A Comedy of Nobodies

Baron Ryan's first collection of short stories explores a semester in the lives of Charlie and his friends, who are students at Harvard. The author narrates his own work, lending his youthful voice to stories featuring the 36 questions to ask to fall in love, a tongue-in-cheek correspondence with a professor regarding a writing assignment, the "story behind the story," and other existential topics. Ryan's narration is leisurely, though occasionally a bit stale; however, there are some shining moments in which his authorial wry humor is captured in a droll quip. The stories are unique, creative, and timely--with a dash of humor punctuating the musings. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

May 1, 2024

DEBUT Humorist Ryan's debut short story collection follows four friends, Charlie, Mike, Ted, and Nora, over the course of a semester at Harvard, as they go on bad dates, take advantage of free church brunch, and evade bullies and Russian mobsters. The quartet soak in every experience they encounter, often at their own peril, and refuse to stay inside their comfort zones. They hit numerous highs and lows, as in "The Last American Pie," when they work up the courage to play "American Pie" instead of the national anthem at a hockey game and are immediately booed out of the arena. The friends never cease to find the humor in a bad situation, meeting each challenge with a wryness reminiscent of Larry David. The stories are loosely connected through plot, but each has its own theme and wraps up nicely in a sometimes heavy-handed moral. The dialogue is fast-paced and quippy, with all the romance and pretensions of youth. VERDICT With their energetic narrative and relentless humor, Ryan's stories are both entertaining and thought-provoking, making this book endlessly quotable and hard to put down. Fans of Ryan's observational TikTok shorts will enjoy the same irreverent humor in this longer, immersive format.--Cate Triola

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