Old School

Kliatt, May, 2004 by Janet Julian

OLD SCHOOL. Tobias Wolff. 2003. Read by Dan Cashman. 5 cds. No time listed. Books on Tape. 0-7366-9880-9. $48.00. Vinyl; plot notes. A

The anonymous narrator attends a New England prep school where three "glamorous" writers visit each year and the boys compete for a private audience with each author. In 1960, when the story takes place, the school is visited by Robert Frost and Ayn Rand. The narrator, who fancies himself a promising author, loses out to his peers but is determined to win a visit with Ernest Hemingway. He plagiarizes a story by a girl at their sister school and gets caught, then expelled. Around this sorry incident are themes of honor, privilege, the divisiveness of competition, budding sexuality, loyalty, one's image, and religious intolerance.

This coming-of-age story focuses on the literary life of the narrator and his friends. It's not a novel full of action, but a story in which conversation is constant. Because of its emphasis on writers and its use of profanity, it is appropriate for mature teens taking advanced English courses. Dan Cashman reads the story in a young, restrained voice, perfect for the boys and teachers. Ayn Rand sounds European and Frost reads his own work with a New England twang, Janet Julian, Grafton, MA