About this title: Peopled with characters both wicked and heroic, Wood's debut novel is a deeply satisfying, gorgeously rendered story about trust, loyalty, and what distinguishes individuals as capable.
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Description: Fair. Purchasing this book supports the King County Library System Foundation. Thriftbooks and KCLSF have partnered to help raise additional funds for the library system. Ex-Library book-will contain library markings. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Date Published: 2008-06-03
ISBN-13:9780425222201ISBN:0425222209
Description: Good. Used library discard w/ markings, clean pgs, light wear to cover, crease to cover cornerFirst Class shipping if available for faster service. read more
Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Acceptable. 2008-Paperback----Used-Acceptable-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Date Published: 2007-08-02
ISBN-13:9780399154492ISBN:0399154493
Description: New. New, unread hardcover; a Bargain Book: dustjacket may show light shelfwear. Inventory mark on bottom. In stock and ready for immediate shipment. read more
Edition: Number Line: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Berkley Books, New York
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780425222201ISBN:0425222209
Description: Very Good. 322 Pages. Measures: 5-1/2" x 8-1/4" Clean, tight copy with no writing or markings. The spine is not creased. Not an Ex-Library book. Colorfully illustrated cover. Includes a photograph and a brief biography of the author. read more
Description: Good. 0425222209 New book that could have a shelf wear, bump, small tear, or sun faded pages. Has remainder mark. Ships within 1 business day and customer satisfaction is our #1 priority. read more
Edition: Advanced Reading Copy. UNCORRECTED MANUSCRIPT
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group, New York
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780399154492ISBN:0399154493
Description: New. No dust jacket as issued. SOFTCOVER/296 pp. Audience: General/trade. BRAND NEW. TRADE SOFTCOVER/FINE/COVER-FINE with no tears, no creases on spine, binding is tight and pages clean. "A funny, Poignant, and wise novel about an underdog who wins the Washington State Lottery. Based on a true story. read more
Edition: Uncorrected Proof, First Edition
Binding: Trade Size Paperback
Publisher: Putnam Pub Group, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780399154492ISBN:0399154493
Description: Near Fine. No Jacket as Issued. Trade Paperback This advance reading copy, uncorrected manuscript, first edition softcover book is in very near fine condition with very slight edge wear. It has 296 pages that are clean, bright and tight. During the manufacturing process apparently two of the paper pages were cut short on the front edge by about 3/16 of an inch. The top and bottom edges do not have this anomaly. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780399154492ISBN:0399154493
Description: New in new dust jacket. No Remainder Mark, No Damage, 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Ship twice daily. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 310 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
"This was such a great book. Even though it had some sad moments, Perry's perspective on loss and life made me smile through the sadness! I definitely laughed out loud at many points while listening to this book.
My husband is from Everett, WA, so it was fun to listen to the book knowing what the town is really like.
I was totally annoyed by the overuse of the word "echt" but I get that it was a part of the characterization - Perry's friends probably got annoyed by it too!
A few of the other reviews have said that there are "explicit sex scenes" - I don't know what kind of Victorians those people are, but there are no explicit sex scenes in this book. There are a few mentions of male arousal in extremely childlike terms ("my privates got hard"), one mention of a boat rocking while a couple is inside the cabin, and one scene that describes foreplay in similar childlike terms. Obviously anyone who thinks these are explicit sex scenes has never read a Jackie Collins novel. :)
This book has such an important message about valuing what is important in life and how it is easy to live simply. There are a bunch of likable characters, and even the unlikable characters are interesting!"
"I have recommended this book to bunches of people. It is a fantastic little book, written from the view point of a "slow" (I'm not retarded) 32-year old, who wins $12 million dollars in the Washington State lottery. Depsite the fact, the reader sees the events in this book through the eyes of this gentle, innocent, wise, young man, we are able to also see his world through a wider, more sophistocated lens. Skillfully written, this book is one of the best POV books I have read in awhile. The plot is both entertaining and thought-provoking, the characters are fantastic! This is a must read book for anyone who loves a good read, I especially recommend it to those who work with or are otherwise interested in persons with mental or physical challenges."
"A Basic Overview This book tells the story of Perry L. Crandall. (His grandmother tells him the L stands for "Lucky.") Perry has an IQ of 76 -- but he'll be the first to tell you that he "is not retarded." However, much of the world treats his as such. Most of his family has abandoned him except for his grandparents, who raise him. After the death of his grandfather, Perry lives with his grandmother, who does her best to teach him ways to protect himself--spend half, save half; write things down; learn your words; and trust only certain people. Perry has a job and a good friend Keith, who accepts him as he is. He fancies a girl named Cherry who works at the local mini-mart. But things take a turn for the worse when his grandmother dies -- leaving Perry to fend for himself. His family members swoop in and quickly ransack his life and essentially sell his home out from under him -- leaving him on his own to cope. Only Keith and his boss are willing to help Perry rebuild his life, and his family abandons him again. Then one day, Perry wins $12 million in the Washington State Lottery. Suddenly, his family is back -- circling like vultures. But his grandmother has taught him well, and Perry teaches them an important lesson: "Never underestimate Perry L. Crandall."
My Thoughts I think writing a book from the perspective of a mentally challenged person is difficult. Besides telling the story, the author faces the additional challenge of being true to the narrator's voice. I thought the author did a good job of balancing the childlike qualities inherent in Perry with the narrative elements needed to keep the story moving. For example, because Perry is treated as a simpleton by his family, they speak freely in front of him -- allowing him to recount their conversations and reveal their plans to the reader without Perry understanding what is going on. This device is used throughout the book, and I thought it was effective.
In addition, having the grandmother teach Perry to write things down is another device that allows the author to reveal critical information to the reader. Perry often reads the journals of his life that his grandmother created for him -- allowing the reader to get a glimpse of the family dynamics.
However, for the most part, the book is Perry's account of his life before and after his grandmother's death. As soon as he wins the lottery, I began feeling a sort of dread for him -- knowing that his family would be brutal in their attempts to wrest control of the lottery winnings away from him. One of my only quibbles with the book is that I felt the family members were just a little too black and white (with the possible exception of David who was a bit on the gray side) in their greed and evilness. And the sympathetic characters -- Keith, Cherry and Gary -- are perhaps a bit too nice and good (although the author gives Keith some definite issues to deal with). However, these are relatively minor issues overall.
I liked the choices the author made in the book. I felt she stayed true to Perry's character, and I was happy with the ways she chose to wrap up the story. The quote by Oscar Wilde that she uses at the start of the book -- "Ordinary riches can be stolen: real riches cannot" -- are perhaps the best summary of the basic message of this book. I think most readers will come away from this book feeling uplifted and satisfied."
"Our book club has a new favorite! We spent two hours discussing Lottery and picking out our favorite lines to read aloud. It was an evening filled with tears and laughter. The characters are so real that we could all relate to at least one of them. Having the story told from Perry's point of view added depth and insight. I found myself envying his simplistic way of seeing the world. To not feel the anger and bitterness that I felt toward his family would be a blessing. As a first novel, this will be hard to beat, but I hope Patricia Wood gives it a try."
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