Nancy W. (pghbookgirl) reviewed Early Bird : A Memoir of Premature Retirement on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
A very funny tale of "retiring" as a young man and living in Florida in a retirement community. He participates in the activities--including shuffleboard, red hats and bridge. Wry, thoughtful and amusing.
Nancy B. (justbucky) reviewed Early Bird : A Memoir of Premature Retirement on + 17 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I loved this book. Rodney Rothman put together a great story about living in a retirement village. It's funny, insightful and just plain fun. Sometimes you just need some comedy to lighten up all those dark dramatic book club reads!
Candy B. (candieb) reviewed Early Bird : A Memoir of Premature Retirement on + 239 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Very funny book - I read this while on vacation with the family so it was the perfect book at the perfect time. As strange as it seems, it makes me want to retire to some old folk's community when I get old and live my life in the sun and play shuffleboard, darn it! I know we can bring it back! I know we can!
Peggy D. (atleast10hats) reviewed Early Bird : A Memoir of Premature Retirement on + 222 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
An amazing book. My 22 year old son loved it, laughing out loud as he read....and I very much enjoyed it too. Truly an intergenerational delight.
Helpful Score: 1
Very funny and honest; also, he is not mean but merely describes what he seems around him.
Suzanne C. (Suzanimals) reviewed Early Bird : A Memoir of Premature Retirement on + 24 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Very funny book. I enjoyed the author's honesty about himself and the people he met.
Dixie K. (kona-dixy) reviewed Early Bird : A Memoir of Premature Retirement on + 27 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Enjoyed the essays. This author is easy to read and has many humane and laugh-out-loud insights into his quirky co-retirees and himself. He brings into the story just enough of his memory of Florida-summer-vacation-with-the-retired-grandparents to enjoy its contrast with his present...predicaments.
Helpful Score: 1
Rodney is 28. Rodney loses his job. Rodney considers going on vacation. Rodney remembers his best vacations--visiting his grandparents at their retirement home in Florida. Rodney decides to retire 40 years early. Just to check it out, you know. He literally moves into a retirement community, renting out a room in an elderly lady's condo. He has a bit of difficulty making friends with his neighbors (they're all pretty friendly until they realize that he isn't anyone's grandson). He joins clubs--lots and lots of clubs. The Newcomers Club, the Not For Women Only Club, the Shuffleboard Club. He makes new friends and is the scared recipient of a seventy-five-year-old woman's come-on (he doesn't go through with it). He finds the foulest-mouthed old woman in the world (and ends up yelling at her). Throughout the six plus months, we go with Rodney as he experiences the world of retirement and does some investigating into his future.
Not as funny as advertised...but are they ever, really? Not a bad memoir, pretty funny at times. It bothered me a bit that he moved to the retirement community with the book idea in mind, so some of it seems a bit contrived. Overall it was a good read--the elderly friends he makes are pretty darn funny sometimes.
Not as funny as advertised...but are they ever, really? Not a bad memoir, pretty funny at times. It bothered me a bit that he moved to the retirement community with the book idea in mind, so some of it seems a bit contrived. Overall it was a good read--the elderly friends he makes are pretty darn funny sometimes.
Carrie N. (clnelson) reviewed Early Bird : A Memoir of Premature Retirement on + 45 more book reviews
Very funny, uplifting, and quick.
Cute story. I work as a nursing assistant in Florida, so I could totally relate.
Jeannie H. (ilovebooksanddogs) -
I really enjoyed this book and found myself relating to a lot of what he wrote about. Florida is my favorite state and when I stay there (usually twice a year) I stay with an older friend who lives in one of these retirement communities and I HAVE met the pool ladies! I have felt how he felt many times with trying to fit in when you stick out like a sore thumb! I found myself rolling more than once. Yes he does talk about being Jewish quite a bit but hey! he IS Jewish..so what? Doesn't take away from the tone of the book or what he was trying to prove to himself. This is a good light read!
Loved it.
