Old School

I’ll admit: I approached *Old School* skeptical of yet another ‘lonely boy at prep school’ narrative. But Wolff dismantles the trope within pages. The novel’s structure—centered around a series of visits from literary giants like Robert Frost and Ayn Rand—isn’t just a gimmick; it’s a pressure cooker for the narrator’s insecurities. When Frost dismisses his poem with a curt ‘Not bad,’ the moment lands like a gut punch, and Cashman’s narration makes it *hurt*. His voice cracks just enough to betray the protagonist’s humiliation, but never tips into self-pity. That balance is key. This isn’t a book about victimhood; it’s about the cost of reinvention. My only critique? The female characters feel thin, more symbols than people—a missed chance in a story otherwise so rich in psychological depth. And while Cashman’s Frost is chillingly good, his Ayn Rand veers slightly into caricature, a rare misstep in an otherwise flawless performance. Still, the audiobook’s production is crisp, with no distracting edits or volume inconsistencies. At just over six hours, it’s tight enough to binge in a weekend, but the themes—about art, authenticity, and the lies we tell to belong—will linger far longer. If you’ve ever faked confidence to fit in, this one’s for you.