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All My Friends are Superheroes
All Tom's friends really are superheroes.
There's the Ear, the Spooner, the Impossible Man. Tom even married a superhero, the Perfectionist. But at their wedding, the Perfectionist was hypnotized (by ex-boyfriend Hypno, of course) to believe that Tom is invisible. Nothing he does can make her see him. Six months later, she's sure that Tom has abandoned her.
So she's moving to Vancouver. She'll use her superpower to make Vancouver perfect and leave all the heartbreak in Toronto. With no idea Tom's beside her, she boards an airplane in Toronto. Tom has until the wheels touch the ground in Vancouver to convince her he's visible, or he loses her forever.
There's the Ear, the Spooner, the Impossible Man. Tom even married a superhero, the Perfectionist. But at their wedding, the Perfectionist was hypnotized (by ex-boyfriend Hypno, of course) to believe that Tom is invisible. Nothing he does can make her see him. Six months later, she's sure that Tom has abandoned her.
So she's moving to Vancouver. She'll use her superpower to make Vancouver perfect and leave all the heartbreak in Toronto. With no idea Tom's beside her, she boards an airplane in Toronto. Tom has until the wheels touch the ground in Vancouver to convince her he's visible, or he loses her forever.
120 pages, Paperback
First published October 19, 2003
About the author
Andrew Kaufman
30 books459 followersANDREW KAUFMAN's critically acclaimed first book, All My Friends Are Superheroes, was a cult hit and has been translated into six languages. Kaufman is also an accomplished screenwriter, film-maker and radio producer and has completed a Director's Residency at the Canadian Film Centre. He lives in Toronto with his wife and their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,604 reviews
August 2, 2018
“What would make this perfect?”
I read the description for this book and was instantly captivated by the premise of the magical blending in with the everyday:
All Tom's friends really are superheroes.
There's the Ear, the Spooner, the Impossible Man. Tom even married a superhero, the Perfectionist. But at their wedding, the Perfectionist was hypnotized (by ex-boyfriend Hypno, of course) to believe that Tom is invisible. Nothing he does can make her see him. Six months later, she's sure that Tom has abandoned her.
So she's moving to Vancouver. She'll use her superpower to make Vancouver perfect and leave all the heartbreak in Toronto. With no idea Tom's beside her, she boards an airplane in Toronto. Tom has until the wheels touch the ground in Vancouver to convince her he's visible, or he loses her forever.
Honestly, I’m amazed with the author’s brain for coming up with each of the peculiarities in here. Superheroes include: the Couch Surfer (“Empowered with the ability to sustain life and limb without a job, steady companion or permanent place of residence”), the Falling Girl, the Shadowless Man, the Inverse (“Shake the Inverse’s hand and the exact opposite of your life will flash before your eyes”), The Projectionist, Hypno… and with the addition of an anxiety monster appearing at the door when, you guessed it, you’re feeling anxious (“There are two ways to get rid of an anxiety monster, my friend – you either have a bath or a nap.”).
This humorous love story between a normal man and a super-heroine, The Perfectionist, explores the power of ignoring someone and how it can drive them crazy or close to it... Which I found incredible because I had just recently talked about this exact premise and how nothing is quite as hurtful as ghosting someone out of the blue. All My Friends Are Superheroes is both silly and serious, which is quite a feat to concur in writing. Andrew Kaufman definitely succeeded, though, in my eyes.
Bonus points for making this feel like a short story, since it was a lot of fun to read I never noticed the page numbers changing while reading, and also because the book itself is on the slimmer side.
And the fact that there were stories inside of stories also enveloped me further into the book. I loved in particular this love story between two invisible people, who are painted in different colors (blue and orange) to remain visible to the outside world:
(It's long but definitely worth the read.)
“Then one day, a Wednesday, the Blue Outcast worked late at the call centre. He waited for the 6:04 streetcar. Normally he got the 5:15. This is where he saw her. She was hard to miss. She was orange.
The Blue Outcast was in line for the front doors of the streetcar. The Orange Exile was exiting through the rear doors. They made brief eye contact, but nothing more.
The Blue Outcast changed his routine. He took that streetcar, the 504, at 6:04 every day. The Blue Outcast and the Orange Exile noticed each other more and more. They made eye contact for longer periods of time. The Blue Outcast made sure to be at the end of the line for the front doors of the streetcar. The Orange Exile made sure to be first out the back doors. They began waving to each other as they passed on the street. They still hadn’t chatted or exchanged names. That didn’t seem to be the point.
Six weeks after they’d become aware of each other, a thunderstorm rolled across the city. The rain backed up the storm drains. Lightning struck close to the Blue Outcast’s call centre. It was 7:30. He’d missed the 6:04. He was the only one in the office. The sound boomed through the room. He looked out the window to see if there was any damage.
At that exact moment, the Orange Exile was looking out the window of her apartment. The call centre and the Orange Exile’s apartment were directly across from each other, on the second floors of three-storey buildings.
The Blue Outcast looked at the Orange Exile. Lightning cracked again. She put her index finger in her mouth. She pulled it out. It wasn’t orange any more. It was invisible. She held it up for the Blue Outcast to see.
The Blue Outcast cried. His tears cut streaks of invisibility down his face. He stepped back from the window. He undressed. Naked, he left the call centre. He walked to the ground floor, stepped into the rain and looked across the street where orange feet and orange legs were standing in an orange puddle.
They stood in the rain. The Blue Outcast looked up at the sky and held out his arms. He let rain fall on his face. He looked down at his hands and didn’t see them. He looked back across the street and couldn’t see the Orange Exile.
Neither of them has been seen since.”
This was riveting.
With plenty of heart and more than a little humor, All My Friends Are Superheroes has me intrigued to check out other works by Kaufman in the near future.
Oh, and I also listened to this next song on repeat while reading, thanks to the most recent Skam update.
Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying All My Friends Are Superheroes, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
I read the description for this book and was instantly captivated by the premise of the magical blending in with the everyday:
All Tom's friends really are superheroes.
There's the Ear, the Spooner, the Impossible Man. Tom even married a superhero, the Perfectionist. But at their wedding, the Perfectionist was hypnotized (by ex-boyfriend Hypno, of course) to believe that Tom is invisible. Nothing he does can make her see him. Six months later, she's sure that Tom has abandoned her.
So she's moving to Vancouver. She'll use her superpower to make Vancouver perfect and leave all the heartbreak in Toronto. With no idea Tom's beside her, she boards an airplane in Toronto. Tom has until the wheels touch the ground in Vancouver to convince her he's visible, or he loses her forever.
Honestly, I’m amazed with the author’s brain for coming up with each of the peculiarities in here. Superheroes include: the Couch Surfer (“Empowered with the ability to sustain life and limb without a job, steady companion or permanent place of residence”), the Falling Girl, the Shadowless Man, the Inverse (“Shake the Inverse’s hand and the exact opposite of your life will flash before your eyes”), The Projectionist, Hypno… and with the addition of an anxiety monster appearing at the door when, you guessed it, you’re feeling anxious (“There are two ways to get rid of an anxiety monster, my friend – you either have a bath or a nap.”).
This humorous love story between a normal man and a super-heroine, The Perfectionist, explores the power of ignoring someone and how it can drive them crazy or close to it... Which I found incredible because I had just recently talked about this exact premise and how nothing is quite as hurtful as ghosting someone out of the blue. All My Friends Are Superheroes is both silly and serious, which is quite a feat to concur in writing. Andrew Kaufman definitely succeeded, though, in my eyes.
Bonus points for making this feel like a short story, since it was a lot of fun to read I never noticed the page numbers changing while reading, and also because the book itself is on the slimmer side.
And the fact that there were stories inside of stories also enveloped me further into the book. I loved in particular this love story between two invisible people, who are painted in different colors (blue and orange) to remain visible to the outside world:
(It's long but definitely worth the read.)
“Then one day, a Wednesday, the Blue Outcast worked late at the call centre. He waited for the 6:04 streetcar. Normally he got the 5:15. This is where he saw her. She was hard to miss. She was orange.
The Blue Outcast was in line for the front doors of the streetcar. The Orange Exile was exiting through the rear doors. They made brief eye contact, but nothing more.
The Blue Outcast changed his routine. He took that streetcar, the 504, at 6:04 every day. The Blue Outcast and the Orange Exile noticed each other more and more. They made eye contact for longer periods of time. The Blue Outcast made sure to be at the end of the line for the front doors of the streetcar. The Orange Exile made sure to be first out the back doors. They began waving to each other as they passed on the street. They still hadn’t chatted or exchanged names. That didn’t seem to be the point.
Six weeks after they’d become aware of each other, a thunderstorm rolled across the city. The rain backed up the storm drains. Lightning struck close to the Blue Outcast’s call centre. It was 7:30. He’d missed the 6:04. He was the only one in the office. The sound boomed through the room. He looked out the window to see if there was any damage.
At that exact moment, the Orange Exile was looking out the window of her apartment. The call centre and the Orange Exile’s apartment were directly across from each other, on the second floors of three-storey buildings.
The Blue Outcast looked at the Orange Exile. Lightning cracked again. She put her index finger in her mouth. She pulled it out. It wasn’t orange any more. It was invisible. She held it up for the Blue Outcast to see.
The Blue Outcast cried. His tears cut streaks of invisibility down his face. He stepped back from the window. He undressed. Naked, he left the call centre. He walked to the ground floor, stepped into the rain and looked across the street where orange feet and orange legs were standing in an orange puddle.
They stood in the rain. The Blue Outcast looked up at the sky and held out his arms. He let rain fall on his face. He looked down at his hands and didn’t see them. He looked back across the street and couldn’t see the Orange Exile.
Neither of them has been seen since.”
This was riveting.
With plenty of heart and more than a little humor, All My Friends Are Superheroes has me intrigued to check out other works by Kaufman in the near future.
Oh, and I also listened to this next song on repeat while reading, thanks to the most recent Skam update.
Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying All My Friends Are Superheroes, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
November 8, 2018
Tom is just a regular guy, though all his friends are not. They are SUPERHEROES with SUPER POWERS! True, their powers may be somewhat odd. There's The Businessman who can calculate the net worth of passersby, The Couch Surfer, a man imbued with the ability to live off of his friends' generosity, and Tom's new bride, The Perfectionist, whose source of power is her need for order.
Alas, their love story goes pear shaped on their wedding day when a suggestion made by one of Perf's old beaus, Hypno, makes Tom invisible to his wife.
Now Tom is floundering, attempting to solve a riddle that will get his love to see him again . . . before she walks out of his life for good.
This is the perfect storm of quirky, romantic silliness, and it proved to be just the right book at just the right time. I loved, Loved, LOVED it.
And now, it's confession time.
I, too, am a superhero. I am The Rememberer. I am empowered with the ability to remember conversations (yes - only conversations, not impressive things like obscure historical facts or sports scores). I can remember what someone once told me over twenty, thirty, even forty years ago. Of course, when I bring up a tidbit that someone casually mentioned so long, long ago, the subject is so startled, they deny ever having said such a thing. Vehemently. "I never said that," they say. "Yes. Yes, you did," I say. This goes back and forth for a while, but always ends the same way.
THEY think I'm THE CRAZY ONE!
Phew! Being a superhero is exhausting. In fact, sometimes it sucks.
Alas, their love story goes pear shaped on their wedding day when a suggestion made by one of Perf's old beaus, Hypno, makes Tom invisible to his wife.
Now Tom is floundering, attempting to solve a riddle that will get his love to see him again . . . before she walks out of his life for good.
This is the perfect storm of quirky, romantic silliness, and it proved to be just the right book at just the right time. I loved, Loved, LOVED it.
And now, it's confession time.
I, too, am a superhero. I am The Rememberer. I am empowered with the ability to remember conversations (yes - only conversations, not impressive things like obscure historical facts or sports scores). I can remember what someone once told me over twenty, thirty, even forty years ago. Of course, when I bring up a tidbit that someone casually mentioned so long, long ago, the subject is so startled, they deny ever having said such a thing. Vehemently. "I never said that," they say. "Yes. Yes, you did," I say. This goes back and forth for a while, but always ends the same way.
THEY think I'm THE CRAZY ONE!
Phew! Being a superhero is exhausting. In fact, sometimes it sucks.
April 5, 2014
3 ½ stars. It'll make you smile. The perfect mental gargle after a few heavy novels, creative and just plain fun. Fantasy with a judicious touch of magical realism, everyone in it's a superhero (except for the main character) but they’re subtle about it, we're not talking a bunch of flamboyant cape wearers. Instead each person’s strongest characteristic is what defines their super-power, bet you’ll find yourself wondering what yours would be...
It can be silly, so prepare for a few eye rolling moments but there’s some depth to it as well. This is Kaufman’s bestselling debut, if you like him read The Tiny Wife. It’s darker and I thought quite a bit better, but that's more about my personal taste - I like dark.
So if you're into stories that are strange and unusual, give this one a try.
Cons: I need more fleshed out characters. This one’s got about 40 which is seriously too many for a 120 page book:) Don’t worry though, they make brief appearances flowing in and out of the story - no need to try and keep track of them at all.
"Mr. Opportunity. He knocks on doors and stands there. You'd be surprised how few doors get answered."
It can be silly, so prepare for a few eye rolling moments but there’s some depth to it as well. This is Kaufman’s bestselling debut, if you like him read The Tiny Wife. It’s darker and I thought quite a bit better, but that's more about my personal taste - I like dark.
So if you're into stories that are strange and unusual, give this one a try.
Cons: I need more fleshed out characters. This one’s got about 40 which is seriously too many for a 120 page book:) Don’t worry though, they make brief appearances flowing in and out of the story - no need to try and keep track of them at all.
"Mr. Opportunity. He knocks on doors and stands there. You'd be surprised how few doors get answered."
September 7, 2022
Incredibly clever, for the most part. But there were other, smaller, parts that didn't quite work, and others (smaller still) that were too clever for their own good. I'm not sure that makes much sense, but you'll see what I mean if you read it.
May 6, 2015
This is such a nice, short fairytale. Nothing more. You can read it in less than a half hour. Makes you feel happy and full of awe at Kaufman's wonderful story writing ability.
January 10, 2012
Not sure where to start. Well, let's start from the cover: "Buy it, borrow it, steal it but just make sure you read it". Dear Mr. Scott Pack (whoever you are), if I ended up in jail for stealing this book I would be really, REALLY pissed off. I think the author wanted to be all deep and profound, trying to convey a message camouflaged under a weird story (is there a story? I just saw a collection of episodes and descriptions). Well, if there was a message, I thought it was VERY, VERY well camouflaged. All I see is a bunch of 'superheroes' who aren't real, aren't fictional and, most of all, aren't interesting. I kept waiting for a big revelation to finally understand the point of wasting my time reading about useless 'superpowers', but no revelation came. I really can't understand it - maybe it's just me, but how can you define this 'an adorable book' or an 'ode to love built to last'?! Again, maybe (probably) it's just me. I'm usually cheesy enough to understand this kind of thing, but maybe this book goes beyond my 'superpowers' - after all, I'm just a 'regular'.
May 16, 2022
there was a phase of my life when all i would read was YA contemporaries i bought from target with my babysitting money and obscure library books my mom found in women's magazine book recommendations.
this is a relic from that era.
part of a series i'm doing in which i review books i read a long time ago
this is a relic from that era.
part of a series i'm doing in which i review books i read a long time ago
March 8, 2014
This book is totally adorable. It's not going to change your life, it's not Earth-shattering prose, it's just plain unadulterated pleasure to read.
I wish I could've finished it in one sitting but it's difficult to finish 107 pages on the bus journey to work. But then again if I had finished it without pause I wouldn't have known what it was like to put it down and feel the need to pick it up again.
There's not much I can tell you without spoiling it BUT it is a wonderful love story AND the superhero metaphors work really well 98% of the time.
To list some comparitive adjectives may be the simplest way to review it: funny NOT hilarious, nice NOT brilliant, short and sweet NOT epic and overly descriptive, playful NOT absurd.
My least favourite aspect are the short interludes where Kaufman introduces some other superheroes, most of which are trying too hard to be funny and fail completely and I do mean eye-rollingly bad attempts at jokes that might have been funny if i'd read this when it was first released in 1999 and I was 17.
edit: I'm just floating this review in an immature contest to be the most liked versus Leah's review of the same book which is actually better than mine.
I wish I could've finished it in one sitting but it's difficult to finish 107 pages on the bus journey to work. But then again if I had finished it without pause I wouldn't have known what it was like to put it down and feel the need to pick it up again.
There's not much I can tell you without spoiling it BUT it is a wonderful love story AND the superhero metaphors work really well 98% of the time.
To list some comparitive adjectives may be the simplest way to review it: funny NOT hilarious, nice NOT brilliant, short and sweet NOT epic and overly descriptive, playful NOT absurd.
My least favourite aspect are the short interludes where Kaufman introduces some other superheroes, most of which are trying too hard to be funny and fail completely and I do mean eye-rollingly bad attempts at jokes that might have been funny if i'd read this when it was first released in 1999 and I was 17.
edit: I'm just floating this review in an immature contest to be the most liked versus Leah's review of the same book which is actually better than mine.
June 18, 2012
A perfectly sweet little book. I read it in less than an hour, which I love.
It has something of the romantic comedy about it, and something delightfully quirky that I have come to associate with Canadian creations - although admittedly I am mostly thinking of Scott Pilgrim here. A little off-centre, a little tongue-in-cheek, it's kind of like one perfect slice of cake: not too big, not too small, leaves you feeling all warm and gooey inside without feeling overindulged.
The little vignettes of twentysomething life are charming and heart-tugging, from a first kiss after being painted into a corner, to realising you don't need so much stuff after your moving van with all your possessions inside is stolen. Now that I think about it, there was a lot of the slightly surreal sweetness of this book in the recent Australian film Griff the Invisible.
As with many short stories and short novels, I can see this being a really lovely movie, done properly. But that's not the point. I think the quote on the back said it best, that this book would be replacing flowers and chocolates as romantic gifts in the future. I can't think of nicer praise to give.
It has something of the romantic comedy about it, and something delightfully quirky that I have come to associate with Canadian creations - although admittedly I am mostly thinking of Scott Pilgrim here. A little off-centre, a little tongue-in-cheek, it's kind of like one perfect slice of cake: not too big, not too small, leaves you feeling all warm and gooey inside without feeling overindulged.
The little vignettes of twentysomething life are charming and heart-tugging, from a first kiss after being painted into a corner, to realising you don't need so much stuff after your moving van with all your possessions inside is stolen. Now that I think about it, there was a lot of the slightly surreal sweetness of this book in the recent Australian film Griff the Invisible.
As with many short stories and short novels, I can see this being a really lovely movie, done properly. But that's not the point. I think the quote on the back said it best, that this book would be replacing flowers and chocolates as romantic gifts in the future. I can't think of nicer praise to give.
October 29, 2023
I needed a short book to fill a gap and at just over a hundred pages, All My Friends are Superheroes fit the bill. It's not a very taxing read, but I also feel like that's one of its main problems.
It's about an ordinary guy named Tom who's friends with a bunch of superheroes. He marries one of them, The Perfectionist, but on their wedding day, she's hypnotized by an ex into believing Tom is invisible. Six months later she's leaving town on a plane to Toronto, thinking Tom has left her. What she doesn't know is that he's in the next seat, wracking his brain for a solution before he loses his wife forever.
If you enjoy whimsical tales, this might be the book for you. I can only manage that kind of thing in small doses. And when it's stretched throughout an entire story, however short it is, I find it hard to stomach. I need something more profound to sink my teeth into. It may deserve some points for originality, but this unusual romance was not my cup of tea.
It's about an ordinary guy named Tom who's friends with a bunch of superheroes. He marries one of them, The Perfectionist, but on their wedding day, she's hypnotized by an ex into believing Tom is invisible. Six months later she's leaving town on a plane to Toronto, thinking Tom has left her. What she doesn't know is that he's in the next seat, wracking his brain for a solution before he loses his wife forever.
If you enjoy whimsical tales, this might be the book for you. I can only manage that kind of thing in small doses. And when it's stretched throughout an entire story, however short it is, I find it hard to stomach. I need something more profound to sink my teeth into. It may deserve some points for originality, but this unusual romance was not my cup of tea.
February 27, 2016
This was a very fast but cute read. The story is so imaginative. I liked the things that made people into superheroes and the way that affected their lives. And the story about Tom and The Perfectionist is just so cute. I couldn't put it down!
Reread this February 2016 and just loved it like the first time. Go read it, if you haven't yet!
Reread this February 2016 and just loved it like the first time. Go read it, if you haven't yet!
May 31, 2024
The title of this book is "All my friends are Superheroes."
Congratulations, you have now read the one good thing this book has to offer.
EDIT: I wrote this review over ten years ago and it still gets a like every now and then. I feel I should mention that this book was really meaningful to me in an odd way. I was just starting out as a writer, and this was the first published work that made me think "well I could do better than this". I don't think I would be as catty about it this time, but insecurity about your own skills can make a young writer quite the judgemental prick. Still: there are many books that vanished from my mind the moment I read them. This book stuck with me. It might even be one of the most key books I've ever read, since it made me believe I could do it too. Which does seem fitting for a book about superheroes.
Congratulations, you have now read the one good thing this book has to offer.
EDIT: I wrote this review over ten years ago and it still gets a like every now and then. I feel I should mention that this book was really meaningful to me in an odd way. I was just starting out as a writer, and this was the first published work that made me think "well I could do better than this". I don't think I would be as catty about it this time, but insecurity about your own skills can make a young writer quite the judgemental prick. Still: there are many books that vanished from my mind the moment I read them. This book stuck with me. It might even be one of the most key books I've ever read, since it made me believe I could do it too. Which does seem fitting for a book about superheroes.
January 24, 2019
Brief, relentlessly ironic, mordantly funny, and true. Kaufman's Everyman hero Tom is the one mere mortal in his lively circle of friends.
Eh, my heroes have always been Schoolhouse Rocky and Zero. And Willie Nelson.
Therefore, Tom is also the outsider-storyteller sharing his insights with us, mostly about twenty-something life and romance. He describes well-known local characters such as the Spooner, who's unerringly attracted to anyone who needs overnight emotional support; Tom's old commitment-phobe girlfriend Someday who wistfully vanished; Tom's soulmate the Perfectionist who's utterly in her element planning their Perfect Wedding; and a host of idiosyncratic others.
Personally, my favorite scene is when, while visiting an art gallery, Tom and the Perfectionist embarrass the crap out of Tom's eternally laid-back BFF the Amphibian just by being themselves and trying too hard. :D You'll know the book is for you if you even half-enjoy this:
Part of the problem with finding your superhero name is that it may refer to something you don’t like about yourself. It may actually be the part of yourself you hate the most, would pay money to get rid of. Certainly the Perfectionist had a hard time coming to terms with her superpower.
The Gambler, OneNight and Brutally Honest all spent years accepting their superpowers.
Really, can't you just hear Brutally Honest and the Gambler saying, "It's just me, babe. It's the Way I Am." (OneNight wouldn't stick around long enough to explain.)
My superhero name would be The Burning Procrastinator. (And my stripper name would be Dixie Cooper. And I am not proud of that.)
Edward Lear (and his bird in the bush) would have completely approved of Kaufman's brand of absurdism. Edward Gorey would have probably requested more loners, cats, and missing persons.
Eh, my heroes have always been Schoolhouse Rocky and Zero. And Willie Nelson.
Therefore, Tom is also the outsider-storyteller sharing his insights with us, mostly about twenty-something life and romance. He describes well-known local characters such as the Spooner, who's unerringly attracted to anyone who needs overnight emotional support; Tom's old commitment-phobe girlfriend Someday who wistfully vanished; Tom's soulmate the Perfectionist who's utterly in her element planning their Perfect Wedding; and a host of idiosyncratic others.
Personally, my favorite scene is when, while visiting an art gallery, Tom and the Perfectionist embarrass the crap out of Tom's eternally laid-back BFF the Amphibian just by being themselves and trying too hard. :D You'll know the book is for you if you even half-enjoy this:
Part of the problem with finding your superhero name is that it may refer to something you don’t like about yourself. It may actually be the part of yourself you hate the most, would pay money to get rid of. Certainly the Perfectionist had a hard time coming to terms with her superpower.
The Gambler, OneNight and Brutally Honest all spent years accepting their superpowers.
Really, can't you just hear Brutally Honest and the Gambler saying, "It's just me, babe. It's the Way I Am." (OneNight wouldn't stick around long enough to explain.)
My superhero name would be The Burning Procrastinator. (And my stripper name would be Dixie Cooper. And I am not proud of that.)
Edward Lear (and his bird in the bush) would have completely approved of Kaufman's brand of absurdism. Edward Gorey would have probably requested more loners, cats, and missing persons.
June 15, 2016
Well I am late for work and might have cried.
March 18, 2024
The perfect book to read on a Sunday afternoon. Fun, insightful and I would also bet that it's very different from every other book that you might stumble upon.
February 11, 2020
3.5 arredondei pra 4
Achei essa leitura bem divertida e criativa.
Na noite de seu casamento, Tom se torna invisível para sua esposa, A Perfeccionista que foi hipnotizada pelo seu ex-namorado, Hipno.
Todos enxergam Tom, menos A Perfeccionista (e por mais que as pessoas falem pra ela que ele está ali, ela não consegue acreditar). Seis meses depois, cansada e triste de viver sem enxergar seu marido desde a noite de seu casamento, ela decide entrar em um avião para Vancouver e recomeçar sua vida.
No avião, Tom percebe que essa é a última chance de se tornar novamente visível para sua esposa e salvar seu casamento.
Enquanto acompanhamos essa situação bizarra, somos apresentados a outros super heróis nem um pouco convencionais e também a história dos dois.
Adorei!
Achei essa leitura bem divertida e criativa.
Na noite de seu casamento, Tom se torna invisível para sua esposa, A Perfeccionista que foi hipnotizada pelo seu ex-namorado, Hipno.
Todos enxergam Tom, menos A Perfeccionista (e por mais que as pessoas falem pra ela que ele está ali, ela não consegue acreditar). Seis meses depois, cansada e triste de viver sem enxergar seu marido desde a noite de seu casamento, ela decide entrar em um avião para Vancouver e recomeçar sua vida.
No avião, Tom percebe que essa é a última chance de se tornar novamente visível para sua esposa e salvar seu casamento.
Enquanto acompanhamos essa situação bizarra, somos apresentados a outros super heróis nem um pouco convencionais e também a história dos dois.
Adorei!
January 17, 2019
Nearly twenty years ago I remember I spent awhile making up a story in my head about people with super powers. It was around 2000, and I was probably influenced by some of the X-Men anti-mutant problems they were always involved with. It was about people who were treated like feared and treated like garbage by normal people because they had superpowers, but their superpowers were mundane and boring, like a guy who could warm up a cup of coffee with his hands, but they didn't generate enough heat to cause anyone harm or really do much good except for making something a little warmer. For awhile I thought that it would be a good idea for a story or something and then I probably thought of something else that would make a good idea for a story that I would never write and I started to play with that new idea in my head while walking around.
I didn't know what to expect when I started to read this. I'm not even sure what made me decide that this was a book that should be put on the pile of books I made a few months ago that I meant to read soon. But it was short, and the second book on the top of the pile, so I read it.
The book turned out to be a very good balance of quirky and sweet that could have easily slipped into possibly nauseating twee but managed not to.
The book is about a guy Tom who lives in Toronto, and like the title says, all his friends are superheros. He meets them when he befriends a superhero called the Amphibian, who is as comfortable being in water as being out of water (and who is an anomaly in the book because with webbed toes and fingers actually is visibly 'different' in some way). Most of the superheros though are more just personality quirks, that if looked at the right way are super powers.
Tom meets, falls in love with and marries the Perfectionist--whose superpower is that she needs order so badly that she can will it in to being with her mind (as an example of other superheros he had previously dated the superhero Someday, whose powers were the ability think big grandiose things along with an unlimited capacity to procrastinate). On their wedding day one of the Perfectionists ex's, Hypno, puts her in a trance that causes her to have a negative hallucination. She can't see Tom any longer.
The story part of the novel is Tom trying to figure out how to get the love of his life to see him again. Mixed in with the main story are anecdotes and chapters listing some of the other 249 Toronto superheros. For me it was the mini-stories about the other superheros that made this book. The book becomes a kind of celebration of the little idiosyncrasies that make us unique (and maybe with how ultimately ineffectual or useless most of the superpowers are it's also a bit of a warning about just relating ones entire life around one aspect of our lives?)
It's a much more charming book than it might sound like from my description, and could quite possibly be the best book I've ever read that came with a blurb on it from someone whose fame comes from the Marketing / Business world.
I didn't know what to expect when I started to read this. I'm not even sure what made me decide that this was a book that should be put on the pile of books I made a few months ago that I meant to read soon. But it was short, and the second book on the top of the pile, so I read it.
The book turned out to be a very good balance of quirky and sweet that could have easily slipped into possibly nauseating twee but managed not to.
The book is about a guy Tom who lives in Toronto, and like the title says, all his friends are superheros. He meets them when he befriends a superhero called the Amphibian, who is as comfortable being in water as being out of water (and who is an anomaly in the book because with webbed toes and fingers actually is visibly 'different' in some way). Most of the superheros though are more just personality quirks, that if looked at the right way are super powers.
Tom meets, falls in love with and marries the Perfectionist--whose superpower is that she needs order so badly that she can will it in to being with her mind (as an example of other superheros he had previously dated the superhero Someday, whose powers were the ability think big grandiose things along with an unlimited capacity to procrastinate). On their wedding day one of the Perfectionists ex's, Hypno, puts her in a trance that causes her to have a negative hallucination. She can't see Tom any longer.
The story part of the novel is Tom trying to figure out how to get the love of his life to see him again. Mixed in with the main story are anecdotes and chapters listing some of the other 249 Toronto superheros. For me it was the mini-stories about the other superheros that made this book. The book becomes a kind of celebration of the little idiosyncrasies that make us unique (and maybe with how ultimately ineffectual or useless most of the superpowers are it's also a bit of a warning about just relating ones entire life around one aspect of our lives?)
It's a much more charming book than it might sound like from my description, and could quite possibly be the best book I've ever read that came with a blurb on it from someone whose fame comes from the Marketing / Business world.
March 26, 2018
There are better ways to pass the time than reading 100 pages of saccharine whimsy. This book is so cute I want to punch its face in.
February 9, 2023
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
Although this book has been out since 2003 and also got a 10th anniversary edition, I only knew about it from my friend Jon who sent me a copy for my birthday (Thanks a million).
The title is certainly interesting, but it is not a fantasy story. It is more of a contemporary/ romance story with "Superheroes" who have the quirkiest superpowers like being a sloth and a perfectionist and so and so...
The story is short and it took me less than an hour to finish because it also has short chapters and fast pacing. The writing is humorous and it focuses on character studying. I was going to give ti 4 stars but the ending kind of felt weak to me and the story overall wasn't that deep. If you have an hour to spare and you would like to read something different then I would still recommend giving this one a chance.
Although this book has been out since 2003 and also got a 10th anniversary edition, I only knew about it from my friend Jon who sent me a copy for my birthday (Thanks a million).
The title is certainly interesting, but it is not a fantasy story. It is more of a contemporary/ romance story with "Superheroes" who have the quirkiest superpowers like being a sloth and a perfectionist and so and so...
The story is short and it took me less than an hour to finish because it also has short chapters and fast pacing. The writing is humorous and it focuses on character studying. I was going to give ti 4 stars but the ending kind of felt weak to me and the story overall wasn't that deep. If you have an hour to spare and you would like to read something different then I would still recommend giving this one a chance.
July 12, 2018
A clever little book and a very quick read (it's actually only 88 pages, since there are a lot of blank pages and it starts on page 7!). Had the Goldsmiths Prize (given to innovation in the novel form) been around back in 2004, it would have been a shoe-in to at least be nominated, if not indeed win. Basically a modern day fable on the difficulties in fitting in and finding true love, I think anyone can relate to at least parts of it.
October 5, 2017
Tom sta cercando di risolvere un problema serio: riuscire a tornare visibile agli occhi della donna che ama per la quale è appunto invisibile da 6 mesi. La donna in questione non è una donna qualunque ma sua moglie. Tom è ormai sconsolato e si sente anche un uomo mediocre perché da un anno è circondato da supereroi. Non supereroi classici, muscolosi e perfetti, tutt’altro. La stessa moglie di Tom è una supereroina: la Perfezionista. Purtroppo però Perf, nel giorno del suo matrimonio, ha subito un incantesimo da parte del suo ex, Ipno, che le impedisce di vedere Tom (ma lei ovviamente non ne è al corrente e infatti è convinta che Tom l’abbia lasciata). Quando sta per atterrare a Vancouver Perf cerca di utilizzare i suoi poteri per dimenticare questa triste vicenda che le sta logorando il cuore e Tom ha così pochissimo tempo per cercare di farsi vedere da lei ritornando visibile.
Si tratta di una bellissima storia d’amore, molto originale e per quanto drammatica possa essere è stata anche una storia a tratti divertente. Un tributo all’amore molto toccante e che vi può riscaldare il cuore in una giornata grigia e deprimente.
Trovo poi bellissima l’idea dell’autore di parlare in questo modo dei “supereroi” i cui superpoteri sono stati utilizzati come categorie per esplorare manie, fissazioni e debolezze dell’uomo. Ve ne cito alcuni: il Bradipo, la Presenzialista, l’Ospite, Una Notte E Via e infine il Consolatore; per non dimenticarci di Perfezione, la protagonista femminile del libro.
Volevo comunque lasciarvi alcuni passaggi che mi sono piaciuti particolarmente nella speranza che capiate l’inglese (altrimenti scrivetemi nei commenti che vi darò una spiegazione):
But because they all have a superpower, and everyone they know has a superpower, having a superpower is nothing special to them. What’s special to them is not having a superpower.
[…]
‘I don’t remember a single monster before I met you,’ he’d told the Amphibian. ‘Now they seem to be all over the place.’
‘You mean there wasn’t anything you were afraid of?’ the Amphibian had asked him.
‘Lots.’
‘What did they look like?’
It was a funny question.
‘They didn’t look like anything. They were ideas’.
[…]
She was still feeling reckless. She took off his skin. She took off his nervous system. She lifted up his rib cage. His heart beat in her hand. And there, underneath it, she found a jewelled golden box. She opened it. Inside she found his hopes, his dreams and his fears. She stared at them. She was surprised to find them there and surprised at how beautiful they where. At the exact moment, the Perfectionist fell in love with Tom.
[…]
‘We’re here,’ the Clock says.
The Perfectionist open her eyes. She sees nothing.
It’s white. All white. There’s no up. There’s no down. No horizon. Nothing. It’s just white.
‘Clock, what is it?’ asks the Perfectionist. Her voice is shaky.
‘This is the future.’
‘This is the future?’ the Perfectionist asks. Her mouth is dry. She forces herself to swallow. ‘Why is the future like this?’
‘Because it hasn’t happened yet,’ says the Clock.
E con queste, a mio avviso, splendide citazioni, concludo dicendovi che spero veramente tanto che leggiate questo libro!
Si tratta di una bellissima storia d’amore, molto originale e per quanto drammatica possa essere è stata anche una storia a tratti divertente. Un tributo all’amore molto toccante e che vi può riscaldare il cuore in una giornata grigia e deprimente.
Trovo poi bellissima l’idea dell’autore di parlare in questo modo dei “supereroi” i cui superpoteri sono stati utilizzati come categorie per esplorare manie, fissazioni e debolezze dell’uomo. Ve ne cito alcuni: il Bradipo, la Presenzialista, l’Ospite, Una Notte E Via e infine il Consolatore; per non dimenticarci di Perfezione, la protagonista femminile del libro.
Volevo comunque lasciarvi alcuni passaggi che mi sono piaciuti particolarmente nella speranza che capiate l’inglese (altrimenti scrivetemi nei commenti che vi darò una spiegazione):
But because they all have a superpower, and everyone they know has a superpower, having a superpower is nothing special to them. What’s special to them is not having a superpower.
[…]
‘I don’t remember a single monster before I met you,’ he’d told the Amphibian. ‘Now they seem to be all over the place.’
‘You mean there wasn’t anything you were afraid of?’ the Amphibian had asked him.
‘Lots.’
‘What did they look like?’
It was a funny question.
‘They didn’t look like anything. They were ideas’.
[…]
She was still feeling reckless. She took off his skin. She took off his nervous system. She lifted up his rib cage. His heart beat in her hand. And there, underneath it, she found a jewelled golden box. She opened it. Inside she found his hopes, his dreams and his fears. She stared at them. She was surprised to find them there and surprised at how beautiful they where. At the exact moment, the Perfectionist fell in love with Tom.
[…]
‘We’re here,’ the Clock says.
The Perfectionist open her eyes. She sees nothing.
It’s white. All white. There’s no up. There’s no down. No horizon. Nothing. It’s just white.
‘Clock, what is it?’ asks the Perfectionist. Her voice is shaky.
‘This is the future.’
‘This is the future?’ the Perfectionist asks. Her mouth is dry. She forces herself to swallow. ‘Why is the future like this?’
‘Because it hasn’t happened yet,’ says the Clock.
E con queste, a mio avviso, splendide citazioni, concludo dicendovi che spero veramente tanto che leggiate questo libro!
October 13, 2013
If you’re ever nostalgic for bedtime stories, the ones that made you float to another world that was both sweet and sad but made you smile all the same, than this is the book for you. Reading this book felt like spending time with some of the best books of my childhood, but then the adult version.
The story is about Tom, a regular non-superhero, who married a superhero (‘The Perfectionist’). On their wedding day however, a mean ex-lover of hers who has the power of Hypnotization made sure that he would no longer be visible to his wife. She thinks Tom has disappeared, and for six months Tom has been trying to undo the damage, but time is running out when she decides to move away and start life anew somewhere else.
What makes this story so brilliant is that there are so many layers to it. You can chose to which depth you want to read the book. You can just read the story for what it is, and enjoy it. But given the way it’s written, it’s not very hard to go a level deeper and realize that being unique is just one small step away from being a superhero – it all depends on your definition.
Although it’s interesting to note that we might look at others and realize they have some superhero-skills, we keep seeing ourselves as ‘a regular’.
There are some special superpowers but most of them sound quite everyday. I had a good laugh though with many of them. I thought Andrew Kaufman got very creative and witty with these, being very imaginative but still describing them in such a way that they are utterly recognizable and so very, very human.
‘Mr.Late’ is always late, but something of great importance will happen to you while you’re waiting for him. It is however still extremely annoying.”
‘The Jumper’ has jumped aboard, ahead and to conclusions. He’s jumped into love and out of the frying pan.
‘Someday’ has red hair, a compact frame and two superheroes: an amazing ability to think big and an unlimited capacity to procrastinate.
Another theme is the Power of Love, and what it in the end can pull of, no matter what the odds and obstacles are. Or how perfect it is, because she’s called the Perfectionist, not so much because of her perfectionism (though she is that too, she even gets frustrated for not being able to organize snow), but because she has the uncanny ability to make things perfect for him (On cue: 3…2…1… Awwwww).
The story is about Tom, a regular non-superhero, who married a superhero (‘The Perfectionist’). On their wedding day however, a mean ex-lover of hers who has the power of Hypnotization made sure that he would no longer be visible to his wife. She thinks Tom has disappeared, and for six months Tom has been trying to undo the damage, but time is running out when she decides to move away and start life anew somewhere else.
What makes this story so brilliant is that there are so many layers to it. You can chose to which depth you want to read the book. You can just read the story for what it is, and enjoy it. But given the way it’s written, it’s not very hard to go a level deeper and realize that being unique is just one small step away from being a superhero – it all depends on your definition.
Although it’s interesting to note that we might look at others and realize they have some superhero-skills, we keep seeing ourselves as ‘a regular’.
There are some special superpowers but most of them sound quite everyday. I had a good laugh though with many of them. I thought Andrew Kaufman got very creative and witty with these, being very imaginative but still describing them in such a way that they are utterly recognizable and so very, very human.
‘Mr.Late’ is always late, but something of great importance will happen to you while you’re waiting for him. It is however still extremely annoying.”
‘The Jumper’ has jumped aboard, ahead and to conclusions. He’s jumped into love and out of the frying pan.
‘Someday’ has red hair, a compact frame and two superheroes: an amazing ability to think big and an unlimited capacity to procrastinate.
Another theme is the Power of Love, and what it in the end can pull of, no matter what the odds and obstacles are. Or how perfect it is, because she’s called the Perfectionist, not so much because of her perfectionism (though she is that too, she even gets frustrated for not being able to organize snow), but because she has the uncanny ability to make things perfect for him (On cue: 3…2…1… Awwwww).
February 18, 2016
So one of my wife's friends recommended this book to me because she knows I love to read and we both read The Martian, so now, apparently we are book buddies. She likes anything Chick-Lit or Rom-Commie, (people who know me, know those are not my preferred genres), so I had more than a smidge of apprehension about actually reading this one. Honestly, I was intrigued by the cover and liked the title, so decided to give it a shot. Glad I did. It was really a very good story and after an initial "Uh oh, what did I get myself into" it really took off and clicked for me. There was more than enough strange character threads and weirdness keep me entertained and the ending was really "sweet". Very well done.
December 1, 2015
An interesting concept wasn't properly used, that's how this book felt. There were information all over the places, which weren't relevant at all. Main story was tiny and rest of things felt like filler. Some places read nice, and if this was made a short story with only the main part then I would have rated it 4 stars at least.
Either way, I guess this was not my cup of tea. Romance lovers can try this out if they may.
Either way, I guess this was not my cup of tea. Romance lovers can try this out if they may.
September 22, 2015
Such a creative take on superheroes. I loved their powers. The story is so adorable :) the perfect cure for a reading hangover. Loved it ❤️
August 3, 2017
4.5/5 stars
Over the years I have heard nothing but praise for this book from Carrie Hope Fletcher. Ever since I have been aching to pick it up. For Christmas last year I was given the book and couldn't be more excited. Flash forward to BookTubeAThon and I finally pick it up.
First off, I really enjoyed the simplicity of the world and the magic that comes with it, but honestly, I couldn't stop thinking of Carrie! So far I have read two of her books and I couldn't help but see the similarities between this book and On the Other Side. I can clearly see where Carrie pulled from Kauffman's style! If I had read both of the books without knowing the authors I 100% would have thought they were written by the same person. If anything, I think that goes to show how much we are influenced by our favorite things. This is Carrie's favorite book, so obviously she would take her favorite stylistic things about this book and apply it to her own.
Back to the book itself, I really did enjoy it. I read the 10th anniversary edition and apparently it features a lot more Superheroes. Personally, I enjoyed the story more than the Superheroes, but a lot of them really made me stop and think. Half the time I read about a Superhero and just think they are an exaggerated version of the worst/best traits in society. But then next I'd read about a girl who literally cries televisions and scrap my philosophical ideas of the Superheroes. Honestly, to some extent I think the Superheroes represent the average of society only turned to 100. It made me think that literally anyone can be a superhero for literally the smallest thing. But then I'd get confused as to why the main character isn't a superhero. Because surely at this point he could be classified as heartbroken man or something to that extent.
Long story short, I highly recommend this book. It is short and light and vastly different from most other books out there. Despite dealing with Superheroes and magical realism, it still feels relatable in the most primal sense. If you are looking for light magic or an escape from the world, I'd check this book out. It is deep, but at the same time light enough to help you escape from your own troubles.
Over the years I have heard nothing but praise for this book from Carrie Hope Fletcher. Ever since I have been aching to pick it up. For Christmas last year I was given the book and couldn't be more excited. Flash forward to BookTubeAThon and I finally pick it up.
First off, I really enjoyed the simplicity of the world and the magic that comes with it, but honestly, I couldn't stop thinking of Carrie! So far I have read two of her books and I couldn't help but see the similarities between this book and On the Other Side. I can clearly see where Carrie pulled from Kauffman's style! If I had read both of the books without knowing the authors I 100% would have thought they were written by the same person. If anything, I think that goes to show how much we are influenced by our favorite things. This is Carrie's favorite book, so obviously she would take her favorite stylistic things about this book and apply it to her own.
Back to the book itself, I really did enjoy it. I read the 10th anniversary edition and apparently it features a lot more Superheroes. Personally, I enjoyed the story more than the Superheroes, but a lot of them really made me stop and think. Half the time I read about a Superhero and just think they are an exaggerated version of the worst/best traits in society. But then next I'd read about a girl who literally cries televisions and scrap my philosophical ideas of the Superheroes. Honestly, to some extent I think the Superheroes represent the average of society only turned to 100. It made me think that literally anyone can be a superhero for literally the smallest thing. But then I'd get confused as to why the main character isn't a superhero. Because surely at this point he could be classified as heartbroken man or something to that extent.
Long story short, I highly recommend this book. It is short and light and vastly different from most other books out there. Despite dealing with Superheroes and magical realism, it still feels relatable in the most primal sense. If you are looking for light magic or an escape from the world, I'd check this book out. It is deep, but at the same time light enough to help you escape from your own troubles.
September 8, 2019
I loved this book! Kaufman’s quirky take on romance and superheroes left me with a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart and a stupid grin on my face. I loved the extensive roster of peculiar superheroes, I loved how in Kaufman’s Toronto there are no super villains just misunderstandings gone awry and I especially loved how in just 106 pages, Kaufman fleshes out for, a relationship in its entirety and a whimsical world where hearts break quite literally and anxiety monsters that will claw your face off if you don’t find a way to calm down.
The books follows Tom, an ordinary human being, who falls in love with The Perfectionist (a superhero that can organize anything in the blink of an eye). She’s perfect in every way until her jealous ex, Hypno, hypnotises her into believing Tom is invisible and has disappeared. After a distraught six months, The Perfectionist is convinced that Tom has abandoned her and steps on a plane to Vancouver to start her life afresh. But Tom’s not giving up. He’s booked the seat next to her and must find a way to make himself visible to her before the plane lands.
Superheroes in this books come aplenty, in all shapes, sizes and sundry personalities that’ll have you matching different types with yourself or people you know. There’s The Battery whose over-rebellious mind allows her to store great amounts of energy and release it in one blinding shot, The Stress Bunny whose strict Catholic upbringing allows her to absorb the stress of people around her, The Chip with who has a chip on a shoulder so heavy it helped her develop superhuman strength, The Inverse whose abilities include making the exact opposite of your life flash before you eyes upon a handshake and Mr. Opportunity, who knock on doors but “you’d be surprised how few doors get answered.”
Kaufman’s ironic and pithy phrasing is compelling and entertaining. So are his digressions that regularly divert from the main plot to a charming anecdote or flashback that flesh out the wacky version of Toronto as well as lays groundwork for Tom and The Perfectionist’s relationship. Sprinkled in between all the action are a couple of chapters dedicated to wittily written superhero biographies.
There were times where I wished that there were more nuanced elements to help breathe life into the central characters and that they got more time in the spotlight. But that’s understandably limited by the book’s length and superhero aesthetic. Those minor quibbles aside, All My Friends are Superheroes is a disarmingly charming tale of heartache, whimsy and magical realism with clever ideas that are stretched as far as they can go but never outstay their welcome. Well worth a read.
The books follows Tom, an ordinary human being, who falls in love with The Perfectionist (a superhero that can organize anything in the blink of an eye). She’s perfect in every way until her jealous ex, Hypno, hypnotises her into believing Tom is invisible and has disappeared. After a distraught six months, The Perfectionist is convinced that Tom has abandoned her and steps on a plane to Vancouver to start her life afresh. But Tom’s not giving up. He’s booked the seat next to her and must find a way to make himself visible to her before the plane lands.
Superheroes in this books come aplenty, in all shapes, sizes and sundry personalities that’ll have you matching different types with yourself or people you know. There’s The Battery whose over-rebellious mind allows her to store great amounts of energy and release it in one blinding shot, The Stress Bunny whose strict Catholic upbringing allows her to absorb the stress of people around her, The Chip with who has a chip on a shoulder so heavy it helped her develop superhuman strength, The Inverse whose abilities include making the exact opposite of your life flash before you eyes upon a handshake and Mr. Opportunity, who knock on doors but “you’d be surprised how few doors get answered.”
Kaufman’s ironic and pithy phrasing is compelling and entertaining. So are his digressions that regularly divert from the main plot to a charming anecdote or flashback that flesh out the wacky version of Toronto as well as lays groundwork for Tom and The Perfectionist’s relationship. Sprinkled in between all the action are a couple of chapters dedicated to wittily written superhero biographies.
There were times where I wished that there were more nuanced elements to help breathe life into the central characters and that they got more time in the spotlight. But that’s understandably limited by the book’s length and superhero aesthetic. Those minor quibbles aside, All My Friends are Superheroes is a disarmingly charming tale of heartache, whimsy and magical realism with clever ideas that are stretched as far as they can go but never outstay their welcome. Well worth a read.
September 24, 2024
A cute little story! In basically 100 pages we’re taken through a world where superheroes exist but their powers are based on a characteristic insecurity, flaw or mundane skill, which allowed for a more fantastical way to explore interpersonal relationships and small scale drama. In this sense, sometimes magic falls in this uncertain space that magical realism often inhabits, telling us more about its users and victims than the magic itself.
To me this was sort of one man’s journey to try and find his own self worth in a world of special or unique people, and it was mostly done very well. Despite the sorta “here is what vague life lesson I’m teaching through this super power” schtick getting a tiny bit old, I enjoyed when breaks between chapters happened and we just got an onslaught of superhero descriptions that weren’t to be taken quite as seriously as the ones within the main narrative. There was clearly a lot here Kaufman wanted to use and I think it’s actually really fun that he wanted to cram in as much as possible in such a short book.
Dunno if Canada and mundane powers are enough of a link but deffo a lot of it gave me Scott Pilgrim vibes. Had a good time with this one and you probs will too!
Thank you Vinny for the rec 🙏❤️
To me this was sort of one man’s journey to try and find his own self worth in a world of special or unique people, and it was mostly done very well. Despite the sorta “here is what vague life lesson I’m teaching through this super power” schtick getting a tiny bit old, I enjoyed when breaks between chapters happened and we just got an onslaught of superhero descriptions that weren’t to be taken quite as seriously as the ones within the main narrative. There was clearly a lot here Kaufman wanted to use and I think it’s actually really fun that he wanted to cram in as much as possible in such a short book.
Dunno if Canada and mundane powers are enough of a link but deffo a lot of it gave me Scott Pilgrim vibes. Had a good time with this one and you probs will too!
Thank you Vinny for the rec 🙏❤️
November 11, 2021
Subtle, dry, and delightfully absurd, Andrew Kaufman's All My Friends are Superheroes is a hoot. I'm pretty sure I know almost all of those "friends", I'm pretty sure most of us do!
The audio is peformed beautifully by the author, who (in my opinion) could easily have a second career. In addition to a lovely speaking voice, Mr. Kaufman's comedic timing is excellent.
thank you to NetGalley and Coach House Books for an audiobook copy of All My Friends are Superheros for the purpose of my honest review
The audio is peformed beautifully by the author, who (in my opinion) could easily have a second career. In addition to a lovely speaking voice, Mr. Kaufman's comedic timing is excellent.
thank you to NetGalley and Coach House Books for an audiobook copy of All My Friends are Superheros for the purpose of my honest review
March 1, 2016
A deeply charming story of a man invisible to his superhero wife, the perfectionist. In around a 100 pages Andrew Kaufman takes the wonderful idea of everyday features taken to superhero heights through a simple love story.
The central conceit is that people have a single trait or characteristic, to paraphrase the author, that can be boiled down to a super hero name. As an aside the book also points out that the superheroes in some cases have a hard time coming to terms with their ability citing mr brutally honest, one night and the gambler as examples. Tom is in love with the Perfectionist, but at their wedding she is put under a spell by her ex the Hypno and Tom is now invisible to her.
I found it very funny indeed and in the end touching. Magical realism, allegories and indeed love stories are responsible for some really shockingly dreadful books, so it's nice to see it done well and without the brain dead moralizing that usually accompanies especially the first two genres.
A delightful way to spend an hour or two and you get the added bonus of being able to use meetings and conferences to develop your own cast of superheroes from your colleagues e.g. Captain tone deaf, or The droners. Andrew Kaufman does it very well with some of my favorites from him below.
The Sloth
The Sloth would sit on his couch, paralyzed by all the things he wasn't taking care of. Then one day, a Wednesday, he just said, 'Fuck it!' He threw his hands up into the air and said, 'Fuck it!' This was the day that the sloth discovered his superpower, an amazing ability to say 'Fuck it' and really, truly mean it.”
The Stress Bunny
If you arrive at a party and suddenly find yourself completely relaxed, there's a good chance the Stress Bunny is there. Blessed either the ability to absorb the stress of anyone in a 50 foot radius, the stress bunny is invited to every party, every outing. Her power originates from her Strict Catholic upbringing.
The central conceit is that people have a single trait or characteristic, to paraphrase the author, that can be boiled down to a super hero name. As an aside the book also points out that the superheroes in some cases have a hard time coming to terms with their ability citing mr brutally honest, one night and the gambler as examples. Tom is in love with the Perfectionist, but at their wedding she is put under a spell by her ex the Hypno and Tom is now invisible to her.
I found it very funny indeed and in the end touching. Magical realism, allegories and indeed love stories are responsible for some really shockingly dreadful books, so it's nice to see it done well and without the brain dead moralizing that usually accompanies especially the first two genres.
A delightful way to spend an hour or two and you get the added bonus of being able to use meetings and conferences to develop your own cast of superheroes from your colleagues e.g. Captain tone deaf, or The droners. Andrew Kaufman does it very well with some of my favorites from him below.
The Sloth
The Sloth would sit on his couch, paralyzed by all the things he wasn't taking care of. Then one day, a Wednesday, he just said, 'Fuck it!' He threw his hands up into the air and said, 'Fuck it!' This was the day that the sloth discovered his superpower, an amazing ability to say 'Fuck it' and really, truly mean it.”
The Stress Bunny
If you arrive at a party and suddenly find yourself completely relaxed, there's a good chance the Stress Bunny is there. Blessed either the ability to absorb the stress of anyone in a 50 foot radius, the stress bunny is invited to every party, every outing. Her power originates from her Strict Catholic upbringing.
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