Book Review
By Audrey Abeyta

If you enjoyed Dead Poets’ Society and School Ties, then you’ll devour Old School, written by Tobias Wolff. Attending a boarding school on the Eastern Seaboard, the narrator details his triumphs and tribulations as he competes with his fellow classmates for the praise of visiting writers. So great is the institution’s literary reputation that renowned authors such as Robert Frost and Ayn Rand often grace the school. The competition among the boys for the attention of the writers often grows intense, and one is left to discover how far the narrator will go to win a conference with his idol, Ernest Hemingway.

Granted, the camaraderie among the students, the stark New England setting, and the desire to find one’s place in a school laced with aristocracy is quite familiar. However, Wolff has such an elegant style of writing that one hardly minds. Littered with countless references from literature, it is clear that the author finds as much pleasure in books as his characters do. Though I found the end unsatisfying, the lyrical quality of Old School made for a pleasing read from beginning to end.