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Jason Diamond

Searching for John Hughes: Or Everything I Thought I Needed to Know about Life I Learned from Watching '80s Movies Kindle Edition

by Jason Diamond (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.0 88 ratings

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For all fans of John Hughes and his hit films such as National Lampoon’s Vacation, Sixteen Candles, and Home Alone, comes Jason Diamond’s hilarious memoir of growing up obsessed with the iconic filmmaker’s movies—a preoccupation that eventually convinces Diamond he should write Hughes’ biography and travel to New York City on a quest that is as funny as it is hopeless.

For as long as Jason Diamond can remember, he’s been infatuated with John Hughes’ movies. From the outrageous, raunchy antics in National Lampoon’s Vacation to the teenage angst in The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink to the insanely clever and unforgettable Home Alone, Jason could not get enough of Hughes’ films. And so the seed was planted in his mind that it should fall to him to write a biography of his favorite filmmaker. It didn’t matter to Jason that he had no qualifications, training, background, platform, or direction. Thus went the years-long, delusional, earnest, and assiduous quest to reach his goal. But no book came out of these years, and no book will. What he did get was a story that fills the pages of this unconventional, hilarious memoir.

In Searching for John Hughes, Jason tells how a Jewish kid from a broken home in a Chicago suburb—sometimes homeless, always restless—found comfort and connection in the likewise broken lives in the suburban Chicago of John Hughes’ oeuvre. He moved to New York to become a writer. He started to write a book he had no business writing. In the meantime, he brewed coffee and guarded cupcake cafes. All the while, he watched John Hughes movies religiously.

Though his original biography of Hughes has long since been abandoned, Jason has discovered he is a writer through and through. And the adversity of going for broke has now been transformed into wisdom. Or, at least, a really, really good story.

In other words, this is a memoir of growing up. One part big dream, one part big failure, one part John Hughes movies, one part Chicago, and one part New York. It’s a story of what comes after the “Go for it!” part of the command to young creatives to pursue their dreams—no matter how absurd they might seem at first.

Print length

301 pages
Language

English
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On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication date

November 29, 2016
File size

797 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

I absolutely adored [this] bittersweet, charming, and hilarious memoir.

-- "Jami Attenberg, New York Times bestselling author"

Jason Diamond writes with equal parts wit and candor about what happens when life diverges wildly from the suburban fairy tales made popular by John Hughes.

-- "Maris Kreisman, author of Slaughterhouse 90210" --This text refers to the audioCD edition.

About the Author

Jason Diamond is the founder of Vol. 1 Brooklyn and an associate editor at Mensjournal.com. His work has been published by the New York Times, The Paris Review, Pitchfork, Vice, Bookforum, McSweeney's, and many other publications. He lives in Brooklyn.

--This text refers to the mp3_cd edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01BSJO584
Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks (November 29, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 29, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 797 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 301 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,562,199 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,011 in Biographies of Journalists
- #1,136 in Movie Director Biographies
- #1,677 in Censorship & Politics

Customer Reviews:
4.0 88 ratings

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Jason Diamond

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Jason Diamond is the sports editor at Rollingstone.com and founder of Vol. 1 Brooklyn. His work has been published by The New York Times, BuzzFeed, Vulture, The New Republic, The Paris Review, Pitchfork, Esquire, Vice and many other outlets. He was born in Skokie, Illinois, but currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife, his two cats and his dog named Max.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5

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carilynp

can relate to any of the members of The Breakfast Club or think of Pretty in Pink as your high school soundtrack

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2017

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If you grew up on John Hughes movies or found them later in life, can quote every line in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off or still dream of taking that day off, can relate to any of the members of The Breakfast Club or think of Pretty in Pink as your high school soundtrack, then Jason Diamond’s memoir SEARCHING FOR JOHN HUGHES might be just what you want to read. Just a warning, it is sad and has some very dark moments. Diamond, who grew up on the North Shore, which Chicagoans and Hughes fans will know all too well, had probably one of the most unpleasant childhoods I have ever heard/read about. In fact, I am still haunted by it and commend him for his strength to not only write about it but to have survived it. I admire his quest to become a writer, to pursue Mr. Hughes to such lengths, and to have the determination to stick with something even at great financial loss. But, stick with it he did and without giving any spoilers, he knew what his end goal was and did it all on his own. It is a remarkable story.

I am shocked at both of his parents’ behavior and I hope that in the not-too-distant future, Diamond might share what became of his mother and father and how he came to peace with how they treated him. There was both abuse, physical and emotional, as well as abandonment, and no resolution shared in the course of the book. The parts about his childhood were so painful to read, and although Diamond was resourceful, he shouldn't have had to be, as only a teen, and the cruelty that they showed to him was unforgivable.

Loving Chicago and the North Shore as well as Hughes’ movies, I was inclined to read the book and relive the movies in all their glory. Each of them brings back memories of not only life as a teen, but of the city that I adore, which the director so lovingly captured on film.

This is a heartfelt memoir that shows you really can follow your dreams, get knocked down a lot, get back up again and again, and if you don’t give up, you might just be surprised where you land.

7 people found this helpful

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Alan Jobb

Not what I thought, it was better.

Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2017

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John Hughes is the hook, the reason you first click on and buy the book. But quickly I realized it wasn't what I thought it was going to be. It was better. Smart, funny, moving and very well written.

My "current reading" list is always somewhere in the 70-100 range as I have varied interests and tend to pop around a lot on what I read day to day. But about twice a year a book will grab me and demand to be read in a few days. This was one of those books.

My expectation was a nostalgic journey through the movies that defined by teenage years. I was a teenager in the 80s and frequent saw myself in those movie, even if it was as the bad guy Jock who just happened to also be a good student and loved to read. But this book ends up being a much more challenging and real account of those people as mutli dimensional people and not the two dimensional stereotypes of the movies. The authors journey is nothing like mine, but it was completely authentic and left me with the full Jim Valvano experience (think, laugh, cry)

3 people found this helpful

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E. MC

Searching for a great read?

Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2016

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I came into this as a huge Hughes fan thinking it would be lot of commentary on movies, but I was surprised at how personal and powerful of a memoir this turned out to be. For those who've ever felt out of place, left behind, or otherwise discarded by a world that just doesn't understand -- this is a book for you. Diamond turns from a painful childhood toward the bucolic cinematic universe of John Hughes, in turn finding that one can only hide in film for so long. While the story is dark and at times difficult to read, the book is a testament to the will of young artists and the power of media to provide solace even when we are the most vulnerable. It reminded me of another moving book about teens, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Diamond's earnest prose and deeply personal connection to Hughes makes for a great read, especially if you've ever struggled to find somewhere and something to call your own.

7 people found this helpful

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Chris Tweitmann

Proceed With Caution...less about Hughes and more about the life of a Hughes devotee.

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2017

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A decent but rather depressing read. This book is more of an autobiography than a biography of John Hughes. The moments of actual reflection upon John Hughes, his films and his legacy are good but do not compromise the bulk of this book. The life story of the author's life is sad, frustrating and needlessly repetitive. At times reading this book feels like the years it takes him to figure out himself and what to do with his life. What bothered me the most though was the tease of something never delivered -- some in depth, actual engagement with John Hughes or any of the actors who worked with him. You're strung along as if this is actually going to take place at some point but it never does.

2 people found this helpful

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Leah Odze Epstein

Loved this book. Funny, sad, entertaining, instructive Especially fun if you are or ever were an aspiring writer or an 80s teen, as I was

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2021

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I loved the tone, the subject matter, the alternating between self reflection and pop culture tidbits. It all blended together beautifully

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David Sabin

There's no place like home

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2020

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I thought this book was well written! I am also from the North suburbs of Chicago. There was quite a few stories in the book that I felt a personal connection to.

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Christina Deibel

Not worth your precious time

Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2022

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This book isn't much about John Hughes as it is about the author and how he connects his life to John Hughes's movies. Really slow🐌 and not interesting at all.

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Brookfield

A warm and poignant memoir

Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2019

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Sensitive, richly drawn, and often quite funny.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Tracey Morgan

Great read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2017

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A beautifully written autobiography, I think writers in particular would identify with the author. Just disappointed I won't get to read Diamond's biography on John Hughes (I'll keep hoping though). Made me laugh, cry, and gave me a fuzzy feeling at the end - just like a good Hughes movie.

Highly recommended.