Spooner

By: Pete Dexter

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

Warren Spooner was born after a prolonged delivery in a makeshift delivery room in a doctor's office in Milledgeville, Georgia, on the first Saturday of December, 1956. His father died shortly afterward, long before Spooner had even a memory of his face, and was replaced eventually by a once-brilliant young naval officer, Calmer Ottosson, recently court-martialed out of service.

This is the story of the lifelong tie between the two men, poles apart, of Spooner's troubled childhood, troubled adolescence, violent and troubled adulthood, and Calmer Ottosson's inexhaustible patience, undertaking a life-long struggle to salvage his step-son, a man he will never understand.

©2009 Pete Dexter (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"The rambunctious narrative is filled with hilarious scenes, including a naval burial at sea that goes horribly awry, a literary luncheon featuring Spooner and Margaret Truman that ends with a stampede of little old ladies, and a misguided act of vengeance that backfires and puts Spooner in the hospital. The novel's premise - that life is one big vale of tears and that writing about it wittily and exuberantly is the best one can do - might not work in real life, but it pays off in spades for Dexter and his tragicomically conflicted alter ego." ( Publishers Weekly)

I loved this book

I enjoyed this book from the start. I couldn't stop listening. I love listening to Tom Stechschulte and this is such a great story. Spooner is so lovable and this book was very interesting to listen to.

So so good!

This is one of the few audiobooks that I revisited. It's a wonderful blend of characters,humor, triumphs, setbacks, and restarts.
I've enjoyed Dexter is writing for sometime now. I started with deadwood which is also very humorous and moved on his less humorous Paris Trout, Brother's keeper et al. All of his books are rich but this one is special like Spooner himself. I feel like this is the book John Irving comes close to with Garp but it's not so cartoonish and flamboyant, rather it builds and pulls you in and keeps you there in a world full of people you'd want to know.

Great Book.

I listened to the book after it was mentioned on NPR by a featured Librarian that summarized books she called "below the radar screen". I'm so glad I heard he recommendation.

The book has very interesting characters and really keeps your attention. The narrator was extremely good.

a tall tale of a life

I chose to read Spooner based on a four star review/synopsis in Bookmarks magazine. Then, listening to the sample of the Stechschulte narration, I couldn't resist the audio. He's gruff and fabulous. Perfect for this book.

At first I thought this was going to be simply a tall tale but I was surprised to learn that Spooner is semi-autobiographical! Hard to believe the decisions some people make, but there it is.

Some incidents are laugh-out-loud funny but there is quite a bit of angst in this tale. Some people may be offended by some of the language, although it's pretty mild by today's standards.

One thing I can say is that the story never loses your interest. It is fascinating, insightful and maddening but in the end, a great story. You may never put your shoes on again without thinking of Spooner.

Too Funny

How often do you listen to a book and laugh out loud. This book by Pete Dexter is quite a departed from his other books, which I found excellent, but dark. After listening to it for awhile I realized that it was taken from events in his life. What a ride, and as others have said, the narration is perfect.

fun and entertaining

3 1/2 stars. Spooner is entertaining, it held my interest, and I enjoyed it. Some parts are very funny. The author is a good writer, especially with descriptions and dialogue. There isn't much of a plot. It's more like a lot of vignettes about things that happen to Spooner and his stepfather throughout their lives. Some of these were fun to listen to, but I would have enjoyed it more if there was a more cohesive story the whole way through. There were also several characters that were introduced and developed and then we never heard from them again. I missed some of them and wondered what happened to them. But overall, Spooner is a fun and easy listen. The narrator did a very good job.

One of the funniest books I've ever owned

This book is not for everyone.
I would say that it is more or less a "Guy Book."
The humor is raw, twisted, crude and bawdy.
If you're the kind of person who is offended by dirty jokes or foul language - don't buy it.
I loved it.
I found that I had a good hearty laugh about every 20 minutes as the story progressed.
I laughed out loud and woke my wife up several times, late at night, but I could not suppress the need to laugh.
As a story it was no literary masterpiece, but it was packed with amusing scenarios and ridiculous predicaments, and those laugh-out-loud moments made it well worth the price. Tom Stechschulte is a top notch narrator and he does a great job with this one.

Hilarious and touching

I had read a review of this book and went looking for it. It was a touching, gentle story of family and relationships that span years. The characters are endearing and you find yourself rooting for them every step of the way. Pete Dexter manages to weave humor and irony throughout the various stories that make up this book. I found myself laughing out loud as I walked my dog, drove my car, and just enjoyed being told this tale. Excellent narration, totally absorbing.

Read It For The Feelings

I've read hundreds of books - the best books of the twentieth century and the like. And I get asked, as people often experience, what is your favorite book? That nearly impossible to answer in perfect candor. The're too many. But, I finally settled, calling the Heart of Darkness by Conrad my favorite. What a piece of writing. That will still be my answer mainly because it makes me sound like I know literature. I now, however, upon reading/hearing this book for the second time (the first probably 20 years ago) have a book that in my heart I consider the most entertaining and touching book I've ever read.

I don't think Dexter is trying to make a particular point. But it's loaded with moving anecdotes about the life of its main character, Spooner, his father and several others who come along the way. Dexter lets his writer's instinct do the writing. Everything flows and follows, even as ridiculous as some things get (I laughed out loud so many times), it's never overcooked and it never strains to say things in a deserving way. Every single analogy fit just right. Remarkable.

So you don't read this book for a plot. I would categorize it as picaresque. You would best read this book for the feelings it stimulates. It is now, and I suspect for a long time, will be my other favorite book.

Great narration

I really enjoyed the character & story development in this novel. Some of the characters were unusual, but their trials and tribulations were interesting and they had emotional depth. Tom Stechschulte's narration was fantastic. His timing and varied voices for the various characters was perfect for both the serious and the humorous scenes. He made the book come alive.