Overall, what do you think of Young Man, Muddled?

Overall, what do you think of Young Man, Muddled? (no spoilers in this thread, please)

I lived the same events so it was nothing new to me. We interpreted some things differently based on our upbringings and beliefs. I was interested in his romance with Maura. Overall, he wrote it for himself and I really didn't care about it.

I agree with Marcia S that Kanigel's motivation in writing this was likely primarily for himself. But I think that is the same for most authors, particularly memoir writers -- why otherwise would a person spend months, probably years writing something unless they felt driven to do so? So, I don't see that as a negative.

I found Young Man, Muddled very relatable despite being too young to have lived through the period he writes about. In fact, it's the "ordinariness" of his story that I found particularly compelling. I was also that kid standing on the sidelines feeling crushingly lonely; and the one who was far too young for their year in school; and my parents also taught me that "some parts of life had weight and worth" and others did not -- and it was decades later before I began to realize how weighed down by the force of their opinions I had been, because their interests and values were not mine.

Reading memoirs where somebody has heroically overcome their awful circumstances is certainly inspiring but rarely relatable. In contrast, this book helped me understand myself better, and that I value greatly.

I agree with Joanna M for the most part. I was impressed with Kanigel’s ordinariness and his ability to make ordinary a compelling read.

I always want to see a book with a title that describes it well. In this case Kanigel’s word “muddled” was a perfect description of these years in his life. While I was impatient midway through the story I found myself relaxing after that into the muddling. Realizing it was not unlike friends’ or my own experiences made it an easier read past the midpoint of the book. I enjoyed reading about his journey.

I lived through the same era and years as Kanigel, and I was excited about reading this memoir, but ultimately, disappointed. I didn’t feel he brought much that was insightful, intimate or new to those familiar events. I never felt as if I truly got to know him. Memoirs are among my favorite books to read, but I want to feel there is a reason for this person to tell his story. I agree with Marcia that it felt he wrote it for himself.

I really loved this book perhaps due to the influence of a dear friend who's committed to the belief it's important to write down our memories regardless of what they are. Maybe he wrote this just for himself but that's not bad; it's "his" story and I respected that. I think this is why I like reading memoirs as much as I do. Also as a contemporary of Kanigel's I kind of relieved some of the moments in time that he wrote about and remembered my feelings at that time - I enjoy books that take me back in time or to places I've visited. I felt what he wrote about was honest, insightful and beautifully crafted.

I lived in Chicago during those times so this book was kind of hard to read. Brought back lots of memories that I don’t care to think about.

I agree with Jude that there needs to be a good reason to write a memoir. I didn't find it in this book.

There were several elements of the memoir that I found appealing, including how he concisely wove in major events from the news as well as specific songs from the time period. While I was glad he explained at the end of the book how his relationship with Maura evolved, I was very disappointed by his lack of reflection about his parents influence in his childhood ultimately contributed to his career in writing. He noted the “Only realm worthy of encouragement in our house was that of books, of the intellect, of arts, ideas and the big world.” All of that sounded like such a wonderful foundation for the career he eventually choose, yet he never went back to how that did or did not influence his ability to think and write. (P. 42) Likewise, his mention of “flirting about writing an essay about philosopher Herbert Marcuse’s idea of repressive sublimation” made me wonder at what point was he exposed to this philosopher and his ideas? Was it at home talking with his parents, a show on PBS, a class at RPI, or in a book he read for fun?

I love a good memoir and find that the ordinariness of the work made it even more enjoyable for me. Ultimately, I do believe that memoirs are written primarily for the author, but I am a people person and enjoy reading about others and their life experiences...especially if it is relatable to my life.

I really enjoyed the book because I think he's a great writer and I'm about a decade younger. Perhaps because I've read so many memoirs from people whose lives were devastated by the late 60's, the Vietnam War, etc that I enjoyed the ordinariness of it too. Not everyone put together a failed garage band/fried their brains with LSD/ended up in jail from a protest.

I was unimpressed with his impressions and conclusions. He and I were born the same year and grew up in the same time ....he appears to struggle with finding reasons to blame others for all of his unhappiness or discontent. He and I perceived things and events very differently!

Having lived in the Chicago area during the time the author describes I found many ordinary connections to memories and events he described. It brought back memories that we cannot always hold in the present for a variety of reasons. Those moments were an enjoyable part of the book. The author is writing a memoir so everything will be related to what he finds relevant and important to him. I found at times my mind wandered and I had to concentrate to get back to the story.

I grew up in the 60’s and am familiar with the events of those times, although I spent my young adult years on the west coast. But oh my, what a yawn. While describing Maura’s incomprehensible behavior he writes her actions are “so far outside the narrow range of my thin adult experience”. Well that seems to me how he describes all his experiences surrounding his lovers, work life and especially his venture to Paris. This was a very uninteresting read for me.

I liked it more than I expected I would. I lived through these same experiences (I am 2 years younger than the author). The book brought back memories that, if not exactly buried, aren't uppermost in my mind, and got me to reminisce about how I reacted at the time to some of those same events. Even such a mundane detail as his having worked at Winchester's in New Haven one summer spurred me to remembering how many of my male relatives worked for Winchester's, sometimes for their entire careers, and how the factory was one of the backdrops of my childhood. Although I've been in New York City for 50 years now, New Haven and its nearby suburb is where I started and spent my formative childhood years, and where I go back to several times a year.

I found the author's somewhat laid-back style different from that of many memoirs, and at times I wished for a bit more introspection, but overall, I enjoyed the book for its ordinariness and its acknowledgement that sometimes the right career finds you, despite your efforts to resist it.

I thought it was a slow read, but it is well written. How life just sort of keeps happening in front of you and you adapt. Especially when you're not exactly sure what it is your looking for.

My mother always said that memoirs were some kind of therapy for writers. I disagreed with her until reading this one. I didn't feel it was written for readers but more as a journal exercise for the author.

Meandering musings of a self absorbed man. That may be harsh but for the most part I do feel like I would like the time back that I spent on this one. This was a memoir that I could enjoy only in parts where it brought back history that I haven't pondered for a while. Overall I agree with laruag - this one was more of a journal exercise for the author.

After I started reading the book, it was a challenge for me to pick the book up again and continue reading it. Even tho’ I was a young person during the same era, there were only a few times where the author’s perspective interest me.