Review of The Thoughts of a Proud Nerd

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 30 Nov 2021, 08:14

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Thoughts of a Proud Nerd" by Robert Kirchgassner.]

2 out of 4 stars

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Charlie Brown is a college professor. He is unhappy and goes from one relationship to another with little time to breathe in between. He is looking for the one. What he doesn’t know yet is that she might be closer than he thinks: his college friend Maggie Garcia, now professor of Art History at the same school Charlie teaches at.

The Thoughts Of A Proud Nerd by Robert Kirchgassner is a romance novel. Despite what it might seem at a first look, this is not an autobiographical story.

The book opens with a very nice dedication that really puts you in the mood to read more, and there are some features that I liked. The writing style is fresh, enjoyable. Charlie truly is a nerd: there is often some cult horror movie in the background, and, starting from the protagonist’s name, there are various references to comic books, cartoons and movies. I loved this feature. Moreover, I found people around Charlie to be very pleasant characters.

However, being cultured and having nice friends do not make up for the fact that Charlie is delusional. He likes to play the victim, and every error he makes is everyone’s fault but his. He claims to consider women to be angels, then proceeds to call those who reject him “f—ing b–ches” (e.g., page 18). He also makes some questionable choices. One would expect more maturity from a professor. Things get better towards the middle of the book, though. Maggie is a charming person, and, overall, I think she and Charlie make a lovely couple.

Another feature I didn't appreciate is that a real plotline is nearly absent: it feels more like a collection of memories. Some elements were introduced and then abandoned right away. For example, at some point it was mentioned that Charlie and his mother speak Spanish at home: it would have been a splendid opportunity to explore more about Charlie’s family, but we never heard about it again. I would also have liked to see more interactions between Charlie and his students. I definitely felt something was lacking.

I think the author should have taken more care of the appearance of the book. New paragraphs are frequent, and this contributes to a sense of confusion and inconsistency. Since this might be just a problem related to my personal taste, though, I will not consider it for the purpose of the final rating.

It was not a bad book, but I would not read it again. I don’t see a reason why I should recommend it to someone else, since there are many other (possibly better) books to read. So, as a result of the flaws I highlighted above and of the number of errors I encountered, I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars.

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The Thoughts of a Proud Nerd
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NancyDrew12 · Post by **NancyDrew12** » 02 Dec 2021, 10:07

Charlie seems like a character I wouldn't like. Just from your review he comes off as childish and obnoxious. Thank you for the honest and insightful review!

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 02 Dec 2021, 11:15

Rashawn Carter wrote: ↑02 Dec 2021, 10:07 Charlie seems like a character I wouldn't like. Just from your review he comes off as childish and obnoxious. Thank you for the honest and insightful review!

He had his good sides, but once you notice the flaws, it is difficult to overlook them. Thank you for commenting!

Raluca_Mihaila · Post by **Raluca_Mihaila** » 02 Dec 2021, 13:20

I am grateful for your sincere review. It seems to have some interesting parts, but I don't think it is my kind of book.

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 02 Dec 2021, 19:00

Raluca_Mihaila wrote: ↑02 Dec 2021, 13:20 I am grateful for your sincere review. It seems to have some interesting parts, but I don't think it is my kind of book.

Thank you for stopping by ☺

Rishi_reviews · Post by **Rishi_reviews** » 03 Dec 2021, 00:10

The story seems like a movie I've already seen but I don't know, it might have some other things that the movie didn't have. Let's see. Thanks for the review.

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 03 Dec 2021, 03:12

Rishi_reviews wrote: ↑03 Dec 2021, 00:10 The story seems like a movie I've already seen but I don't know, it might have some other things that the movie didn't have. Let's see. Thanks for the review.

You might enjoy it more than I did. Thank you for commenting!

Luchris_klaus · Post by **Luchris_klaus** » 04 Dec 2021, 00:59

Relationship is a very complex thing. Charlie is a nice character that inspires me. Thanks for your review.

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 04 Dec 2021, 05:39

Luchris_klaus wrote: ↑04 Dec 2021, 00:59 Relationship is a very complex thing.

I agree. Thank you for commenting

Ailakhu Yusau Aizhebiomon · Post by **Ailakhu Yusau Aizhebiomon** » 04 Dec 2021, 12:01

I think Charlie's character is one which I have found amongst friends lately. I enjoyed reading your review.

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 04 Dec 2021, 12:50

Omega_01 wrote: ↑04 Dec 2021, 12:01 I think Charlie's character is one which I have found amongst friends lately. I enjoyed reading your review.

Thank you for stopping by

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 05 Dec 2021, 09:46

It sounds like this book has possibilities but has missed the mark at this point. Hopefully, the author will take your criticisms and improve the novel. Thanks for your wonderful review!

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 05 Dec 2021, 10:17

Prisallen wrote: ↑05 Dec 2021, 09:46 It sounds like this book has possibilities but has missed the mark at this point.

I agree with you. Thank you for your kind words

Brett Linette · Post by **Brett Linette** » 06 Dec 2021, 10:41

I don't know what to make of Charlie. Is there any character development, or does the story end with him being the same kind of person he starts out as?

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 06 Dec 2021, 15:18

Brett Linette wrote: ↑06 Dec 2021, 10:41 I don't know what to make of Charlie. Is there any character development, or does the story end with him being the same kind of person he starts out as?

Thank you for the question! I don't really think he had much development: he gets more bearable, for sure, but I think it's just because, when he's with Maggie, he doesn't really have the chance of being annoying anymore. He is the classical entitled man who is convinced to be the "good guy" of the story if you know what I mean. And at the same time, he has a lot of interests, he's funny, so not really a bad character.
I actually spent a lot of time on this review because I needed to get my head straight about Charlie.