Reviews for The Pint Man

The average rating for The Pint Man based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-03-19 00:00:00 Carolyn Brown The Pint Man is a date movie for guys. Paradoxical as that may seem, that's the best way I can think to describe this novel, which is part frat boy drinking binge, part love story, and all word play. My actual rating for this one is 3.5. The hero of the story, Rodney Poole begins the story adrift: he's recently lost his job, his best friend is engaged and on the brink of moving to Chicago, and he still hasn't found someone with whom to settle down. Unsettled, actually, is perhaps the best way to describe Rodney, as he drifts through the days, spending much of them in his favorite New York bar, Boyle's. But then Rodney has a date with Mairead, and the world begins to shift a bit as he lurches toward adulthood. The bulk of the book, then, follows Rodney as he struggles to develop this new relationship into a commitment at the same time as he watches his best friend, Keith, continue to play the field, despite his engagement. Rodney must also negotiate his career path as a job as a clerical position opens just as he considers following his dream to become a writer. At this point, The Pint Man may sound fairly formulaic to you, and plot-wise, it is. I knew within two chapters where the book was heading and how it would end--it is a classic date movie plot line. But you know, I like that sort of thing. What The Pint Man has that you won't find in your average date movie is a tremendous amount of clever word play. Those who have read Rushin's Sports Illustrated columns or follow him on Twitter know that he is a master at puns and other verbal machinations. Aside from Mairead, who is the star character in a supporting role, the word play is what I liked best. While I was reading The Pint Man, I kept asking myself, "Who is the audience for this book? It is a story about a mid-thirties man-boy who likes beer and sports, paired with a love story (and, even if predictable, it is a good love story) and linguistic gymnastics. Who is this book for?" Well, me. Maybe you, too.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-07-21 00:00:00 Frank R Shepard Jr Rodney's an unemployed man in his 30's who loves wordplay and grammar, spends all his free time at a local bar called Boyle's, and is interested in a woman his best friend set him up with on a blind date. This book covers probably two weeks of his life, starting when he first meets Mairead (the love interest) and continuing through problems the two of them face, as well as problems Rodney has with his best friend, who's currently crashing at his apartment. I think I would have liked this novel a lot more if I were someone who loves drinking beer at dive bars or male. Since I am neither, I think a lot of the book's potential charm was lost on me and instead I simply read it as a coming-of-age novel for a 30-something. There are some amusing exchanges in the book about words and grammar, and the author definitely came up with some fun wordplay. I liked the fact that Rodney's obsessed with words and that he falls for Mairead because she understands and finds him charming because of it. However, that said, there was a lot of filler material in the book that didn't amount to much at the end, such as a subplot about Rodney's best friend and his fiancee. It was also filled with a lot of bar descriptions and talk that, to me, lacked the urgency to keep me glued to the page. I'm pretty sure the target audience for this book would no doubt find it much more relatable than me. I think there simply wasn't enough depth to the book - which, by itself, can be fine, but it didn't entertain me enough for me to overlook its lack of importance. However, if you like beer, dive bars, witty banter, and reading about single men trying to navigate this sort of world, this is a book for you.