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jaclyncrupi's review
4.0
A very funny book about marital failings, artistic desolation, the inability to meet expectations and adult male alienation. Not totally my thing but Klam had me captured and enjoying Rich on the verge of a nervous breakdown. This midlife crisis novel is more than it might initally seem and is certainly greater than the sum of its parts.
chillcox15's review
3.0
An ugly, misanthropic, and maybe also misogynist (what makes you think that?) howl of a novel, raging against the waves of capitalism ennui that the upper-middle-but-actually-financially-unstable-creative class lives in daily, Who Is Rich? is a campus novel in concentrate, containing all of the preoccupations of the genre in one potent dosage. I am mainly surprised that something so angry and Rothian could exist like this in 2017, but it seems that Matthew Klam, 16-odd years out from his debut collection, is a man out of time. Who Is Rich? is well-written enough, with an effective melding of protagonist and narration (something tells me it wasn't too hard for Klam to tap into that) but the emotional undercurrent of the novel leaves a rather sickening feeling.
linesuponapage's review
3.0
Monday, June 26, 2017
Who is Rich? By Matthew Klam : an honest review for Penguin Random House's First Read.
Who Is Rich?
Rich is a man suffering from an average life with middle age anxiety.Who has an affair and buys a $3,000.00 bracelet just to get back at his wife and then gives to his extremely wealthy paramore who doesn't need a gift at all!
I have to be honest, this book was not for me. I tried to read it and give it a chance as the writing was quite well done. Matthew Klam has a way with spinning a yarn. I know I will have to read more of his work.
However, I am not sure if it was the bouncing back and forth between Rich's memories between his relationship with his wife or the affair with Amy, that I just couldn't stomach the subject matter.
I am not often approached to read adulatory stories. The love Rich has for his for children was heartwarming. His desire to feel needed, vaguely familiar as emotions I have seen with family members who has strayed from their spouse, and his lust for physicality was just heartbreaking to me. I am not sure if it is best for a couple to stay together just because of the kids as both Rich and Amy do in their prospective marriages.
I felt as I was reading the book that Rich ponders over the same issues over, and over again in the matter of a space of 96 hours that he is becoming pandantic and pathetic. He definitely was not my type of man. Maybe this book goes over better when a guy reads it? Sorry. I really wanted to like it, I just didn't.
It is with sadness that I rate this book 3 stars
as the writing, as I said before, was well done.
Thank you First Reads for giving me a chance to read and review this book.
Who is Rich? By Matthew Klam : an honest review for Penguin Random House's First Read.
Who Is Rich?
Rich is a man suffering from an average life with middle age anxiety.Who has an affair and buys a $3,000.00 bracelet just to get back at his wife and then gives to his extremely wealthy paramore who doesn't need a gift at all!
I have to be honest, this book was not for me. I tried to read it and give it a chance as the writing was quite well done. Matthew Klam has a way with spinning a yarn. I know I will have to read more of his work.
However, I am not sure if it was the bouncing back and forth between Rich's memories between his relationship with his wife or the affair with Amy, that I just couldn't stomach the subject matter.
I am not often approached to read adulatory stories. The love Rich has for his for children was heartwarming. His desire to feel needed, vaguely familiar as emotions I have seen with family members who has strayed from their spouse, and his lust for physicality was just heartbreaking to me. I am not sure if it is best for a couple to stay together just because of the kids as both Rich and Amy do in their prospective marriages.
I felt as I was reading the book that Rich ponders over the same issues over, and over again in the matter of a space of 96 hours that he is becoming pandantic and pathetic. He definitely was not my type of man. Maybe this book goes over better when a guy reads it? Sorry. I really wanted to like it, I just didn't.
It is with sadness that I rate this book 3 stars
as the writing, as I said before, was well done.
Thank you First Reads for giving me a chance to read and review this book.
karenleagermain's review
2.0
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an advance copy of Matthew Klam's novel, Who is Rich?, in exchange for an honest review.
PLOT - Rich Fischer is a graphic novelist who achieved acclaim early in his career. His success was limited and now, middle-aged, he is trying to get his art career back on track. Rich teaches at a summer retreat, where he looks forward to reconnecting with Amy, a painter with whom he is having an affair. Both Amy and Rich are married with young children and both are unhappy in their relationships. They fantasize about running away from their spouses, but neither is willing to take action. Amy is married to an extremely wealthy businessman and although she is unhappy, she does not want for anything else. Rich is not wealthy, he has the trappings of a middle-class life that he is struggling to maintain paycheck-to-paycheck. He envies Amy's financial freedom and the success of his peers. What does it mean to be rich? How does focusing on what you lack make you feel poorer?
LIKE- I liked the concept of Who is Rich?. The themes of envy are very relatable and Rich is a relatable character. I'm not sure that I personally connected to him, but I have people in my life who are similar to Rich. Specifically, I see Rich's flaws and hang-ups in a few people that I know. I liked the setting of an art retreat, with a large cast of colorful secondary characters. Klam has created a vibrant world and he has fabulous descriptions.
Although I disagree that this story was a comedy, Klam has written some witty phrases and observations that made me crack a smile. There were many times that I paused to admire his writing or even to read aloud a paragraph to feel the pacing.
I liked that Klam used illustrations in his novel. It was a great fit for his protagonist's profession and the pictures were a fun inclusion.
The title is wonderful play on both the theme and the protagonist's name.
DISLIKE- On a whole, I didn't connect with the story. It was sluggish and a chore to read. I actually read several books in-between, rather than reading Who is Rich? straight through. If this had not been a review copy, I likely would not have finished reading it. The story does pick up pace in the last 10% of the book, when Rich has a major moral dilemma regarding a pair of earrings. I wish the stakes/drama had been more intense earlier in the story.
RECOMMEND- No. Who is Rich? was not my cup of tea. That said, I liked Klam's writing enough that I plan to check-out his previously published short story collection, Sam The Cat. I have a feeling that Klam might really shine in a shorter format.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
PLOT - Rich Fischer is a graphic novelist who achieved acclaim early in his career. His success was limited and now, middle-aged, he is trying to get his art career back on track. Rich teaches at a summer retreat, where he looks forward to reconnecting with Amy, a painter with whom he is having an affair. Both Amy and Rich are married with young children and both are unhappy in their relationships. They fantasize about running away from their spouses, but neither is willing to take action. Amy is married to an extremely wealthy businessman and although she is unhappy, she does not want for anything else. Rich is not wealthy, he has the trappings of a middle-class life that he is struggling to maintain paycheck-to-paycheck. He envies Amy's financial freedom and the success of his peers. What does it mean to be rich? How does focusing on what you lack make you feel poorer?
LIKE- I liked the concept of Who is Rich?. The themes of envy are very relatable and Rich is a relatable character. I'm not sure that I personally connected to him, but I have people in my life who are similar to Rich. Specifically, I see Rich's flaws and hang-ups in a few people that I know. I liked the setting of an art retreat, with a large cast of colorful secondary characters. Klam has created a vibrant world and he has fabulous descriptions.
Although I disagree that this story was a comedy, Klam has written some witty phrases and observations that made me crack a smile. There were many times that I paused to admire his writing or even to read aloud a paragraph to feel the pacing.
I liked that Klam used illustrations in his novel. It was a great fit for his protagonist's profession and the pictures were a fun inclusion.
The title is wonderful play on both the theme and the protagonist's name.
DISLIKE- On a whole, I didn't connect with the story. It was sluggish and a chore to read. I actually read several books in-between, rather than reading Who is Rich? straight through. If this had not been a review copy, I likely would not have finished reading it. The story does pick up pace in the last 10% of the book, when Rich has a major moral dilemma regarding a pair of earrings. I wish the stakes/drama had been more intense earlier in the story.
RECOMMEND- No. Who is Rich? was not my cup of tea. That said, I liked Klam's writing enough that I plan to check-out his previously published short story collection, Sam The Cat. I have a feeling that Klam might really shine in a shorter format.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
ceelabee's review
3.0
This book was laugh out loud funny and I really enjoyed the writing which was superb in a stream of consciousness, self deprecating jerk sort of way. I haven't read Portnoy's Complaint in 30 years, but it might be comparable. If you like books about self-involved asses who are a bit sex obsessed and fearful of women, this might be for you. I had a hard time with the character who is a cheater and a sad sack, although I could relate to his parenting and career woes. It also didn't have too much going on in the way of plot, as the book was a 300 page interior sort of rant. I can see why he might have been voted in the 20 best fiction writers under 30 many years ago.
chelseakamm's review
I got more than halfway through this book before I decided to call it quits. I just didn't care - Rich annoyed me, Amy was confusing, and Robin was just awful. None of these characters drew me in and I had no investment in the plot - I just saw no reason to continue. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC, but not something I can strongly recommend.
slowescargot's review
5.0
Loved it. Everyone's a mess in it, but they're all so vividly, believably messy. You want to Google them when you're done, but of course they're not real. Klam writes with great descriptive details, and he's very funny. He creates self-absorbed, self-flagellating characters who know they're fucking everything up, but also know that excitement is the oxygen they need to feel alive and not succumb to deep depression. It's a bind!
bellwetherdays's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ferris_mx's review
2.0
Misanthropic and misogynistic, the author/protagonist doesn't have a kind word for any of his main or supporting characters. Only a critical over-detailed eye, especially but incidentally highlighting a creepy male gaze. An affair, a mid-life crisis, is a chance to grow and make affirmative choices about the future of your life, whatever you choose. From the NYTimes review, I was looking forward to seeing how it was handled, but it was simply depressing, passively and passively-aggressively treated.