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Repeat
Through strange metaphysical circumstances, failed screenwriter Brad Cohen finds himself caught in an infinite time loop, forced to relive the first forty years of his life again and again. Each “repeat,� Brad wakes up in the womb on what was supposed to be his fortieth birthday, with full knowledge of what’s come before. In various timelines, he becomes a successful political pundit, a game-show champion, a playboy, and a master manipulator of the stock market, but none of them seem to lead him out of his predicament. As he realizes he wants to break out of the loop and find the love of his life―the one he hadn’t appreciated the first time around―Brad tries, fails, and tries again to escape the eternal cycle of birth and rebirth. Repeat answers the If you could live half your life over, would you do things differently? Be careful what you wish for! Repeating is enough to drive a dude crazy.
229 pages, Paperback
First published March 24, 2015
102 people are currently reading
744 people want to read
About the author
Neal Pollack
48books121followersNeal Pollack’s first book, The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature, was published in 2000, becoming an (almost) instant cult classic. His debut novel, Never Mind the Pollacks, hit shelves in 2003, and was shamelessly promoted by his band, The Neal Pollack Invasion. In 2007, he published Alternadad, a best-selling memoir. In 2010, Pollack became a certified yoga teacher and published Stretch, a nonfiction account of his adventures in American yoga culture. He has contributed to The New York Times, Wired, Slate, Yoga Journal, and Vanity Fair, among many other publications. Thomas & Mercer published his historical noir novel Jewball in March 2012, and debuted his "yoga detective" novel, Downward-Facing Death, in serialized fiction form in September, 2012. His latest book, a time-traveling romantic comedy called Repeat, will be published in March 2015. He and his wife, the painter Regina Allen, live with their son in Austin, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
April 16, 2015
The book starts with a guy who's life didn't go the way he'd planned. He was completely unlikeable for me. This was no "It's a Wonderful Life" transition to someone I loved either. So it didn't start out strong since I really didn't care about the character.
Then, it was slow as hell and the MC doesn't go back in time for the first time until 22% into the book.
Then after It could have been funny, but it came off gross and weird to me.
That's not even the TIP of the iceberg.
During this first of many rounds of going through life, I just wasn't interested hardly at all. It just went on too long with too many details that I really didn't care about.
At this point, I decided to skim ahead and it was just a lot of more of the same. I just wanted to get to the end result, I no longer cared about the journey through the pages.
The ending was anticlimactic for me, and I didn't feel there were any lessons worth what he went through. I still didn't care for the MC at all. This book was NOT for me.
Thank you Netgalley for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 1, 2015
This is a smart, funny, thought-provoking look at discontentment and the nature of regret. The protagonist is born in 1970, and I was born in '72, so the four decades he repeatedly lives through match my own lifespan pretty closely. I haven't had this much fun with literary nostalgia for my generation's heyday since Ernest Cline's Ready Player One, but the focus of this book is less little-boy indulgence and more universal big picture. The writing is pitch perfect. Now I'm wondering how I've missed out on reading Pollack for this long.
March 24, 2015
When my husband asked me what Repeat by Neal Pollack was like I replied that it was sort of like “Groundhog Day� meets “It’s a Wonderful Life.�
The person on repeat is Brad Cohen a struggling screenwriter. When sitting with his wife one day, he is lamenting his latest pitch to the network executives for a show about an infinite time loop. He is frustrated and unhappy. After drinking something special that his wife makes, he falls asleep, 40 years old and wakes up fresh out of the womb.
Yes, he gets to relieve his life over and over again, from birth to 40. I’ve read other books and seen movies with this type of spin, but Repeat gives it a fresh face. Brad starts out each new life with all of the knowledge of his past lives. And that is what makes it so interesting.
What would you do, if you could relieve the first 40 years of your life. Relieving them in the exact same time that they happened in. Would you use it for financial gain? How would you stop things like 9/11 from happening? He wrestles with all of these thoughts. It really does make you think about how you would handle it. Would you eventually go crazy? Would you eventually get your life back on track and figure out how to end the loop?
Very well written and interesting.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy for review.
The person on repeat is Brad Cohen a struggling screenwriter. When sitting with his wife one day, he is lamenting his latest pitch to the network executives for a show about an infinite time loop. He is frustrated and unhappy. After drinking something special that his wife makes, he falls asleep, 40 years old and wakes up fresh out of the womb.
Yes, he gets to relieve his life over and over again, from birth to 40. I’ve read other books and seen movies with this type of spin, but Repeat gives it a fresh face. Brad starts out each new life with all of the knowledge of his past lives. And that is what makes it so interesting.
What would you do, if you could relieve the first 40 years of your life. Relieving them in the exact same time that they happened in. Would you use it for financial gain? How would you stop things like 9/11 from happening? He wrestles with all of these thoughts. It really does make you think about how you would handle it. Would you eventually go crazy? Would you eventually get your life back on track and figure out how to end the loop?
Very well written and interesting.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy for review.
March 30, 2015
Brad Cohen is approaching forty, has a wonderful witchy wife named Juliet, two daughters, a decent house and a failed screenwriting career in Hollywood. He feels kinda like a loser, and he spends a lot of his days hanging out on the couch and being stoned on medical marijuana.
After having an birthday dinner they can't afford, Juliet whips up a magickal potion for Brad to take. Brad drinks it and wakes up back in the womb. He then spends the rest of the book re-living his life in different ways. Every time he hits 40, the next day he starts all over again.
It's a cute story. I liked the magickal parts with Juliet, and the parts about his original loser-ish life. His first re-incarnation was the best one, I thought. Although, I did find it hard to believe he was able to remember so many little details about what was happening in the world.
After that, I think the next incarnations aren't as good. He starts to get really bitter about being reincarnated for hundreds of years. Also, he never seems to be as happy as he was in his original life.
(I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
After having an birthday dinner they can't afford, Juliet whips up a magickal potion for Brad to take. Brad drinks it and wakes up back in the womb. He then spends the rest of the book re-living his life in different ways. Every time he hits 40, the next day he starts all over again.
It's a cute story. I liked the magickal parts with Juliet, and the parts about his original loser-ish life. His first re-incarnation was the best one, I thought. Although, I did find it hard to believe he was able to remember so many little details about what was happening in the world.
After that, I think the next incarnations aren't as good. He starts to get really bitter about being reincarnated for hundreds of years. Also, he never seems to be as happy as he was in his original life.
(I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
January 28, 2015
maybe a 2.5?
This review and others posted over at
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
From NetGalley: Through strange metaphysical circumstances, failed screenwriter Brad Cohen finds himself caught in an infinite time loop, forced to relive the first forty years of his life again and again. Each “repeat,� Brad wakes up in the womb on what was supposed to be his fortieth birthday, with full knowledge of what’s come before. In various timelines, he becomes a successful political pundit, a game-show champion, a playboy, and a master manipulator of the stock market, but none of them seem to lead him out of his predicament. As he realizes he wants to break out of the loop and find the love of his life—the one he hadn’t appreciated the first time around—Brad tries, fails, and tries again to escape the eternal cycle of birth and rebirth. Repeat answers the question: If you could live half your life over, would you do things differently?
What I liked:
The concept � rather than living the same day over, as in Groundhog Day, Brad is forced to live 40 years of his life over and over. He never experiences anything beyond his fortieth birthday, yet he is still basically born with knowledge of the future that gives him a certain amount of power. In the beginning of the book, before being stuck in this loop, I also liked Brad. He was funny in your everyman, semi-loser sort of way � someone who is stuck at the low end of the middle class, with a family he loves, yet generally dissatisfied with the direction his life has taken as he laments lost opportunities. He had a good sense of humor to start with and gave me a few chuckles.
What I didn’t like:
Unfortunately I lost interest in this book fast. The very first time Brad enters this unending time loop, he describes emerging from the womb and breastfeeding with more detail than I needed. I understand that being born again with your 40-year-old mind and actually having the consciousness to be aware of your birth would be shocking, but I can imagine that on my own, thank you. The detail that Brad puts into describing both his desire and reluctance to breastfeed was also unnecessary � it came off more as a weird fantasy and somehow felt dirty. Brad then proceeds to greatly describe the joys of masturbating at age eleven, with the skill and technique of an adult male � another strange segment that came off as a disturbing fantasy I could have gone without. I don’t consider myself to be a prude, so maybe it’s simply because I’m reading from a female perspective, but there was a big disconnect for me at this point in the book, and from that point I less invested in the overall story.
As Brad continually begins his life anew on the eve of his fortieth birthday, readers are fortunately spared more details regarding breastfeeding and masturbation, but I still found my mind wandering off. Again, I think the concept of this book was strong, but there was something about the way Pollack handled the repetitions that just didn’t hold my interest. There is a little darkness to this story � Brad lives many “successful� lives as a wealthy man, pursuing different careers, taking advantage of his knowledge of stocks, sports statistics and presidential elections, but none of these lives make him truly happy, as he’s missing his wife and daughters in each of them. However, I didn’t find any of his repeats particularly gripping, and so I didn’t really feel for Brad or pity his situation. I think perhaps this book might have suited me better if it were a novella or short story, with a little more edge to it.
~
In the end, Repeat had a predictable ending and main character I considered to be a little bland, considering how many times he lived his life over.
This review and others posted over at
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
From NetGalley: Through strange metaphysical circumstances, failed screenwriter Brad Cohen finds himself caught in an infinite time loop, forced to relive the first forty years of his life again and again. Each “repeat,� Brad wakes up in the womb on what was supposed to be his fortieth birthday, with full knowledge of what’s come before. In various timelines, he becomes a successful political pundit, a game-show champion, a playboy, and a master manipulator of the stock market, but none of them seem to lead him out of his predicament. As he realizes he wants to break out of the loop and find the love of his life—the one he hadn’t appreciated the first time around—Brad tries, fails, and tries again to escape the eternal cycle of birth and rebirth. Repeat answers the question: If you could live half your life over, would you do things differently?
What I liked:
The concept � rather than living the same day over, as in Groundhog Day, Brad is forced to live 40 years of his life over and over. He never experiences anything beyond his fortieth birthday, yet he is still basically born with knowledge of the future that gives him a certain amount of power. In the beginning of the book, before being stuck in this loop, I also liked Brad. He was funny in your everyman, semi-loser sort of way � someone who is stuck at the low end of the middle class, with a family he loves, yet generally dissatisfied with the direction his life has taken as he laments lost opportunities. He had a good sense of humor to start with and gave me a few chuckles.
What I didn’t like:
Unfortunately I lost interest in this book fast. The very first time Brad enters this unending time loop, he describes emerging from the womb and breastfeeding with more detail than I needed. I understand that being born again with your 40-year-old mind and actually having the consciousness to be aware of your birth would be shocking, but I can imagine that on my own, thank you. The detail that Brad puts into describing both his desire and reluctance to breastfeed was also unnecessary � it came off more as a weird fantasy and somehow felt dirty. Brad then proceeds to greatly describe the joys of masturbating at age eleven, with the skill and technique of an adult male � another strange segment that came off as a disturbing fantasy I could have gone without. I don’t consider myself to be a prude, so maybe it’s simply because I’m reading from a female perspective, but there was a big disconnect for me at this point in the book, and from that point I less invested in the overall story.
As Brad continually begins his life anew on the eve of his fortieth birthday, readers are fortunately spared more details regarding breastfeeding and masturbation, but I still found my mind wandering off. Again, I think the concept of this book was strong, but there was something about the way Pollack handled the repetitions that just didn’t hold my interest. There is a little darkness to this story � Brad lives many “successful� lives as a wealthy man, pursuing different careers, taking advantage of his knowledge of stocks, sports statistics and presidential elections, but none of these lives make him truly happy, as he’s missing his wife and daughters in each of them. However, I didn’t find any of his repeats particularly gripping, and so I didn’t really feel for Brad or pity his situation. I think perhaps this book might have suited me better if it were a novella or short story, with a little more edge to it.
~
In the end, Repeat had a predictable ending and main character I considered to be a little bland, considering how many times he lived his life over.
May 9, 2015
I loved this book. So much of it deeply resonated for me. I'm pretty sure it resurrected some long dead brain cells, which is weird and great and weird.
It was a fast read because (1) I didn't want to put it down [cliche but true], and (2) Pollack's writing style is so fluid that reading his books is delightfully quick. I'm not saying this book is lightweight, nor is it lacking in meaning. It's just that given Pollack's talent for sarcasm & wit, you'd maybe think his books could be ... simple? Nope. Couldn't be further from the truth. Reading REPEAT was an easy pleasure. That's such a treat! Internalizing its wisdom and joy -- snuck in throughout the book if you ask me -- was what made me feel like my spirit had been poked & prodded into deeper contemplation by the end of the book.
A+. Will read again. :)
It was a fast read because (1) I didn't want to put it down [cliche but true], and (2) Pollack's writing style is so fluid that reading his books is delightfully quick. I'm not saying this book is lightweight, nor is it lacking in meaning. It's just that given Pollack's talent for sarcasm & wit, you'd maybe think his books could be ... simple? Nope. Couldn't be further from the truth. Reading REPEAT was an easy pleasure. That's such a treat! Internalizing its wisdom and joy -- snuck in throughout the book if you ask me -- was what made me feel like my spirit had been poked & prodded into deeper contemplation by the end of the book.
A+. Will read again. :)
November 28, 2018
Title: Repeat
Author: Neal Pollack
Publication Date: Mar 2015
Genre: Sci-Fi
Score: 4/5
Repeat was a pleasant surprise. It’s not perfect and an obvious derivation of Replay by Ken Grimwood but a very strong 3.5/5 regardless. It tells the story of a man caught in an infinite time loop who disappears on the eve of his fortieth birthday and reappears into his fetal self as he is being born. This happens hundreds of times and the story deals with his actions during these repeats. The ending is too abrupt. There’s no inciting event that causes his repeats to stop. I’m not sure he even learns anything worthwhile. But the ride there is fine and an easy read. Recommended.
Author: Neal Pollack
Publication Date: Mar 2015
Genre: Sci-Fi
Score: 4/5
Repeat was a pleasant surprise. It’s not perfect and an obvious derivation of Replay by Ken Grimwood but a very strong 3.5/5 regardless. It tells the story of a man caught in an infinite time loop who disappears on the eve of his fortieth birthday and reappears into his fetal self as he is being born. This happens hundreds of times and the story deals with his actions during these repeats. The ending is too abrupt. There’s no inciting event that causes his repeats to stop. I’m not sure he even learns anything worthwhile. But the ride there is fine and an easy read. Recommended.
February 15, 2015
The main character in the book, Brad, gets stuck in an infinite time loop and is forced to spend the first 40 years of his life over and over. In each successive life, he tries new things. By the time he has repeated his life thousands of times, though, there is no longer any appeal to it and he would desperately like to get off the merry-go-round.
There is a surreal quality to the book and I wondered for quite some time if Brad was actually on some sort of crazy drug trip and would wake up in the end, no worse for wear. Without giving away too much of the plot, though, I would like to say that the experiences Brad had were enlightening and thought-provoking.
The only complaint I have is that the author took much too long to get to the main plot of the story (25% of the total book, in fact). I almost gave up reading it many times but managed to stick with it. Ultimately, I’m glad I kept reading because I enjoyed the book overall. I don’t think it deserves four or five stars, though, because it took so long to interest me.
There is a surreal quality to the book and I wondered for quite some time if Brad was actually on some sort of crazy drug trip and would wake up in the end, no worse for wear. Without giving away too much of the plot, though, I would like to say that the experiences Brad had were enlightening and thought-provoking.
The only complaint I have is that the author took much too long to get to the main plot of the story (25% of the total book, in fact). I almost gave up reading it many times but managed to stick with it. Ultimately, I’m glad I kept reading because I enjoyed the book overall. I don’t think it deserves four or five stars, though, because it took so long to interest me.
June 17, 2015
Brilliantly weird.
March 30, 2015
This book is in such a weird limbo for me. There are some really great moments in this book that left me with a deep longing, and others that left me scratching my head as I skimmed to the next part that would really catch my interest.
My first comment is that is it very male. It's got that same quality that Ready Player One has where you know pretty much right off the bat that it is a male writer writing to a male audience - only I think Pollack didn't lose me quite as much as Cline did. This isn't a complaint, at least not one that is a huge hit against it, just a statement on the style. It makes sense too, seeing as most of the book feels like a friend sitting down and telling you a story. It's loose and casual but comfortable, even through the very serious moments. It never shied away from uncomfortable or awkward/human places even when you wish it would, and although I feel the plot and idea got a little lost at points to tangents they don't really detract either. A scene that is mentioned a lot in other reviews is the birth/baby scenes and I was left weirdly uncomfortable but sympathetic to the lead. It posed a great question of what life would be like being reborn at 40.
I imagine this book is very personal to Pollack and I'm torn between really enjoying the personal connection and wishing there was more distance between him and his story. I'll have to work up the courage to ask if the interview scene with his own character was where he started with this book, it felt like the most complete yet almost out of place section. Maybe I just find the author inserting himself at face value into a book a little off putting.
Regardless I'm left with a lot of mixed feelings. On one hand I love the exploration of time loops and ones this big are fun, on the other I'm left wanting a lot more from this book (or a lot less). I enjoyed the serious moments quite a bit, maybe not so much of the constant weed talk, but there are some great moments in this book. Mostly I feel like I need to write out some of the things that I love and enjoy and go spend some time stretching.
My first comment is that is it very male. It's got that same quality that Ready Player One has where you know pretty much right off the bat that it is a male writer writing to a male audience - only I think Pollack didn't lose me quite as much as Cline did. This isn't a complaint, at least not one that is a huge hit against it, just a statement on the style. It makes sense too, seeing as most of the book feels like a friend sitting down and telling you a story. It's loose and casual but comfortable, even through the very serious moments. It never shied away from uncomfortable or awkward/human places even when you wish it would, and although I feel the plot and idea got a little lost at points to tangents they don't really detract either. A scene that is mentioned a lot in other reviews is the birth/baby scenes and I was left weirdly uncomfortable but sympathetic to the lead. It posed a great question of what life would be like being reborn at 40.
I imagine this book is very personal to Pollack and I'm torn between really enjoying the personal connection and wishing there was more distance between him and his story. I'll have to work up the courage to ask if the interview scene with his own character was where he started with this book, it felt like the most complete yet almost out of place section. Maybe I just find the author inserting himself at face value into a book a little off putting.
Regardless I'm left with a lot of mixed feelings. On one hand I love the exploration of time loops and ones this big are fun, on the other I'm left wanting a lot more from this book (or a lot less). I enjoyed the serious moments quite a bit, maybe not so much of the constant weed talk, but there are some great moments in this book. Mostly I feel like I need to write out some of the things that I love and enjoy and go spend some time stretching.
April 18, 2015
eARC: Netgalley
Washed up screenwriter Brad Cohen finds himself living the first forty years of his life over and over again until he does something right, I'm really not sure what, and gets to move on.
Brad Cohen is a thoroughly unpleasant loser who never seems to be able to break out of a pot laced rut no matter how many thousands of years he lives. He finally gets to continue his first life, but I don't know what broke him out of the repeat cycle. Some kind of magical yoga?? Did anybody who read this book understand that?
All I can say is I wish I had the last few hours of my life back.
Washed up screenwriter Brad Cohen finds himself living the first forty years of his life over and over again until he does something right, I'm really not sure what, and gets to move on.
Brad Cohen is a thoroughly unpleasant loser who never seems to be able to break out of a pot laced rut no matter how many thousands of years he lives. He finally gets to continue his first life, but I don't know what broke him out of the repeat cycle. Some kind of magical yoga?? Did anybody who read this book understand that?
All I can say is I wish I had the last few hours of my life back.
March 10, 2015
There is nobody in the world that can tell a better poop joke than Neal Pollack.
The magic is that he somehow manages to do that while also telling a compelling story of self discovery and growth in the context of a time travel science fiction story that is basically about a grunting, masturbating dork learning the limits of his own wit. It is both hilarious and thought provoking to consider the limitations of the human experience as it stretches to infinity - even if stuck in a permanent loop.
This book is like Groundhog Day, but really stoned. I recommend it!
The magic is that he somehow manages to do that while also telling a compelling story of self discovery and growth in the context of a time travel science fiction story that is basically about a grunting, masturbating dork learning the limits of his own wit. It is both hilarious and thought provoking to consider the limitations of the human experience as it stretches to infinity - even if stuck in a permanent loop.
This book is like Groundhog Day, but really stoned. I recommend it!
March 30, 2015
This is one of those books that you have to be careful reading in public because there are many laugh out loud moments. As Brad Cohen relives his life over and over (while retaining memories of his past lives) there are some great moments of humor and pop culture nostalgia as well as a few revelations that might lead the reader to discover that life after 40 is not so bad after all, even if you only get one shot at it.
April 17, 2015
This suspiciously autobiographical-esque novel follows a 40-year old writer who can't stop re-living his failures until he gets a chance to actually re-live those first 40 years--more than once. His hilarious "do-overs" are where the book really shines, but even the introduction signals that you are in for a funny ride. Also, as the description helpfully notes, this book contains real page numbers.
July 5, 2015
I was thoroughly entertained by Repeat, having received it as from the publisher in return for a fair and partial review. The Groundhog Day-ish book is one that I kept picking up as I walked past it, which is always a good sign. Hope to read more from this author, and I might have to search and find information on his Jeopardy appearances.
March 24, 2015
Mr Pollack has done a great job with Repeat. At one time or another most of us think about what we would change if we could relive our life with hindsight and 20/20 vision. In Repeat the main character gets to do just that. I have read several other stories with this theme and Repeat gives it a fresh take. I was given an early copy to review.
April 27, 2015
A charming main character and a very well structured story leading to a satisfying conclusion; what more could you ask for?
I was thoroughly invested in the whole story. I felt for Brad and I understood his decisions. I would give this book an easy recommendation for anyone after a light-hearted laugh mixed in with an entertaining story.
I was thoroughly invested in the whole story. I felt for Brad and I understood his decisions. I would give this book an easy recommendation for anyone after a light-hearted laugh mixed in with an entertaining story.
April 14, 2015
Awful. Couldn't make it 1/4 the way through. I had read Replay (which this sounds remarkably similar to) and wanted to see if this was a different take. Yep, sure was. A BAD different. Meanders in self-loathing with an always chipper wife (who happens to be a witch). Just.... bad.
April 6, 2015
This book gives a new meaning for "life begins at 40".
Even if you've watched Groundhog Day, you will still enjoy this book.
Even if you've watched Groundhog Day, you will still enjoy this book.
June 19, 2015
Liked
Such a fun read! Unique story, very funny parts..., would make a great movie ( or TV show) . I would recommend
Such a fun read! Unique story, very funny parts..., would make a great movie ( or TV show) . I would recommend
January 29, 2024
Clearing Out the To-Read Pile #2
Ugh, I wanted so badly to love this. The premise is one that I think almost everyone has thought of: a lifetime mulligan, while still retaining all the accumulated knowledge of your current existence. I wanted to write this when I was in middle school. Neal Pollack's protagonist is turning 40. Either I'm an early bloomer, or middle school sucks so badly that any sane person would want a do-over. My problem with the execution was that it was too mid-life-crisis-ey, and often slipped into the downright self-referential (we get it: yoga has changed you), and not in a cute, this-is-so-meta kind of way. While the main character's obsessive navel-gazing and self-pity are part of the story, it becomes increasingly difficult not to read them as Pollack's own.
Ugh, I wanted so badly to love this. The premise is one that I think almost everyone has thought of: a lifetime mulligan, while still retaining all the accumulated knowledge of your current existence. I wanted to write this when I was in middle school. Neal Pollack's protagonist is turning 40. Either I'm an early bloomer, or middle school sucks so badly that any sane person would want a do-over. My problem with the execution was that it was too mid-life-crisis-ey, and often slipped into the downright self-referential (we get it: yoga has changed you), and not in a cute, this-is-so-meta kind of way. While the main character's obsessive navel-gazing and self-pity are part of the story, it becomes increasingly difficult not to read them as Pollack's own.
January 27, 2015
This and more reviews at .
I received a complimentary copy of Repeat from NetGalley—I selected it on a whim, hoping for something light after reading a number of books about deceit, murder, and stalking. In this case, Neal Pollack gave me just the levity I needed with this quick, easy (if predictable) read.
Brad Cohen, failed screenwriter, is about to turn 40. But he has no idea how many times this is about to happen.
Although he was initially headed for success, Brad got derailed somewhere in the midst of marriage and children and a minor pot addiction and working on a show called Battlecats (sadly not real, although it appears is). He’s barely scraping by, and his last shot is pitching show to Fox. It’s a pathetic concept, according to his manager, his wife, and one of the Fox execs: a guy gets caught in an infinite time loop and is forced to keep repeating the first 40 years of his life until he can figure out how to make it stop.
Some of you might be thinking, “Wait, isn’t that the plot of Groundhog Day? Or perhaps one of the many other similar stories out there where the character has to relive the same day/week/year/decade?� The answer is yes, but self-consciously so; the characters all ask Brad the same thing about his show concept, and he insists that it’s different.
Well, lucky for us readers, we get to see exactly how it’s different. Because Brad’s wife is something of a potion-mixing “sexy witch� (his words), and upon his 40th birthday, he finds himself in the exact circumstances of his imagined character. Upon his 40th birthday, Brad wakes up in the womb.
After realizing that he is destined to live the next 40 years of his life again, Brad decides to make the best of it. This time, he can do it right—he can make amazing investments, he can buy property in up-and-coming neighborhoods, and if he plays his cards right, maybe he can even help save America from impending disaster (think 9/11). But Brad quickly finds that a few life changes may dramatically alter his world on a personal level—and at a certain point, he knows his foreknowledge will run out. So what happens when Brad hits his next 40th birthday?
There. I feel like I just wrote . And really, that’s sort of what Repeat reads like; it’s amusing, but not necessarily funny, and you care about the characters, but let’s be honest—not that much. Although Brad learns some great lessons about life and choices through his unusual experience, nothing really comes as a surprise along the way.
I think the biggest issue with this novel is that there was really only one possible logical, natural, satisfying ending, so it came as no shock to me when it took place. In fact, it was such a simple solution that I was amazed Brad couldn’t come up with it sooner. The guy lives not just one lifetime, but what equates to hundreds or even over a thousand years, and it takes him that long to figure out how to make the cycling stop? I don’t buy it.
OVERALL RATING (within genre): 3/5 Stars
TL;DR: A novel about a man who repeats the first 40 years of his life over and over again is unsurprisingly predictable, but fairly entertaining nonetheless.
I received a complimentary copy of Repeat from NetGalley—I selected it on a whim, hoping for something light after reading a number of books about deceit, murder, and stalking. In this case, Neal Pollack gave me just the levity I needed with this quick, easy (if predictable) read.
Brad Cohen, failed screenwriter, is about to turn 40. But he has no idea how many times this is about to happen.
Although he was initially headed for success, Brad got derailed somewhere in the midst of marriage and children and a minor pot addiction and working on a show called Battlecats (sadly not real, although it appears is). He’s barely scraping by, and his last shot is pitching show to Fox. It’s a pathetic concept, according to his manager, his wife, and one of the Fox execs: a guy gets caught in an infinite time loop and is forced to keep repeating the first 40 years of his life until he can figure out how to make it stop.
Some of you might be thinking, “Wait, isn’t that the plot of Groundhog Day? Or perhaps one of the many other similar stories out there where the character has to relive the same day/week/year/decade?� The answer is yes, but self-consciously so; the characters all ask Brad the same thing about his show concept, and he insists that it’s different.
Well, lucky for us readers, we get to see exactly how it’s different. Because Brad’s wife is something of a potion-mixing “sexy witch� (his words), and upon his 40th birthday, he finds himself in the exact circumstances of his imagined character. Upon his 40th birthday, Brad wakes up in the womb.
After realizing that he is destined to live the next 40 years of his life again, Brad decides to make the best of it. This time, he can do it right—he can make amazing investments, he can buy property in up-and-coming neighborhoods, and if he plays his cards right, maybe he can even help save America from impending disaster (think 9/11). But Brad quickly finds that a few life changes may dramatically alter his world on a personal level—and at a certain point, he knows his foreknowledge will run out. So what happens when Brad hits his next 40th birthday?
There. I feel like I just wrote . And really, that’s sort of what Repeat reads like; it’s amusing, but not necessarily funny, and you care about the characters, but let’s be honest—not that much. Although Brad learns some great lessons about life and choices through his unusual experience, nothing really comes as a surprise along the way.
I think the biggest issue with this novel is that there was really only one possible logical, natural, satisfying ending, so it came as no shock to me when it took place. In fact, it was such a simple solution that I was amazed Brad couldn’t come up with it sooner. The guy lives not just one lifetime, but what equates to hundreds or even over a thousand years, and it takes him that long to figure out how to make the cycling stop? I don’t buy it.
OVERALL RATING (within genre): 3/5 Stars
TL;DR: A novel about a man who repeats the first 40 years of his life over and over again is unsurprisingly predictable, but fairly entertaining nonetheless.
January 24, 2015
I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.
This is the story of Brad Cohen, who on his 40th birthday gets stuck in an infinite time loop and relives his first 40 years in what seems like forever.
Brad is a failed Hollywood writer who hates his life, and it seems like the day before his 40th birthday, he has a little bit of a breakdown. So his wife, who is a witchy herbalist, gives him something to drink and puts him to bed.
Only he is awoken by his birth and entrance to the world in 1970. But, even as a baby, he has the thoughts of a grown man. He totally creeps out his parents, and learns to live a life full of riches. For many times, he relives his life over and over with all this knowledge of the future which is good in some ways and bad in others. He goes on a very long journey to determine what really is success and happiness.
The story kept me reading. I wanted to know what else would happen to him. If he would come to some realization and finally figure out how to end this. Or if it was all a dream. My only wish was that it continued more to see if he took what he learned in all those lifetimes.
I think this might make a great movie - sort of A Time Traveler Meets It's a Wonderful Life.
This is the story of Brad Cohen, who on his 40th birthday gets stuck in an infinite time loop and relives his first 40 years in what seems like forever.
Brad is a failed Hollywood writer who hates his life, and it seems like the day before his 40th birthday, he has a little bit of a breakdown. So his wife, who is a witchy herbalist, gives him something to drink and puts him to bed.
Only he is awoken by his birth and entrance to the world in 1970. But, even as a baby, he has the thoughts of a grown man. He totally creeps out his parents, and learns to live a life full of riches. For many times, he relives his life over and over with all this knowledge of the future which is good in some ways and bad in others. He goes on a very long journey to determine what really is success and happiness.
The story kept me reading. I wanted to know what else would happen to him. If he would come to some realization and finally figure out how to end this. Or if it was all a dream. My only wish was that it continued more to see if he took what he learned in all those lifetimes.
I think this might make a great movie - sort of A Time Traveler Meets It's a Wonderful Life.
February 7, 2015
I received this book from NetGalley as a review copy.
No need to rehash the plot here. Other reviewers have plenty of detail on that and Pollack did enough rehashing of his own. While I enjoyed Pollack's writing through the first few chapters (particularly the first rebirth), it seemed a lot of the early creativity fell apart as the book rolled on. After the book's midpoint, there's not much that we haven't seen before and done much better (such as Replay by Ken Grimwood). Where he completely lost my interest is when he used some of the lives to go into personal anecdotes about being on Jeopardy and his love of yoga. At that point, it felt more like I was reading some guy's blog post than a novel.
It gets a three star rating purely because I had a few laughs through the first repeat cycle. Otherwise, I'd have dropped it to a two.
No need to rehash the plot here. Other reviewers have plenty of detail on that and Pollack did enough rehashing of his own. While I enjoyed Pollack's writing through the first few chapters (particularly the first rebirth), it seemed a lot of the early creativity fell apart as the book rolled on. After the book's midpoint, there's not much that we haven't seen before and done much better (such as Replay by Ken Grimwood). Where he completely lost my interest is when he used some of the lives to go into personal anecdotes about being on Jeopardy and his love of yoga. At that point, it felt more like I was reading some guy's blog post than a novel.
It gets a three star rating purely because I had a few laughs through the first repeat cycle. Otherwise, I'd have dropped it to a two.
February 6, 2015
I think I'll just go with meh.
There isn't anything particularly bad about Repeat. The subject is very interesting, the writing style is not but it doesn't make you want to throw the book away either, the characters didn't make me crazy (though I think Juliet is TSTL). Still, I lost interest too fast too soon, I couldn't make it even to the first repeat (which was around page 60 by the way. While I understand the importance of the parts before that, we needed to see at least some parts of his life after all, but still). The writing didn't really stand out either and while I think I would at least like Brad in real life, I couldn't connect with anyone else in the book. They were just too fake.
Overall, it's somewhere between 1.5/5 and 2/5.
There isn't anything particularly bad about Repeat. The subject is very interesting, the writing style is not but it doesn't make you want to throw the book away either, the characters didn't make me crazy (though I think Juliet is TSTL). Still, I lost interest too fast too soon, I couldn't make it even to the first repeat (which was around page 60 by the way. While I understand the importance of the parts before that, we needed to see at least some parts of his life after all, but still). The writing didn't really stand out either and while I think I would at least like Brad in real life, I couldn't connect with anyone else in the book. They were just too fake.
Overall, it's somewhere between 1.5/5 and 2/5.
January 17, 2016
Repeat by Neal Pollack is a free NetGalley eBook that I read in one morning in early January. I was taken in by this book's summary and thought it would be more of an ominous, sci-fi, yet life-redeeming read.
Nope, it's ham. Pure, not funny, slapdash, East coast easyliving ham. It's even full-re-start It's A Wonderful Life for selfish-bad ham.
Nope, it's ham. Pure, not funny, slapdash, East coast easyliving ham. It's even full-re-start It's A Wonderful Life for selfish-bad ham.
January 24, 2015
I had a very hard time getting into this novel. I found the main character COMPLETELY unlikable even from the very beginning. His wife was the one shining spot in the entire novel. I would not recommend this novel nor would I read anything else by this author.
Read as an Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley. Review is unbiased and honest.
Read as an Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley. Review is unbiased and honest.
January 24, 2015
This was a very entertaining novel reminiscent of Groundhog Day. Brad Cohen is living is bland average life with his wife and daughters. He is a writer and 39 years old. He never ages because on his 40th birthday he wakes up in his mothers womb and relives his life again until his 40th birthday. I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to other readers.
December 17, 2020
Despite the fact that the main character doesn’t seem to have been written in much depth, I really enjoyed the story and it made me ponder deeply about the situation in which Cohen found himself in and how I’d deal with it if I found myself in his position. An overall well rounded story in my opinion.
September 16, 2016
What would you do if you could live your life all over again? And again? And again? Neal Pollack questions the definition of success through the repeated life of self-described failure, Brad Cohen.
(Bonus points for having his character see Kelly Hogan playing at the Hideout!)
(Bonus points for having his character see Kelly Hogan playing at the Hideout!)
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