Helpful Score: 6
I really enjoyed this book. The recolection of a childhood hazed by alcoholic relatives as well as a cloud over the writers memory was quite clear. Everyone wants a place you can go and feel like it is your family. This guy found that at a local bar.
Helpful Score: 6
What a stunning memoir this is - heartfelt, overflowing, with longing, topped off with joy... This book was too sad for me, but very well written,
Helpful Score: 4
JR does well at capturing the personalities of the corner bar that pretty much raised him. His reporter's sense keeps the narrative pretty much just the facts, ma'am, but they're pretty fascinating facts, especially for those who have a Friends bar they, too, call almost home.
Helpful Score: 4
A good read, but I was ready for it to be over long before the end of the book. I find the author to be a bit self-serving, especially concerning the obsession with his name, but all in all it's a good book.
Helpful Score: 3
I really enjoyed this memoir - this man has a big heart and great perspective on family, friends and all the "characters" he grew up with.
Helpful Score: 3
This memoir was beautifully written! I feel like i became friends with the caracters, i hate to see them leave my shelf!
Helpful Score: 3
I loved this book. The way the author writes about his uncle is really very funny. He really made him come alive on the pages. If you enjoy reading memoirs, this one is among the better ones out there.
Helpful Score: 3
When I ordered this book, I expected to like it. I loved it. It made me laugh out loud a few times and the characters totally captivated me. Well written and full of little gems that I will remember. I highly recommend this.
Helpful Score: 3
I've had this book on my TBR list for a year and just finished it in a marathon weekend reading session. The author does a wonderful job of describing the area where he grew up, his family and the group of men from the barroom who raised him in the absence of his father. One of the best memoirs I've read in a long time.
Helpful Score: 2
I really enjoyed this story and find myself thinking about the main character on regular basis. I look forward to more books from this author.
Helpful Score: 2
J.R. Moehringer grew up fatherless in Manhasset, Long Island and his memoir is an ode to the bar that he kind of credits with raising him. Moehringer overcame humble beginnings to attend Yale and then Harvard, and to work at the New York and Los Angeles Times. Even so, this book read to me like a list of every time he went out drinking, and everything everybody said at the bar at each one of these outings. The other theme of the book, the spelling and source of his name (with dots or without, Junior or namesake, etc), did not fascinate me any more than the bar premise.
Moehringer is a great writer, a lot of what he wrote was beautiful, and sensitive, especially about what it's like for a boy growing up without a father. I couldn't tell if he was trying to make me cringe when he went on and on about his early sexcapades or college essays, or if it was unintentional. Nevertheless I would've appreciated a shorter version of this book, with less detail about him pissing away opportunities, and less rapturing about how divine some bar was. Sometimes when I read memoirs I think "this guy is not as fascinating as he thinks he is," and this is definitely one of those cases.
Moehringer is a great writer, a lot of what he wrote was beautiful, and sensitive, especially about what it's like for a boy growing up without a father. I couldn't tell if he was trying to make me cringe when he went on and on about his early sexcapades or college essays, or if it was unintentional. Nevertheless I would've appreciated a shorter version of this book, with less detail about him pissing away opportunities, and less rapturing about how divine some bar was. Sometimes when I read memoirs I think "this guy is not as fascinating as he thinks he is," and this is definitely one of those cases.
Helpful Score: 2
This was one of those books that I was sorry to see end. It's full of fascinating characters; some wonderful-some jerks. Moehringer survived an impoverished childhood and an absent father by surrounding himself with a whole group of "father-figures", the denizens of a neighborhood bar.Not only does he learn how to be a man, he sees the type of man he does NOT want to emulate.
Do yourself a favor and read it. It's all there-charm,heartbreak,humor and hope.
Do yourself a favor and read it. It's all there-charm,heartbreak,humor and hope.
Helpful Score: 1
This was a fairly melancholy story for me. The main character tells his tale of the impact his uncle and the guys who hang around their local bar have on his life. Drinking is a big part of it all, not just the quick drink after work with good friends so much as the guzzling all night variety. It felt like a sad way to grow up to me, and I found myself wanting the book to be done although for some reason I kept reading. Not my favorite by a long shot. It is a true story.
Helpful Score: 1
This book was rich - should be a classic or a movie. Made me wanna buy a Sinatra album. Maybe I still will. Oh man...and the author...how gorgeous are those eyes? Can't believe anyone ever dumped him!
Helpful Score: 1
One of my favorite memoirs. It is honest throughout and always interesting, even through the parts that are a bit depressing.
Helpful Score: 1
Sweet book. Read this for our book club. Poignant. I laughed, cried, got mad and couldn't quit reading! Not the type for my first pick, but really glad I was encouraged to read this.
Helpful Score: 1
I truly enjoyed this story. Every time Moehringer talked about being in The Bar, I felt as though I was there. He has a great, easy to follow writing style.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a coming of age story. As a bartender myself, I thought that I would identify with some of the characters. I did, but not to the extend I would have hoped. Although very self-serving I enjoyed this book. In the end I starting caring for the main character.
Helpful Score: 1
I liked this book...the characters come alive, JR actually grows up in a bar. He has the men in the bar as surrogate fathers..very good book.
Loved it.
Well done. Very personal.
Loved it, loved it, loved it......try...enjoy!
Good memoir!
One of the best books I have ever read. His writing is so good that I was even willing to read a piece he did on a boxer which I thought would be extremely boring but with Moehringer doing the writing, it was wonderful as well. Willie Sutton was another book he wrote and that too was enjoyable. This guy has quite a gift. I guess I should be glad he doesn't pump stuff out every year but I am starving for more.
Extremely well-written, compelling, funny and yet poignant at times. Loved it!
Didn't read it, couldn't get into it.
