Seduction Theory: Stories

Let me start by saying that I've met Mr. Beller and he's really not THAT attractive--so you can all start taking his writing more seriously now. I absolutely love this book and have read it over and over. I literally read books for a living and so rarely come across prose as sharp and stories that hit home as much as Beller's. There is something unflinchingly real about his characters and their situations. I had no idea that there was a backlash against his work until now, and I still don't understand why. Beautiful people can write beautifully. I just wish any praise Beller has gotten for his looks could be transferred onto his writing.

i loved this book. i read it in one night. i loved the stories about peoples lives, the way they interact with each other. i found this book simple and poignant. READ HERE: if you did not like this book, why attack the author? it is fine to just say you didn't like it!

Seduction Theory is actually a rather impressive debut. I don't understand any of these criticisms, which often sound like jealousy. The writing, line by line, is clean and polished. Yes, the prose is very workshop honed, but what is wrong with tight, taut prose? So what if it's taught!

Thomas Beller's prose is sparkling, smart and witty. If you ever knew--or if you ever were--a bright but off-center kid, this will be all the explanation you ever need. A lot of people have covered some of this ground before, but this is still an original.

Yes, so Thomas Beller is not Ernest Hemingway. He does not conquer great themes of literature; nor does he address the weighty issues of modern living. Or does he? Setting aside for the moment his "Alex" stories, I have yet to read anyone who presents a better picture of the ambiguities and uncertanties of being 22 in New York -- or, for that matter, 22 anywhere. "The Hot Dog War" is the best -- bar none -- short story I have read yet at capturing that certain end-of-college anomie that propels one to do stupid, stupid things in pursuit of a woman. Is his work the most finely crafted prose? Is it the best-written work of the year? Certainly not. Does it accomplish what it set out to do, namely convey the nameless fears of someone in their early 20s? Absolutely and unequivically. Beller is no Fitzgerald. He is, though, the closest thing his generation has to a voice and, more importantly, he is more than eminantly readable. We can, and should, expect more from him.