Hooray! You have added the first book to your bookshelf. Check it out now!
[−]
  • Search Digit-count Valid ISBN Invalid ISBN Valid Barcode Invalid Barcode
Blog this item

How I Paid for College

A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater (Teen's Top 10 (Awards))

By Marc Acito

(6)

| Hardcover | 9780767918411

Like How I Paid for College?
Join aNobii to see if your friends read it, and discover similar books!

Sign up for free

Book Description

A deliciously funny romp of a novel about one overly theatrical and sexually confused New Jersey teenager’s larcenous quest for his acting school tuition

It’s 1983 in Wallingford, New Jersey, a sleepy bedroom community outside of Manhattan. Seventeen-year-old Edward ZannContinue

A deliciously funny romp of a novel about one overly theatrical and sexually confused New Jersey teenager’s larcenous quest for his acting school tuition

It’s 1983 in Wallingford, New Jersey, a sleepy bedroom community outside of Manhattan. Seventeen-year-old Edward Zanni, a feckless Ferris Bueller–type, is Peter Panning his way through a carefree summer of magic and mischief. The fun comes to a halt, however, when Edward’s father remarries and refuses to pay for Edward to study acting at Juilliard.

Edward’s truly in a bind. He’s ineligible for scholarships because his father earns too much. He’s unable to contact his mother because she’s somewhere in Peru trying to commune with Incan spirits. And, as a sure sign he’s destined for a life in the arts, Edward’s incapable of holding down a job. So he turns to his loyal (but immoral) misfit friends to help him steal the tuition money from his father, all the while practicing for his high school performance of Grease. Disguising themselves as nuns and priests, they merrily scheme their way through embezzlement, money laundering, identity theft, forgery, and blackmail. But, along the way, Edward also learns the value of friendship, hard work, and how you’re not really a man until you can beat up your father—metaphorically, that is.

How I Paid for College is a farcical coming-of-age story that combines the first-person tone of David Sedaris with the byzantine plot twists of Armistead Maupin. It is a novel for anyone who has ever had a dream or a scheme, and it marks the introduction to an original and audacious talent.

Critics

  • How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship and Musical Theater

    How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship and Musical Theater Marc Acito Broadway Hardcover 288 pages September 2004 Edward Zanni is one of the best young actors in America. He wants only one thing out of life: to go to Julliard, the ... (read full critics)

    curledup published on Tue, 7 Sep 2010

1 Review

Login or Sign Up to write a review

  • Funny book about the people I went to school with.

    This is my second attempt at reading How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater. I started reading it and somehow got distracted and left it. I do that often I guess. The book is a coming of age story about a bi-sexual kid that wants to get into Juilliard. When his d ... (continue)

    This is my second attempt at reading How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater. I started reading it and somehow got distracted and left it. I do that often I guess. The book is a coming of age story about a bi-sexual kid that wants to get into Juilliard. When his dad decides that he will not pay for his son to go to college unless he chooses business school, Edward and his group of play people find, plot, and scheme a way to pay his tuition. The book itself has several parts that made me laugh. One thing that I enjoyed about the book is that it didn’t cower to the 1950 notion that teens live a sexless existence. I felt the characters were very close to the play people I went to school with. I think this would be an awesome book for anyone who was a drama geek in high school, or really loves musical theater. I will admit that this book really made me feel like I should have my gay card revoked. While I do enjoy musical theater there was so many theater references I just didn’t understand. Over all the book was a fun read and I think most people will enjoy it.

    Is this helpful?

    Dickie Maxx said on Dec 5, 2008 | Add your feedback

Book Details

Improve data of this book

Prices Change currency & sellers

ISBN Edition List Sale Seller
9780767918411 Hardcover -- $8.99 ebooks.com
$19.95 -- The Book Depository
Other editions →
Added to Shelf Added to Wish List

Inline Translation Mode

Left click to navigate, right click to translate.

inline translation guide

or close

Inline translation is not ready for this page yet.

Inline translation mode.

Share this page with your friends.

The viewport has not loaded.