN book to read. It will no doubt bring back some kind of memories and make you laugh. Including myself, out of the total of 7 people i know who read this..all 7 loved it.
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