Product Description
A fiercely vivid collection of stories about troubled California teenagers and misfits--violent and harrowing, from the astonishingly talented actor and artist James Franco.

Palo Alto is the debut of a surprising and powerful new literary voice. Written with an immediate sense of place--claustrophobic and ominous--James Franco's collection traces the lives of an extended group of teenagers as they experiment with vices of all kinds, struggle with their families and one another, and succumb to self-destructive, often heartless nihilism. In "Lockheed" a young woman's summer--spent working a dull internship--is suddenly upended by a spectacular incident of violence at a house party.  In "American History" a high school freshman attempts to impress a girl during a classroom skit with a realistic portrayal of a slave owner—only to have his feigned bigotry avenged. In "I Could Kill Someone," a lonely teenager buys a gun with the aim of killing his high school tormentor, but begins to wonder about his bully's own inner life.

These linked stories, stark, vivid, and disturbing, are a compelling portrait of lives on the rough fringes of youth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

What Doesn't Kill You
I'm pretending hunkosaurus Franco didn't write this. Moving on.

This is the stuff of every Creative Writing class you took as an undergrad. It's all Holden Caulfield crabby and Bret Easton Ellis name-droppy; gruesome with those obnoxious one-liner sentences that are meant to be profound in their brevity. The racial issues are slapped on strangely, and the tone is mushy oatmeal bland. "Killing Animals" was worth reading, but even then, it feels like Ellis fan fiction.

Now I'm pretending Franco did write them. Look my man, you have many rich and successful friends. Many of whom are writers who like you because you're a cool dude. You're also a hunk. This is working against you. If my mom wrote a book called "imma Real Gud Mama", I'd tell her she was the next Faulkner.

Get some unbiased advice, sweetheart. And call me.

".....adolescence is the only time in which we learn anything."Proust
I'm appalled by these stories though there is literary merit in them.Franco writes with exactitude in an adolescent's voice even to the point of boredom.Some of the stories almost seem soulless.Racism, violence and misogyny are all included.The stories are interrelated with characters leaching in and out as the perspective changes.They are ugly; both the stories and the characters.And then I came to `April:A Story in Three Parts'. It's just as raw as the other stories but without the hardness.I doubt I would have been as aware of its beauty without the backdrop of the previous stories just as I doubt I could have appreciated what Franco was setting up in the first half of the book until reading `April'. I sailed through the last half of the book maybe because I knew what I was in for.Also, Franco's prose opens out and flows. The included Proust quote from "Within a Budding Grove" relating to adolescence is especially poignant.

Beautilating
I had the honor to appreciate this erudite tribute of an individual's evolved reflection. The provocative tones emulate the person seeded beneath the context who clearly seizes the day with a dazzling distinction. Overall, I was enthralled by the strength of the author mastering time with such a strong will power that, while withering 'in a rut,' I was powerfully pulled together anew.

In all fairness, I grew up in the East Coast parallel to the social location described in James Franco's Palo Alto: Stories. Breeding the familiarity to this surreal stranger is a connection genuinely felt when objectively viewing the breath given to his conveyances of portrayed personas.

It is no surprise that critics (schadenfreudian projections: no need for sharks to sense the fear) have struggled to grasp James Franco's depth, he is truly ahead of his time. I opened my mind to this reading selection and it spoke to me. I enjoyed such writing style free of restraint- yes, when forbidden and unexpected it's beyond best. After all, nothing profound was meant to be near tangible till experienced. Ennui for life as a passing cloud- The truth put into this book is all in the real which is never one to be calming, this is reality.

I was stirred by such a vulnerable form of inspiration- that doesn't happen often enough-and appreciated this gifted writer's devotion to unveil himself with this level of productivity. So I strive to: Learn.
Though I could foresee readers easily opting to either relate or entirely dismiss the stories within Palo Alto, senseless army aside, ultimately there is a challenge at hand. I chose to respect this piece of creative, literary art.

My personal roll call of adjectives for Mister Franco's `Palo Alto' being: Faustian, all while beautiful and mutilating. `Slaughterhouse-Five,' "coming through the Rye" as shadow passing thoughts, and revelations of gripped youth; and yet an entirely authentic entity of its own. Captured is the obscurity of life's perplexities thereby defining the essence of short stories.

Progressive reviews proclaimed the perspectives set in Palo Alto to be 'raw' and a 'rarity' -fit to describe stripped meat. In an awakening sense, one is confronted with a metamorphosis ofconceptual mystery -just as meaning issought through life once the core has been trampled on by our natural impurities. When has anything ever been what it seems? Everything and nothing is lost and dangerous, impulsive desire devoid of pleasure and (certain) regret, constantly questionable ... that is being alive.

While reading further, something was escaping me (a part of my internal being's seemingly mortal-eternity, as though it was leaving); a space from within, something that I just couldn't tap into. At first, I couldn't recognize it because it was a place I'd never known before. Finally, it reached me and to my surprise I found:

Palo Alto: Stories written by James Franco brought me home.

Don't Quit Your Day Job
I'm frankly shocked by the positive reviews already posted for this collection of stories by James Franco. I was hoping to avoid making the obvious statement, but I feel there's no way around it - this book never would have seen the light of day if Franco was not an actor.

I don't know much about acting, but I realize it involves inhabiting the psyche of a single person for the duration of a film. Writing however, involves probing the minds of multiple characters and keeping track of their personalities and the stories in which they are a part of. Franco may be a competent actor, but he is no writer.

These stories, averaging ten pages each, constitute some of the worst writing I've ever had the displeasure to read. Not only are they bad, they are offensive in almost every regard. If you are going to subject your audience to teenagers engaged in horrific and senseless sexual behavior and acts of violence, you better have some damn good prose to make it all seem surreal.

Franco writes in a pseudo-minimalist style that is trying to be some sort of Denis Johnson/Raymond Carver hybrid, but acheives neither. Johnson is incredibly poetic and incisive while creating characters we actually care about. Franco's bunch of denegenerates have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. They are lost and hopeless, but unfortunately they are never tragic. Tragic would imply that these people are aware of how lost they are.

Take any Carver story and look at the emotion evoked by these poor wretched people just barely scraping by. This is because Carver cares about his characters, he wants to see them do what's right even though he knows they won't.

I went into this book with an open mind. I wanted to like it. I was hoping that Franco would impress me. I walked away disgusted and disappointed. If I may be so bold, he seems enamored by the "literary author" image, but lacks the chops to fully inhabit it.

Ammendment:
These quotes from other recognized literary authors sound like they've been paid to drool all over Franco's book. Who gives blurbs like these unless you've gotten money to sound this enraptured?

"Franco's talent is unmistakable, his ambition profound." "This is a book to be inhaled more than once, with delight and admiration."
--Gary Shteyngart, author of Absurdistan and Super Sad True Love Story

"Franco's intense artistry swarms all over this gripping book"
--Ben Marcus, author of Notable American Women

Intense artistry? Profound ambition?

Okay...now everyone bow down to Hollywood...all together now.

No light but beautiful darkness
I loved reading these stories.I couldn't put the book down once I started.It is a quick read,both scary and fun like a roller-coaster.

The stories are hard but ring true of the late nineties politically incorrect racial and sexual overtones.

I admire James Franco's courage to show these teenagers as they are at their awful teenage moments without judging or trying to mitigate their experience with adult insight.

It is a great first book and I hope James Franco will write another. ... Read more

Product Description
Ovid’s got a lot on his mind, and he pours it all into the pages of a notebook. Inspired by his namesake, he wryly records his classmates’ dramas as modern-day Roman mythology. There’s Sophie and Caleb, the Psyche and Cupid of cyber-couples; poetic Paula, who pursues filmmaker Franny like Apollo chasing Daphne; and graphic-novelist Duwayne, a Proserpina shuttling between divorced parents. Meanwhile, Ovid hides his own Olympian struggles and a disturbing secret. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Flamingnet.com Top Choice Book-really pulled me in
This book follows a boy named Ovid through his junior year.
All of Ovid's classmates have changed over the summer.Ovid
draws pictures and writes poems about his classmates. He is
really good at art.He keeps his journal in between his
mattress. He hopes that people care about what he draws.
Read this book and find out how Ovid's classmates progress
through their junior year.

I thought this book was really
good. Whenever I started to read it, it was kind of
confusing, but when I got into it, the book really pulled me
in. I loved this book! The book had really good descriptions
of the characters in it. There are a lot of interesting
poems and drawings of his classmates.

NOTE to parents: This book had bad
language,and talked about stuff that little kids should not
read without an adults permission.

Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer
Flamingnet Book Reviews
Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Gold Star Award Winner!

Ovid, named after and inspired by the Roman poet, journals all of his thoughts into a notebook, adding his expressive drawings throughout. Ovid's journal tells of his high school experience, as well as his family life, from an interesting perspective.

Through narrative, drawings, and emotional poetry, Ovid gives the reader a snapshot of his life, as well as the lives of other high school students. Each new poem reveals a different student's background and current going-ons in their life. Ovid's writing is snarky, raw, and honest.

METAMORPHOSIS: JUNIOR YEAR was incredible. There was such honest emotion in Ovid's writing. He held nothing back, putting all of his feelings on the line. I was incredibly drawn to his poetry, each about a different high school student. These poems dug deep into the person's life and showed their secrets, unknown to others. They were truly wonderful. The drawings, often abstract, were difficult to understand at times. Ovid, however, does describe many along with their meanings, creating a clearer image of what he is expressing through them.

Ovid also gives each student a separate identity, connecting each one to a Roman mythological character based on their personalities and struggles. Fans of mythology will love this concept. The book has a strong theme of, you guessed it, transformation. In such a short book, it's amazing how each character, including Ovid, grows and changes to become something better.

METAMORPHOSIS: JUNIOR YEAR by author Betsy Franco is a true masterpiece. I could find absolutely nothing wrong with this book. I recommend it to all readers. This one is a must-read.

Reviewed by:McKenzie Tritt ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Thomas Sowell, Eric Allin Cornell, James Franco, Jared Palmer, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Katie Hoff, Jon Huntsman, Jr., Gardner Loulan, Indradyumna Swami, Paul Wilkins Kendall, Jamie Luner, Kenny Ortega, Cory Lerios, Andrew Fire, Ollie Johnston, Alessandra Torresani, Bree Turner, Paul Watzlawick, John Markoff, Robert V. Decareau, David B. Haight, Brett Simon, Janice Romary, Jesse Lee, Robert Spinrad, Kelly Gray, Ron Unz, Carl Kotchian, Deltha O'neal, Ron Cerrudo, Don Maclean, Howie Nave, Daniel Kottke, Ross Mayfield, Elois Jenssen, Andrew Jacobson, Scott Kauffman, Lee Arenberg, Mark Stewart, Kim Oden, Henry J. Eyring, Michael Silverton, J. J. Liu, Michael Otsuka, Rink Babka, Tom Stern, Richard Roth, Lynn Truell, Jon Chu, Linda Jezek, Mike Dalton, Richard Woodhams, Fred Cline, Doug Clifford, John Watson, Francie Larrieu-Smith, Dave Feldman, Robert L. Manahan, Katie Waitman. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 239. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Thomas Sowell (born June 30, 1930), is an American economist, philosopher, political commentator, social critic and author. He often writes as an advocate of laissez-faire economics. He is currently a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. In 1990, he won the Francis Boyer Award, presented by the American Enterprise Institute. In 2002 he was awarded the National Humanities Medal for prolific scholarship melding history, economics, and political science. In 2003, he was awarded the Bradley Prize for intellectual achievement. Sowell was born in Gastonia, North Carolina. His father died before he was born. In his autobiography, A Personal Odyssey, he recalled that his encounters with whites were so limited he didn't believe that "yellow" was a hair color. He moved to Harlem, New York City with his mother's sister (w...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=189384 ... Read more

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Piano Mastery: An Unique Look at the Piano Playing History and Techniques Tought By The True Piano Masters Themselves ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine), published by Regent Media on May 1, 2009. The length of the article is 1250 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: In a word: Carter: an up-and-coming visual artist finds a collaborator in actor James Franco, making a name for himself and getting his strange new film a screening at MoMA.(SPECTATOR: Film)(Erased James Franco)
Author: Aaron Krach
Publication: The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine) (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2009
Publisher: Regent Media
Issue: 1026Page: 68(4)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

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single issue magazine for men ... Read more

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Still Sealed in plastic wrap. Never opened. Cover, corners and pages in excellent condition. Will ship using USPS TRACKING System, in a covered, protective package within one day. ... Read more

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James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, film producer, and artist. He began acting during the late 1990s, appearing on the short-lived television series Freaks and Geeks and starring in several teen films. In 2001 he played the title role in Mark Rydell's television biographical film James Dean, which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor. Franco achieved international fame as a result of his portrayal of Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man trilogy. Since then, his films have included the war film The Great Raid (2005), the 2006 romantic drama Tristan & Isolde, and Justin Lin's drama Annapolis (2006). In 2008, Franco starred in the comedy stoner film Pineapple Express and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. He played a prominent role in the 2008 biographical film Milk. ... Read more

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Should We Feel Bad For Putting JAMES FRANCO on Our Cover? // PLUS: The Encyclopedia of Now! // The Fall Style, 32 Pages of Suits, Shoes & More // NEWT GINGRICH: His Ex Wife, The Money Trail and The Next Republican Nominee // and much more ... Read more

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Chapters: Joan Baez, Erle Stanley Gardner, James Franco, Ron Wyden, Grace Slick, Jim Harbaugh, the Donnas, Jon Huntsman, Sr., Joe Simitian, Ron "Pigpen" Mckernan, Dave Schultz, Ollie Johnston, David Eppstein, John Markoff, Tad Williams, Karen Joy Fowler, Mark Schultz, Allison Robertson, Jim Loscutoff, Jeremy Lin, Joe Sebok, Whitfield Crane, Charles Haid, Torry Castellano, Rink Babka, Kirk Wise, Tom Stern, Bill Pidto, Rob Minkoff. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 168. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Joan Chandos Baez (born January 9, 1941) is an American folk singer, songwriter and activist. Baez has a distinctive vocal style, with a strong vibrato, and her recordings have included topical songs and material dealing with social issues. Baez began her career performing in coffeehouses in the Boston-Cambridge area, and rose to fame as an unbilled performer at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival. She began her recording career in 1960, and achieved immediate success. Her first three albums, Joan Baez, Joan Baez, Vol. 2, and Joan Baez in Concert all achieved gold record status, and stayed on the charts for two years. She is well known for her hit "Diamonds ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Great Raid is a 2005 war film about the Raid at Cabanatuan, adapted from William B. Breuer's book of the same name. It tells the story of the January 1945 liberation of the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on the Philippine island of Luzon during World War II. It is directed by John Dahl and stars Benjamin Bratt, Joseph Fiennes, James Franco, Connie Nielsen and Cesar Montano. In the United States, it is rated R for strong war violence and brief language. The principal photography took place from July 4, to November 6, 2002, but its release was delayed several times from the original target of fall 2003. ... Read more

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Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Tom Hanks, Danielle Steel, John Dos Passos, James Franco, Mark Teixeira, Claudio Reyna, Joe Perry, Linda Perry, Piper Perabo, Nuno Bettencourt, Vanessa Marcil, Danica Mckellar, Lyndsy Fonseca, Jesse Metcalfe, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Ray Bolger, Shanna Moakler, John Philip Sousa, Colin Hanks, Morgana King, Dilshad Vadsaria, Dustin Pedroia, Bobbie Gentry, Callie Thorne, Craig C. Mello, Billy Martin, Brannon Braga, Emeril Lagasse, Tamara Mello, Danny Silva. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : Thomas Jeffrey Hanks, né le 9 juillet 1956 à Concord en Californie, est un acteur, producteur et réalisateur américain. Après des débuts dans la comédie, Tom Hanks s'impose comme l'un des acteurs les plus populaires du cinéma américain, grâce à ses rôles dramatiques dans des films tels que Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, La ligne verte ou Il faut sauver le soldat Ryan. Il deviendra l'un des acteurs fétiches des réalisateurs Steven Spielberg et Robert Zemeckis, avec lesquels, il collaborera au moins trois fois. Au 1 janvier 2007, les films auxquels il participa ont généré plus de trois milliards de dollars au box-office américain, faisant de Tom Hanks l'acteur le plus prolifique de l'histoire du cinéma en matière de succès commerciaux. En 2006, le magazine Forbes le classe 31 des célébrités les plus payées du monde avec des revenus de 29 millions de dollars. Tom Hanks naît à Concord, Californie, de Janet Marilyn Frager (1932), administratrice d'hôpitaux d'ascendance portugaise, et d'Amos Mefford Hanks (1924-1991), un cuisinier itinérant. Lorsque ses parents se séparent, le jeune Tom alors âgé de habite avec son frère Larry et sa sœur Sandra, tandis que son autre frère Jim reste avec leur mère. Le métier du père de fami...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Proceso, published by CISA Comunicacion e Informacion, S.A. de C.V. on April 6, 1997. The length of the article is 1438 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Un proyecto turístico de Goldsmith encona la disputa entre dos ejidos. (James Goldsmith, empresario franco-británico en Jalisco, México)(TT: One of Goldsmith's touristic project intensifies the dispute between two communal land propeties) (TA: James Goldsmith, French and British businessman in Jalisco, Mexico)
Author: Francisco Ortiz Pinchetti
Publication: Proceso (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 6, 1997
Publisher: CISA Comunicacion e Informacion, S.A. de C.V.
Issue: n1066Page: p20(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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JANUARY 2009 ISSUE OF HIGH TIMES FEATURING STONER OF THE YEAR, JAMES FRANCO FROM PINEAPPLE EXPRESS! ... Read more