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4.5
LOVE this book - the writing style is superb. I saw the movie and then just had to read the book, now one of my favorites. You will not be disappointed.This memoir touched my soul. So well written, it was easy to capture the author's message and feelings. Anyone who was raised in a single parent home with a family of many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends maybe even closer than family will find a wealth of experiences written to remind oneself of personal experiences while growing and maturing.An adventure like we all want to take, spending our time with larger than life people in places so colorful as to be practically psychedelic.And then of course taking the fall we all take, down to the place we all know we’re going, back to ourselves, just alone. But so much richer for taking the journey.It’s not about A Life Well-lived as much as it is about A Life Examined.And boy, do we examine it in The Tender Bar.And JR’s life is worth examining, as are our own. If we will just pause long enough to look.Love this book. Thank you for sharing, JR. I refuse to use the dots.Moehringer is a gripping writer. Am not sure if this is his “biography” but the open, honest sharing of his thoughts, feelings and experiences of life swept me totally along and away. Enjoy!JR Moehringer’s memoir reads like a novel, a Bildungsroman (do you mind if I say Bildungsroman? There’s an inside joke for you that you will get after you read the book.) that gives the reader an intimate glimpse into the life of a boy who grows up in Manhasset, New York. More specifically, the book tells of his relationship with the bar that plays an integral part in his formative years. I watched the film based on the book before I read it, and, of course, the film is just a small slice of the story, and has been subjected to artistic interpretation. The film is good, but the book is SO good. The people and settings from Moehringer’s life come alive on the pages. There are parts that are incredibly funny and parts that are incredibly sad. The epilogue is especially sad and something I can relate to as I am getting older. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good memoir or who loved the movie and wants to find out more.The movie doesn't do this book justice. Read it you will enjoy it immensely. Amazing stories and I hope they were true. LolI didn't care much for the story but the author's skill in keeping my interest was amazingI ordered this by mistake and although Jodi Picoult is a phenomenal author I just could not stomach another shooter/hostage situation. So I have passed it on. However, Jodi is such a wonderful researcher and writer that for someone less emotional about the topic I am sure that it delivers both truth, and a surprise ending as most of her books do.When I watched a film which George Clooney had directed , I was sated by its gentle but heartfelt depth.The book is another dimension and with the read.It’s written in a style which is unusual for the present , with punctuation to make to read, and then think before savouring the prose and its meaning.I have recommended this book to friends before I completed reading the total volume.It’s that good!!!I had never heard of J.R. Moehringer until a couple of weeks ago when a library blog recommended his novel It might be of interest to know how I stumbled on this book. Through Andre Agassi's biography 'Open'. I have a habit of looking at the end of book just to check if there is a bibliography or some other info page (This is because of reading many Chess books..index of openings & players comes very handy). So I happened to find 'Acknowledgement' page at the end (Kindle edition). Andre has taken help of J.R. Moehringer so much so that he wanted Mr. Moehringer to take the authorship. So this intrigued me & during lunch time in office I found this book on Amazon.Some pages were available for sample reading. I read them & realised that before starting 'Open' I had to finish this book. I liked JR's wrting style. He makes writing seem easy. I went through the whole range of emotions while reading it. The way he finds words or words find him ( as he says)is fabulous. Many a times his justification/s for doing or not doing a thing seem plausible just because of his writing.I wonder how can one be so frank about his life. This book is tender, candid & worth a read.I read this book because I had heard that it was Steffie Graff's favorite. I was just curious why she thought so. And it did not disappoint me. I read and read (it is very long!) and did not lose interest whatsoever. Why! it was the author's first novel! and so good! incredible. It straightaway had this authentic ring. You felt that all he said was true. Even the long,long time until JR finds himself can be endured although I lost my patience with him when he took such a long time to get away from the seedy world he loved so much. But I must also remind myself that this world was his backbone that sustained him from childhood and he had to find something else in its place. He searched for this in other people but eventually realized it had to come from within himself .Very acceptable prose, smooth,rolling along. I will read his other books! J.SA beautifully written, honest, absorbing and enchanting memoir. A story about childhood, manhood, and that space in between. Much better than the film, and I enjoyed that too!
