A collection of short stories written from the perspective of a teenage boy during the Great Depression.
My take: 5 looks
While lunching with my mother recently, the friend who happens to be a retired middle-school librarian stopped me to tell me that I had to read this book. I, of course, had never heard of it. She was so sure I would love it that she dropped it off at my house that very afternoon. She was right!
Hilarious look at everyday life through the eyes of a teenage boy. The series of short stories was originally part of the book The Bulls and the Bees, and covers the minutiae of life with Seinfeld-esque humor.
The story The Symphony centers around a trip by mother, father and son to the symphony. After the father tries to get out of going, then falls asleep during the performance, the mother decides to teach him a lesson by leaving him at the venue when it's over. Lamenting that she doesn't have any interesting friends (like musicians), she and her son leave the city and she then sleeps on the couch, racked with guilt at her mean trick. She awakens stiff and contrite to her husband enjoying breakfast and reading the paper. As she glances at the paper after he departs for work, she sees that, in her leaving him at the opera house, he has made friends with the conductor and beautiful harpist, and has had their picture published in the society pages.
This is only one of the many situations that caused me to smile at the least, and chuckle out loud at most. If you can get your hands on this one, and it will be difficult, buy it so you can read and re-read it.
Highly recommended.
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