Lost in Yonkers

Rating:
Summary: misunderstood
Review: I thought this book was dumb. It never had a plot or a big punc to it. I needed there to be some more action to it.

Rating:
Summary: Heartfelt
Review: I was pleasantly surprised by Lost in Yonkers. The story touched my heart without being pretentious. Neil Simon is one of the best modern playwrights who has the heart of Miller and the inventiveness of Mamet.

Rating:
Summary: Lost in Yonkers
Review: Lost in Yonkers is a play by Neil Simon. I gave it four stars because it's and easy to read, easy to understand, interesting book. It's a story about two young boys, Artie and Jay and their father Eddie. The boys mother dies of cancer and the family is left without any money and very much in debt. Eddie had spent all of their money trying to keep their mother alive. He owed money and didn't have a job. He only had one option. To leave his children with their strict, and non-affectionate grandmother, and their challenged aunt, while he leaves in search for a job. The children beg their father not to leave them, but he feels he has no other choice. So Eddie leaves for 10 months and the children struggle to get along with their grandmother. They think of running away with their uncle who is trying to escape from the mob. The only way they have contact with their father is through letters. Some of their obstacles include having to work in their grandmothers store so that they can eat dinner. Having to get up and eat bad soup when they're sick. To help their uncle in not letting the mob know where he is. They have to deal with two very strange aunts. They also have to suffer when they make mistakes. They are not allowed to cry. These children hardly get a normal childhood. Throughout the many challenges in this story, you are bound to get hooked.
I am very interested in seeing this as a play. I was very impressed with the liveliness of each of the characters. They were so easy to visualize, I almost felt as if I was them while I was reading this story. I think that seeing this as a play would be interesting because I have my idea on how the characters look and act, I wonder what they will look like in a play. And for the animation this story holds I give it four out of five stars. Go find out for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Lost in Yonkers
Review: Lost in Yonkers is a play by Neil Simon. I gave it four stars because it's and easy to read, easy to understand, interesting book. It's a story about two young boys, Artie and Jay and their father Eddie. The boys mother dies of cancer and the family is left without any money and very much in debt. Eddie had spent all of their money trying to keep their mother alive. He owed money and didn't have a job. He only had one option. To leave his children with their strict, and non-affectionate grandmother, and their challenged aunt, while he leaves in search for a job. The children beg their father not to leave them, but he feels he has no other choice. So Eddie leaves for 10 months and the children struggle to get along with their grandmother. They think of running away with their uncle who is trying to escape from the mob. The only way they have contact with their father is through letters. Some of their obstacles include having to work in their grandmothers store so that they can eat dinner. Having to get up and eat bad soup when they're sick. To help their uncle in not letting the mob know where he is. They have to deal with two very strange aunts. They also have to suffer when they make mistakes. They are not allowed to cry. These children hardly get a normal childhood. Throughout the many challenges in this story, you are bound to get hooked.
I am very interested in seeing this as a play. I was very impressed with the liveliness of each of the characters. They were so easy to visualize, I almost felt as if I was them while I was reading this story. I think that seeing this as a play would be interesting because I have my idea on how the characters look and act, I wonder what they will look like in a play. And for the animation this story holds I give it four out of five stars. Go find out for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Recommended to the legions of Neil Simon enthusiasts
Review: One of Neil Simon's classic dramas, Lost In Yonkers is set in 1942 Yonkers, New York and centers on Jay and Arty, two boys (ages 13 and 16) who must spend one year with their rather austere and quite demanding grandmother while war rages in Europe. Here is a family of memorable and eccentric characters that can be identified within most families and assortments of kinfolk. The Los Angles Theatre Works cast under the direction of John Rubinstein does full justice in this radio play adaptation of Neil Simon's Pultizer Prize and Tony Award-winning play. This superbly recorded audiobook edition of Lost In Yonkers is very highly recommended to the legions of Neil Simon enthusiasts and fans.

Rating:
Summary: Fine if you like Neil Simon
Review: Start with a colorful group of Jewish characters, add a desperate financial situation, throw in some unfullfilled dreams and a couple old resentments, and wackiness ensues...

The play has some laughs, but most are at the expense of the humanity of the characters. The action seems to be driven more by Simon's attempt to make the characters "colorful" rather than to pursue deeper meaning. For example, Aunt Gert's overly-contrived speech impediment, introduced early for a cheap laugh, grows tiresome when she has extended lines in the second half. She is not a person -- she's "neurotic character B."

I listened to the play on CD. Perhaps the director felt that forced accents and overacting were necessary for an audio recording, but I found the lack of subtlety grating. If you don't already like other work by Neil Simon, I don't think this will change your mind.

Rating:
Summary: Superb.
Review: This play is a true classic. It is different from Neil Simons other largely succesful plays, because of it's serious undertones; though it does not lack comedy. It takes place in the 1940's Yonkers, NY. Two boys whos' mother died recently of cancer move in with their grandmother while their father tries to pay off his debt by going around selling scrap iron in the south. The family is genuinely messed up, between simple yet sweet Bella, Henchman Louie, Gert who cannot speak without sucking in half of her sentence, and Eddie (the father of the two boys) who is rather weak; the boys have quite a family. But none of these characters are any bit as overwhelming as Jay and Arty's german grandmother, who was brought up strictly and brought her children up in such a way that there is something wrong with all of them.

Yet, this play also has a bright side. The character of Arty has some wonderful oneliners; for instance:

"Jay: He had an uncle in Poland who died. He left the money in the will to Pop.

Arty: You think the Germans would let some Jew in Poland send nine thousand dollars to some Jew in Alabama?"

This line, if properly delivered is funny, yet poigniant. I strongly suggest that you read it; and if you get the chance, see it live. A heart-wrenching coming of age story about the search for independence and how the past can influence your life forever.