Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

What a book! Despite the tranquil title, it's been an engrossing emotional roller coaster, which made me feel dizzy.

The setting of 'Old School' (2003) by Tobias Wolff is an elite boarding school in the United States in 1960�61. The unnamed narrator is one of the students, 'book-drunk boys', obsessed with literature and creative writing: 'one could not live in a world without stories'. The school regularly organizes a competition and the prize is a private audience with a notorious author. The desire to win makes the protagonist choose a road with no return, like in a poem by Robert Frost:
'I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.'


The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania which probably inspired Tobias Wolff.

Sandy, one of my favourite Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friends, wrote in her comment that despite some convincing suggestions, 'Old School' somehow hadn't made it to her TBR shelf yet. She added that maybe my recommendation would do the trick.

Truth be told, it's definitely Tobias Wolff who does the trick here. What if he was asked to write down the instructions for it? I doubt if he's willing to share the tricks of the trade in the first place, but let's assume he could come up with something like that:

The Name of the Trick: Old School

Trickiness Level: four stars out of five

Supplies: talent, wisdom, sensitivity to various writing styles, penmanship, ability to stir strong emotions with a few words, irony. Neither a rabbit in a hat nor a lovely assistant needed, although sharing the experience would be enriching for sure. By the way, I think 'Old School', with its ability to provoke fascinating discussions, would make a perfect group read.

Magic effect: an enchanted, shaky reader who can't put the novel down. Not able to stop thinking about it either.

Preparation and secret steps: firstly, you start with quite a prosaic topic and gradually turn it into something harrowing and special. The plot summary won't give you a thrill I guess but the impact of the novel may surprise you. Let's see what it imperceptibly does to you. I was quite astounded when I realized how profoundly invested in the book I got.

Get ready for trick and treat, two in one.


Harry Anderson, 'Boarding School'.

Tips and hints to help you perform the trick like Tobias Wolff:

* Give your book a great title.
The first and obvious association is the sophisticated institution portrayed in the novel but 'old school' may refer also to long-established moral values and conventional literary traditions which are sort of mocked here.

* Make a firework display of your writing skills.
Wolff amazed me with his ability to pastiche - not only the style of three visiting writers but also the narrator's and other students'. Each style is very distinctive and individual.

* Follow Anton Chekhov's advice: 'The role of the artist is to ask questions, not answer them.'
Like Henry James, Tobias Wolff doesn't offer easy solutions to the dilemmas his characters face. He invites us to ponder and solve the puzzles on our own.

* Resist the temptation to use words soaked in high-key emotions.
The author's writing style is concise, calm and matter-of-fact, even when he reports on dramatic events.


Mark Draisey Photography, Eton College.

* Create unforgettable characters.
I admired Wolff's impressive portrayals with three exceptions. The writers - Robert Frost, Ayn Rand and Ernest Hemingway - seemed to be painted with wide brushstrokes, more like caricatures, not real people. I'm aware that the portraits were supposed to be satirical but in my opinion the author exaggerated a bit.

* Don't be a one-trick pony.
Tobias Wolff provides abundance of food for thought. The writer at work, the process of creation, the role of literature, coming of age, school, being a teacher, making choices, search for truth, the masks we wear, looking for identity, honesty - these are just a few examples of areas covered by this novel which is only 195 pages long. The observation I've made while reading 'Old School', which surprised me most, was a paradox: Wolff made me realize how destructive the process of creation is.

* Entertain your audience.
Personally, I wouldn't call this book hilarious as a few reviewers did, but from time to time Wolff's sense of humour gleams through. Just a little sample: 'Writers are just like everyone else, only worse.'

* Be a magician (not necessarily of Lublin), not just an illusionist.
Albeit the story is overloaded with literary themes, there is nothing artificial about it. 'Old School' has a vintage feel and quality of works by classics. The old masters' touch. What a pity that few people have heard about 'Old School'. I was fortunate enough to read Orsodimondo's splendid review, which urged me to indulge in this outstanding novel.

* Don't reveal how the trick worked.
'Don’t talk about your writing. If you talk about your writing you will touch something you shouldn’t touch and it will fall apart and you will have nothing.'

* Don't miss a trick and let 'Old School' mesmerize you.


Norman Rockwell, 'Boy Reading an Adventure Story'.