Indecision: A Novel Paperback – April 11, 2006

This is a sharp and witty novel . It is written by an author who will be (if he not already is) a genuine presence in American literature. A novel about a not-so-young man's rite of passage, defining his understanding of his self, the novel easily takes its place in the portrait of Americans beset by social as well as existential choices. And again, it is sharply and unexpectedly funny in all the right (and wrong) places.

The first 50 pages of Indecision were like brain candy. Specifically, they were like Pop Rocks for my late twenty-something post-ironic soul - a lot of fizzle and the promise of danger, and also some drooling. Every other line in the first quarter of this book made me want to throw it across the room in a fit of envy/admiration. So clever! So right on the money! Aargh, I wish I had thought of this first!The middle 100 or so pages, however, were different. I started to pick up a rhythm of beats and scenes and sequences, faint at first and then undeniable. The density of good lines decreased sharply and by the time I was about 2/3 of the way through I realized I was reading an extended screenplay/treatment.The epilogue is really inexplicable. It feels a little Frankensteinish, like some grotesque body part grafted onto the wrong novel. It was as if Mr. Kunkel wanted Dwight to arc from Point A to Point B, realized ten pages from the end that he had not gotten the character anywhere near where he needed to be, emotionally, intellectually or even just geographically in the story, and basically just drew a straight line to the end, as in, voila, here we are.I think a lot of the negative reviews on here may have been brought on as a result of backlash at the crazy amounts of attention Mr. Kunkel has received, especially from the New York Times. I think he absolutely deserves it - the attention, not the backlash. But I do think this book, for whatever reasons (hopefully not including a rush to completion driven by a justifiably excited publisher) falls way short of the promise it exhibits in the opening chapters.Still, I know I'm buying his next book no matter what, so I guess that says a lot right there. I guess I was just expecting so much from Jay McInerney's review (that'll teach me) that even an above average reading experience was a severe letdown.

i do think the book got progressively worse as it went on, (full disclosure: i often feel that way, even with the classics) however it started out so good that on balance i still think it was worth the read. It paints a very accurate portrait of a generation while telling a great story.

I have to say, as I often say, that I agree with many of the reviews that have been posted here. I approached this book with great anticipation -- very good reviews, potentially interesting story line but, aas it turned out, I was really disappointed and borderline annoyed that this book had received the hype that it did. I was about 2/3 's of the way through and struggling to finish it and mentioned it to a friend of mine who is a published author, whose opinions I respect ,and asked him about this book and he said "he just gave up" about 1/2 way through --however, I did persist and with some judicious scanning did finish it. I did, however, like the beginning, thought it was funny and clever and really enjoyed Kunkel's capturing of some of the "voices" in a very humourouis way, (e.g. his father and mother) but once he goes off to Ecuador the book really sinks and goes absolutely nowhere as far as I am concerned. But, as they say, you don't know what something tastes like unless you try it ...and this one just didn't do it for me.

This order came on time. It was way more than I expected, so it will last a long time.

Amazingly uneven--put the book down and decided to stop reading it several times. But...for some reason kept on and was glad that I did. Try it. There are plum parts in it--no question about that. It helps if you're a fast reader.

Well-written voyage of personal discovery. Enjoyable, compelling read.

Twenty-eight and living in New York City, Dwight Wilmerding has difficulty making decisions. He just goes with the flow. Although his life could be said to lack direction and meaning, it does feature an apartment with several roommates, a non-committed "romantico-sexual" relationship, and a comfortable tech-support job with Pfizer. He also has the support of his divorced parents and his sister, for whom he may harbor something more than sibling affection. Discontent with his life but lacking any clear or compelling alternative, he flows ever onward with his tenth reunion approaching... that is until he receives a message from an old friend, someone he once fancied. Her off-handed invitation to visit her in Quito, Ecuador is interpreted as sincere and, a few coin flips later, Dwight is arranging travel plans. In the aftermath, he both loses his job and is offered a new trial drug that promises to treat his "abulia," his inability to make decisions. Perhaps the timing could not be better as he sets off on a potentially life-altering journey to a strange land in an effort to kindle a romance that should have been.With a robust sense of self, few aspirations, and a wry outlook on life, Dwight makes for an entertaining and engaging protagonist. His razor-sharp observations are delightfully humorous and his self-deprecation is endearing. His voice is authentic and his plight is vividly portrayed. The author, Benjamin Kunkel, has captured something of the essence of this age in Dwight Wilmerding. If only he can decide if the new pills intended to make him more decisive are working...The key to appreciating "Indecision" is to enjoy the ride. Find the humor and the poignancy in the narrative voice and don't expect a meaningful payoff or resolution in the end. The author flirts with socio-economic and political meaning, but only shallowly. He doesn't go to any pains to present a polemic on third world economy or capitalist evil despite allusions to them. Because of this, Dwight's reformation or conversion appears awkward and disingenuous. But the political content of the book isn't its raison d'etre, even if the narrator argues otherwise. Nor is Dwight's budding romantic relationship the focus. Instead, the depiction of ambivalence and the surrender of self-determination is the core of the novel. Supplement that with several intriguing characters, including a captivating protagonist, and you have a winner. Even if several events over the last 30 pages leave the reader scratching his head, the book is an intellectually stimulating, fun(ny), and worthwhile journey.

Vielleicht sollte man das Buch lieber auf Deutsch lesen, auf Englisch war es mir schon ein wenig zu konfus. Hat mir aber schlussendlich gut gefallen.