For years reading friends had urged me to check out bestselling
travel writer Bill Brysons (“A Walk in
the Woods”) humorous writing. A note
from our town librarian Diane that his latest book, a New York Times best
seller was available sent me into town to get it. That book One Summer: America 1927 has the author, a now traveling through time,
taking us back to perhaps a high point or maybe a low point, depending on your point of view
to the “Roaring 20’s. I like the book and I didn’t like the book. And
on that ambiguous note, I’ll try to explain why….
This is history as you may never have read it. It’s filled
with famous and infamous people and
events, amazing coincidences and trivia.
We meet the real Babe Ruth, Charles Lindberg, Al Capone, Silent Calvin
Coolidge, Henry Ford and the
“It” girl Clara Bow. Bryson
writes prose clear as crystal often makes us or shocks us into incredulity
taking the heroes of the age down more than a peg.
For instance, Bow, in addition to being the most celebrated
Hollywood icon of her era, was also famously promiscuous, Bryson notes. She had
a slew of boyfriends, many of them at the same time. Bryson tells of one
boyfriend who arrived at her house only to realize that another man was hiding
in the bathroom. The aggrieved boyfriend, Bryson tells us, demanded that the
hidden man “come on out so I can knock your teeth out!” When the bathroom door
opened, heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey sheepishly appeared. The aggrieved
boyfriend wisely kept his fists to himself, and the hulking Dempsey
The rise of radio and tabloid provide a look back at the
seed of our own pop and celebrity
culture which I found appallingly reminiscent of our own
times.
There isn’t a whole lot of deep thinking or interesting
conclusions in Bryson’s account beyond cutting remarks and characterizations
(often deserved).
All in all, the book
is a fun read about what proved to be in the authors words….. “one hell of a
summer.”
9 comments:
I am struck by Clara Bow's tiny mouth. Since she was the "It Girl", that must have been an ideal at the time. What a contrast to the extra-full lips in fashion today. It's jarring to see how many TV and movie stars--plus others--are getting their lips artificially plumped (not to mention, other body parts)!
That's quite a line up of old photos. I have to agree about Clara's mouth - Ms Sparrow is right: Too much artificial plumping these days!
This sounds interesting. I've read several of Bryson's books and I enjoy his sense of humor. No deep thinking, I agree, but fun nevertheless.
Bryson has a great writing style, and I also like to hear him narrate his own books.
Bill Bryson is always fun to read, and one learns lots effortlessly. That makes him a winner in my book! I love those snapshots of a moment in time. As for the lips.....mine are naturally full, and I remember tips on how to make them appear thinner by using lipstick inside the lip line. That would have been the late fifties.
I enjoy Bill Bryson's writing too. I haven't heard of this one but it sounds fun, but I'm more of a walk in the woods kind of gal.
Thanks for your post on my blog. Glad you are enjoying the photos of the Twin Cities. Bill Bryson's newest is on my to-read shelf right now. One of my favorites of his was The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. A must read for any Midwesterner who grew up at mid-century.
Ah, that gives me an idea for a gift for my husband! He's read several of Bryson's books. A Walk in the Woods was his favorite.
This sounds like a good book review. Lately I've developed an interest in the twenties. The time period and the authors who wrote then.
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