Customer Reviews

Old Songs in a New Cafe: Selected Essays

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Reads a tremendous lot like Robert Fulghum, but beyond that...

Through essays, the presumably all true story of a man who lived as if he was born with a detailed, incredibly accurate set of instructions and near-Godlike wisdom. Learns pool and billiards as an eleven-year-old kid and beats the town champ. Takes up basketball, making his high school team as a freshman and becoming a good major-school college player. Starts a loving marriage in college that remains super-strong over 25 years later. Plays guitar, and with his small combo is chosen for national TV appearances with Charles Kuralt and Robert Kennedy. Despite all his independent thought, establishes a solid - actually distinguished - career in academia. And, in the decade after this book, writes a novel that may have sold more copies - and tickets to its subsequent movie - than ANY in the 1990's!

And guess what? NONE of this - not even a SCRAP of it, according to the essays - ever misled him or cost him anything! He didn't drop out of school to hustle pool, ignore academics to over-concentrate on basketball, discover his wife who he chose at age 22 didn't fit his ever-evolving life at age 50, go for a low-paying full-time music career, QUIT music altogether and lose the fun of playing recreationally, or constrict his thinking by getting it in line with the PC work setting of a university.

Not only did he seem to be always doing the exact right thing at the right time, he avoided every trap there was.

Amazing! Have never seen a life so comprehensively superb since Jennifer Beals' in Flashdance, and she was FICTIONAL!

So, Robert James, we have two ways to interpret you. You can be one of the most premier renaissance men of our time, or an archly annoying "perfect" person akin to Martha Stewart. So, my challenge to you is - write an essay, telling us in detail, how in at least one instance YOU, not circumstances, luck or the people around you - have FAILED. Have you done it? Can you do it?

I have read this book several times, love to take it on vacation. These stories are wonderful, heartfelt. A nice reminder of my own childhood growing up in Indiana. We have dusty roads, and favorite pets, and enjoy the quite life here too. It's beautifully written by a wonderful Author. Sure wish he would write more!

If you ever read "The Bridges of Madison County" and wondered how could someone create such an amazing story,or how it would be wonderful to know a person like Kincaid - You will be excited to find out that Robert Kincaid is actually Robert James Waller himself! In this autobiographic book Waller lets us all take a glimpse into his personal life and discover what a special person he is.You'll learn about his childhood,growing up adventures,family and hobbies. And you'll see Kincaid is not just an imaginary figure but a side of Waller's personality. I was fascinated to learn so much about Waller and his "reclusive life of words and imagination".

Waller has again, in his uncanny way, connected with the reader. Stories about a boys rite of passage (Rite of Passage in Three Cushions), and an unlikely cat (A Canticle for Roadcat) make the reader feel comfortable and at home with his works. While I was reading this book, many times I had to stop and reflect on similar thing that have happened in my own life. In this way, any person, from any walk of life, can enjoy this book!

Several years ago I attempted to read "The Bridges of Madison County" but the mood wasn't right. Eventually, I attempted to listen to it on audiocassette (against my better judgement, as I truly prefer to read the books) and had the opportunity to hear the author read it the way he wanted it to be heard. Finally!! I understood what everyone was talking about! I then acquired all of his other books and slowly but surely tried to get through them between all of my other readings. I truly loved "Puerto Vallarta Squeeze" but put off reading his other books for almost two years. Recently, I sat down and read "Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend" and "Border Music" within a two-day period. I immediately knew that I had to read "Old Songs in A New Cafe" while the mood was still with me.

From the moment that I opened the book I felt as though I was meeting a most incredible person. His essays were truly inspiring! I was impressed by his ability to express his emotions and his thoughts with such ease. While it is commonly surprising for a man to express such thoughts and emotions, there was only one person who came to mind while I read this book: MY FATHER. I thought of him so many times while I read about his romance with his wife and his feelings about his daughter growing up and creating a life for herself. Halfway through the essays, I spoke to my father and explained that the book (that he had purchased for me for Christmas 1995) would be returned to him immediately upon my completion because, of everyone that I know, he is the only one who could TRULY appreciate the enjoyment I received from this book. When he received the book and began reading the essays, he stated to me that Robert James Waller writes the way he thinks and would like to write. He also referred specifically to the essays about Waller's wife and daughter. I have often thought it incredible that authors like Robert James Waller and Nicholas Sparks ("The Notebook") were men because they write with such sensitivity about life and love and yet, it should not be so incredible, because I have a father who proves that many men also live that way!

Thank you Robert James Waller for pointing that out!

Waller makes everyday situations so interesting. His essay on Romance is one of my all-time favourite readings. I have passed it on to many newlywed friends. I have read it so many times the pages in my book are dog-eared.

This book is not for everyone, only those who long for stories of romance, animals and people who live life with passion. I found I could relate to almost all the wonderful short stories. Robert James Waller has a talent like no other for evoking emotion, this book is a wonderful example.

I enjoyed reading this biography of writings by Robert James Waller. I, too, felt he was very similar to Robert Fulghum in his approach to life; a reverence for all that is simple and beautiful in this world. After reading only his fictional works, I gained a deep appreciation of the author himself and am refreshed that someone with a PhD in business can have a soul.

Robert James Waller has a unique gift of describing the ordinary extraordinary in the simplest things in life. His book offers a calming effect to one's mind when most readers are suffering from a literary burn-out. This is a good keepsake.

Since this is a group of essays, it is easy to pick up and read any particular portion at will. I've read "...Rachael's room" several times, cry every time, and it makes me give thanks AND say a prayer for our own son. Love the flow. Each story is unique, and living. I've given a number of these books as gifts, and will again. I'm glad Mr. Waller shared these stories with us.