Monday, September 1, 2014

Rampant New York Witticisms & Astute Observations



Review of:  i hate this place, The Pessimist's Guide to Life by Jimmy Fallon & Gloria Fallon published by Warner Books




Being a glass-half-empty type of person, I was immediately drawn to the title of this book. The fact that it was written by Jimmy Fallon and his sister Gloria didn't hurt, either.

I've been a fan of Jimmy Fallon ever since his Late Night days when I couldn't fall asleep – even after Jay Leno. Sorry I missed his SNL days. Now I catch them on reruns. Love Fever Pitch, too and Taxi isn't at all bad.

I'm also a closet fan of Gloria Fallon. I like her attitude. It out "franks" even mine. And I'm sure she is responsible for some of my more favorite passages from this book. Her reflections of how things really are, have been absorbed, I'm sure, from breathing the strident air of New York.

The illustrations by Howard Roberts are clever, cute and appropriate, but you have to look real close to see them as they are like watermarks behind the words. I was half-way through the book before I noticed them. Then I had to go back and really look at them. My favorites are the mad hare and the grim reaper. Then there's the guy with the screw through his middle.

Did I tell you that I really, really like this book?

Passages that caught my eye and got me thinking include:

(under Personal Reflections of the Pessimist) and I quote, "People seem to enjoy saying, 'Is the glass half-full or half-empty?' They stop smiling when I say, 'It'll be empty when I pour it over your head'."

(under Optimistic Advise You Shouldn't Follow) and I quote, "Don't Put Off 'Til Tomorrow What You Can Do Today – And if you die in your sleep tonight, you wasted your last day on Earth doing laundry."

But my absolute personal favorite (one I'm certain Gloria Fallon is responsible for – and I thank you, Gloria) is (under My Story), and I will frame it and hang it on my wall when I feel like making the effort to do so:

"I saw the face of death staring back at me today – cold-blooded eyes, hood and scythe.
I started to panic until I realized it was just a mirror."

I don't know where she was when she wrote it, but I know where I've been to appreciate it. Sad, maybe, but that passage has meaning for me.

On a lighter note,  i hate this place, The Pessimist's Guide To Life is a one-night read and will elicit a smile or at least a gasp, if not a "tsk, tsk" from anyone who reads it. And it is an invaluable part of a complete "Fallon" collection.

If you can't find it locally, you can, of course, find it on Amazon. In fact, I liked it so much, here's the link:


Thank you Gloria and Jimmy for a delightful insight into the "Fallon" psyche. Now, how about some more?