Good Evening Mr. & Mrs. America and All the Ships at Sea. [Paperback]

Richard. Bausch (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Harper Collins Publisher; ARC edition (1996)
• ASIN: B000I372BE
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything in one story!, January 11, 2003

By 

"rheishman" (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Evening Mr. & Mrs. America, and All the Ships at Sea: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is a coming-of-age story of a young man who is lost in the idealism of the early 60's, and having lived the era, I feel the pathos of this character, as well as the humor in the life he leads. The protagonist Walter Marshall,is nineteen years old,innocent,a devoted Catholic with a reverence for his struggling mom, a deep patriotism,and a lingering insecurity about his place in the world. The book is laced with great, laugh-out-loud humor. The characters are rich and believable.And the book has a very surprising ending. And believe it or not, some of us really were that innocent back in those days!This was a nostalgic look back for me. But this book is an enjoyable way to transport yourself to the uncertainties of this era if you weren't around to experience them. Get it, and enjoy!

4.0 out of 5 stars A Sentimental Journey into the Past, July 13, 2004

By 

Larry Hand (Woodstock, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Good Evening Mr. and Mrs. America, and All the Ships at Sea: Novel, A (Paperback)

Good Evening Mr. and Mrs. America, and All the Ships at Sea was a joyous romp in the past, when people -- especially the young -- still had ideals. The age of innocence was already over, but the hero of this novel just didn't know it yet. But he would find out, painfully; and when he does, he opts for an ironic way-to-forget change of plans. Read Bausch's coming-of-age tale for the pure entertainment of it, but when you finish laughing, quietly consider what it says of our nation's changed morality. Perhaps those of us who lived through it wonder: were we really just naive, or were we better then than what we became? P.S.: This would make a great movie!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bausch's best gets better, January 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Good Evening Mr. and Mrs. America, and All the Ships at Sea: Novel, A (Paperback)

This novel mixes an innocent protagonist, an older and socially-inept girlfriend, organized crime, radio personalities, and "love at first sight" to become one of the funniest books I've ever read. In the tradition of his story, "Aren't You Happy For Me?" Bausch really throws the reader a curveball.

The hero wants to grow up to be President. In the meantime, he's taking radio broadcast classes at the local community college while trying to make time with an attractive German student. The hero's girlfriend is a wealthy girl, slightly older than him, overbearing and obtuse and totally insensitive. When Our Hero's school gets into trouble with the local loan shark, he steps in to save the day. This novel was my introduction to Bausch and still my favorite of his long fiction. Read it.