Download Audio Books from Audible.

Customer reviews

5 star		37%
4 star		19%
3 star		19%
2 star		13%
1 star		12%

How are ratings calculated?

Review this product

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Susie | Novel Visits

Couldn't get Through This One!

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2019

My Thoughts: I don’t usually review a book I didn’t finish, but I did read 55% of The Topeka School and I think that’s enough to share a few thoughts on it. I really wanted to like this story of a family steeped in psychiatry, with a son moving toward manhood. The story started out strong with a really sort of odd opening that completely drew me in and left me wanting more. From there, things went down hill. It felt like Ben Lerner had a lot of things he wanted to write about and he tried hard to squeeze it all into a single story. Paragraphs became overly long and rambling. The story took cake walks, veering off into sub-plots that had little to do with what (I think) was the heart of the story. Everyone in the story seemed to have their own thing going on, leading to a lack of any cohesive storyline. The more I read, the less I cared until I finally could go no further.

Note: I received a copy of this book from Farrar, Straus and Giroux (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Twink

An Intriguing Read

Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book was certainly a challenging read. If you are looking for a quick, easy read, this is not that book (buy it anyway for when you are wanting something with more depth). This book seemed like it was one long run-on sentence and had a non-linear time line and switches between four interrelated characters; despite this or maybe in spite of this, this novel was a must-read in my opinion and tries to help make sense of the country we now find ourselves in.

As I read this book, I have to admit that I wondered how much of it would make sense unless you grew up in Northeast Kansas during the 90s. Likewise, unless you were a Debater or Forensics "nerd" in high school, I wondered how much someone would understand the references to these activities that were discussed throughout the book. Like the author, I grew up in NE Kansas during the 90s (I am ever-so slightly older) and was a frequent visitor to Topeka, so a lot of references were familiar to me. (As a HS Forensics participant, and having had one child (so far) be a Debater, I was very familiar with the numerous Debate and Forensics references). Invariably, we saw protests from Fred Phelps' "church." Most of us, even my ultra-conservative mother, were appalled by the protests, but much like the book states, the objections to Fred Phelps had little to do with the demeaning of the LGBTQ community. While this book touched on a lot of issues, one of the most profound moments of this book for me revolved around the issue of Fred Phelps: Why were the citizens of Topeka (or anywhere) so offended by him when they agreed with him? (Please note: I do not agree with Fred Phelps or his ideologies.)

I never imagined that I would receive parenting insight with this book, but as a mom to two boys, the issue of toxic masculinity is a recurrent concern and is something that weighs on my heart. I do not want my boys to think it is acceptable to treat girls/women as only sex objects (as was my experience growing up in the 90s and even still now, ugh!) nor in any way inferior, yet I do not want them to feel that they are somehow inferior or invalidated because they are male.

And now, I feel compelled to address the, ahem, elephant in the room. This novel tried to provide a backstory for how Donald Trump happened. Yes, I still live in Kansas, but I can assure you there are cities/areas in this "red" state that are liberal (or purple), much like the family portrayed in this novel. (I would argue that we do not have "red" or "blue" states, we have concentrated areas in each state that lean politically one way and they are better defined by rural, urban, suburban.) The subject of Donald Trump and how anyone can support him is certainly a compelling psychological examination, no matter which side you are on. I think this book makes some interesting conclusions that show how some of this absurd current circumstance even became possible. Which brings it back to the conclusion about Fred Phelps: Why are they offended when they agree? Yikes.

So, go find a quiet, comfy space, grab a cup of tea (or coffee), and allot yourself chunk of time to try to read this gem of a book in a single setting (or 2). It's well worth your time.

Damon Morley

A Slow Burn. Emphasis on Slow

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

Despite the obvious pretension--or maybe because of--I enjoyed Ben Lerner's previous books, and so decided to give The Topeka School a go. As always, Lerner is a fine writer. The issue here is the story is not terribly compelling. It is no secret that the book is based on the author's years, and perhaps therein lies the problem: Everyone is interested in their own story, but that doesn't mean that their story is interesting.

SB

No, not for me

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2019

Verified Purchase

I read the reviews, and couldn't wait to read the book. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but struggled to finish the middle and end. I found it confusing and rambling, and stopped caring about the characters.

Book Lady

Cliff Notes for David Foster Wallace Infinite Jest

Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2019

Verified Purchase

While Ben Lerner is finding his own voice and plot and characters, he's appropriated Foster Wallace. And why not? It's always good for a critically reviewed author to be linked with the master. It makes for great book blurbs although not necessarily great literature. So with lots of words and watered down Foster Wallace, Lerner happily sails into Topeka Kansas and parodying Menningers,writes about a surreal institute called, imaginatively the Institute--but wait, isn't this the terroritory of Boyle stories reimaging insttions for fictional purposes? Reading Topeka School is like reading an anthology of 20-21 century American literature. His disturbed main character also has a lot of Holden Caulfeld and lots of other young, disturbed, smart mouthed, disaffected young men. So there's nothing really new or innovative here but since I'm too plebian to get through Infinite Jest it's nice to have it reduced to Cliff Notes that I can access.

Velho

I tried three times and could never get into this book

Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

From my perspective as a voracious reader, but only occasional amateur reviewer, this is a book that makes no sense. I tried three times to read it and each time, cast it aside. It might be written by someone very high on mind-altering substances or just basically disconnected from everything. A given sentence might make a bit of sense, but a following sentence has nothing to do with the preceding sentence. That seems to be way the entire book is structured. I've given it to friends who are far brighter than I and asked them to please let me know what it is about.

Ellen Safier

A brilliant, exhilarating read

Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2019

Verified Purchase

This is a brilliant book and an exhilarating read. Ben Lerner has an extraordinary capacity to capture the interior lives of his characters while placing them in the larger cultural and political storms of a distinct midwestern city. His ability to shift perspectives seamlessly helps to see how the struggles of becoming young men over 20 years ago foreshadow the dilemmas that continue to face us in profound ways today.

Alice A. Lieberman

Tour de force is not hyperbole

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2019

Verified Purchase

I have read about 60 pages and find it a stunning achievement. Ben Lerner is such an original voice-although much of what he writes is autobiographical, the way he uses his own story to expose truths about toxic masculinity and even the construct of truth itself is astonishing. You will be entertained by reading this book, but you’ll also be smarter when you finish it (at least I felt that way!).

Top reviews from other countries

Careful Reader

Disappointing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

After an amusing and intriguing opening, The Topeka School book takes a quick dive into dullsville. With references to pre-digital filmmaking, its 1997 setting and an italicised opening dive into a disturbed mind, this novel only served to remind me of David Foster Wallace's wonderfully-sentenced Inifinite Jest and make me wish I was reading that instead. Several times I found myself asking my living room wall 'What's the damn point?' Its silence, its blank stare proved to be a devastatingly accurate reply. I returned the book to Amazon. My reason for return? Performance or quality inadequate.

K. Hicks

Dull

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 18, 2019

Verified Purchase

First book of n 18 months I have not finished. Got to 47% of the way through and decided I was so bored with it I gave up.

Nelly

It's a hit.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2020

Verified Purchase

This was bought for my Mother in law. She loved it and couldn't stop raving about it, so much so that she will be recommending it to her book group.

Morten Goller

A novel for the ages

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2020

Verified Purchase

Lerner’s two previous novels left me cold, some truly outstanding writing, but the protagonists were simply too self-sentered (and filled with self-pity). A shame, as parts of both books are amazing. This book, however, is simply brilliant through and through. A great story, told in a sensitive and beautiful way - a must read.

Duckmanthing

Arrived in a poor state

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2019

Verified Purchase

This was ordered as a Christmas present, and opened it on Christmas Eve before wrapping it. Unfortunately the bottom of the dust jacket was creased in several places. There wasn't time to send it back for a replacement. Not very impressed.

See all reviews