Henry Alford (2)Rezensionen

Adult nonfiction. Disappointing journey of a writer to uncover the untapped wisdom of elders. Each chapter recalls the process of finding and contacting certain senior citizens, and later the actual interviews, interspersed with chapters about the author's own mother and stepfather, and (very) occasional nuggets of wit. I am sure that there is something to be gained by reading this book in its entirety, but I don't care to find out.

I had no idea that this book would be so funny, although I suppose the title should have given me a clue. For example, these two lines: "We are, all of us, every day, adding to the Wikipedia entry for humanity. We are, all of us, eternally, inheriting and bequeathing the toilet seat" (27). With good humor and funny anecdotes, Alford argues that "contrary to popular opinion, manners are not a luxury good that's interesting only to those who can afford to think about them... to practice good manners is to confer upon others not just consideration but esteem" (32).

This is one of the most hilarious books I have ever read bar none.

First, Alford provides some incredibly witty accounts of different "investigations" he conducts in New York City, such as hiring a clutter consultant, trying to get some fake heirlooms auctioned off at Sotheby's, trying to find a good bed and breakfast in Manhattan, hiring a nude housecleaning service, etc. In between each of these stories are some hilarious lists, such as "What if Frank Sinatra taught acting at UCLA" or "What if unemployed actors worked at banks instead of restaurants". The whole thing is great.

I found myself consistently laughing at some of the things Alford did in his investigations, such as gauging what happened when he asked the nude housecleaners to do things like bleach his tub or wash his windows from the outside. All in all, this is a very satisfying book for any fan of humor.

Loved the details of dance history; his humor is best suited to these sections. I found the author's personal meditations about dance to be heartfelt though a little half-baked. Needed tighter editing in the parts about his personal history--the seemingly endless digressions slowed down an otherwise delightful book.

Interesting interview with the author on Terry Gross led me to find the book. Holds lots of interesting tidbits that make me wonder how we all live together in close spaces without more homicide.

I can never get enough wisdom. From that weird story of King Solomon to more recent things, wisdom is practically my bread and butter for reading. That was why I picked this book up from the Library. I figured it couldn't be bad since it had such a fascinating concept. We can all be wrong I suppose.

The main problem with this book is its scope. While the author says he wants to obtain wisdom from old people, he doesn't really do it that efficiently. I suppose it is rather difficult to find people willing to talk about being old, but Henry Alford doesn't even really know what wisdom is. How do I know this? He mentions it himself. After talking to Harold Bloom he realizes that he doesn't have a good working concept of wisdom, only vague hints of what people have said; adages and proverbs that are so worn as to become practically worthless.

So Henry Alford talks to a number of celebrities, but many people don't want to. Some people have so little to say that they only get one line in his book. For instance, he might have talked to Edward Albee, but I couldn't find the interview. On the other hand, you have Bill Cosby, the guy that sent a form letter since he had other stuff to do. Since this book was published in 2008 or something, this is pre-scandal Bill Cosby but still. So along with celebrities, Alford talks with his mother and stepfather. It wasn't that bad, but it culminates in their breakup.

From that point on, I guess Alford attempts to make a comparison between his mother and stepfather and how they handle it, but he just has so many threads to tie together. All in all, it wasn't that great. I much prefer the Sarah Bakewell book of the same name written about Montaigne.

I've been reading Alford a long time, back to the LAMPOON and SPY days. I think he used to be funnier, but we were all younger then.

I am quite familiar with studying dance in NYC and going to concerts and Twyla Tharp's 100s, so I could understand a lot of what's in this book. I will buy a copy for my dance friend, who will enjoy it.

I see that Alford is now going in for first person narratives to explicate a subject, an interesting approach, often used these days. I have mixed feelings about it.

What if the narrator gets on your nerves? And isn't funny or perceptive enough? Or gives TMI? Or whose self-deprecating persona becomes irritating and drains the joy from both our experiences? If it were up to me, I would have edited him down a bit.

Great to see a MOR book about dance, though -- hope it gets more people into class & into the audience. Thanks to Simon & Schuster & Edelweiss for a Nook ARC.½

A work of often laugh-out-loud humor in the guise of "A Modern Guide to Manners." It does address manners & is, indeed, modern, as when Alford notes: "To attend a business meeting where five or more executives slap their BlackBerrys down on the conference room table like tribal warriors bearing severed heads reminds one that humans didn't get to the top of the food chain by sitting around in their pajamas." Alford is simultaneously authoritative & self-effacing, &, did I mention, funny.

A work of often laugh-out-loud humor in the guise of "A Modern Guide to Manners." It does address manners & is, indeed, modern, as when Alford notes: "To attend a business meeting where five or more executives slap their BlackBerrys down on the conference room table like tribal warriors bearing severed heads reminds one that humans didn't get to the top of the food chain by sitting around in their pajamas." Alford is simultaneously authoritative & self-effacing, &, did I mention, funny.

I wanted to like this book - what a great title! - but in the thirty-seven pages I was able to get through, the author displayed an astounding collection of racism, sexism, and classism, a near-total ignorance of history, and an irritating fascination with his own ability to be clever. Oh, well.

60 pages in to this book and I thought I'd made a mistake.
I was thinking that it was written for a gay man who carries around a copy of the New Yorker while listening to NPR - basically - not me. I was just not "getting it."

But I have this odd quirk of insisting that I finish a book no matter how much I dislike it. I figure that I force students to do it, so I'd better not be a hypocrite.
Anyway - as I continued through the book, I found myself laughing out loud every few pages and wishing that the author was my neighbor.
There is some interesting information here and the author did some research on the subject. But what this book is really like is having a smart friend over for a few drinks who is an exceptionally gifted - and hilarious - storyteller.

The more I read Henry Alford, the more I like him. This book is a series of accounts/interviews/experiences with a diverse group of people - some very famous and others who are not (but no less fascinating). The book is tied together with the story of his Mom's "ending" (is it?) of her second marriage.
There is something honest and earnest about Henry's writing that really appeals to me. Maybe it's because we are close in age and share a similar sense of humor, but I feel like I know him. (This is the second book of his that I have read)

Henry Alford is screamingly funny. Sometimes.
He cares about manners which is a good thing.
He confuses charm with manners which leads to long digressions and redundant observations.
When I began the book, I thought, oh good, an up to date guide on how to comport oneself online, at the office, with transsexuals, etc. Then as I read on, I thought, Oh, a book for young metrosexuals. Then I groaned, oh no a bunch of loosely connected musings on all sorts of social situations including having online exchanges about your plants. Finally, I realized, this is a book about Henry Alford with a misleading subtitle.

The tip off was the description of a game called "Touch the Waiter." What a rude unfunny way to behave, and how bizarre to trumpet it in your "guide to manners." It is almost a how-to in what not to do to have good manners.

What is especially confusing about this book is that it has an index but no bibliography even though Alford refers to many superior sources such as Miss Manners, Thom Gunn, etc. A bibliography would have redeemed the thing for me. It could also have used table of contents. (Okay, I am a librarian and I like to know where to shelve things. Does this go next to David Sedaris --essay collections-- or next to Letitia Baldridge- etiquette guides?) Is there an editor at that publishing house? Someone who for example might have reduced the number of times Alford writes certain anecdotes or tells unfunny jokes?

So in the end, I fault the publisher more than the author.

profiles of people who have lived their lives their way - quirky, heartwarming and inspirational

Enjoyed this, but other books claimed my attention. I may return to it, I may not; for those looking for a ranty-but-intelligent book on manners, I'd suggest Lynn Truss' TALK TO THE HAND first.

Quotes:

"Think the retort, but utter the apology" (43)

This was a bit of a disappointment. I don't think Alford had a solid idea of what he wanted the book to be, so it felt disjointed and scattered. It was more of a book of him discovering the various aspects of manners (advice columns, local customs, the history of manners). The book starts off with him visiting Japan to learn the local customs, which was quite interesting, and I wish the book would have talked more about his experiences in different countries. Instead, he went off on his own (nonprofessional) thoughts on the subject, decided to try writing advice columns, and talked about his experiences in New York giving foreigners tours (sorry, visits). The unfocused feeling of the book just left me cold, even with bits of humor sprinkled here and there.½

This was an interesting book. I was expecting something along the lines of a Miss Manners style, and was pleasantly surprised at the rather modern urbane approach. I also like that Mr. Alford treated his gayness as part of his state of being, without much ado. It gives me hope that being gay is moving into the mainstream.
On the other hand, the writing style was rather convoluted at times. Comments seemed like "in-jokes" and I had to reread several sections/paragraphs/sentences searching for meaning, and just abandoned some of them. If I hadn't been reading for amusement on a rainy holiday, I might have tossed the book aside.½

Not funny enough.

A vivid, at times rather witty description of the author's own experiences, as opposed to just a list of good manners; also, more subjective than otherwise. Loved the first chapter - on good manners (or just a way of life, often curious, but in a good way) in Japan.½

Funny, engaging, timely, and pertinent - Alford does a good job of presenting his ideas about manners in broad strokes, making them relevant to and accessible by all of us. Lots of chuckle-out-loud moments, balanced by several ideas profound yet simple. A very enjoyable read.

Not as funny as I expected.½

I almost gave up on this book ten times. It is not as advertised. Alford spends much of the book talking about his elderly mother who decides in her eighties to divorce Alford’s stepdad. Here and there, Alford stops to interview elderly people but he obtains very little wisdom. Please. If you say you are going to write a book about the wisdom we can obtain from old people, then you’ve got to seek out wise old people. Disappointing.

Nothing earthshattering in Alford's conclusions, but a light, fun read all the same. A good book to read aloud to someone who is not in the frame of mind to retain any "heavy" thoughts. At times poignant, at time humorous. The author is quite self-revealing.

interviewing older people for nuggets of wisdom. His mother leaves his stepfather after 35 yrs. bec. he's old and dowdy and she still wants to enjoy life. Others are talked to as his research unfolds. There were a few nuggets worth remembering. It was an enjoyable read.

When his mother gets a divorce at the age of seventy-nine, it spurs Henry Alford to ask himself: What is wisdom, and do old people really have it? He spends the book asking a bunch of elders about this, some famous (Ram Dass, Granny D, Harold Bloom) and some not. Some fine quotations are repeated. A few admirable people are profiled. No great conclusions are reached. Rather than just search the web and the country for quotable oldsters, maybe Alford should have just written the whole book about his mother, who is by far the most vivid character in the book. But perhaps am wrong to suggest this...certainly I'm not wise enough to be sure about it.