If you think men wear pants, think again. Cretin Boy is a beautifully written story that looks back on Jim Landwehr’s high school years at an all-male Catholic military academy during the 1970s. Being a baby-boomer myself, I enjoyed wandering down memory lane with the author as he traversed a series of “firsts” on his journey to adulthood. Struggling to grow through the challenges of his first clunker of a car, the shortcomings of his first job or the insecure feelings of a first date, the author looks back on each of those topics in a light-hearted manner that made me feel I was right there, along for the ride. Filled with a touch of humor and the author’s vivid memories, Cretin Boy packs a descriptive punch and is well worth the read.
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About the author
Slow cars and...
I went to Cretin High School and academically;**I was in the 3rd of the class that made the upper two thirds possible.**But I graduated in just 3 terms--the Nixon, Ford and Carter terms.**Cretin was academically tough on student athletes--before you could get your letter jacket, you had to be able to tell which letter it was...But seriously though...The letter on the Jackets was C but this book gets an A+ Wow! What a gift this book is. It's an extraordinary work. My wife hasn't seen me laugh this hard while reading since Garrison Keillor's THE BOOK OF GUYS or John Grisham's SKIPPING CHRISTMAS. Thanks for all the memories!Landwehr's book is so well written that it makes it so that I can almost still hear the cadence while we marched in 1979: "You had a good home and you left, your right. You had a good home and you left...oh you left...oh you left, right, left. SOUND OFF: BUY CRETIN BOY!"
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- Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2020
I went to Cretin High School and academically;
**I was in the 3rd of the class that made the upper two thirds possible.
**But I graduated in just 3 terms--the Nixon, Ford and Carter terms.
**Cretin was academically tough on student athletes--before you could get your letter jacket, you had to be able to tell which letter it was...
But seriously though...The letter on the Jackets was C but this book gets an A+ Wow! What a gift this book is. It's an extraordinary work. My wife hasn't seen me laugh this hard while reading since Garrison Keillor's THE BOOK OF GUYS or John Grisham's SKIPPING CHRISTMAS. Thanks for all the memories!
Landwehr's book is so well written that it makes it so that I can almost still hear the cadence while we marched in 1979: "You had a good home and you left, your right. You had a good home and you left...oh you left...oh you left, right, left. SOUND OFF: BUY CRETIN BOY!"
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2021
Memories from my High School years flooded back from somewhere deep in my brain – and I loved it! Jim’s latest book, “Cretin Boy” was a fun way to clear the cob webs and recall old friends, places, and events that I had not thought about in many years. His style is so accessible and easy, like talking with an old friend. I particularly liked the way he organized the recollections of his time at Cretin High School in St. Paul, Minnesota, with chapter headings like jobs, girls, teachers, cars, sports and more. I am inspired to jot down some of my memories using that same organization. I recommend you give this book a read. Paul, Class of ’76.
A great way to dust off some important memories!
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2021
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