The average user rating for this Book is 6.2 out of 10 (based on 31 Votes).
B faste gave it a1: A disappointing disaster of a book. And that is being kind. Someone mentioned that people of generation x will "get" this novel. I speak for those of generation x who find this novel contrived and silly. The characters are unlikable and worse, unbelievable especially the title character Charlotte Simmons. She comes off as a naive and pathetic screw-up who may be book smart but has no common sense. Anyone who was in a challenging pre-med program or a gruelling engineering program will definitely not agree with the author's viewpoint that all students these days are lazy slackers.
Nanette B gave it an8: Somehow the stereotypes and the crude language and even the lack of news in this novel did not make it any less compulsive reading for me. Tom Wolfe walks ground that is painfully familiar, but describes it in a level of vivid detail that will resurrect uncomfortable memories for almost anyone who ever went to a four year college, and (I think unfortunately) fill the breasts of everyone else with righteous disgust. He has a point of view, and it is that of Thomas Hardy in Tess of the D'Urbervilles: "Hey folks- something is terribly wrong here!" Physical disorder and uncleanliness, closely depicted in the coed dormitories and the off-campus student housing, stands in for what the author perceives as rampant materialism and self-gratification spoiling the lives of otherwise promising young people. The effect on the students of this hedonistic and brutally hierarchical culture is to deprive them of all fellow-feeling. The central sex act in the novel , which is described with clinical accuracy and no sentiment whatever, allows the reader to experience the detached, depersonalized perspective of the victim, and to follow her into a subsequent crippling depression. This scene in itself was a stunning achievement, and proves that Mr. Wolfe could not have written this novel out of envy or prurience as suggested by some reviewers. There are inaccuracies, and there are exaggerations, mostly for comic effect. The most anachronistic part of the book is the remarkable absence of computers, except at the very end where emails play a decisive role in wrapping up the plot. Undergraduates have access to their friends not only through telephone calls but also through online social networking, instant messaging and blogs. Another issue is the resolution of the plot, which seems to leave Charlotte at least conscious of a decision she has made to pay less attention to her grades and her future, and more attention to what really motivates her in her new environment. That she is not happy is manifestly due to the understanding from her mother and teacher that she is expected to achieve academically and no other goal will suffice. There is a whole story there that is never really explored. Despite these quibbles, there is much truth in Wolfe's acidic prose and much that will survive the first round of critics.
Harry M gave it a9: Having been an administrator at Yale for 10 years, I can assure you that this novel is extremely authentic in its portrayal of modern campus life. Charlotte's character was very real to me, and her torment and depression had an osmotic quality. The fact that not everyone uses high intellect for a high purpose may upset some, but Charlotte's decisions and direction reflects a truer arc, as she chooses American Idol over Charlie Rose.
DeVan P gave it a10: Any member of Generation X to the present generation of up and coming college students will GET this book, identifying with it. Yes, Wolfe captures the current campus attitude very accurately. So accurately, in fact, you would think he's hosting frat parties to this very day.
Joeythunders G gave it a2: This book wouldn't even be acceptable if the byline said "Jackie Collins". One dimensional characters; forced, predictable diallogue, and worst of all: a constant self awareness and odor of self importance you cannot escape while you read it. But it breaks open these hot stories: College kids drink and have sex. There are social and societal pressures on young people. Children can grow up to have contempt for thier parents and the way they were raised. Athletes sometimes don't have to do thier homework. And some people are hypocrites! Alert the media! Stick to Wolfe's non-fiction.
Roy C gave it a0: This book is trash. I bought a hard copy and destroyed it before anyone else had to put up with the filth.
Chelsea gave it a5: I felt that Wolfe tried too hard to describe a world he doesn't belong in. So many reviews commend him for accurately describing the college life. But essentially he is sterotyping - real college life isn't nearly as scandalous and fairytale-like.
Drew R gave it a0: Possibly the worst book I've read in the last 10 years. Wolfe's Charlotte is a caricature of a creature who lives in a binary world that allows either sexuality or intellect, but never both. The obvious medical research done for this book should have been skipped in favor of a few weeks spent actually listening to the language of undergraduates, not gawping at their penchant for hooking up.
Pisces Fickle gave it a10: I think this novel is well-written and accurate of what goes on in college life across america.
Joseph M gave it a10: Not as good as bonfire, but couldn't put it down
felix p gave it a9: i thought it was a very entertaining book, and it depicts college life these days very accurately
jimmy gave it a1: this book i feel is a great piece of art for someone that wants to fall asleep! this book was great i read one paragraph and was out like a light. to be honest it does not even deserve a 1
Tom L gave it an8: "Charlotte Simmons" is designed to entertain, and Mr. Wolfe does this wonderfully. I like the characters, and I disagree with critics who would call them unbelievable. They represent the extremes of America. When these people meet, the results are fun to watch. It's not a classic, but it's darn entertaining.
Richard A gave it a9: Once again, Wolfe shines a powerful, uncomfortable spotlight on modern society. Something of a charicature, perhaps, but so were Dickens novels, and Wolfe is much more acute than Dickens.
Ari M gave it an8: Clearly none of these critics went to college within the last 15 years. If they had, they would have been able to see the almost frightening level at which Tom Wolfe has this generation of kids 'figured out.' This novel hits the bulls-eye in almost every catetory. He just seems to get it with the way that he portrays his characters. I felt that I already knew every character in the book, because in a way, I do. I go to college with them now! The jocks, the pot-heads, the idiotic frat boys, the do-gooders, the elitist snobs, they're all there. No one is spared from Wolfe's piercing satire. This should be required reading for anyone currently in college or with kids enrolled in college. This guy just gets it. Wow.
jerry p gave it a5: 5 is generous; charlotti is not a credible charater; the pages reek of hyperbole, but it is too long
John M gave it an8: Since I went to an all male college very many years ago, and have been a professor teaching graduate courses for forty years I hoped to learn something about undergraduate life that I have had no chance to observe. I learned something but don't believe all of what Wofe depicts. The two college athlete's weren't like that, but college athletics has become more professional in recent years. In the end the heroine gives up her academic ambitions to te a girlfriend of a star. Oh well, she's only eighteen. However, many women choose to be primarily wives. Charlotte's enjoyment of the praise of the mother of another basketball player suggests that this will be her choice in life. I read the book to the end and may even read it again after my son finishes it.
Sandra M gave it a2: I continued to read this book despite losing all conviction and interest in the main character somewhere around page 6 or so only because wolfe can turn a phrase like no one else. Otherwise I did not care about, or believe in, Charlotte Simmons or any other character or situation in this book for more than a second at a time.
joe b gave it a9: mesmerizing.....characters richly drawn descriptions vibrant Tom Wolfe is unique...... nitpicking critics have missed the mark
Michael M gave it a1: A page turner it may be, but it severely lacks in creativity. Reading the little note about one of the DuPont faculty at the beginning gives the entire novel away, and anybody who has read 1984 will cry at the thought that such a shameless collegiate parody of Orwell's classic managed to sell so well. PS if you have ever been to college, "sexile" is not a clever turn of phrase at all.
william h gave it a9: Brilliant, sharp and authentic dialogue, a gripping story that keeps one turning the pages. Spoilt slightly in parts by over-the-top crudities.
Michael O gave it a4: After eventually finishining what was sadly a quite boring read, I almost felt It was necessary for me to go back to college just to reassure myself that college life was far more entertaining than this story suggests. Perhaps my expectations of having Mr Wolfe intepret a chapter of my life with a unique insight, an interpretation from the outside looking in, in a way that changed my own perception, was too great an ask. In the end I'm no better off for having read this latest effort, not a complete waste of time but not at all enjoyable enough to recommend.
Chris H gave it a8: These reviews are too harsh. It was an enjoyable novel.
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