Back here, I mentioned that for Christmas my wife had bought me a copy of An Open Book: Coming of Age in the Heartland by Lorain native Michael Dirda. Well, I finally finished it this past weekend and I enjoyed it very much.Although I had planned to review the book for this blog, I'm not going to. (The last book report I wrote was probably about one of the Happy Hollister books!) As a lowly blogger, I'm really not qualified to review a book written by a person who reviews books for The Washington Post for a living – and wins Pulitzer Prizes while doing it!
However, in my next few posts I'll make a few observations about the book from a Lorain nostalgia perspective (I think I can handle that!)
I started reading this book last month, but I got bogged down by his long descriptions off all of the books and comics he has read. I did enjoy his references to Whalens, Central Park...etc.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy sort of a nostalgia book by Don Robertson, "The best thing since sliced bread". Not much reference to Lorain, but of Northern Ohio. Nice story, quick read.
Hoy hoy,
Jeff Rash
Hi Jeff,
ReplyDeleteYes, the book is really about his love of reading and the influences that led him to want to become a book reviewer, as opposed to being a book about Lorain.
I used to think that I was fairly well-read, but after seeing what Durda was already reading as a kid, I feel like your basic uninformed hayseed! (Case in point: the last book I read before this one was an autobiography of "Dead End Kid" Leo Gorcey!)