3.0
Third Class Superhero
ByPublisher Description
With deadpan humor and originality, Charles Yu spins Kafkaesque tales of modern identity and insecurity in this whip-smart debut. In
, a couple living in the Luxury Car Commercial subdivision are disappointed when their exotic vacation turns into a Life Insurance/Asset Management pitch. The author struggles to write the definitive biography of his mother in
. And would-be superhero Moisture Man must come to terms with the darkness in his heart.
Throughout the collection, Yu's characters run up against the limitations of their artificial story lines while tackling the terrifying aspects of existence: mothers, jobs, spouses, and perhaps most terrifying of all, the need to express feelings. Heartbreaking and hilarious,
marked the debut of an author who has been a PEN award finalist, and whose novel
was named one of
's best books of the year.
"The post-collegiate braininess of many of Yu's stories is like the music of the Talking Heads, making the familiar seem off-kilter. . . . Takes a Kafkaesque turn in its comic examination of the essence of identity." —
Download the free Fable app
Stay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
Rate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
Curate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesStay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building toolRate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tagsCurate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThird Class Superhero Reviews
3.0
“This first short story was ok right up until it randomly ended. The second one was terrible and I just gave up at that point.”
“Charles Yu has a very definitive writing style, and he has such big ideas in these short stories. I feel as though I could try to analyze each one and puzzle over them for a while. He even uses the ideas as actual characters like in 401k, where the idealized people in commercials play different roles as they age, but are still forever reaching to play a particular part. Or like the Me who is playing a son to a mom in a family, but gets replaced in My Last Days as Me. There was a lot of exploration between husband and wife and mother and son in these stories, as well. I'm not sure Charles Yu's style is my favorite, but it's an interesting take on exploring relationships and ideas, one that I'll ponder for days to come.”About Charles Yu
Charles Yu is the author of
, which was named one of the best books of the year by
magazine. He received the National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35 Award for his story collection
, and was a finalist for the PEN Center USA Literary Award. Yu's work has been published in the
,
, and
, among other periodicals.
Other books by Charles Yu
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?
