This review has to begin this way because, quite frankly, people who were born after the psychedelic decade that was the 60's are really going to be mad at their parents after reading this book. Tis' true, readers. I had the 80's to grow up in. You know...Reagan, heavy metal, hair bands, and that silly New Coke - a brand trying to take a classic and make it better just to have it bomb with consumers. In other words, boring. After reading this stellar book, all I wanted was a time machine to go back and be born again so I could call 'The Sixties' my home.
We begin here with author Greg Wyss at a point when the calendar reads 1972. Jeffrey Hesse is a character who will appeal to all. He has gotten a divorce from his wife Jane - who has quite the energy and anger within - and is about to go on a mission. He wants to take one of those journeys to explore his life, his choices, and go on a "trip" of both mind and body. (Enter the acid.)
Through Jeffrey's eyes, readers like me - who only learn about events that plagued The Sixties during a history class - are able to frolic in the colorful culture of the United States, fear the war in Vietnam, see the violence-charged protest on the streets (which, unfortunately, have not been erased in the 21st Century), and so much more. Everything comes alive in this tale, and no illicit substance is needed for the reader to have a ball.
This is a character that jumps into some pretty bizarre situations; a great many of them will make you laugh, and with those laughs you'll learn the lesson there is to be learned. But this is never preachy. This young man is a whole lot of fun as his travels take him from Massachusetts to Florida to a plane ride where Jesus sits beside him all the way to Luxembourg - a part of the book that will keep you absolutely memorized!
From America to Europe, this great man "finds himself" once again as life changes all around him. We head to Switzerland where he spends time learning about his ancestral home in Amsterdam. We tag along with him to the island of Crete during the summertime, where he meets up with a Renaissance man - and does all this with the help of Isadora Duncan who wears her very own halo, so to speak. Just by reading and laughing at his thoughts and words, which are extremely clever, the author creates such a vivid picture of this decade that I almost feel like I didn't miss out on anything, like I was really there during the Woodstock years.
Greg Wyss has, hands down, created an engrossing, intriguing tale so detailed and, for lack of a better word, beautiful, that it almost rivals the art of Michelangelo, himself.
Quill says: No matter if you are a flower child or not, you will love this charming "trip"!
When Life was Like a Cucumber offers a satirical exploration of life as a young person in post-sixties America.
This quirky tale opens with a bang and retains that energy up until the last raucous page. The length of the book may seem intimidating at first glance but there is sufficient complexity and detail to make the investment worthwhile. The protagonist is symbolic of a myriad of disillusioned youth in a rapidly changing world at that time. With a believably flawed character and an unapologetic outlook, the protagonist explores an interesting lifestyle, punctuated with moments of brief reflection and peppered with wry humor. The book has an air of nostalgia that will undeniably thrill those who remember that era and those who wished they could have experienced it.
A great choice for anyone wanting to explore hippie culture.
A brutally honest and utterly riveting sexual and intellectual transformation story that swims along literary lines, When Life Was Like A Cucumber proves an extraordinarily powerful debut from Wyss.
There is a lot of wit here, bawdy wordplay, and accounts of long nights spent drinking and taking drugs but don't let that deter you. This is a read that benefits greatly from attention to detail with Wyss evoking the contours of his mind with extraordinary and often vivid comic vividness.
Superbly written, ambitious in scope and yet without a moment of lapsed energy much period fiction tend towards the cliched but it's a credit to Wyss that he wholly manages to avoid beleaguered tropes to deliver something which is wholly original.
Underpinned by social commentary he captures the mood of the moment as we come to know the characters he's created beyond a state of airy detachment. Sometimes harrowing, often explicit, but always emotionally charged he achieves a remarkable level of intimacy with his readers through his unwavering ability to look to the past and transition the influences of the time to the written word without diminishing them.
An exceptional read When Life Was LIke A Cucumber is recommended without reservation.
Be prepared to take a trip when reading When Life Was Like a Cucumber by Gregory Wyss. This trip will be unlike any one you have ever taken before. That is unless you were in your 20's, living in the late 1960's and early 1970's on the East coast, USA. You also would have had to be a young male university graduate with no sense of direction moving from one job to another or to have no job at all. Your name would have been Jeff and you would possess two things that kept you going, drugs and the pursuit of women. As Jeff, you would realize those two things were more of an addiction later on. You were always looking to get high or get laid. Luckily, as Jeff, you knew you had the ability to make friends easily, was good looking and had a moral compass to guide you down this trip. That moral compass would keep you out of trouble more times than you could count on. Will you, as Jeff, get caught in a dead-end job, in a relationship you detest or will you be a free spirit and run off with your girlfriend in hand?
Gregory Wyss writes an entertaining tale with the main character, Jeff, and his trek to find himself during the tumultuous early 1970's. Vietnam, Tricky Dicky and racial tensions filled the news and soul of America at that time. Free love was waning and young people took to the roads hitchhiking in hopes of finding anything to dull the pain of mediocrity. Wyss, the author, paints a realistic America and Europe following Jeff and his endless run-ins with flatmates, family and girlfriends. Wyss uses Jeff's exploits to show how mixed up America was in that time period. It's like looking into a time capsule. He uses humor, lots of it, and savvy story telling to show what it was like to exist and survive on the road and travel overseas with little or no money. It is quite a trip.
I looked at this novel as not just a work of fiction. I looked at it as a snap shot of the youth of North America trying to find themselves. For myself, my time came ten years after Jeff in the start of the 1980's. I related to his exploits of hitchhiking across a nation, traveling to Europe, making friends along the way, always looking for the next joint and next love. It was a special time in history we can reflect on in from a unique perspective thanks to Wyss's When Life Was Like a Cucumber.
At a young age, Jeffrey Hesse was coming off a divorce and could not wait to explore his true self. At a time when the human race was getting introduced to the 70s after the tumultuous 60s, Jeffrey was in for a ride. He found himself thrust in different cultures and cities from Amsterdam to Boston. He goes through the paces of experiencing the underbelly of life with the help of Isadora. And how different it was from his apartment in Oneonta. So much to see. So much to do. So much to experience. His journey will be one of enlightenment and perhaps a second meeting with God.
Greg Wyss has crafted an engrossing tale of one man's journey through life in the wake of the wild 60s. He has written a story so intriguing and appropriately sculpted that a reader of any age will relate and enjoy the book. The scenes are described in vivid detail leaving the reader thrust deep into the vortex of Jeffrey's life at that time as well as the general lifestyle back then. The story teeters on the edge of humorous and poignant. It is a brilliant mix of serious and casual. With alternating moments of sympathy and loud belly laughs.
The characters in this book are well developed. Although the dimensions of character development may seem a bit foggy at times. This does not get in the way of recognition of common qualities. Jeffrey is doing something that many people would want to do before they are too old or too busy to do it. He is as new to this journey as most of us are. This may therefore either inspire you to go on your own journey of self-discovery. Or it may allow you to live vicariously through him. There is so much depth to this book. It will take the utmost attention and focus to peel through all the layers and get to the bottom of the true meaning of the story. Laden with thematic consistency and careful handling of the reader, this book is exactly what you need when you find yourself angling for an enjoyable escape. What better place to escape than a different time you may not have lived in? Those who did live in this era will enjoy the various references to music and popular behaviors of that time.
You will enjoy the plot. You will enjoy the characters. You will enjoy the flurry of activity. It may not be crass but this book will have you red-faced on occasion. Nothing like a good trip back in town.
Greg Wyss's 557-page When Life Was like A Cucumber is no doubt substantially longer than publishing industry standards. Possibly the story could have been shortened by nearly a third without losing much. Yet, far from being bored, my curiosity was aroused as I journeyed with the protagonist, Jeffrey Hesse through parts of the USA, Canada, and Europe. I wanted to know the outcome.
The story unfolds when, in 1971, Jeffrey Hesse, a recent graduate of Northeastern University, moves with his wife Jane to a one-bedroom small wood-farm house a few miles south of Oneonta, New York at the western edge of the Catskills. Luckily, Jeffrey and Jane find some low-paying jobs, enabling them to survive with the bare necessities.
Regrettably, the farmhouse burns down, and the couple loses everything except their car, the clothes on their backs, and Jeffrey's record albums. Their two dogs also perish in the fire.
Both knew at this point in their lives that their marriage was over, which was no surprise, as it was gradually coming apart before the fire.
Jane leaves Jeffrey, and he moves to Oneonta, where he finds a place to live in exchange for helping with whatever needs to be done around the property. This doesn't last long, and a restless Jeffrey understands he is becoming disillusioned with life and has no ambition to join the establishment or make use of his college degree. He is also not interested in the explosive political environment under the Nixon administration and the anti-Vietnam protests.
Jeffrey drifts from one work gig to another. He even writes for a magazine called Seeds, where he meets some wild "dudes," and to say there is plenty of partying, drugs and erotic sex would be an understement.
One summer, Jeffrey runs into a sexy nineteen-year-old Isadora Duncan, whom he falls madly in love. He realizes, however, that Isadora was only interested in having a summer fling with him. Ultimately, she hooks up with another lover.
At this turning point in his life and perhaps influenced by Isadora's dream in her own need to travel the world, Jeffrey is determined to travel the globe, meet interesting people and nourish his soul with wild and exotic experiences. It would be truly a rollicking voyage! There was only one minor problem. He did not have a plan, and he is broke. Jefffrey, however, was born with creative survival instincts. And he sure would not let money stand in the way of exploring the world.
The beginning of Jeffrey's gallivanting escapades begins on the Gulf Coast of Florida, where he finds low-paying jobs on construction sites. He had traveled to the Sunshine State with his friend Ozzie, and they find accomodations at Jeffrey's parents' motel, which his parents purchased a few years ago upon retirement. Arriving at the motel, Jeffrey and Ozzie meet Jeffrey's brother Bernie. Bernie's parents left him in charge of the place while they were visiting the east coast of Florida. After several weeks lying on the beaches of Florida enjoying a carefree, decadent lifestyle with no responsibilities, Jeffrey realizes Florida is not for him.
It was time to break away from his native USA and follow others to Europe where dropping out was "cool" and ideologically correct. He did not need much money, and he could depend on like-minded people he meets along the way for camaraderie, friendship, and social interaction. Life takes on a whole additional dimension, and Jeffrey's world turns upside down, testing his limits as he travels through some Greek Islands, the Swiss Alps, Amsterdam, Italy, and wherever his legs would lead him. It turns out to be quite a sensual, soulful, and introspective self-discovery journey through these spontaneous travels.
In this part memoir, part travelogue and part erotica novel, Wyss crafts his story with an abundance of titillating graphic detail. I can't believe that When Life Was Like A Cucumber is a work of fiction. It felt like I was listening in envy to my best friend over a glass of wine as he vividly narrates his exotic escapades living a carefree existence abroad during the early 1970's. Incidently, as I never heard the expression "life is like a cucumber," I was curious to find out what it meant. Apparently, it is derived from a vulgar Egyptian Arabic proverb. When I asked my wife, who was born in Egypt and speaks Arabic, had she ever heard the expression, she was at a loss. Perhaps vulgarity was not part of her household.
After I Googled the expression, it informed me that its literal translation from Arabic is: "The world is like a cucumber. One day in your hand, and one day in your ass!" In Greek it has been translated as "one person eats it and is refreshed, and another person eats it and struggles." Wyss sums up his ambitious novel with: "The Greeks were right. Life was like a cucumber."
Author Greg Wyss expertly transports readers to the chaotic 70s with remarkable ease and charm in When Life Was Like a Cucumber. Following Jeffrey Hesse's fiery split from his wife, this is a hilariously unpredictable story of his self-exploration, healing liberation, and growth.
For those who lived through the 1960s and 70s, this book is a nostalgic plunge that practically exudes the whiff of patchouli, illicit substances, and motor oil. Couched in the tumultuous Watergate era, there is an unmistakable weight to this story as well, giving the book a relatability for modern readers who may not have lived through the era. The culture, music, lifestyle, and laws may have changed, but the recognizable politics of fear, violence, and power also resonate in these pages, woven in beneath Hesse's wacky exploits.
The writing is as stylized as the main character himself, winding around itself with clever turns of phrase. There are occasionally overworked descriptions, and some narrative rambles could be shortened and strengthened, but Wyss ultimately paints a consistent mood and a vivid portrait of the decade thanks to hilarious caricatures and diverse landscapes.
All in all, Wyss has created a unique road romp with the sporadic wisdom of Pirsig, the antics of Kesey, and the visual artistry of Steinbeck. There is more to this story than meets the eye, and readers of any generation will benefit from the kaleidoscopic layers of both absurdity and meaning.
When Life Was Like a Cucumber centers around Jeff, a twenty-four-year-old recent college graduate with no idea what he wants to do with his life. With his college years spent in the late 60s where he was heavily involved in the antiwar movement, Jeff becomes hardened to the idea of viewing the U.S. as "home." To compensate, he jumps from house to house, friendship to friendship, sexual partner to sexual partner. When Jeff realizes that he wants more from life, he sets out on a series of travels in search of purpose and meaning in life, only to find himself more lost than ever.
At 600 pages, the novel's length may seem daunting, but its short chapters make it an easy read. With quick chapters, the novel's pace never staggers and they mimic the flashes of memories that Jeff reminisces and reflects on.
One of the highlights of the novel is how well the time period is conveyed. From the novel's first page, the environment, music, and dialogue make readers feel like they are immersed in the early 70's era.
Jeff's travels begin in upstate New York and along the East Coast until he decides to journey across the pond in hopes of fulfilling his wanderlust dreams in Europe. With an abundance of new people, places, and experiences that Jeff encounters on his road trips and hitch-hiking trips, the narrative stays fresh and engaging throughout.
Nearly half the novel is spent in NY or other parts of the East coast where the readers grow to love Jeff's roommates, friends, and lovers. Jeff's trip to Europe, however, is a bit of a rocky transition for readers. Like Jeff, readers are thrust into a new environment with the shift in setting and the story feels almost like an entirely new book.
Though an impressive writing technique, emotionally it's a bit unsatisfying to abandon the characters we've developed such strong connections to. By the end of the novel, we wish there was more closure with some of the previous characters that Jeff once knew as his friends.
Readers of all ages will find Jeff's search for a higher meaning in life emotional and relatable. There are many tender moments that will leave readers hurt from Jeff's yearning for peace and connection.
Additionally, the inclusion of American politics at the time lends a timely, relevant message of how distrust and divide within the government can make people feel like strangers in their own country.
Another one of the main plots centers Jeff's sexual awakening which turns into an addiction and an obsession to feel something. With the many sexually explicit scenes and adult content, this book is best suited for a mature audience.
The novel's ending feels a bit unfinished. Though realistic, explicit closure and clarity surrounding some of the characters, who the readers have dedicated so much time connecting with, would have been more satisfying and fulfilling.
In When Life Was Like a Cucumber, Wyss creates a completely transportive setting filled with smoking grass, drug trips, music festivals, and road trips. Readers of all ages will enjoy this nostalgic coming-of-age story set during a time of free love, hippies, and politcal division. Emotional and deep, this journey to find a higher calling shows us that we can run, but we can't hide from our pain forever.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
"The sad truth was that I had become nothing more than a derelict."
This work of historical fiction is written ostensibly as a memoir by its narrator Jeffrey Hesse. But author Wyss describes the life of a kid who comes of age in the 60s and 70s, an era full of curiosity, adventure, drugs, and free love. His writing is descriptive and fluid. "We were a sorry sight, three wild-haired East Coast hippies rising like filthy ghosts from a landscape of chocolate pudding," says Hesse, describing how he and his friends emerge unscathed but dirty from a car accident where the vehicle lands in a mud pit.
The book also creates a historical discography, chronicling where the narrator is during the release of some of the best music by Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, and other musical acts and artists of the period. The book goes beyond descriptions of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, as well. From memories of the lunar landing to Woodstock, the author, via Hesse, recalls it all. For example, Hesse describes the December 1969 draft lottery day, including how his friends gathered around a television. Those whose numbers were drawn early stood in stunned silence on one side of the room, while those whose birthdates were drawn much later partied with relief on the other side.
Any book that begins with "I only met God once" will undoubtedly grab its readers. This is a period piece, but it is also so much more. It doesn't matter if you were a child of the 60s, 70s, 80s, or beyond. There is something for everyone here because every reader of every adult age and background knows what it is like to be on life's odyssey of self-discovery.
