Monday, November 23, 1998
Predictable ‘House of Kidz’ can’t hold readers’ interest
BOOKS: Centered around fraternity members, work has dull plot,
characters
By Erin Beatty
Daily Bruin Contributor
At least "House of Kidz" can be finished in less than three and
a half-hours.
With the exception of a few brief shocks, an occasional gasp of
the phrase, "would you listen to this" to your roommate, and a few
nearly overpowering urges to put the book down and search for
something of literary substance, Colin Cohen’s new book has one
thing going for it: "House of Kidz" reads remarkably quickly.
Though the plot unfolds remarkably slowly, it is indeed quite
simple: a young boy loser grows into a middle aged man loser. As an
adolescent, pimply Jake Stein listens to punk music, packs a single
suitcase for his first year at college, believes in anarchy and has
no friends. As a new fraternity brother, Stein learns to appreciate
Ronald Reagan, first savors sips of beer and enjoys a keg with his
soon-to-gain-tenure professor during his last final. Finally, the
adult Jake teaches companies how to fire employees, works for his
father-in-law and determines who his secretary will be by her
looks.
Needless to say, Jake Stein is a man of perpetual
stereotypes.
One afternoon, amid his hectic schedule, he suddenly misses his
old fraternity house and the friends he made there. Although he
neglected to keep in touch with his brothers after college, Jake
finds himself overcome with spontaneous grief and jumps on a jet to
Washington, D.C., to revisit Tau Mu at George Washington
University.
Disappointed to see his old house demolished, his mind floods
with a river of memories.
He recalls losing his virginity, a realistic tale which
doubtfully occurs even in the wildest fantasies of most men. After
class one afternoon, an attractive young girl takes him to a bar,
gets him considerably drunk, introduces him to her boyfriend and
asks Jake if he would enjoy losing his virginity right then and
there. He says yes.
One also can’t forget Jake’s first "union job," when Joe the fat
janitor tells our maturing friend: "Under no circumstances should
you ever work harder than (the other workers) do."
The new novel is also full of dull and lulling surprises. Like
how Jake, now a senior in college, finally has his first
relationship with Sarah, the girl he’s had a crush on since
kindergarten. Or the shock when Joey the racist fraternity brother,
after voting against offering a bid to Kevin the black fraternity
brother, ends up getting over his racist notions and opens a steak
house with his friend.
The novel even offers subtle clues at irony when we discover
that the pledge to Tau Mu actually involves pledging to the
confederacy, and the rumored "anti-Semitic" frat actually has a
Jewish president.
"House of Kidz" amuses its readers with various misspelled
words, barely any plot, various sex scenes and the ridiculous
stereotypes it portrays.
The writing claims cheesy at best, holding the reader with a
trashy characteristic that seems unintended. Perhaps there exists
in this novel a deeper meaning; maybe Jake, the young man who turns
into what he always hated, loves his current life. Likely, the book
attempts to suggest the deeper bond that develops among fraternity
brothers.
Still, these pathetic tries at significance are undercut by the
lameness of the characters and the silliness of the various
stories. These fragmented tales weave together to depict one young
man’s awkward and extremely different college experience
Though "House of Kidz" tries desperately to entertain an
audience, its futile characteristics allow it little room for
praise.
Unless one is craving offensive, odd stories of unamusing sexual
encounters, a very predictable plot, and the story of an insecure
kid who never quite learns to hold his alcohol, Cohen’s new book
will not satisfy.
Comments, feedback, problems?
© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]