Palo Alto, James Franco
Palo Alto, James Franco
2 Rating(s)
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Palo Alto
Stories

Author: James Franco

Narrator: James Franco, Stacey Miller

Unabridged: 5 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/19/2010


Synopsis

Now a “provocative” and “impressive” (Variety) film from director Gia Coppola (Francis Ford Coppola’s granddaughter)—starring Emma Roberts, James Franco, Nat Wolff, and Val Kilmer—the fiction debut from James Franco that Vogue called “compelling and gutsy.”

James Franco’s story collection traces the lives of a group of teenagers as they experiment with vices of all kinds, struggle with their families and one another, and succumb to self-destructive, often heartless nihilism. In “Lockheed” a young woman’s summer—spent working a dull internship—is suddenly upended by a spectacular incident of violence at a house party. In “American History” a high school freshman attempts to impress a girl with a realistic portrayal of a slave owner during a classroom skit—only to have his feigned bigotry avenged. In “I Could Kill Someone,” a lonely teenager buys a gun with the aim of killing his high school tormentor, but begins to wonder about his bully’s own inner life.

These “spare and riveting” (O, The Oprah Magazine) stories are a compelling portrait of lives on the rough fringes of youth. Palo Alto is, “a collection of beautifully written stories” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) that “capture with perfect pitch the impossible exhilaration, the inevitable downbeatness, and the pure confusion of being an adolescent” (Elle).

Features a bonus essay by James Franco on Gia Coppola's film adaptation.

About James Franco

James Franco is an acclaimed actor, director, artist, and writer. His film appearances include 127 HoursMilkPineapple Express, Oz the Great and Powerful, Spring Breakers, and the Spider-Man trilogy.  Franco has written and directed several films, and his visual art has been featured in solo shows in Los Angeles and New York. His writing has appeared in Esquire, The Wall Street Journal, McSweeney’s, and other publications. Franco has an MFA in creative writing from Brooklyn College.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Trin on October 20, 2010

Wow, people really seem to hate this. I'm guessing that's about 50 percent because it's a collection of short stories focusing on fucked-up teenagers being violent and despairing and awful to themselves and others, and 50 percent because it's a collection like that written by James Franco, who is ho......more

Goodreads review by Susan's Reviews on September 01, 2021

I DNFed this one. Leafed through it and didn't like the writing style. Another GR reviewer remarked on the "stark and cold manner" - she nailed it. I couldn't figure out what I didn't like about this book as I leafed through it, but after reading her review, I had to agree: this distant "reporting"......more

Goodreads review by Mark on January 13, 2011

James Franco's Palo Alto is as shocking a portrayal of adolescence as I've read in a long time. It would be easy to be contemptuous: here's a good-looking Hollywood star writing paens of teenage ultra-angst. Honest, I don't give much of a shit who James Franco is. All I know is he can write. They're......more

Goodreads review by Olga on July 29, 2014

Boy, this book gets a lot of hate. And I'm clearly in the minority here... I don't even like James Franco that much, I think he's a good actor and I've seen a few of his films, most of which I liked. What led me to read this was the movie (with the same title) that is coming out soon and that I want......more

Goodreads review by George on May 28, 2023

James Franco, actor, author and director, does not leave his readers wanting more in this collection. All the stories had the same tone and wandering style, even sharing many of the same characters, sometimes? Always? It was not clear. A vague spacy uncertainty was a hallmark of this collection. The......more