The Average American Male: A Novel

I read this once in my early twenties and decided to do a reread to see if I still liked it. I actually loved it. There's definitely a nostalgia factor to this. Our protagonist, the Average American Male (AAM), is constantly spending time in shopping centers, shopping in and eating at places that barely exist anymore. And he also talks in a way that you don't often hear anymore since the proliferation of social media has made people more PC and self aware. But it's also just a funny, sort of nihilist book that says a lot in a very quick and minimalist writing style.

Part of the fun of this book is deciding for yourself if Kultgen's version of The Average American Male is accurate. His AAM is a misogynist. He is a little bit racist, show more homophobic, and ableist. And given how our recent elections have gone, I'd argue that Kultgen is pretty spot on. There is a sort of oversimplification and exaggeration to it that keeps the book entertaining, but there is truth in his depiction. And Kultgen isn't just piling on and shitting on the AAM. The misogynist falls in love with women. The homophobe has a gay friend. The racist is attracted to Asian women. And the ableist finds joy in people with disabilities. It's totally fucked up in a lot of cases, but he's mostly harmless in his daily interactions and he does have true, genuine feelings for people. He is not a sociopath, he is an AAM. Also, it's definitely debatable, but I think Kultgen's actual portrayal of women, gay men, Asian women, and people with Down Syndrome ran contrary to stereotypes several times in this book. While we only see these people through AAM's very shallow eyes, it was easy to imagine them as unique individuals.

I've definitely met AAMs before, but I was also super interested in the women in this story and the book's general commentary on marriage. Average is also a synonym for "mediocre." And a big theme in this book is about settling. There are definitely women who care more about getting married than who they're actually getting married to. I've met women who have set deadlines for marriage and met them! The women AAM dated were sort of aimless in their careers, raised by parents who were pressuring them to marry, and clearly settling for an AAM who was giving them almost nothing in terms true love and devotion. Society had set them up to desire marriage above all else and they scheme to get it, to comedic outcomes. In a sort of nihilist fashion, AAM declares that every woman he dates will be the same so he should give up on shopping for an ideal partner. Of course, he never looks inward. He never asks himself why he only seems to be attracted to younger women without real careers or how his constant lying and inattention leave him not understanding the changing desires of his partners. The AAM is just so average, so basic, so mediocre...I love it. show less

Voice is not the same as character. While there were occasional moments of insight, the voice was too cartoonish (and the constant sex scenes too porny) to for the indictments to ring true.

That, and there's an overall sloppiness to the book that undercuts the whole. If you're going to include gamer and Internet culture, you need to get it right. Published in 2007, the book has protagonist who engages in Internet behaviors from the early 2000s at the latest, and he plays Halo 2 on his XBOX 360. The average American male knows better.

Really conflicted about this one. The protagonist was a terrible person, really no redeemable qualities I can think of, yet I finished the book in two sittings because I wanted to see the trainwreck through to the end. As vile and over to top as the book was, it spoke some truth that has stuck with me since finishing. While reading, I was actually reminded a little of the narrator in "You" by Caroline Kepnes - the difference is I rooted for Joe Goldberg, where I really wanted the worst for this narrator.

When this novel came out back in 2007 it caused a huge controversy. Granted, the narrator is a lewd, crude, sexually depraved male chauvinist pig who does nothing but objectify and lust after woman. But he is so over the top in his actions, that he obviously does not represent the average American male. C'mon, the main character is nothing but a satirical farce. Read in this light, the book can't be anything but an amusing read. No need to take it seriously, just sit back enjoy the humor of it all.

Well after reading The Marriage Plot and having a good laugh at rich boring idiots, I was like, well, is there anything that'll give me a good laugh at douchebag bro idiots? You know, so I can properly feel superior to both. And I found this for like, 50 cents. This book is completely ridiculous. So much so that I can't even get mad at it. It's like trying to get mad at a chicken. Like, what are you going to do? They're stupid, just let it go.

***

Now I've read the whole thing, and it's just like a teenage girl's diary. Specifically, well... it's just like my livejournal, when I was around like 19 or so. Mean, sex obsessed, self-absorbed and insecure. It was more entertaining to write that way. And well... it seemed more edgy and show more satirical to be a intensely superficial ass, probably because I had read 3 Bret Easton Ellis books. I imagine if she were to write this review, it would be like:

"This book has a small dick and tried to take me to Olive Garden." show less

A young american man gives us a few weeks of his life as he gets engaged against his will, breaks up with his girlfriend, finds another, and gets engaged again. Through it all he's blunt about how often he thinks about sex and how little he thinks about other people's interests.

This books feels like it's sort of trying to be American Psycho. It has strong language and a character meant to shock and possibly horrify. It's not super horrifying, though. He might be a sociopath but he's an average one. As the story goes on there are moments that suggest the author intends deeper meaning to the story, but not a lot deeper. It's compelling like a train wreck--a train wreck with a lot of masturbation and swearing. A very quick read.

I can't show more honestly say whether I enjoyed it or not. This is a book I read. show less

A blurb on the back cover suggests that this book is either an honest report from the front lines of the battle of the sexes or a send up of the view militant feminists have of men. I would take a slightly altered view -- I believe it is a satire of chic lit (but for men). It has all the ingredients -- sex, relationships, emotional trauma, marriage, romantic misunderstandings. The only thing it lacks is shopping for shoes and a job in the big city.

My biggest complaint with the book is the lack of definition given to the main character. He's clearly got a one track mind, but ultimately there's little to suggest why two women would stay in a relationship with him for more than a day. He's not particularly funny, kind, or smart. Or, if he show more is, the author never shows us this. (To be fair, he's funny in a sick way, but his humor is only for the reader. only 1 or 2 lines manage to amuse his friends and girlfriends, that I can recall).

Ultimately, I think the book works and while I'm not the average American male (who apparently masturbates so much that he probably is constantly dehydrated and tired) I can definitely see some truth in the harsh realities of the character's situation. I suspect this book will be taken too literally by men who will champion it as a defense of their chauvinism, much like Tyler Durden of Fight Club is often seen as the liberating hero of Chuck Palahniuk's own dark comedy. In the end, I wonder if the author really means for this to be satire or if he really thinks of women this way. I doubt he's this sad and shallow, but I anxiously await his followup to see if he has something new to say, hopefully with a bit more depth. show less