Form-T Books

Boogie Woogie represents a collection of some of Lewis's best and funniest humor columns of the early 90s. Lewis could take any mundane topic like grits or buying underwear funny and make a funny topic like zits or mooning even more hilarious.

The information is great. I have owned this book for years and refer back to it from time to time. As a gift for an elderly person, the print to too small.

Documentation is extensive in the book, and arguments are clearly stated and easy to understand. There is a useful index, and sections are labeled and can be used to find specific topics. If there is a weakness in the book it is that McDowell tries to cover too much ground. I found the treatment of religions outside of Christianity to be so general as to not be too useful. The book is very useful, however, to answer a great deal of criticism of the Bible and Christianity, and I recommend it highly for that purpose.

Firstly, we should all acknowledge the paradox that characterizes the Christian's search for evidence. Some Christians have probably done their religion a disservice by allowing "academia" (a diverse entity in itself) to drag them into a debate over evidence. Not that evidence isn't important, but this isn't science we're talking about; it's faith. And besides, even academics have debated for a long time which evidences are more valid than others. All said and done, though, McDowell seems to have done the worst of both -- playing the evidence game, and using bad evidence poorly. When faith precludes intellect, that is when eyebrows are raised.

Secondly, books like this -- and ones that, for example, rail against the Jesus Seminar (which I do not defend) -- have the unfortunate intention and/or effect of lumping intellectuals into some imaginary totality of "liberal" or "anti-religious" enemies. However politically adventageous this framing has been for the "Christian" Right (not to be confused with Correct), it is not true by any stretch of the imagination. And I think the fact that Mother Theresa, an anthropologist, or a rocket scientist all question faith, religion and God is quite telling.

Thirdly, my main beef with this whole milieu is: Why ruin a good thing? If you can transcend your religion or anti-religion for a moment, you can ask whether it even matters or not that Jesus existed or whether Jesus was a deity or Son of God. If you're at all interested in social issues past and present, I think you will find that it is Jesus' message, not his existence, that matters. And his message is a good thing! So don't ruin it by ignoring it! Let us acknowledge Jesus' many levels, rather than categorically rejecting him.

Be saved! Be liberated! Most importantly, be a liberationist!
(see Gustavo Gutierrez's The God of Life)

Too often, apologetics ranges into the "the Bible said it, that settles it." McDowell takes it a bit deeper: identifying common arguments that Christians will face from non-believers and giving counter-arguments backed up not only with Biblical testimony, but with testimony from scholars. Also to be noted and employed by the reader is McDowell's urging that the arguments shared be used in a pastoral spirit--good evangelism and good apologetics shouldn't be used as a club to beat someone over the head with, or used to shove belief down the throat of a non-believer. This book is a useful resource for those who are concerned with communicating their faith to the non-believers in their midst.

This book convinced this skeptic over thirty years ago, and now I'm using it to convince my skeptical friends. The other books are good, but this one is small, easy to understand, and something that a skeptic might actually pick up and read.

I enjoyed this "Book" very much, because like its author, it is original, clever, thought-out and at times even very funny. But it's not a joke book nor is it a biography. The best way to describe Whoop's book is "the wit, wisdom, whimsy and wizardry of the one and only Whoopi." (That's a lot of w's.) Although the book is very short (you'll probably finish it within 1 or 2 sittings) this reader got a definite impression of who Whoopi is and was and wants to be. "The Book" is always honest and always blatant and that's probably why so many love Whoopi. Sprinkled throughout the text are stories, anecdotes and other subtle attention grabbers. Over the last 3 decades Whoopi has been a great many things to a great many people. She has been a movie star, a stage actress, a radio DJ, a comedienne, a songstress, a humanitarian, a talk show host, a television star, an emcee, a catalyst, a lightening rod and a woman. Now she can add author to her never-ending list of hat-wearing responsibilities.

Ok, I was into this book, I really was! Whoopi has a humorous point of view on a lot of different topics. I had to keep in mind that the book was written in 1998, but besides that it started out pretty good...then I kept reading, and reading, and reading the same thing over and over and over again.

I got a bit more than halfway through before getting really sick of her whining and complaining and just put the book down. If I want to hear whining I'll go tease my dog.

I pick up this book and re- read the first chapter! I have never actually lol (laUGHED OUT LOUD) WHEN READING TO MYSELF UNTILL THIS BOOK CAME ALONG. wHOOP IS A FAVORITE OF MINE AND book IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHY THIS COMEDIAN IS STILL POPULAR AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

I still havent made it all the way through this book- not a good sign- but that first chapter is worth the entire price of the book!

"THE IDEA OF eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts in this country sends a chill down my spine and a bug up my butt. As I write this, there's a proposal kicking around to cut the NEA budget down from an already-slashed $[...] million all the way down to $[...] million...."

I reeally love Whoopi Goldberg.

I was delighted to hear more from Whoopi and this book did not disappoint me. I loved hearing about her family experiences and Christmas was really great too, heart-warming and how she duplicates their own family's idiosyncrasies to the T each year.

This book is the funniest book I have read in years! If you can apprecaite Whoopie's raw honesty, this book is for you. This wise women inspires "all" people to..."keep it real". Enjoy and stay near the toilet. You will laugh so hard you'll have to pee. :)

david is funny, and smart and sweet, all at the same time. i love his writing.

Not good. I actually stopped reading and returned it to the bookstore about halfway through. Most of it was just meaningless; I'd reach the end of a chapter and wonder "What was the point of that?" While there were definitely funny parts, they were too few and far between. I expected witty social commentary, but all I got was pointless anecdotes and pretentious language. If I could describe the book in one word, it would be "self-indulgent"; I suspect that Rakoff is the type of person who talks just to hear the sound of his own voice.

David Rakoff is, by far, the funniest of the genre created by David Sedaris. At least, I certainly think so, when he notes that Hooters girls look like "olympic athletes representing the tackiest nation on earth, which they kind of are" or notes that what he seeks in a vacation destination are "a melancholy populace given to creating monochrome woodcuts of hollow-eyed women sitting disconsolate in shabby rooms with their dinners in tin trays before them." If you don't find this at all funny, maybe these books aren't for you.

David Rakoff's collection of short essays is an enjoyable romp through various adventures in modern America and Europe. He skewers everyone he meets, including himself. If you like David Sedaris style humor, you will enjoy this book!

This book's writer has some very humorous insights into how the luxury we all live in is often taken for granted and he finds a great way to portray that in his essays. I also like Lloyd Dangle's latest book "Troubletown" as it presents the misguided adventures of our current leadership in a humorous yet insightful fashion as well. Troubletown Told You So: Comics that Could've Saved Us from this Mess

This book was better than I thought it would be. Chesnoff gave me just the right amount of information. I have met Frenchmen in and outside of France. I also know people who have lived in Francophone countries in Africa. This book gives context to things I have learned from these experiences.
This book didn't changed my somewhat negative view of the French. But it did help clarify and deepen my knowledge of their society.

First, this book isn't some large scholarly tome. It's a book of opinion and insight into the psyche of the french mind. It wasn't written by someone hostile to France, but someone who respects it while at the same time seeing its faults.

I must admit that when I first began reading I assumed that this would just give me more reason to disdain the french, but I actually found myself sympathizing with them. A great player on the world stage, France is now a bit-player and not handling it very well. It must be a tough adjustment, and since the U.S. will someday be in a similar situation (no nation stays at the top forever), we could learn from the french how NOT to deal with a decline in international power and status.

I admire the french for their pride in their culture and their nation. I think that is as it should be, even though they take it to a very unhealthy extreme. They have a rich history and some innovative people but they seem to be wasting both in their bitterness against us. Instead of trying to compete with us, they carp at us. Until they can turn that attitude around to something more constructive for France, they'll continue to be the dog nipping at our heels.

Instead of disdain, I felt saddened that a once great nation has gone from being a leader of the world to an entity whose foreign policy seems to consist of thwarting U.S. interests whether we are right or wrong. I believe that if we embraced their variation of socialism that they would immediately embrace capitalism just to thumb their noses at us. I think the biggest difference between our two countries is that we are willing to change. It may be a long and painful process, but we are willing to do it, while France will not change as a matter of pride. They must be right because they are french!

About the french companies listed at the back of the book... I'm not sure whether the author intended to incite a boycott or not since he also mentioned the theory that if we were to buy MORE french products they would be more successful and less likely to resent us. I found the list interesting even though I don't normally buy their products (not an intentional boycott, they just aren't brands that I happen to use). There were some companies that I didn't even realize were french (such as Glenlivet, which I always assumed was scottish) which is what made the list interesting to me.

All in all, whether the author's reasoning was correct, I don't know, but it sure seems to fit. The examples he gave were funny, but I couldn't help thinking that they could have been told about some americans too. I guess that they weren't meant to prove his points, merely to illustrate them. It was a short read, but it was entertaining and interesting.

The gist of this scathing essay is old hat. It is, however, by far the most accurate work on the most arrogant people in the West. Mr. Chesnoff leaves one big fly in his foie gras: If he lives in France strictly for work purposes, well, he should clearly say so. Instead, most of his book is a pityless attack on what, to him, is obviously one big pain in his derriere. He concludes sounding like a real-estate agent, exclaiming what a wonderful life he leads in his idyllic little French village, bantering with the yocals over their anti-Americanism. When one of them asks him why he continues to live in France (American translation: Put up or shut up), he shoots back with the hackneyed response that France has beautiful women and great wine--hardly a professional comeback in vue of this vitriolic essay.

Chesnoff is a caricature of the 'ugly American' who travels, and lives, abroad in search of his own Americanness. "Why are the French so ... so damn French?" he writes in his book's Introduction. Because they're not Americans -- and they're not supposed to be: they're French. Throughout his book, Chesnoff projects his own cultural hiccups and myopia, and blames the French for it. How inexcusable for a so-called veteran journalist with extensive 'exposure' to the world.

His Appendum with suggestions on "How to respond to rude French people" is only a reflection of his own vulgarity. No wonder he gets negative feedback, and isn't invited as often as he wished by the locals.

To those like him who live in foreign countries only to whine about them, I always say, There are several flights back to your country every day: take your pick.
On a final note: Chesnoff cannot write a French word or expression without misspelling it: a deliberate slip?
Boooriiing. Not even worth the lowest 1-star Amazon rating.

I notice nearly all the negative reviews of Chesnoff's book are from people who (1) don't like conservatives, (2) don't like books that are critical, and (3) already have an opinion even though they haven't read the book. This has become the usual approach to conservative authors -- they go online and give scathing criticisms to try and keep others from reading the book. But, having read the book, I can tell you it's funny, insightful, and offers a unique perspective from someone who has actually lived in France (rather than someone living in the People's Republic of Colorado who assumes they know about all things French).

Not crazy about the book -- but -- the seller mailed it timely and it was in excellent shape, when I got it.

While I am a big Ron White fan, this book could have been better. It goes on a back and forth patteren of a chapter of his routine followed by a chapter of his life, etc etc, mixed in with illistrations to help drive home the point of the punch line. If you have heard Ron's stand-up from Drunk In Public and You Can't Fix Stupid, you will haev covered about 85-90% of the stand-up material in the book. The bio portion of it leaves more to be desired. It was a good buy for $5, but I couldn't recomened spending more than that on the book.

Ron White is a very very funny man, its hard to read his books because you have to stop laughing in order to see the next word !
We really enjoyed it.

I can't say I'm a huge fan of Jeff Foxworthy. Like everyone, I guess, I enjoy his "redneck" humor but what I appreciate the most about him is that he has helped bring a number of other comedians to the world in the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour." One of the comedians who owes the most to Foxworthy is Ron White, a debt "Tater Salad" acknowledges very clearly in this book. Foxworthy deserves his kudos, then, because Ron White is, in my opinion, the funniest of the "blue collar" comedians.

In this book, White alternates chapters of his onstage work with chapters on his life. One thing is clear--Ron White is not a person with whom I would ever want to be friends. His "backstage" stories mostly fall into the category of "funny to tell later but not funny while it was happening." By the time he gets to the night he spends at his "friend," Bill Engvall's, house, I was thinking that Mr. White was too much for me.

On the other hand, I laughed out loud so many times while I was reading this book that my wife made me read in another room so I'd stop bothering her with my noise. There is no doubt that Mr. White is a polished comedian who can tell a story that is every bit as funny on the page as it is to hear him tell it. His bit about the plane flying from Flagstaff to Phoenix may be one of the funniest comedy pieces of all time.

I doubt a lot of people who aren't already familiar with Ron White will bother to pick this up; however, it is worth reading by anyone. I'm not enough of a fan to be completely familiar with all the stuff here so I was happy to come across new things. But, even if you are already a Ron White fan and know these riffs by heart, this book is for you. There are laughs on every page.

Ron White is not JUST a Comedian, like Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy (and a handful of others like Bernie Mac, Kat Williams and Chris Rock), he has become a genuine American institution. He is the "genuine article" and this book tells why.

Not only does it contain all of his most famous jokes, but the least famous ones as well. It gives us a window into his soul, the very reasons for his immense talent: It grows directly out of his experiences, which are nothing if not a checkerboard of ups and downs, barely surviving on the thinnest edge of the margins of U.S. society. But then with a "game" and irresistible ability to bounce back, White rides his "Texas cowboy persona" back into town and on to success. His "highs" always kept getting "higher" than his "lows," until he finally hit the jackpot on the "Blue Collar Comedy tour."

But that is not the best part: The best part is the book also tells us how he became a comedian. Interspersed between his best and his worst jokes, Tater tells us all about these "ups" and "downs": The long period of incubation; his drug, women and marriage habits; all those trips back and forth across the U.S. in his pickups, vans and buses; his raucous late night "creeping" and partying, even his art business in Mexico, and on and on.

For those who love White's comedy, this is a collectors item; for those who don't yet know him, this is an unimaginable surprise: Either way it's a win-win: We all are immeasurably enriched by his talents, and that includes him. Five stars.

Though some of the subject matter in this wonderful collection is dated (George Bush in the White House, war in the mid-East, New Age religions on the rise, tax breaks for corporations and unenforced environmental rules ... oh, right, never mind), Molly Ivins' writing was ever and always dead on. Spirited, funny, and clear-eyed, Ivins remains a delight. Oh Molly, you are so missed. The essays here span the 1980s and the publishing world. Originally appearing in The Atlantic Monthly, The Dallas Times-Herald, Houston Journalism Review, McCall's, Mother Jones, Ms., The Nation, The New York Times Magazine, The Progressive, Savvy, The Texas Monthly, Texas Observer, Washington Journalism Review, and WigWag, the subjects run the gantlet from malfeasance in the Texas state house to misprision in the White House. Ivins is pithy. "Calling George Bush shallow is like calling a dwarf short." She goes on to observe, "The man who ran on the slogan, 'Ready on Day One' has been in office for a year, and the only issue for which he has shown real passion is a capital gains tax cut to benefit all the rich pond scum who piled up boodle during the Reagan years." Did I even hint that things have changed since 1989? Sorry. Or consider her classic line about the Reagan gang, "It's such a fun administration -- half of it is under average and the other half is under indictment." Great humor here, and great insight. Following Tip O'Neil's dictum that all politics is local, Ivins constantly connects the dots from home town to world events. Her writing remains one of the highlights of modern journalism and the world is a greyer place without her.

Apparently, she can. In addition to being one of America's most puerile, unfunny political pundits, Ms. Ivins is a prolific recycler of other people's works. But this should not affect her standing as a favorite amongst the drug-addled sixties retreads who read this stuff anyway.

It seems by looking at many of the other reviews, liberals or those who would identify themselves with such label like the book and conservatives despise it. I suspect that most of this seems to be based more on her OPINIONS than on her actual writing. The book is more a tragedy than a comic opera.

Let me say that many of the stories are funny. Yet Ivins really can't debate an issue at all. All she can do is a 'reverse Limbaugh' and call anybody and everybody who doesn't see things Molly's way as a 'doofus' or an 'idiot.' As an educated man, I've long thought that humor is good for the soul and in some cases Molly does this well. But the vast majority of the cases have Molly whining about rich people or corporations - never once stopping to think that if it wasn't for a rich person owning the paper as an investment, she wouldn't even have a job. When your only obvious talent is the ability to insult people, your occupation pool is limited. (Limbaugh insults people, too, and I find his 'everybody agree with me' world to be dangerous territory; however, he does actually interview and interact with the big-wigs).

I must praise this book, though, for the column on the tragic death of former Senator John Tower with his daughter in a 1991 plane crash. I felt moved by Ivins' commentary - the first time the movement I ever felt didn't not begin in my bowels upon reading her column.

So I give the book three stars. It is a good retrospective of Ivins' early career and reveals all the shortcomings save one - we did not know then that she had plagiarized a lot of material from a CONSERVATIVE writer named Florence King.

I'm guessing she had to go to a conservative - those she despises - to get material worthy of being read. Oh, well, Molly's in the paper today, so I gotta go...

I subscribe to The Progressive, so I read Ivins' current work monthly in that publication, as well as any time she appears in the paper. And actually, I have not been a huge fan. I have felt that she mainly repeats the center-left mantras of the day, and works somewhat over-hard to craft and maintain the image of folksy, curmudgeonly, old-guard Southern progressivism. But I found this collection of older columns for $1 in the clearance section of a used book store, and found it to exceed my expectations. These columns, mainly from the 70s and 80s, are rich in the kind of political commentary that is genuinely edifying. For me, they provide a window on a time that I am too young to remember well (or at all), and teach me about the continuity between the political climate of that time and today.

But more than that, Ivins knows Texas politics as intimately as anyone. If you are not from Texas, as I am not, you might think that you are not especially interested in the culture and history of the Texas legislature. Or you might think that one state legislature is pretty much the same as any other. But I think you'll be surprised at the degree to which Ivins' "Texas Leg" columns are both entertaining and insightful. She may beat some jokes into the ground sometimes, but this book belongs in the library of any connoisseur of political commentary.

Like the woman herself, this book is a great commentary by the legendary commentator. Highly recommend!

This book brought many a smile to me as I was wrapping to give as a gift. Ended up buying my own, too. This is a funny look at how folks in the South go all out for Christmas. No, it's not a high art book, but I would think the author has visited many of my family members during the holidays. The page about Christmas villages is on the mark. Don't buy this book if you can't laugh at yourself -- or better yet, those around you!

Not exactly what I thought it would be. In fact I deem this one a rip off. Just a bunch of memories that the author hoped would be funny but fell flat. Don't bother or waste your money

You HAVE to own this book: Southerners and Nornerners alike. This is an absolutely "HOOT" for all. As a "true" Southerner, I see this as a normality or reality; GREAT memories. For others not growing up in the South, it'll simply be fantasy. ENJOY!!!

This book was hilarious! I absolutely loved reading it, and my husband got a kick out of it when I read aloud to him. It looks great on our coffee table, and all of my friends chuckle a bit when they take a glance. Absolutely fabulous, definately recommend it!

Southerners, laugh at yourselves! You know it's true. For those who believe "There's no such thing as overdecorating," you can pick up a few good ideas from this book. A genuine southerner would find at least one new idea worth trying. From gift suggestions, to re-gifting guides to a calendar plan for Christmas, there's something here for everybody. All it needs is a good grits recipe and a picture of the lady in Tallahassee who decorated herself with Christmas lights while decorating her yard. Now, please excuse me while I re-wrap this book as a gift for a friend!

I discovered one of the Polar Bear stories in a very old Reader's Digest a couple of years ago and have since read the other two books in the series, this one (The Best Cat Ever) being the last. As others have said, I was disappointed that Amory wrote about more than the titles of his books promised, but I think that's because his stories about Polar Bear were so touching, so well written, I wanted more.

But, I think because I had read the previous two books and got to know Polar Bear, the last couple of chapters of this book made me feel terrible, not terrible about the book but terrible for Amory, terrible because I've been in his place. I say, if a book can make me feel this way, it must be very well written.

I debated between four and five stars. I settled on four because some of his stories that had nothing to do with Polar Bear bored me so much I just skimmed them.

I began with this book and have read the series backwards and cannot say enough about the joy and laughter the Polar Bear series, as well as Cleveland Amory's other books, have brought to my life. I found the book especially touching and helpful in dealing with the death of my own beloved dog. It was the first time I recall laughing aloud so heartily while reading. A must have/must keep for any pet or animal lover.

Cleveland Amory's book `The Best Cat Ever' is part of a series he wrote that involved his cat Polar Bear, who came into Amory's life one winter evening, and became an integral part thereafter. Amory and Polar Bear in fact are buried side by side, united once more. I can relate to this personally, as each of the cats that have come into my life have come in uninvited and unexpectedly, but very welcome and very quickly indispensable.

Now I, like many cat owners, wasn't pleased at the title of the book (as of course, my cats are the best cats ever), although I certainly understood the sentiment expressed. And Amory was prepared for this:

`First, an apology. It is presumptuous of me to title this last book about the cat who owned me what I have titled it. The reason it is presumptuous is that to people who have, or have ever been, owned by a cat, the only cat who can ever be the best cat ever is their cat.'

Amory uses the wonderful tales of his cat and their life together to also recount past glories and silly stories. One such is his time at Harvard, when he and a friend enrolled in a course entitled `The Idea of Fate and the Gods' because they had heard it would not require much homework, and then were crestfallen to receive a poor grade. This grade was upgraded when the professor was reminded of their undergraduate status. He had a habit of declaring everything good by exclaiming 'Capital! -- a rather typically eccentric observation for Amory to make.

Under the chapter title 'My Last Duchess', he recounts the failed attempt to write the autobiography (I did not make a mistake here) of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor (making particular point to the way it rankled her to never be given the appellation of 'royal'). In very humourous and somewhat embarrassing detail, he recounts stilted conversations and dull-as-dirt dinner parties designed more for the stroking of ego and vanity of all participants than any real social purpose (although, yes, I realise that that, for some, is a, or even THE social purpose).

Amory also recounts his animal rights activist days, something that he worked hard for during much of his life, and which is carried on in his memory at the Black Beauty Ranch and through Amory's writings, which continue to touch the heart and soul of those who read them.

Amory has been privileged to lead an interesting life that connects to many other interesting people. He does not recount the stories as standard history, or as mere gossip-columnist fare, but rather looks for overall meanings and directions in what is often a difficult pattern of discernment in life. Regardless of social status, political motivation, or intellectual stature, people are people, and will do the most remarkable, selfish, selfless, silly, wonderful things. Amory's observations of this is a delight to read.

In a very moving essay Amory recounted his final days with Polar Bear, and his difficult decision to end Polar Bear's suffering. Amory talks about the grief of losing an animal (particularly hard on single people who become quite attached to their pets) in a moving way that I wish would be used as a pastoral care text.

Amory and Polar Bear are buried together at the Black Beauty Ranch, a home for thousands of abused and abandoned animals that have come to them over the years. Amory believed (as do I) that animals have souls, too, and therefore are deserving of humane treatment and (in an interesting argument) if they do not have souls, as living creatures they deserve even better treatment.

Read this book prepared to laugh and cry. Have your tissues ready for the final chapter, and read this book with a cat on your lap (which, in fact, is how wrote this review).

...this book says almost nothing about Cleveland Amory's cat, Polar Bear. It's a shame that it was titled in a way that would make you think it did.

Amory spends most of the book chatting about himself...I found that interesting. He was a Boston Brahmin through & through, & he did a nice job of showing the rest of us how that slice of society lives. (He also wrote the classic "Proper Bostonians.")

Especially interesting is the chapter "The Last Duchess," in which he writes of his brief career as the biographer of Wallis Warfield Simpson, the divorced woman for whom Edward the VIII abdicated the throne of England. Amory eventually gave up because she was just too awful and Edward was awful, apparently not bright, and an admirer of the Nazis. Even if you are not a fan of royalty (I usually find stories about royalty painfully dull), this chapter is fun! (It also includes a digression about how the Social Register got started.)

Mr. Amory also spun good yarns out of his refusal to donate to the Harvard alumni funds (a protest against their excessive use of laboratory animals), his very temporary role as a Hollywood scriptwriter, and public response to his reviews for the T.V. Guide.

Oh, yes, and he also had a cat!

THE BEST CAT EVER by Cleveland Amory is a bit of a sham, though certainly not one that is unattractive or was created out of malice. In the prologue, Amory writes about his deceased pet cat, Polar Bear:

"I shall dwell ... on the past and the fun we had for the fifteen years we had together."

As the reader discovers, this is just not so. As a matter of fact, most of the author's narrative is born of the time before Polar Bear came into his life. Amory remembers his first job. Amory ruefully recounts his brief stint as a Hollywood scriptwriter. Amory tells of his association with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor when he was commissioned to ghost-write the autobiography of the latter. Amory revisits his time as a reviewer for TV Guide. Or, if after, then THE BEST CAT EVER gets hardly more than honorable mention. Amory discusses arthritis and its cures. Amory revisits his alma mater, Harvard. Amory is hit by a truck.

I can't say that this short book isn't entertaining. If I had harbored, before picking it up, any interest in the author, and if the book and been entitled REMINISCENCES OF CLEVELAND (or something of the sort), then I should happily award 4, and perhaps 5, stars. Amory is indeed talented and astute, as when he states of Wallis Warfield's morganatic marriage to the abdicated King Edward VIII:

"If she settled for being a morganatic wife, not only would she not be a Queen, she would have settled for something which, to her at least, sounded all too much like being a peasant."

Amory's dry wit notwithstanding, I can only award 3 stars because Polar Bear, most of the time, just isn't there. The best chapter is certainly the last, in which Cleveland poignantly and sadly describes his beloved pet's last illness and the trauma of having him put to sleep. (I was, perhaps, reminded of the advancing age of my own cat, Trouble. While still healthy at 10 years, that heartbreaking time will certainly come for her also.)

There are better books to be savored on the relationship between a human and its feline owner. Offhand, I can name three: I & CLAUDIUS by Clare De Vries, THE CAT WHO COVERED THE WORLD by Christopher Wren, and MY CAT SPIT MCGEE by Willie Morris.

The English theatre of 1700 was not noticeably like western theatre of today. Simply stated, the audience was half the show.

Aristocrats and nobility dressed to ridiculous heights of fashion, arrived late with as much disruptive fanfair as possible, spent a great deal of time talking to each other, and thought nothing of nipping out for a half-hour or so during the play. The middle and lower class spectators paid as much attention, if not more, to these goings on--and if by some chance you became bored by both play and audience you could always visit one of the attractive young women who sold refreshments and often themselves as well.

These circumstances gave a very distinct shape to plays of the period. They tended to very long, running three and four hours, with the plot itself not becoming apparent until well into the play, all of the major characters discussed in virtually every scene, and each essential plot repeated over and over again. You could arrive half an hour or an hour late; you could miss an entire scene through conversation with your neighbor; you could step out for a drink and come back again--and even so you could still follow the play.

Read today, the vast majority of Restoration drama seem horrendously drawn out, and they are now seldom read or performed. Restoration comedy, however, is a different matter: a master could turn the repetitive structure into a dazzling display of wit, style, and high art. When it comes to Restoration comedy, and in spite of the fact that his output was actually quite small, William Congreve (1670-1729) was a master's master indeed. First staged in 1700, THE WAY OF THE WORLD sparkles like a collection of rare jewels. Congreve had reason to exert himself to the full extent of his talents on this occasion: the play was written for celebrated actress Anne Bracegirdle, who was said to be his lover.

The play is convoluted in terms of characters and subplots, but at core it is remarkably direct. Mirabelle has a somewhat questionable past that includes numerous romantic conquests; he has, however, decided to marry the beautiful and wealthy Millimant. Unfortunately, the match is greatly opposed by Lady Wishfort, whose refusal to give consent will have the effect of depriving Millimant of her fortune. The action of the play arises from Mirabelle's efforts to trap Lady Wishfort into giving consent, thereby securing Millimant's inheritance.

The play is particularly interesting because the characters behave according to a highly polished code of elegant manners and express a preoccupation with love--but are actually motivated by money to an amazingly crass degree. A romantically inclined beauty might speak of her great emotion, but she is careful to keep a hand on her pocketbook and her eye on the bottom line just the same. The result is akin to a frilligree heart unexpectedly carved into a block of ice; the form is beautiful but the content too cold to embrace. There is no doubt that Mirabelle and Millimant love each other, but there is no doubt that neither will marry the other without a lot of cash thrown in for good measure.

More than one critic has regarded THE WAY OF THE WORLD as a satire on the superficial values of Restoration aristocracy. More than one has also preferred Congreve's earlier LOVE FOR LOVE, which is considerably warmer in tone. Clearly, there is an iciness about THE WAY OF THE WORLD that some find distinctly off-putting! But as Congreve himself might have said, money makes the world go round--and love is included in the spin. Whatever the case, THE WAY OF THE WORLD is a wickedly funny, subtly nasty, and unexpectedly enchanting play, among the best of the best. Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

"The Way of the World" is a true masterpiece of wit and social commentary. It anticipates later works by such masters of dialogue as Oscar Wilde. I read this play in a course on restoration and 18th century drama that I took in graduate school and it was by far among my favorite plays that semester. Those who complain that it is too complex (and then contradict themselves by calling it a mere soap opera) clearly do not appreciate the subtlety and multiple layers of Congreve's genius. While yes, some characters are one dimensional, the main characters are multi-layered and complex. Case in point - Mirabel, the male protagonist, clearly loves Millamant but has mercenary ambitions as well. He also has an implied rakish past, which led to the extremely unhappy marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Fainall (though he endeavors to come to Mrs. Fainall's aid during the course of the play). Certainly many of the characters are stereotypes, but that in itself is interesting and highly comical. The dialogue is absolutely brilliant, among the best I've seen. I highly recommend giving this play the time and attention it deserves - "The Way of the World" is highly rewarding entertainment.

William Congreve's "The Way of the World" is a Restoration period comedy of manners which features scheming stock characters and pokes fun at the upper class of the time. The plot is propelled by a series of silly missunderstadings(ala Three's Company) and there is an almost incestous exchange of lovers very reminiscent of any modern day soap opera. The major difficulty of reading this play is that vital information about the character's pasts is being revealed as the present action is being carried out, leaving the reader unclear about who did what with whom and when.
This was by far the most confusing play I have ever read, yet I found much of the dialogue very witty and amusing, particularly the scene in which Millament and Mirabell negotiate the particulars of their marriage contract. While I found the characters rather shallow and hard to relate to, I often found myself chuckling at their masterful wordplay and appreciated the fact that they were so aware of and comfortable with their own self-absorption. I feel "The Way of the World" paints an interesting picture of the mores and ideals(if one can call them ideals!) of the upper class of 1700 and for me, this made the chore of reading it worthwhile.

Knowing I would be forced to study this work for my A Level in English Lit, I was sure I would enjoy it due to the comedy and satire involved. I was wrong. As the first reviewer claimed, The Way of the World is just like a soap opera! I appreciate the intention of Congreve was to satirise the follies of the upper classes at the time but this does not make the play any less tedious. The plot is unnecessarily complex and rather difficult to follow at times. It all boils down to romance and infidelity in the end, as one might expect. Granted, it is fairly well written, but if there's a stupid plot and irritating, useless characters, no amount of creative flair in writing can compensate. As well as that, the language, while not difficult, is different from that of modernity so makes it awkward. OK, we expect this from an 18th century piece of literature, but it still causes problems for a modern audience/reader. The worst thing was being told by the teacher when we were meant to laugh - that obviously kills any comedy value in the play. Exam boards should add some more modern plays to their syllabus! Not to mention ones with meaningful, interesting plots and characters. This is not worth the paper it's written on, in my humble opinion.

The first three acts of William Congreve's play, The Way of the World (1700), involve little action. The scenes focus on introducing and contrasting characters, highlighting witty dialogue, and slowly revealing details of prior events through casual references. Polite, formalized language disguises selfish motives, rivalries, deceit, and deviousness.

Selfish motives, deciet, and other negative attributes may not seem a proper basis for comedy, and yet The Way of the World warrants four stars. For comparison purposes I strongly recommend reading two other Restoration period comedies: Wycherley's The Country Wife (1675) and Etherege's The Man of Mode (1676). All three plays share a cynical view of the sanctity of marriage and portray a self-centered London society obsessed with extramarital affairs.

The action (certain steps to overcome obstacles to a marriage) in The Way of the World does not occur until the later acts. The marriage between Mirabell and Millamant proceeds only after both are assured that their financial situation will not be jeopardized. Love is secondary. Similarly, the unpleasant situation of Mrs. Fainall - a marriage without any pretence of love - remains unchanged.

While humor may be somewhat sparse in the earlier acts, the tempo clearly picks up in acts four and five. The plot becomes extremely fluid when Mirabell's inventive fraud unravels, and his rival, Mr. Fainall, gains the upper hand. However, the last act offers a delightful twist that puts things right. (Puts things right might be an overstatement given that the play's key characters are somewhat lacking in scruples.)

Although The Way of the World is only occasionally staged today, this play is often assigned reading. My favorite edition is Barron's Educational Series (1958) as it provides plentiful stage directions. In particular, indications of expression - essentially guidance to actors on the proper delivery of the dialogue - are inserted as the dialogue switches from one character to another. Examples include: "somewhat sourly recollecting the rebuff of the previous evening", "using frankness as a bait to draw equal frankness from her companion", and "too preoccupied to pay serious attention". The Barron's edition also has a lengthy introduction by Vincent Hopper and Gerald Lahey, a 5-page note on staging by George Hersey, and illustrations by Fritz Kredel.

A Crofts Classic edition (published 1951, reprinted 1985) provides a useful section titled The Argument of the Play, in which the editor, Henry T. E. Perry, summarizes events that occurred prior to the beginning of the play. (Remember that the dialogue in the early acts slowly - and often obliquely - reveals details of prior events through casual references.) Perry also discusses how William Congreve adroitly used dialogue to reveal much about the personalities of his characters.

The Way of the World can also be found in the Norton Critical Edition (1973) titled Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Comedy. The extensive appendix includes an 80-page section titled Criticism From Lamb to the Present; two articles directly address Congreve's play: The Way of the World by Norman Holland and Form and Wit in The Way of the World by Martin Price.