Need a Good Laugh or Two or Three?
I don’t know any of us who couldn’t use a good laugh every now and again. I had a great aunt who laughed, made jokes, made others laugh, danced and sang all her life. I remember overhearing a conversation she had with my mom when I was a young child. She said “I might as well laugh, it is more fun than crying!”. I have remembered that and try to laugh often. When I was a young mother, a friend of mine told me to always make sure my child saw me laugh everyday. I found that to be very good advice. What about you? Do you laugh often?
Recently, a friend of mine recommended a book to me and as I read it, I thought that it was not at all what I had in mind. I’m not sure what I had in mind but it wasn’t this funny, highly imaginative look at small town America. I was about half way through and another friend who was also reading it sent me an email to say that she thought the author ought to keep his day job because she sure didn’t “get” his book. I laughed and advised her to relax, enjoy and laugh out loud when she found parts to be funny. She said, “Oh, I didn’t realize that he was trying to be Tongue-In-Cheek”. I guess we are all bound a little tight these days and need to remember to laugh at life every so often.
Actually, this book, The Moralist by John Warley, is very funny and a fun read but you do have to be in the right mindset. Here are a few of the scenerios that had me laughing out loud:
The Moralist takes place in a small town named Centerfield, Texas. Centerfield was named in honor of their baseball hero resident, Buster, who used to play Centerfield. The Mayor said that they couldn’t name it First Base because they would never hear the end of the jokes about “getting to First Base”.
One of the minor characters is a teenage boy named Scott who has a fetish for elderly women’s Orthopaedic Shoes.
Fran, the bold spoken single mom and the Moralist, has many dealings with her HMO that had me rolling on the floor. Maybe it was because I have been there so many times. Each time she returned the call to her doctor’s office, the person she had previously talked to was no longer working there. Of course, since my husband is a doctor and I work for him, I think it would have been even funnier if she had been trying to talk directly to the insurance company which is what I have to do on a regular basis.
There is much talk about a Class Action Law Suit known as 50,000 Tanyas vs Wall-More. Lucille, the Wall-More Greeter, drives Fishburn, the lawyer, up the wall by waving to him in the courtroom. Can’t you just see her?
Then there is the Israli Real Estate Agent, named Abe but changed to Art, who tries to learn to speak “Southern”.
Ed, the editor of the local newspaper, ends the book by saying:
I’ve got my butter, and I’ve got my putter and I’ve got my health and I’ve got Texas. Is this a great country or what?
The author covers about everything from local to national politics, our health system, education system, and legal system, all woven together in this satirical look at Centerfield, Texas. If you do read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and I hope you enjoy it as much as the author obviously enjoyed writing it. If Laughter Is The Best Medicine then you will certainly get a dose full with this book.
Now, you can purchase products from The Moralist and even a campaign button and bumper sticker with Buster’s Campaign Slogan: Good Things, Si! Bad Things, No!
I am glad to announce that John Warley is now a Squidoo Lensmaster. Here is the link to his very first lens: http://www.squidoo.com/writing-in-mexico
I’m still into football so haven’t yet begun to read, but this is a great review and I’m looking forward to a good belly laugh~!
I can’t wait to hear your reaction to your friend’s book. I sold one this morning from Squidoo so that was exciting. Be sure to share your review with us after you have read it.
I am reading The Moralist now — and you did a great job of describing it for other potential readers. The main thing is just to relax and enjoy it and don’t look for a bunch of hidden meanings. It is what it is. Enjoy the story. Enjoy the fun characters. And if you ever want to meet any of them, just visit any small town in the south!
Yes, you are right, Joan but I think it is more than that. I may be wrong but I feel like John Warley wants us to think about the way things are all over the United States and how we are reacting to them. The folks of Centerfield pitched a hissy fit over an outsider judging their Barbeque Cook Off just because he came from an area that preferred Vinegar Base Sauce rather than Tomato but they closed their eyes to the fact that a whole country was taking over their land. Just my thoughts.
yes, Nancy – probably so. Remember I have just started it, so have not gotten into the serious part yet. tho the guy is shopping for land right now….