Yes Man

A second book that I have read by this author, the first Join In (see blog entry for Feb 1, 2011) was not  a favorite read for me and guess what… add this other book to my list.  This one is called Yes Man and the author is Englishman Danny Wallace.  And if the book sounds familiar, you may have seen the book which was the “inspiration” (that’s what the cover of the book says) for the movie starring one of the most overrated actors of our time, Jim Carrey (he’s just too “over the top” for me, sorry).  This book is VERY different than the movie for lots of reasons, the message of the book is quite the same, “say yes to things and you never know how your life will change.”  I agree with the message and the reflections that the book offers, but boy this is a very convoluted, and I’d say boring at times, story.  I know as a theatre guy, we need to willingly suspend our disbelief to engage in the moment, but if the story never really “pulled me in.”  The story is of “Danny Wallace” – a journey that he creates for himself – when he meets a “Buddhist-like” man on a bus that tells him to change his life by saying YES to everything.  His friend hears about this and challenges him that he can’t do it, guess what Danny does, he takes the challenge.  This has Danny donating money to just causes, getting scammed on internet purchases (penis enlargement, hair removal products), meeting people all over the world, and purchasing a car that is much smaller than he would need.  He does this challenge for the better part of a year, but good things happen to him and life turns upside down with opportunities and eventually a new love.  The story gets caught up in details at times and then rants and shares journal entries at other times.  There is a lack of cohesion and lots of characters who “bop in and out” like a former high school bully, his ex-girlfriend, a guy he meets at a party, and TV Executives.  None of whom are really developed nor are the relationships that Danny tries to build.  While there are funny moments I found the book to be a very long read, similar to my feeling on the movie (a long watch).  The book is set in England, while the movie is in California.  There was more “mysticism” in the movie while little in the book.  Maybe one needs to be exposed to English humor a bit more as the references to the “blokes” around the corner and constantly downing a “pint” make me wish I had a greater appreciation for our colleagues East of the Atlantic.  Weak story, but again, good idea that we should say Yes, but not just to say Yes, but to open ourselves to the possibilities.  Take a pass on this one.