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There are currently 29 member reviews
for Extraordinary Adventures
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Donna W. (Wauwatosa, WI)
Extra-Ordinary Adventures
This was a good book with an appealing, likeable main character. After an unexpected telephone call, Bronfman, a lonely, gentle man who has not experienced much in his 34 years, finds himself in need of a traveling companion.
By beginning this search for a friend, Bronfman opens himself up to all the things life has to offer. We meet many other broken people along the way, and through it all I was routing for Bronfman to succeed. "Extra-Ordinary Adventures" was an enjoyable and quick read.
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Linda Z. (Melville, NY)
Vacation Destination
I would like to thank BookBrowse and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced
Reading Edition of "Extraordinary Adventures" by Daniel Wallace. The genres
of this book are fiction, humor and satire.
I find that the author introduces us to some intriguing, quirky, and
complicated characters.
The main character, Edsel Bronfman can be described as a predictable,
boring, unimaginative and appears to have an uneventful life. Edsel's job
and his mother seem to be the constant factor in his life.
One day, Edsel gets a call from a company called "Extraordinary
Adventures", and the operator tells him he has won a weekend by the beach in
Florida. The only strings attached is he has to sit for a speech on condo
opportunities and he must bring a companion. Now Edsel is in a pickle. He
really has no friends, or girlfriends.
Edsel's mother is quite a "firecracker", and highly spirited.
Some complications appear in Edsel's life. His mother seems to be getting
dementia, making her unpredictable.
Edsel hires help for his mother and is determined that somehow, someway
he will find a companion to take on his free vacation.
Edsel has some interesting adventures.
At times I found myself feeling sorry for Edsel, or frustrated that he
seemed like an "afterthought". As Edsel gets more confidence, he has more
hope and is optimistic. He feels anything can happen. There are positive and
negative things that occur.
Daniel Wallace uses subtle satire and humor through his descriptions, and
I find that I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it. Does Edsel get to
Florida? You will have to read this to find out!!
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Jane N. (Little Egg Harbor, NJ)
Extraordibary
Sometimes we all need a deadline for whatever it is that we need to do. Hopefully we meet those deadlines the way that Edsel Bronfman met his. Edsel really had no one, or anything special, for that matter in his life. Mothers don't count for this kind of special ! Edsel receives a phone call that promises him a vacation for him and a special friend. Problem is, he doesn't have a special friend. However, he has a time line to find one and he embarks on an extraordinary adventure ! Edsel proves that anything is possible when you're open for it ! It also helps not to prejudge or be too picky when you're being open to new adventures ! This book is a joy to read and is hard to put down because you really do want to find out how it is all going to end !
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Sharlene M. (Middleburg, FL)
I love Edsel Bronfman
Yes, I love Edsel Bronfman. We've all known an Edsel. Kind of a nice but pathetic nerdy guy that everybody pretty much ignores. Edsel is plugging along with life when he answers a phone call and learns he has won an all expenses paid three-day weekend at Sandscapes condominium in Destin, Florida. The only catch is that he has to listen to an hour-long presentation on Sandscapes and the charm of Destin. Oh, and the prize is for Edsel and a companion. Or so he thinks. Now Edsel has yet to have a date, unless you count a brief encounter with Mary Day McCauley back in high school where he may or may not have lost his virginity. So who could he possibly know well enough to consider asking them to spend the weekend in beautiful Destin. As if this isn't enough excitement for one day, the receptionist in his building, Sheila McNabb, strikes up a conversation with him on the way to lunch and the plot unfolds from there. As Edsel becomes more comfortable with Sheila, his personality begins to blossom and soon a number of attractive young women find something worthwhile in Edsel.
Daniel Wallace does an excellent job in developing his characters, from Edsel to Sheila, Edsel's impossible mother, Muriel, and his next door neighbor, Thomas Edison. As Edsel's life unfolds, all kinds of possibilities open up. Will Edsel find a soul mate to spend the all expense paid weekend in beautiful Destin, Florida? No spoiler here. I hope you enjoy this delightful novel as much as I did.
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Liz B. (Fairview, TX)
Slow but Engaging
This novel is a sweet story of an innocent man "coming of age" after winning a free beach vacation that required a companion. Edsel worked at his budding relationship and eventually grew by leaps and bounds. This book was slow at the beginning as Edsel's quest for a companion seemed hopeless. However, it gained speed as it went on, leaving the reader anxious to discover the ending. The characters were well-developed and there are some terrific themes for book clubs to discuss. Nicely done!
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Carol F. (Lake Linden, MI)
Choices
The smallest choices we make every day can change our lives. Edsel decides to start changing his life by making changes so minor they are almost unnoticeable. And so begins the journey of Edsel from his routine, boring life to the more adventurous life he never dreamed he would have. A good read full of memorable characters.
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Melissa S. (Rowland, NC)
A Not-So-Ordinary Life
The synopsis of Wallace's most current novel is described as the unfolding of the adventures of a painfully ordinary man trying to do an extraordinary thing- change the course of his life. I have to somewhat disagree with the premise that Edsel Bronfman is an ordinary man. On the contrary, he's quite the opposite. Nothing about Bronfman, the man he is and what make him tick, is ordinary. Yes, he lives an ordinary life on the outside- he has an aging mother he's trying to look after, a 9-5 boring job, and he lives alone in a dumpy apartment. However, that's where the ordinary stops. Bronfman is quite the eccentric character. Everything about him, what makes him "tick", is not "normal."
When he sets out to find someone to share a weekend vacation he won, his life takes on "extra-ordinary adventures."
I found myself very much in Bronfman's corner, rooting for him. I wanted him to "win" at life, to find someone to share his quirkiness with and find some sense of accomplishment.
I found that just when the novel turns a little boring, a crazy circumstance jumps in and catches the reader again. The situation with the neighbor and his friend, Coco, keep the reader a little on edge. I was constantly telling Bronfman to stay away form both the neighbors and the apartment. His mother, who suffers with dementia, adds a twist of comedy as well as sadness. Their relationship is one many readers will identify with.
I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes easy reading, not too deep, and loves to root for the little guy - the one who never seems to get it quite right.
I enjoyed Wallace's style. He manages to entice the reader with very direct language. His writing is efficient without sacrificing quality.
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