I Just Want My Pants Back

by David J. Rosen

Now a new MTV series, from acclaimed director and executive producer Doug Liman ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith, "Swingers," "Go," "The Bourne Identity") Jason Strider is a twentysomething young man with an English degree from an Ivy League university, a very small apartment in New York, a vapid job as a receptionist at a casting agency--and no particular idea what to do with his life. On most evenings he gets stoned and goes out, sometimes with his long-time...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 076792794X
• ISBN13: 9780767927949
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

hilarious and real

David Rosen writes the hilarious story of Jason Strider, who is a recent college graduate looking for direction and a real career in NYC. After many one-night stands and drunk escapades Jason begins to feel disillusioned with the rest of his friends and experiences the bad times. What starts out as a bad one night stand with a beautiful girl, turns into months of unemployment and hardship for Jason. Jason finally finds his motivation after another traumatic incident in his life, which brings him out of his unlucky streak. I couldn't put down the book, David Rosen is that good!

Enjoyable

This is bound to give you fond memories of at least one college buddy (if not you yourself). It was intelligent and funny, which easily makes up for what it might lack in depth (in terms of subject matter).

A Zippy Debut Novel

"I Just Want My Pants Back" was a great debut novel. It's about a young man living in New York City, just trying to enjoy life. He wants something more out of it, but he's not sure what yet, and he doesn't have the ambition needed to go for it. For the time being, he just wants his pants back, and for a little while, that becomes his main focus. He loses his favorite pair of jeans to a one-night stand. She won't return his phone calls, texts, or emails. This isn't the main story arc, though. It just creeps up every so often (like a pair of jeans on a hot August day). The main character, Jason, enjoys drinking, hanging with friends, drinking, smoking pot, drinking, and occasionally getting laid. In between, he tries to get to work on time to a casting agency, fighting nasty hangovers. While Jason never totally "grows up," he does come to a few realizations and truths along the way. Especially when being asked to perform a wedding ceremony for two of his best friends and hanging out with his cancer-striken next door neighbor. I, thankfully, am glad that the author chose not to totally change Jason's character. After all, he's still a young man who wants to enjoy life...and he should. That's what that time is for. Rosen's writing is very likable. It provides an easy, conversational read with tidbits of humor sprinkled throughout. Additionally, some of his descriptions were extremely creative, vivid, funny, and really stuck in my mind as fantastic sentences. Examples include: "I definitely preferred vodka to regular potatoes." "To say I felt like dogsh*t would be an insult to dogsh*t." "A virgin running from you is historically not a good sign." "You had to be seriously committed to be Goth in summer." I definitely look forward to more novels by new novelist, David Rosen. His humorous, conversational writing reminds me of another of my favorite "new" authors, Adam Davies, and his debut novel, The Frog King.

Jason Strider is a modern day Holden Caulfield.

You will not be able to put this book down, and may have to excuse yourself for laughing so hard. Seriously, this book is that likeable -- both hilarious and surprisingly heartwarming. Jason Strider is a first-person narrator on par with some of my faves in art -- Neil Klugman from "Goodbye, Columbus," Harold from "Harold and Maude," Max Fischer from "Rushmore" and, dare I say it, Holden Caulfield. I hope to see a lot more from Rosen in the future -- if only so we can see Jason's next exploits.

Hilarious and heartwarming

This book had me from the first sentence: "I was a bored and hungry mammal." It's spoken by Jason Strider -- the narrator -- who's smart, funny, likeable and a bit of a mess. His dilemma is that of many modern-day post college kids who don't know exactly what to do with their lives, yet they can hear the clock ticking to get them started. Rosen's voice tickled me, and I found myself laughing out loud... A LOT. Really enjoyable, highly reccomended.