Highly Amusing And Genuinely Affecting
341065
I picked up the audiobook for "When You Lie..." after hearing an interview with Carol Leifer on "Fresh Air" - and was surprised at just how much I enjoyed and took from this funny and poignant examination of life and the loss of a loved one, in this case Leifer's inspiring and eminently quotable father.

The book's many jokes - and several are loud out loud funny - belie a wisdom about aging which is truly quite profound.

I've already shared this book with a handful of close friends - and look forward to discussing it at length with them after they've had their own chance to enjoy it and fully consider its thoughtful conclusions.
4204945
In most of the memoirs I've read, the author is not a writer by profession but instead someone (famous or not) trying to tell a story. The pleasant surprise with Twisted Head is that Carl Capotorto is a writer by profession and his story comes out well crafted  and holds you confidently in its grip.
Both funny and wistful, the author's memories are familiar in their strangeness (whether you're from New York of not) and entertainingly unique. Capotorto is appropriately sarcastic when retelling his elders' quirky ways, and humorous about their effect on him and all others. What he does slyly, throughout the book, is reveal a certain confusion he felt as a child, a kind of loss of equilibrium that I think all children feel but try to hide. Baring this normally hidden part of one's upbringing, I feel the book is deeply affecting. And it made me laugh out loud.
3656828
This is a beautiful novel, one of the very best I have read in a long time.  It's not only fast moving and laugh out loud funny, it's also deeply poignant and -- something all too rare -- politically savvy.  The mix of time travel and social satire wrapped around a moving and beautifully structured (another rarity in too much fiction these days) story with multi-dimensional characters you truly care about is expert on every level.  If the NY Times or any of the other outlets for serious book criticism do not give this book the coverage it so richly deserves, then they will, sadly, have moved one giant step closer to irrelevancy.  I sure hope that's not true for them -- or for this wonderful novel. Bravo, Bob!
1345339
This book is hysterically funny and tragically all too true about the state of academia, the humanities, and the teaching of literature. Some found the narrator annoying;I found him enormously sympathetic: honest, and actually quite compassionate. He is aware of his own foibles, as well as those around him, yet he clearly cares about his students, at least those who make an effort. Those who blithely plagiarize, like the girl who presents Shaw's ""Girls in their Summer Dresses"as her own, he skewers- but again with humor.

 I confess, although I am a retired literature professor who has enjoyed epistolary novels, like the great "Liaisons Dangereuses," I was skeptical that a novel written entirely in letters could work. It does, and does so brilliantly. Heartily recommended, especially to all professors of literature and other subjects. To adopt the cliche- which here happens to be true- this book will make you laugh out loud- and weep. It may certainly discourage some young scholars from entering the academic profession, but that may no be so bad. Like all great satire, it reveals truths that most of us would rather not face, but that need to be faced honestly if anything is ever to change. Brava, Julie Schumacher for a delightful and important novel. I
4943904
This is one of those books that you could borrow from your library, or from a friend, but you will likely need to buy your own copy since there are so many passages that are either so wise, so funny, or so meaningfully touching that you will need to use your pencil in order to happily jot checkmarks, brackets, and asterisks throughout the book. I know that I did.
David Hays has a surfeit of academic, personal, and professional accomplishments. In his sixties, he was semi-retired, kids grown, had good health and a happy family life. His mind is unquestioningly fertile (yet organized) and he seems to embrace new experiences. As a child he gazed into a mud bubble, and glimpsed eternity. As an adult he throws himself  into the grass in his back yard, in order to look more closely at the earth.  His life was full, and meaningful, but  he does not brag, and he is likable from the outset.
Rather than rest on his not inconsiderable laurels, he decides to become a Bar Mitzvah, joining a class of local eleven and twelve-year olds - in order to devote himself to study with his congregation's rabbi, Doug, for more than a year. It is this journey - and there is a steady unfolding, with no outburst of religiosity -  that forms the starting point for this wonderful narrative.
Hays has an ability to tell you a lot about himself by telling you about other people. He respects himself, and he respects others. He is never boring. His parents, in-laws, grown children, grandchildren,  his wide circle of friends and acquaintances, and his classmates are interesting to him, and worthy of reportage. He lets you in on these people and their lives and their histories with unstinting (and never maudlin) respect, even awe. In doing this you find out a lot about Hays and his subjects. Their privacy is never violated, and their dignity is sustained.
There is uncloying, laugh-out-loud humor throughout. Family lore emerges, and it is often funny. Hays delights in his wife Leonora's knack of elegantly summing up a situation with a trenchant malapropism. Of his new-found fervor for religious study, she says, "He hooked, line and sinker!" Of the Bahamas: "It's a third-war country."  He also shares his family history, including a terrific (true) story, "How my family saved Israel." His feelings and observations as a sensitive member of his class (of the kids at  recess he marvels, "They always know where to go.")  - and his relationship with his wonderful rabbi - are a pleasure to watch unfold.
Hays includes a piece on Anne Frank that is dramatic, thoughtful, and not at all funny. It is appropriately included, given that the concerns of an adult approaching his bar mitzvah are different from those of a child. And at one point, he attends a Harvard reunion - which maybe could have been left out of this book, with no loss of substance to this great story.
In all, a wonderful book.
2638474
Helen Simonsons first novel came to me by way of Amazon recommendations, and maybe its time for me to at least think about revising my innate skepticism of its recommendation process. Major Pettigrews Last Stand is an improbable love story peppered with quirky but wholly believable characters who charm the pants off you, as well as an all too familiar reminder of how small town life can be, and a timely theme of cultural diversity and tolerance delivered with heavy doses of humor and sensitivity.

Having grown up in a small town where everyone knew one anothers business, I was transported back to both the comforts and confines of small town life. Until the day Major Pettigrew receives very sad news and Mrs. Ali happens to be on his doorstep just in time to offer him tea and sympathy, the very proper British widower and the pretty Pakistani widow live in the same small town, but inhabit very different worlds. This personal encounter leaves them viewing each other in a new light, but societal pressures don't  loosen their hold even on the independent and middle-aged.  Almost before Major Pettigrews wife was in the ground, the town biddies had picked the new bachelors mate, and it wasn't a shopkeeper with foreign ways. Mrs. Alis world is no less opinionated, with her family pressuring her retire, turn over her business to them, and return to their repressive bosom like a good Muslim woman. The resultant tug of war is one that takes place every day of the week no matter who we are, and it resonates strongly. Between what their worlds expect, the societal strictures theyve internalized, and what they truly desire is a very relatable story told with poignancy and not a little humor.

One would think tackling the cultural and religious issues surrounding such a romance would drag the story into heaviness, but Ms. Simonsons humor keeps the story afloat and bobbing like a buoy. The issues of British colonialism, racism, religious intolerance, and terrorism are hot button topics that don't lend themselves easily to comedy. Still, Simonson has found just the right combination of razor sharp wit and respectful sensitivity to make the reader think and reflect, but all the while thoroughly enjoy the ride. Major Pettigrews waffling, sometimes cowardly ways are at once maddening and understandable. His wrestling with his own prejudices and fears, as well as the oddball townsfolks pressures, make for comical yet all too true situations.

This is a sweet read with a big message gently delivered, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page.
2289565
I started to read this when I had a seven hours' wait at an airport. I have never had such an enjoyable wait, time flew! Readers who expect a conventional sf-novel will be disappointed, however, for the sf-element is fairly subordinate. Instead this is a delightful,witty, lively, very funny and genre-defying tale of a muddled 21st-century young man who unexpectedly finds himself in Victorian England, with the vaguely understood order to get something back to another time (but what and which time?) and winds up among characters straight out of Jerome K. Jerome and Oscar Wilde. The plot took some getting into initially, but once it was under way it swept me off my feet and I was hooked. Amid cheerful reflections on the nature of history and chaos theory a rollicking story unfolds, complete with a love-element and unexpected twists. You will enjoy this even more if you know a little of Victorian literature and society with its silly conventions, its fad for spirit-mediums, the snobbery of its upper classes and so on.
By the way, my favourite character was Cyril - the dog.
1145639
Chances are this novel's target audience has not read a book from a dog's point of view since the children's classic, The Poky Little Puppy, or Eric Hill's Spot the Dog series. Nonetheless, The Art of Racing in the Rain is beautifully written, moving, funny and surprisingly philosophical, and its appeal is not limited to dog-lovers. Garth Stein has crafted an exquisite story with an endlessly charming narrator, and provides a deeply affecting look into the mind of a dog with a human soul.

Enzo, an elder dog awaiting the end of his days, lives in Seattle with his beloved owner, Denny Swift, a mechanic and racecar driver, and relates stories of the Swift family's trials and tribulations over the years. From his adoption as a puppy to Denny's marriage, the birth of his daughter, his wife's illness, the tragedy and hardships that follow, and all the racetrack happenings in between, Enzo narrates with the wisdom of a wordless observer, with humanlike clarity and perception, even while bound by basic canine needs. Believing he will someday be reincarnated as a man, Enzo makes it a priority to observe human behavior and gain knowledge to carry with him to his next life.

Stein often uses the racetrack as a metaphorical representation of life itself, as Enzo shares Denny's passion for racecars and often compares the Swift family's dysfunction to the challenges faced while racing under trying circumstances. In addition to the mind of a dog, readers get an inside look into the mind and mentality of a racer and the balance they must achieve between stability and the need for speed.

Enzo's personality adds a whimsical quality to the narration. He's part crotchety elder, part adventurous youth; both a sworn protector of his family and a dependent house pet; a dog who prides himself on being well-behaved and civilized, yet possesses animal instincts that sometimes drive him to disobedience. His frustration at being unable to speak to humans is palpable, though he assures himself that he compensates by being a good listener. Added for comic relief is his longing for opposable thumbs.

Heartrending yet ultimately uplifting, The Art of Racing in the Rain captivates with its painfully accurate portrait of the joys, tragedies and absurdities of human life, and its meditation on what it means to be human, all shown through the eyes of a winning protagonist. Also by Garth Stein is Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog, a children's adaptation of the story, which younger readers will certainly enjoy.

You can read this and other reviews at my blog: [...]
4318581
Amusing and enthralling enough to keep you coming back for more, each chapter has a way of being mundane yet larger than life as the same time.  Funny, historically illuminating and thoroughly enjoyable. Check out the audiobook because it's done by a great voice actor who makes the comedic lines and jokes even punchier.
3519858
I was fortunate to see Stuart McMeans's "Songs for a More Funnier World" twice this year in Chicago. It is brilliant (and was superbly performed by the wonderful cast). Repeated viewing only enhances one's enjoyment of this musical. McMeans's uniquely original music is beautiful and affecting - it ranges from a solo voice up to a vocal quartet blending together in interesting harmonies with an exciting instrumental accompaniment. The music displays a natural and perfect fit to the cadence of the lyrics. The lyrics themselves are alternately incredibly funny and very touching -  and always entertaining. They are so apt to our modern world, illuminating issues both mundane and profound. Beneath the humor and wit lies a keen understanding of our culture today and of human nature in general. What better way to address human frailties and foibles - and strengths - than with humor and wit via the medium of musical theater!
3279604
In Emily St. John Mandel's second novel vibrates with her own particular brand of melancholy life, this time leavened with some unexpected and well-integrated humor. The menace lurking just below the surface of her characters' lives is more urgent, flight made necessary by circumstance rather than by inner motivation. But she carries her theme beautifully in spare, insightful observations that are not bogged down in the usual litany of "literary" tropes: endless details, at least one list of items during the course of the book, a plot that meanders off into a gray mist, an unsatisfying ending. The effect of every word is thought out. Every description has a meaning, every meaning has a purpose. A terrific novel that begs to be read over and over again, both for its indelible characters and its almost photographic sense of place.
1989339
As someone who greatly enjoyed Jilly Gagnon's "Choose your Own Misery" comedy series (check them out!), I was expecting the same sharpness and zany humor in this novel. The laughs are certainly there (in terms of density of wit per page, Oscar Wilde is not an insane comparison), but the amount of heart in this book took me by surprise -- ultimately making it my favorite to date from this author.

To me, there are two main components to this heart. The first is a compelling, focused, and well-realized cast of characters.  In the way she alternates her narration between Rachel and Kyle, Gagnon proves herself to be a master ventriloquist, bringing emotions to life that ring true across the gamut from tender to silly. The second is the author's beautiful prose. This isn't the first time a YA author has brought the language of social media into fiction (including the book's titular hashtag), but the contemporary speech is interwoven with high-quality writing -- that would be lovely in any era. Consider, for example, "And her eyelashes were so long, longer than I'd expected; I wondered if they tickled her face when she blinked. Like giving herself butterfly kisses."

So pick up this book...  And remember not to get so swept up in the fun that you forget to admire the brilliant writing.
3431190
Well rounded, touching, great humor evoking a host of emotions.
4306636
First, I guess I should mention that I am 73 (and a half ;-) ), a retired physician, love satire, and a lifelong Roman Catholic.

I mention the latter in particular since, based on the title and subject of the book, some people might think it is anti-Catholic. It is not, nor is it pro-Catholic. It is a satire which transcends any particular religious belief or disbelief.

In short, it is witty, iconoclastic, satirical AND, at the appropriate moments, serious and thoughtful.

The characters, many of whom as in Catch 22 are wacky, are well developed. Some are likable some are not.

The treatment of the main character, the Pope, is at times reverent and at other times irreverent. But it is never nasty or derogatory. And it paints a picture of a human being, with all that implies, who is truly devoted to his church and to his God.. but. (and Ill say no more no real spoilers from ME!)

I enjoyed this book immensely and pondered over its many ambiguities, often going back to earlier sections to try to answer the question now, what did he mean by that?.

This is a book which can just be read superficially for fun, or, if one is inclined, as I am, to delve deeper into what the author is saying, it can be read that way. Or both ways.

It is book that will often make you laugh, and possibly make you cry at times.

Either way an enjoyable read and well worth the time spent.

And it is a book which, like some of my other favorites, I will read again to see what gems I might have missed
3345428
Reviewed on behalf of The Review Board

This is a serious book, which deals with serious questions . . . and, somehow, manages to be laugh out loud hilarious at the same time. It is a book about life, in all its gritty reality and tenderness. Its deep sadness, anger, and joy.

Elliot Finell is an angry man, trapped so deeply in his emotions he is missing his life in the here and now. He was bullied mercilessly as a child, which led to an event he has repressed successfully enough to have forgotten. It hasn't left him though, and everything falls apart.

Then he meets Trey Gillespie, a quadriplegic, with even more bitterness and anger than Elliot himself. The two strike up an unlikely friendship, which becomes a catalyst for Elliot in the most challenging of ways.

I cant remember the last time I read a book that brought the characters to so much life, nor showed such a personal development. I had to force myself to put this book down when it was time to get some sleep. The plot, pacing and character development are all done excellently. There are some very minor (and very few) proofreading and editing errata that need tweaking, but nothing major enough to affect the enjoyment of the read.

The issues it deals with are very current and difficult, and some of the content may offend. However, I found this to be refreshingly real and sensitively done. This is adult fiction at its finest. I give this a resounding Ten out of Ten stars, using TRBs rating scale. Which translates into Five out of Five stars elsewhere. In the history of my reviewing for TRB, this is only the second book to have achieved full marks from me. Bravo, Mr Wictor.
4798800
Kudos for this entertaining and engaging fiction which brings the reader directly to the heart of life's greatest challenges on all dimensions from the mundane to the ridiculous to the deeply spiritual, while making it all feel like a grand cosmic joke.  The novel is chock full of belly laughs right from the opening paragraph, but Axel Hooley's Death Watch List is much more than "a sick comedy".  It is a wild ride through Life, Death, and the travails of love and friendship.  Mr. Sandoe is a writer of grand imagination and deep feeling with a knack for gasp-inducing twists of perspective and turns of phrase.  This is a novel I would happily read again just to admire the narrative style, off-the cuff-quips, and quotable musings.  I can only hope that in some future incarnation, this work might be illustrated;  the characters lift off the page in vivid color while the atmosphere of the novel is a fantastically dramatic mix of the all-too-painfully real with the magically surreal.  I am only sorry that several of the dramatis personae were not given enough stage time and therefore seemed to serve as little but extras to dress the set.  However, that may only prove the old adage, "always leave them wanting more"!  I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this talented author.
4493552
This hilarious, entertaining, informative, and very touching book is not something to be breezed through, but one must savor it slowly, while accompanying the author from one end of Britain to the other.  There is no mistaking the love the author has for his adopted county while pointing out the absurdities and inconsistencies about the way things are done in England in general and on local levels, describing every town he visited and hilarious interactions he had with the locals. The book is Seinfeld funny in the sense that it points out the irony in things. The part I liked the most about this book is the sincere tone, not sugarcoating anything, with just the enough amount of sarcasm, irritability, and feistiness. I liked the writing style of the author so much I plan on reading his previous books in the future.