Monday, July 03, 2006

Need a Laugh?

Boy, have I got the book for you! On my flight back to Wisconsin, I read Early Bird by Rodney Rothman. The guy next to me kept giving me sideways looks and trying to inch away. I tried to smile reassuringly and explain, "It's this book! It's so funny!" Yeah, he thought I was a loon. This is the memoir of a comedy writer who loses his job at the age of 28. Lost as to what to do next, he decides to test-drive retirement out in Florida. At first, he's perplexed by the old folks up washing their cars at 6:15 in the morning, 4:00 pm dinners at value buffets, and the ladies who can play five Bingo boards at once (he can barely manage one). But he settles into retirement, gaining acceptance into the exclusive clique that hangs out by the condo pool and joining the shuffleboard team. Laugh-out-loud funny and achingly poignant. A totally satisfying reading experience. I've been recommending this to everyone I know. It's 244 pages and a quick read. Read it! Seriously!

2 comments:

Kirsten said...

This guy actually tried to turn that experience into a TV show, too. I saw a pilot episode of it at a club here in LA that was featuring shows that never aired. It was probably the best of the lot.

allisonmariecat said...

Oh, that's funny, Kirsten. I had no idea! It reminds me a little of the Seinfeld family in their Boca condo...especially the episode where Kramer heads down to retire.