The Easy Way Out

By: Stephen McCauley

Narrated by: Josh Hurley

Patrick O’Neil is a travel agent who never goes anywhere. His closest confidante, Sharon, is chain-smoking her way to singles hell, passing up man after man. His parents, proprietors of a suburban men’s store whose fortunes are sagging more visibly than its customers, can’t agree how best to interfere in their sons’ lives. And his lover, Arthur (a nice golden retriever of a guy to whom Patrick can’t quite commit), wants to cement their relationship by buying a house.

Then a call comes in the middle of another sleepless night. Tony, Patrick’s straight-as-an-arrow younger brother, has fallen in love with a beautiful lawyer who is turning him on to … opera.

Unfortunately, she’s not the woman he’s already pledged to marry. Tony’s life is a mess. Finally, the brothers have something in common.

©1992 Stephen McCauley (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Read his later works

I loved my ex life so much that I immediately looked for other audiobooks by Stephen McCauley. At the time, there were no other books of his available. I was surprised that this book was written 30 years ago. The details are rather amusing. Jackie Onassis is still alive, the biggest political threat is John Sununu, and there are still travel agents, who can apparently forge airline tickets and get away with it. I felt let down by the narrator, who delivered the author’s dry humor with little self-awareness. He was too upbeat for the material, which might have come off edgier with a more deadpan delivery. I am looking forward to his new novel coming out in January, and have put myself on the waiting list for that. 

New recording of an older book

This is a new recording of a book written in 1992, but since I’m always up for a Stephen McCauley book, I gave it a listen. The novel follows reluctant travel agent Patrick over a few months as he gets involved in solving the relationship problems of family and friends. With McCauley’s typical light touch, we witness moments that range from achingly tender to laugh-out-loud hilarious on Patrick’s journey toward getting his own personal house in order.

In addition to a great story filled with McCauley’s lovingly drawn characters, “The Easy Way Out” serves as an early 1990’s time capsule. From the Pan Am shuttle to smoking in offices to paper airline tickets, it’s a reminder that the details of daily life keep evolving while many of our personal relationships stay the same. It is a fun read.