"An Underachiever's Diary" is a novel by Benjamin Anastas that narrates the story of William, the firstborn of identical twins who constantly finds himself overshadowed by his overachieving brother, Clive. From birth, William chooses to embrace the role of an underachiever, offering sardonic reflections on his deliberate failures across various aspects of life. The novel provides a humorous and profound exploration of success and failure, societal expectations, and personal identity.
Benjamin Anastas is an American novelist and journalist, born in 1969 in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He studied at the Iowa Writers' Workshop and began publishing his short stories during his studies. In addition to "An Underachiever's Diary," Anastas has authored "The Faithful Narrative of a Pastor's Disappearance" and the memoir "Too Good to Be True." His work has appeared in esteemed publications such as The Paris Review, Harper's, and The New York Times Magazine. He currently teaches literature and writing at Bennington College and is on the faculty of the Bennington Writing Seminars MFA program.
