The Big Book of Misunderstanding
by Jim Gladstone

List Price: $17.95
Pages: 242
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 1560233826
Publisher: Haworth Press

The Big Book of Misunderstanding is a refreshingly candid novel that combines the emotional depth of Sue Miller with the comic verve of Stephen MacCauley. The story opens as Joshua Royalton - 22-years-old, gay, and an aspiring children's book writer - briefly contemplates suicide, asking himself the question:

"Do I have to end my life to end my childhood?"

To come up with his answer, Josh leads readers on a tumultuous jaunt through his family history. The Royaltons, Josh explains, are "like Norman Rockwell run amok, so wholesome it's perverse." Rendering the feverish - and often hilarious - imagination of a troubled youngster's mind with pitch-perfect accuracy, Jim Gladstone takes readers on a wild ride through pop cultural touchstones of the 1970s and 1980s while maintaining a sense of emotional intimacy that will keep readers highly invested in the developing lives of the Royalton family.

The Big Book of Misunderstanding is about the members of a family who insist on figuring out how to love each other despite their differences… and despite the indelible similarities they sometimes wish they didn't share.

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1. The Big Book of Misunderstanding has been described as "the story of one family's collective adolescence." How does each member of the Royalton family "grow up" or become more mature over the course of the novel?

2. In the novel's second scene, Josh recalls a hallucination from a childhood bout of fever. At the end of the book, when he awakens in his father's house, Josh metaphorically refers to his time in the Elbow Bends as "a fever dream." Discuss the relationship between Josh's childhood fantasy and the months he lives in the Elbow Bends?

3. Josh and his brother Lewis deal with their father using remarkably different strategies. How are each of the boys successful and unsuccessful in their approaches?

4. It has often been said tha as children become adults, they unconsciously model themselves on their parents. To what extent do Josh and Lewis seem similar to - and different from - Harris and Becca by the novel's end?

5. Compare Josh's romantic relationships with Meredith, Vincent and Eugenio. Which relationship do you think effects Josh the most within the book? Which relationship do you think would end up having the most impact on Josh in the future, beyond the end of The Big Book of Misunderstanding?

6. As a youngster, Josh frequently compares his own family life to that of the Cleyskil family. On the other hand, one of the Cleyskil children refers to Harris Royalton as "a great dad" in comparison to his own father. Josh and Lewis are also intrigued by the Spanner family. What are the differences and appeals of these three households?

7. What does Harris Royalton value most throughout the novel, and why? How does this effect his ability to meet the rest of his family's needs? Do the other members of the Royalton family have different values than Harris?

8. Josh's namesake grandfather is a major presence throughout the novel. Why does Josh generate a significant fantasy life around this man he barely knew? Discuss Josh's imaginings about his grandfather in relation to Josh's struggles with Harris?

9. In addition to being about finding one's identity within a family, The Big Book of Misunderstanding is about finding one's voice as a writer. What is the significance of Josh's fascination with children's books? What is the role of Josh's blank book throughout the novel and how does this change in the final scene?

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"A heartwarming tale about people who love each other so much they almost destroy one another...The Big Book of Misunderstanding also explores the role of authorship in understanding and recreating one's past."

—The Paris Voice

"A tender, bouncy narrative. . . . Refreshingly nostalgic and entertaining."

—Publishers Weekly

"George Orwell wrote, 'A child which appears reasonably happy may actually be suffering horrors which it cannot or will not reveal. It lives in a sort of alien underwater world which we can only penetrate by divination. Our chief clue is the fact that we were once children ourselves, and many people appear to forget the atmosphere of their own childhood almost entirely.' Jim Gladstone not only penetrates this underwater world that Orwell describes, he takes us deep below the surface and holds us there, caught between laughing and crying."

—Writing Aloud, WHYY Radio, Philadelphia

"Gladstone shows real skill. . . . The power of this novel lies in the fact that it deals with situations that touch us all. Many of the insights that Gladstone derives from his story are profound, if simply stated. What's more, it's a book whose ending is very much worth the wait."

—The Gay & Lesbian Review

"This is some of THE MOST EVOCATIVE WRITING ABOUT CHILDHOOD that I have come across. Gladstone's recall and rendering of that lost time is remarkable. He has an extraordinary memory for detail as well as the nuances of moments that we have all lived through, but have, for the most part, forgotten."

—Joseph Olshan, Author, Nightswimmer and Clara's Heart

"THIS IS A SHARP BOOK, full of sad-funny feelings. Starting from the candy wrappers, toy parts, and over-loved stuffed animals scattered on childhood's floor, Gladstone traces a young man's journey to self-sensitivity, with hilarious and painful turns along the way."

—Mike Albo, Author, Hornito: My Lie Life