But mostly he is. Cloying, overlong diversions best suited for 15 minutes of public radio. Nothing more.
Fifteen disparate personal essays running from wisecracking self-deprecation to a misplaced, though welcome, earnestness from yet another young, sardonic NPR graduate.
Rakoff may wish to steal the mantle from fellow ironist David Sedaris but in his intermittent humor barely manages to surpass Sarah Vowell, both of whom pop up in uncredited cameos here. His studied, fish-out-of-water neurosis emerges early in the collection with “In New England Everyone Calls You Dave,” as he’s forced (on assignment, natch) to leave his Manhattan apartment and accompany a couple of salt-of-the-earth types up a mountain. The author’s newfound bumpkin buddies are heroically patient with him as he ponders how to survive the experience with only one Xanax. On a kibbutz (“Rise, Ye Wretched of the Earth”), Rakoff moans that “the sun is just always shining” and finds that he’s unsuited to outside work. In “Christmas Freud,” he secures himself a spot as the lone live-action figure in a Christmas department-store-window pastiche as what one would imagine is the ultimate for Rakoff: excruciatingly self-conscious and the center of attention all at once. And those are the funny pieces. In “I’ll Take the Low Road,” Rakoff goes to deepest, mythic Scotland, where he makes the shocking discovery that the culture war between Loch Ness believers and Loch Ness infidels is, well, nonexistent. Even less a story is “Hidden People,” a meandering, dull investigation of the storied elfin people of Iceland. Only when he insinuates himself into other people’s lives and fades from focus do Rakoff’s observations take on some measure of poignancy. The finest entry here—“We Call It Australia”—follows a group of Austrian teaching recruits into the New York City school system and manages to lampoon Americans and poke holes in American stereotypes at the same time. Rakoff has a charming point of view and a sure-footed voice, so long as he’s not kvetching and kvelling.
But mostly he is. Cloying, overlong diversions best suited for 15 minutes of public radio. Nothing more.Pub Date: May 15, 2001
ISBN: 0-385-50084-X
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Then again, as one popular saying goes, common sense is not common–perhaps that one should have been included here.
“Pertinent truths” meant to inspire writers in search of deeper meaning in their words.
In the political frenzy of an election year, the ability to captivate with a soundbite proves ever necessary. And while presidential candidates have speechwriters aplenty to help mesmerize the masses, the rest of us don’t have it so easy. And so a whole industry has been built upon the supposition that many of us often suffer from a crippling case of writer’s block when trying to wax poetic. Greeting cards that do the talking for us–“I love you,” “Hang in there, champ” or “You’re the best”–fill drugstore aisles. Paperbacks filled with Pablo Neruda poems fly off bookstore shelves around Valentine’s Day. And then there’s that niche filled with the Dr. Phil McGraws of the world, the inspirational genre formulating phrases to make our inner selves sing. Gordon considers himself in that league. Here, his “inspiring, witty and motivating words,” coupled with illustrations, are offered to help unclog that word-pumping artery, or better yet, soothe what ails you and make you think. It sounds a bit Chicken Soup for the Soul-ish, but it’s not exactly. There are words that do make you ponder: “Aim to be rich–poverty is more expensive,” for example. One can hardly argue with some of the revelations in these pages. “Read the signs carefully,” one of the sayings goes, tactfully partnered with a picture of a warning sign that reads: Primates (monkeys) are highly intelligent and are capable of inflicting serious injury when teased or harassed. Indeed, that is a sign worth reading. Mind-blowing, life-altering, thought-provoking even? No–most of this is a simple matter of common sense, something surely one’s grandmother often uttered when imparting good old-fashioned wisdom.
Then again, as one popular saying goes, common sense is not common–perhaps that one should have been included here.Pub Date: Jan. 9, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4257-5673-4
Page Count: 56
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Charming but somewhat wearying chronicle of a life well lived.
This collection of autobiographical scenes is equal parts family history, travelogue and romance.
Eric Youngquist brings readers another assorted group of pieces on his family’s life and travels following 2006’s A Simpler Time. The book is divided neatly into two sections: Rita’s writings, assembled by Eric after her death, fill the first and his follow. Rita’s letters, diary entries and photographs suggest a privileged youth and recount her life before Eric. The material offers a unique snapshot of growing up in a bygone era, while passages detailing the couple’s courtship are sweetly nostalgic testaments to the strength of their 45 years together. Readers, however, might find it difficult to push through the non-narrative structure of Rita’s writing, especially overly thorough biographical sketches of her ancestors. The second part of the book is much more accessible, charting the couple’s course through Wisconsin, Norway and upstate New York over several years. Eric came from an immigrant family and was indoctrinated with that most American of ideals–through education one can better their social standing. He was a diligent scholar and his natural drive fueled an ascent in academia and the foreign service, which dictated the family’s travels. Eric’s sentimentality and attention to detail are the bedrock of this book, and they shine through on every page: paternal meditation on his two young sons, fond memories of his oral foreign service exam or fashion observations from the streets of Oslo. His writing is unfailingly sweet-natured and conscientious, but his penchant for all-inclusive details will tire some readers and lose others altogether. While his love for Rita is nothing short of awe-inspiring, this overwhelming devotion often impairs his narrative judgment; he seems blind to the obvious tedium that some of Rita’s missives provoke. But readers who are doubtful that true love exists or that one dedicated man can make a difference will be winningly persuaded by Think Kind Thoughts.
Charming but somewhat wearying chronicle of a life well lived.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-0929146065
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
