Customer Reviews

Venango Tales

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I have the privilege to be a resident of Venango County. I also have the privilege to enjoy Peter Greene's writings every week (and live in fear that I may do something silly to appear in one!!). And on top of all that, I have also had the privilege to have been a student of the author. Greene has a way of connecting with and bringing out that side of us that we all wish we could harness regularly. A dry sense of realism mixed with a little of the absurd is a hallmark of his style.

As a student, I can remember looking forward to diagramming sentences in his class.... Yes, you heard correctly; LOOKING FORWARD TO DIAGRAMMING SENTENCES!! Who could believe it?! Witty, obscure, unique, hilarious - everyone just couldn't wait to see what he would come up with next. From "pusillanimous cows" to "polka-dotted thingummies," we ate it all up. He taught that writing was not something to be afraid of... it was something to be embraced, a form of artwork and expressionism. He taught satire and cynicism, optimisim and reality.

You can see his connection with language, it is both symbiotic and honest. Greene is an Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer, so you may have already sampled his brand of humor and sense of society. If you haven't, please look him up. What you read is what you get. The person truly is represented by his written "voice."

A deeply personal work, this book is a collection of essays written about and for our community. And when I say community, I include not only Venango County, but the entire world. One tale can bring you to tears and the next can enrage you. Read about family foibles, add in some twisted humor, and you'll be laughing in the aisles before you know it. Everyone can relate to that big-time, "community-clueless" business in town or the need to recognize the heroes in your life or the death and loss of a mentor or the silliness of your own family.

These essays are writings that appeal to all peoples and all personalities and all sensibilities. Please do not miss a chance to learn a little about Peter and all of us that make up these Venango Tales. Who knows... you may find that a little of yourself resides in Venango too.

The art of the newspaper column, with it's necessities of brevity and wit, are not lost on frequent Amazon reviewer Peter Greene. By turns funny and poignant and touching on subjects unique to small towns (booney riding, local business) and more universal themes (teachers, divorce, and even Barbie dolls) Greene lets those of us who have moved away from the small towns of our birth enjoy a trip home. He is especially effective addressing the current state of U.S. public schooling, not surprising considering his day job as an English teacher. Originally published as columns in his Pennsylvania small-city (pop. 8,000)paper, the collection is a great read--thought-provoking, entertaining, and humorous--regardless of where you grew up.

I found these essays by Peter Greene to be an unmitigated pleasure to read. Incisive, witty and thought-provoking, Greene gets right to the heart of his topics, which range from the mundane to the profound. And, not surprisingly, it's the gritty details - in this case, on topics like small town fiefs and feuds to education to local personal heros - that make these columns so compelling. No fan of Russell Baker, Dave Barry, E.B. White and their ilk will be disappointed with this book. I hope Mr. Greene continues to make his points in print for a long time, and that more collections like this are forthcoming.

This is a good read on schools, managers, hero's, and all the other things that make small towns (and big ones) interesting and funny. If you ever lived in, or know someone who lived in Venango County this is a must have, but most of the references are universal and everyone can enjoy the book (My freinds from Milwaukee did).
I admit to being slightly biased (Did I mention Pete is my brother?) but he has a real job (as a teacher) so if his book doesn't sell I'm still not gonna have to support him.