Wonder Boys

Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon is a darkly comedic novel following Grady Tripp, a once-promising writer and creative writing professor stalled on his sprawling second novel, now over 2,600 pages long. Set during a chaotic weekend at his university’s WordFest conference, Tripp navigates his crumbling marriage, a pregnant mistress who happens to be the university chancellor, and a troubled student, James Leer, whose impulsive acts—like shooting the chancellor’s dog and stealing a Marilyn Monroe jacket—propel a series of absurd misadventures involving dead pets, a transvestite’s tuba, and a squashed boa constrictor. Chabon’s vibrant prose blends sharp satire of literary ambition with poignant reflections on creativity, failure, and middle-aged disillusionment, cementing it as a modern classic of the genre.