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?