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The Abstinence Teacher |  | Author: Tom Perrotta
Creator: Campbell Scott
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Category: Book
List Price: $39.95
Buy New: $1.87
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Seller: BooksUnlimited2000
Rating:  132 reviews
Sales Rank: 680795
Format: Audiobook, CD
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 9
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 5.9 x 5.1 x 1
ISBN: 0792750381
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9781427201911
ASIN: 1427201919
Publication Date: October 16, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| • | ISBN13: 9781427201911 | | • | Condition: USED - LIKE NEW | | • | Notes: |
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Product Description
Stonewood Heights is the perfect place to raise children, but amid its good schools and healthy real estate market, a small-town culture war is brewing. The Abstinence Teacher focuses on two divorced parents who become adversaries in the mess: Ruth Ramsey is the human sexuality teacher at the local high school who believes that “pleasure is good, shame is bad, and knowledge is power.” Her younger daughter’s soccer coach is Tim Mason, a former stoner and rocker whose response to hitting rock bottom was to reach out and be saved. Ruth and Tim instinctively distrust one another, but when a controversy on the playing field forces the two of them to actually talk to each other, an uneasy friendship begins to develop. Elegantly written and with Perrotta’s distinctive mix of satire and compassion, The Abstinence Teacher illuminates the powerful emotions that run beneath the placid surface of modern American family life, and explores the complicated spiritual and sexual lives of ordinary people.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 132
 a highly commendable exploration of the culture wars, via a novel November 26, 2009
Gordon L. Fuglie
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've not read any of Perrotta's other works; this first take on his oeuvre was a pleasant surprise.
Have any other novelists explored the terrain of the new suburban fundamentalism (Tim) vs. religion-neutral secularism (Ruth)? I came away feeling that Perrotta had produced a noteworthy attempt at writing the early 20th century social novel. I'd rank it alongside Franzen's The Corrections.
In so doing, I found Perrotta's treatment remarkably fair to his subjects. He humanizes and makes sympathetic almost all of the characters, excepting the school officials and the poker-playing businessmen with whom Tim sits in for an arduous session. However, for the novel to score some points on certain administrative types and the adolescent bonhomie of American business culture, he didn't need to be "fair." I enjoyed his rendering of both incidents.
The nexus of the girls' soccer season with the evolution of the protagonists was very well-done - a device adroitly rendered, and it made sense as the generator of the conflict between the fundamentalists and those who opposed them. In addition, the struggle to maintain and deepen one's faith after the initial emotionally-charged conversion is treated well, though could've been fleshed out a bit more.
Problematic for me was the account of the Tabernacle pastor's conversion - it was lurid even by fundamentalist standards, and therefore difficult to reckon with. I did think, however, that Perrotta drew the character fairly well and made him admirable in his commitment to shepherd Tim's "Christian walk," arriving as a sentinel at the novel's end. While I don't generally like novels that tie up all of the loose ends by the closing, TAT was just a bit too open-ended. For me, Tim was the best drawn character; Ruth could've used some more work. Their coming together at the end seemed to lack the sort of motivation that would've made their union more compelling, if no less problematic. Nonetheless, I give TAT a solid recommendation.
 went out and bought the rest of his books September 29, 2009
Kathleen Mccahill (san jose)
A Laugh out loud and well-written honest piece. The author got into the psyche's of his characters and made them work. I am reading this book and thinking Holy Sh** this guy was not just content to hit the keyboard. The title is misleading because the book evolved more about the 2ndary main character and not only about the teacher. I could have used a 100 more pages, because it was that interesting. Suffice to say Mr. Perrotta has hit his stride. Great Job!
Dark and witty September 28, 2009
kellyreaderofbooks (Iowa, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Forty-one year old Ruth Ramsey is not having an easy time of it lately. Divorced for a few years, the single Mom of two adolescent girls is not having any luck in the love department. Also, she's been recently forced to start teaching a new abstinence-based curriculum in her sex ed class, which she does not agree with. Then, at her daughter's soccer game, she witnesses the soccer coach have all the girls pray at the end of the game. Ruth, not religious, is furious and starts a campaign so it doesn't happen again.
Forty-year old Tim Mason is also having troubles. A recovering alcoholic and drug addict, he joined a very religious group called the Tabernacle. He's married a woman from the group he's not in love with, at the Pastor's insistence. His one bright spot is coaching his daughter's soccer team. When he leads the team in a prayer after a game, he has no idea what the consequences will bring.
I really enjoyed the dark humor and wittiness in this book. It's an easy and entertaining read; not overly deep but still an interesting look at the place religion has in our lives today. I am not at all religious, and wasn't offended by the Christian stereotypes, but could see how it might bother some people. I guess I looked at it as more of a comedy than a reality-based book, although it's certainly true that there are people that zealous around. My one complaint about the book was the ending, which felt unfinished. It's like the author just got sick of writing, so tacked on an easy out at the end. But other than that, I very much got a kick out of this funny book, and will be looking for more to read by this author.
 Walk away August 19, 2009
NJabl1
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Abstinence Teacher follows the backlash that occurs when Ruth Ramsay, a sexual education teacher who takes great pleasure in still looking hot in her 40's, states in class that oral sex can be enjoyable for people. Ruth believes that a fully informative sexual education class is imperative, while the rest of her suburban town does not. Conflict ensues. Mostly, the focus in the book is on Ruth and her relationship with Tim, who is her daughter's soccer coach and is a born again Christian and ex-drug addicted rocker, as they engage in a typical on-again off-again, do you like me? circle one: yes or no, relationship.
Oh, Tom Perrota! I wanted to like this book, but I didn't. I loved Little Children, but maybe I just don't get The Abstinence Teacher. I kept waiting for the real book to begin, or the characters to evolve-or even just become realistic. Perrota is a master of suburbia fiction, but he fell short with The Abstinence Teacher. Little Children really delved into each character and their way of life, The Abstinence Teacher simply skimmed the surface of the incredibly timely issue of sexual education and the skirmishes between the political right and left. The basis of the book, which focuses on the controversy between sexual education and religion faith would appear to be chock full of tension and conflict, but Perrota somehow manages to negate most of it by never really fleshing out the arguments for either side of the issues. The reader is left with a glimmer of what the book could have been, and I was left disappointed by a author who is talented enough to truly write a thoughtful book on the subject. Read it, but don't expect to be impressed.
Find Balance August 18, 2009
Polly Castor
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This novel raises controversial issues about sex education and about the separation of church and state in suburban America. It raises questions about whether we should inflict our opinions on others, and if we do, whether or not it helps them. This book contrasts not only conservatives and liberals, atheists and fundamentalists, promiscuity and abstinence, information and morality, etc, but more importantly, does a good job of exploring the gray middle ground where life actually happens. I thought this book was very interesting and thought provoking, and it showed me how moderate I am.
Initially drawn to the title because I'm needing to handle sex education for my teenage homeschoolers, I am reinforced in my stance of not only a message of recommended abstinence (based more on the spiritual sanctity of sex than on moral dogmatism), but also the need for them to be fully armed with the facts in order to keep them safe. One prays that their children will make wise choices in this and all areas of life. Including only one side of any issue does not lead to informed action, and this charged issue is fraught with intense bias on both sides, and both have worthy points, which are not incompatible to my mind.
What I didn't expect in this novel, and arguably found more interesting, were the issues of separation of church and state raised in this book. While I am a staunch supporter in the separation of church and state, I also understand the desire to share the hope of the gospel message. It is best done privately anyway, but some conversely feel that a sinful agenda of moral relativism is being forced on them by the state's approach. Objections are clear and comprehensible on both sides. Again, moving away from the extremes would seem to be the answer; I hope we can find a balance with less fundamentalism in our world coupled with more solidly good social ethics that we can share in common.
And now that I've completed the book, I realize there are scores of other topics in it where the abstinence theme is explored. Like the Biblical contradictions about judgement, "Judge not, " and, "Judge righteous judgement," one must balance abstaining from being judgmental, with abstaining from just mindlessly following. And while thankfully this novel never descends into suggesting what one should think, I come away from it with a message of tolerance, patience, compassion, and above all, balance, which I think of as a good thing.
While this perceptive book would be R-rated for sexual content and foul language, I give it four stars. I'm glad I read it.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 132
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