This Boys Life

This Boys Life Book Review

Author: Tobias Wolff

Review

By:

Alejandro Amado

The title of This Boys Life is in my opinion is very adequate for the book. I think this because the whole story is based on the life of Toby Wolff, (Yes, he is the author.) The story is funny and suspenseful. The whole story is based on Toby and his mother moving from place to place and the challenges that await them. For example in almost the middle of the book Toby’s mother gets married, Toby’s step father is very abusive to Toby, this creates conflict in the book ultimately making it interesting.

The book was written in 1^st person, and is written much like in the style of The Catcher in The Rye, because they both have that same crude writing style, it’s not a bad thing it’s just that type of style. But, personally I enjoyed This Boys Life better because a lot more things happen. This Boys Life takes you through the life of Toby since he was in elementary till high school. As in The Catcher in the Rye the whole book is in a matter of a few days.

My book is all about Toby, and his mother. Toby and his mother have a very close relationship since Toby’s father is not with them. They always have to stick together, this is very evident during the story because when Toby is out of his mothers sights he smokes, drinks, and has the I don’t care about any rules type of attitude. But, when he goes home at the end of the day to his mother, he becomes caring nice and the perfect child. Toby lived with his mother and step father a good part of the book, his abusive step father hit Toby and treated Toby horribly. Toby didn’t mention these things to his mother because he already saw how heart broken she was during the last divorce that he couldn’t let it occur again. He knew if he told all those horrible things they would probably leave his step father.

Lines I love:

“It was an ugly dog. Its short yellow coat was bare in patches, and once eat hung in pennant-like shreds. It had pink, and almost hairless tail.” –Pg. 169

“My Winchester is gone,” I said

“That dog is purebred Weimaraner,” Dwight said, keeping his eyes on the TV.

“I don’t want it. I want my Winchester.”

“Then you’re shit out of luck, because your Winchester is on its way to Seattle.” -Pg. 170

“When we are green, still half-created, we believe that our dreams are rights, that the world is disposed to act in our best interests, and that falling and dying are for quitters.” Pg. 286