The Sterile Cuckoo
One of the novels that still charms since it was written until now is John Nichols ' first novel, The Sterile Cuckoo; the book is considered a book that keeps the heart of the college love. Many publishers confirm the importance of this novel. For example, in the book back-cover a review by Publishers Weekly states, "Dazzling
[the] funny, imaginative, and pathetic story of the beginning and end of a rapturous love affair between two crazy college kids." The purpose of this research paper is to find out why this novel is so charming and it still does, after more than thirty years, to see to it, there will be an analysis of the story covering every necessary point.
The story divides in four main parts. Nichols writes about two years in which Jerry Payne 's life changes, by the power of his first love, as Amazon puts it: "we see Jerry Payne, the protagonist, flourish into an outgoing, and then mature individual" (Amazon - #2). The first part is when Jerry is at an Oklahoma Bus Station, there he meets a very unusual and outgoing girl, her name, Pookie; he at the beginning as being a shy person feels somewhat intimidated by her, they take the same bus and sit together. On the road, they were talking for a long time and he becomes more comfortable with her. At one point of the road, they have to take separate ways so she asks him for his address and then he takes again the bus and continues his way thinking about these crazy little girl he have just known. The second part is when he is at college, his life at the fraternity house; but the most important of that part is when he finds her photo in a magazine, and decides to go with his friends to visit her. They arrive at her college making a noisy entrance, and after a little conflict and a breakfast, Jerry, his friends, Pookie and two friends of hers, go to a little road near a river, where Jerry and Pookie separate a while from the others. While they were alone, they talk about how have been their lives, at some
The story divides in four main parts. Nichols writes about two years in which Jerry Payne 's life changes, by the power of his first love, as Amazon puts it: "we see Jerry Payne, the protagonist, flourish into an outgoing, and then mature individual" (Amazon - #2). The first part is when Jerry is at an Oklahoma Bus Station, there he meets a very unusual and outgoing girl, her name, Pookie; he at the beginning as being a shy person feels somewhat intimidated by her, they take the same bus and sit together. On the road, they were talking for a long time and he becomes more comfortable with her. At one point of the road, they have to take separate ways so she asks him for his address and then he takes again the bus and continues his way thinking about these crazy little girl he have just known. The second part is when he is at college, his life at the fraternity house; but the most important of that part is when he finds her photo in a magazine, and decides to go with his friends to visit her. They arrive at her college making a noisy entrance, and after a little conflict and a breakfast, Jerry, his friends, Pookie and two friends of hers, go to a little road near a river, where Jerry and Pookie separate a while from the others. While they were alone, they talk about how have been their lives, at some
Cited: Amazon Customer Review (1): "Not an Ordinary Love Story," November 21, 2002 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0393315355/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/102-9443537-7744136?v=glance&s=books&vi=customer-reviews (November 1st, 2003) Amazon Customer Review (2): "This makes good for reading," November 6, 2001 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0393315355/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/102-9443537-7744136?v=glance&s=books&vi=customer-reviews (November 1st, 2003) Amazon Customer Review (4): "Universal Tale about first love," October 27, 2002 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0393315355/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/102-9443537-7744136?v=glance&s=books&vi=customer-reviews (November 1st, 2003) Amazon Customer Review (6): "Point of view," November 1, 2001 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0393315355/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/102-9443537-7744136?v=glance&s=books&vi=customer-reviews (November 1st, 2003) Amazon Customer Review (7): "As truthful as it can be ," October 31, 2001 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0393315355/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/102-9443537-7744136?v=glance&s=books&vi=customer-reviews (November 1st, 2003) Amazon Customer Review (15): "True, touching and comic," November 9, 1997 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0393315355/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/102-9443537-7744136?v=glance&s=books&vi=customer-reviews (November 1st, 2003) Nichols, John, The Sterile Cuckoo, Norton Paperback Fiction; New York, N.Y.; 1965.