The Guide for a Single Man Paperback – October 28, 2014

Friday night and it's time to roll. Devin and his friend friend hit New York City and go bar hopping, in order to cheer up Scott, single as of just a few minutes ago. Devin also lets us know about the history of his dating life. Aaron Goldfarb is one of my favorite contemporary writers. There is a companion book, The Guide for a Single Woman, that I suggest reading either before or after this book, as it give a female's point of view from Cheryl, Devin's main squeeze.

Having read the "Guide for a Single Woman" this companion novel is an interesting take from the male side of the evening and night, not really covering the exact same territory, at least metaphysically. It's raunchier, more biting and cruel in its own way, with the same surprise ending. But it contains large doses of male to male tenderness at its center that mitigate the harsh realities of both life and the search for romance. Well worth the read, particularly after reading the other volume.

This was an enjoyable read and also provides some solid, fundamental advice on a healthy outlook on dating and women in general. By infusing humor with practical insight, this book and it's partner book "The Guide for a Single Woman", are able to deliver the message without coming off as creepy (pick up artist crap) or preachy.

The Guide for a Single Man is a sharp, hilarious and honest immersion into contemporary single life -- that isn't the typical "guys be watching football/girls be going shopping" bullsh*t take on men and women. The dual novel is a great concept; but the writing and the meat of the story far exceed the initial smack of the premise. In Single Man, Goldfarb gives us insight into male perspective with two great new characters: Devin -- a seasoned serial dater who walks us through modern dating and sex the way Trainspotting's Mark Renton walks us through heroin addiction -- and Les -- a rational, critical guy more bent on parsing sex (and his lack of) than engaging in it.

The story's got some of the big raucous laughs you'd find in a Tucker Max book. I lol-ed (laughed out loud) throughout and, yes, nearly smp (sh*t my pants). And while I didn't smp, full disclosure here, there did occur a moment where I cshasopcomd (chortled so hard a squirt of p*ss came out my d*ck). But the book is more than just big laughs. Goldfarb's characters are smart and they have souls. Most of the time during the read, I found myself grinning the way I would if reading a Sedaris book. The story has a genuine heart and it beats as his characters navigate the world he presents. In these novels, Goldfarb accomplishes the two simple yet elusive goals that a great storyteller strives to. He's got something to say and he says it really well. The cool thing is, the book is completely accessible. I'd recommend it to well-read literature-savvy friends; but I'd also have zero problem distributing it to my fantasy football league(s).

Kudos with a capital 'k' that makes a very hard 'k' sound.

I've been following Aaron for a few years now. Stumbled across How to Fail in a bookstore and the rest is history. He has the rare ability to make me laugh out loud while reading. It drives my girlfriend nuts because it frequently wakes her up... which segways nicely into Guide for a Single Man. I read this out of loyalty to Aaron's writing merely as an observer. I don't plan on implementing too many of his strategies, but was interested nonetheless. It didn't let me down. It's what I've come to expect from him and hasn't given me any reason to avoid his next one. Heck, I may even read the female equivalent just for a few laughs. Kind of like a guy reading Cosmo for sex tips no?

Anyways, single or not, this is worth a few hours of your public transport commute time. This type of perspective and humor is oddly refreshing.

There are few things in life more frustrating than realizing how clever someone else is.

Imagine being the guy that went to school with the kid that went on to invent the zipper. Sure, you're happy--you've got a family, nice job, maybe even a 401k and season tickets to an MLS team of your choice--but you're not the zipper guy.

The same applies for the best friend of the guy who invented those plastic things on the end of shoelaces (they're called aglets, by the way... who knew?)

The common thread here, along with clever, is simple. Albert Einstein's pals aren't pissed off that they didn't figure out the theory of relativity first. It's about something, when encountered, you knew you had the brainpower to have thought of... but that you never would've.

Honestly, that was my first thought when I came across Aaron Goldfarb's Guides. There's two of them, one a Guide for the Single Man and, naturally, the other a Guide for the Single Woman. As the book's opening so eloquently puts it, either book is "not a sequel, not a prequel, but an equal" and "can be read in either order or completely by themselves in order to learn the full story of two men and two women, and one night New York."

I read that before I dug into both books and thought, "Man, that's a great idea."

I was annoyed, not at the idea (which, beautifully, is both very clever and very simple), but that I hadn't thought of it and that I likely never would have.

...Before we go any further--let me just say this: yes, this review is for both books. Technically, as Goldfarb (or his publishers) have pointed out they are separate entities but you're wasting your time if you don't think you're going to read one without the other. Carry on...

Each story follows one of two groups of friends, Les and Devin or Erin and Cheryl. Both start out the same--Les and Erin are fresh out of relationships and have sought out the companionship of their longtime buddies, their single partners-in-crime Devin and Cheryl, for a night on the town to booze away all that ails.

Both friends, Devin and Cheryl, attempt to use the night to teach their respective friend a thing or two. Devin, in many ways your stereotypical know-it-all lothario with a quick answer and even quicker story for everything, is desperately trying to explain to his broken-hearted pal Les what he's been doing wrong all his life as it pertains to women. Cheryl, on the other hand, is trying to inform her newly single bud of all that comes with being a single woman, and how to do it best.

As you'd expect, their respective bar crawls intertwine and nights intersect. We learn more and more about each pairing--where they came from, how they got here and where they're going--but that's not the gem of these books.

In fact, even the surprise twist towards the end of each isn't the best part (though, in fairness, it is a good one).

What makes these guides so fun to read is the ability to learn about the other side's perspective. Whichever book you start with, the second you begin to read the other, you'll notice all the droppings you missed. The clues, the hints, the overlapping stories and--better still--the opposing perspectives you hadn't even considered and in most stories never get the chance to hear from.

Goldfarb does a fantastic job of weaving the stories together, despite keeping them under separate titles.

Sure, there are elements of the plots that are a bit too stereotypical (probably by design) and there are far too many word puns and double entendres for my liking... but it's a relatable story told in a way I'd yet to read.

You see, we've all been around the block a few times when it comes to the fictional dating world. In literature, in film--most of the stories take the shape of a few, pretty recognizable archetypes. That's not to say they're not enjoyable. Like pop songs, it may not be hip to like them, but hey, they're popular for a reason.

With all that said, when someone comes with a fresh take, two books telling the story of one night of dating and love in New York City, I'm in.

So, is it the cleverest thing I've ever come across in my whole life?

No, of course not.

But no one said you needed to re-invent the wheel to be clever. Just redefine it a bit.