About this title: Set in the early 1960s, The Learners is the stand alone sequel to Kidd's previous novel, The Cheese Monkeys. Always entertaining and often moving, The Learners is the story of Happy, a young graphic designer who lands his first job at a wacky advertising firm in New Haven, Connecticut. Among his colourful co-workers is Sketch, the lovable, aging ...
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Description: Very Good. Former Library book. 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: Good. 2009-Paperback----Used-Good-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
Description: Like New. 2009-Paperback-May contain minor shelf-wear. Otherwise, volume un-read and in "As-New" condition. -Used-Like New-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
Description: New. 0061673242 Brand New Book With Remainder Mark. May Have Slight Shelf Wear. In-Stock Now For Immediate Secure Packaging & Delivery in excellent condition. read more
Description: Fine. 0061673242 Ships next business day. NEW/UNREAD! ! ! Text is Clean and Unmarked! --Be Sure to Compare Seller Feedback and Ratings before Purchasing--Has a small black line on bottom/exterior edge of pages. May have light shelf wear to cover from storage, if any. read more
Description: Fine. Trade Paperback. Harper Perennial, 2009. Fine Book. Overall, a clean and tight, lightly read copy. Media mail packed in protective bubble lined shipping bags, Priority in a Flat Rate Envelope. Shipped quickly. Prompt response to questions. read more
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Scribner, New York
Date Published: 2009
Description: Near Fine in Very Good jacket. Advance Reading Copy (ARC) 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. A1-An advance uncorrected proof trade paperback book in near fine condition that has light shelf wear in very good dust jacket that has light discoloration and shelf wear. 7.5"x5", 258 pages. Satisfaction Guaranteed. read more
Description: New. A Brand New Copy. Never Read. Buy with confidence from an Independent Bookstore where the owners, a husband and wife team, have over 30 years of combined bookselling experience. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Scribner
Date Published: 2008-02-19
ISBN-13:9780743255240ISBN:0743255240
Description: Like New. This copy is in excellent condition and just as it says "like new". No visible markings, highlights, underlining, tears to text. Tight spine. Clean Hard Cover and Dust Jacket with light shelf wear. Very interesting copy, worth having at an affordable price. (6H-25) read more
"I found this book on the remainder table at Urban Outfitters for $5. I knew Chip Kidd by virtue of his ginormous body of work doing book covers, and was intrigued by his efforts as a writer. It makes sense that he would be interested in trying his hand, as it were, and I found this second novel to be quite good. It's setting is the same mileau as my favorite tv show, "Mad Men", and therefore a must read for me, especially at $5.
Kidd utilises many different techniques of storytelling, not the least of which is the creative use of font throughout. He doesn't break new ground so much as he makes that which is familiar seem fresh and new. I found myself compelled to read it whenever I had a moment, because his characters were engaging, interesting, and folks with whom I had invested some care.
His first novel is called, "The Cheese Monkeys - A Novel in Two Semesters". I might give that a whirl too."
"We follow Happy after college as he tries to be like Winter. And gets a job where Winter started. He works. And draws. And does ads. And then it's the "obedience" experiment, the one we've all learned about in psychology with the shocks... And the effects it takes on Hap. Pretty interesting. I feel like Kidd wrote it just as life is written. We have Hims back in our lives and suddenly she's taken away. Nothing is resolved. Nothing is ever resolved really, but isn't that how life is most of the time? Things happen and they just hang here, looming over our heads for, maybe forever. And it's disappointing because we want closure; we want that last chapter of Harry Potter 7 when we learn his kids' names, but sometimes we just don't get that. And that's life. And that's Kidd's book."
"If you've heard the name Chip Kidd before, it's probably because you've read a book he's worked on. Not that he's written many books; he only added the profession of author to his resume in the last couple years. But he has gained notoriety by designing book jackets for everyone from Michael Crichton to David Sedaris, and some authors have him exclusively under contract to design their book covers. He's been called the closest thing to a rock star in graphic design. This guy is good at what he does. The Learners is his second novel, and though he displays a skill with words as adept as that which with he wields a drawing pencil, The Learners leaves readers feeling somehow unfulfilled.
The Learners is set in New Haven, Connecticut in the early 1960's. If you're a psychology student, you might remember that this was the same time and place in which Stanley Milgram did his obedience experiments at Yale (you know, the ones where a person would have to ask questions and administer shocks of increasing voltage for each wrong answer, unaware that the person screaming in pain in the next room was really an actor). Anywho, the story deals with Happy, a graphic design major who finds himself a job at an advertising agency in the Yale town. After designing Milgram's ad, Happy becomes intrigued with the experiment when he learns of its connection to a deceased college sweetheart. He becomes a participant, and then deals with the horrible realization that he may be capable of murder.
This book had a lot of potential, but it never really paid off. The characters were great (Sketch, the artistic genius who never really went anywhere, and Tip, the inquisitive, sexually ambiguous writer). Kidd offers a lot of insight to the human psyche, and its response to content and appearance. The scenes were beautifully described, with the right twists of humor and ambiance. I even enjoyed the dialogue, which was sprinkled with natural nuances that most authors ignore. However, it just never goes anywhere. Just as the plot begins to pick up, the novel ends, and you're left with a feeling of, "Now what?"
I would really like to see Kidd attempt a more involved storyline, and I'm still interested to read The Cheese Monkeys, his prequel to The Learners (they don't have to be read together; I didn't feel at any point during the story that I was missing any vital information by not reading the first novel). This is certainly an author that I want to keep an eye on. I really think that if he puts more into a plot, he could be as famous in the world of literature as he is in the world of graphic design."
"Book designer Chip Kidd's follow-up novel to "The Cheese Monkeys" is equally as witty and saturated with Graphic Design tid bits. I especially like the mention of the Millgram's Experiment that were actual experiments conducted in the 1960s that tested how humans can be pushed to commit terrible atrocities when influenced by a higher authority. Kidd gives respectful nods to typography, layout design, advertising, and other tools of design. He also remains incredibly historically accurate in regards to Millgram's Experiment; he even uses the exact copy that was printed on the ad in the 60s. It seems to be a recurring trend for Kidd to have really bizarre, ethereal endings for his novels. If i didn't know any better, i would assume that he got bored with writing and came up with an ending while he was drunk, but i'm positive that every aspect of Kidd's novels are pored over, so i really try to understand. i really enjoyed this book, and Chip Kidd remains a god in my universe."
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