what the fuck...is this book?

June 23, 2009 9:51 AM

Can you help me remember the name of a book I read 15 years ago which had a character repeatedly using the catchphrase "What the fuck, it's only a buck" when wasting money?

Here's what I remember...I was in a college lit class, and it focused heavily on authors who lived in Illinois. It was 1994 or 1995, and this author lived in the Chicago area.

The author's first book was an acclaimed very dramatic Viet Nam story, and I believe the author himself may have been a Viet Nam vet.

For his follow-up book however the author turned to comedy and wrote a lighthearted adventure about a guy who is always down on his luck, penniless, and as we are introduced to this character he is losing money a little bit at a time because with a lotto ticket or whatever, he just says "What the fuck, it's only a buck" and spends a dollar or so.

I remember liking the novel quite a bit, but I don't remember much more about it. It's possible even some of my recollections are incorrect, but I'm between 80% and 100% on the stuff I wrote above.

Anyone know this book?

posted by arniec to writing & language (3 comments total)

UrbanDictionary.com has a little bit of background on the phrase, but it doesn't refer to a book.
posted by WCityMike at 10:42 AM on June 23

Could it be Cooler by the Lake by Larry Heinemann?
posted by carmicha at 1:28 PM on June 23

This is why I love AskMe! Thank you carmicha! You have found it! (And so did I at Barnes and Noble once I knew where to look).
posted by arniec at 10:29 PM on June 23