Rating: 
Summary: Laughing Out Loud
Review: Jim Mullen (known for his ascerbic and clever "Hot Sheet" column in Entertainment Weekly magazine) has written a very, very funny account of his indoctrination into a rural community in upstate New York. Mullen and spouse experience the horrors and, ultimately, the joys of life outside the crowded, dirty, and crime-ridden Big Apple when they buy a weekend home. The culture clashes between uber-urbanite (Mullen) and the farming community makes "Green Acres" look like an O'Neill drama. I read it in one sitting and couldn't stop laughing. I hope there is a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Laughing Out Loud
Review: Jim Mullen (known for his ascerbic and clever "Hot Sheet" column in Entertainment Weekly magazine) has written a very, very funny account of his indoctrination into a rural community in upstate New York. Mullen and spouse experience the horrors and, ultimately, the joys of life outside the crowded, dirty, and crime-ridden Big Apple when they buy a weekend home. The culture clashes between uber-urbanite (Mullen) and the farming community makes "Green Acres" look like an O'Neill drama. I read it in one sitting and couldn't stop laughing. I hope there is a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: A must read - especially for Upstate New Yorkers.
Review: Jim Mullen has written a truly wonderful book. Being a native of the Catskill Mountain area in which he writes, I felt he not only showed the humor of his experiences but did so in a way as not to downgrade those of us who have lived here our whole lives.I love that he not only uses humor but also shows an appreciation for the beauty and quaintness of the area. I especially liked that it is written so anyone...no matter where they live can visualize the settings. Thank you Mr. Mullen for an enjoyable read about the area in which I live.
Rating:
Summary: A must read - especially for Upstate New Yorkers.
Review: Jim Mullen has written a truly wonderful book. Being a native of the Catskill Mountain area in which he writes, I felt he not only showed the humor of his experiences but did so in a way as not to downgrade those of us who have lived here our whole lives. I love that he not only uses humor but also shows an appreciation for the beauty and quaintness of the area. I especially liked that it is written so anyone...no matter where they live can visualize the settings. Thank you Mr. Mullen for an enjoyable read about the area in which I live.
Rating:
Summary: GD flatlanders!!!
Review: Jim Mullen's "It Takes A Village Idiot" recounts an entertaining and insightful journey from mid-town Manhattan to the village of "Walleye in Catskills County," a fictitious analog of some genuine place three hours north of urban civilization. Mullen is riotously out of place up in rural dairy farm country and maintains a suitably haute attitude about his rustic neighbors, for a year anyway. But then come the telling clues in his narrator's voice -- and the "weekend" travel schedule which has morphed into driving up on Thursday night to return on Tuesday night. Something is definitely happening here. How can a 'flatlander" remain so defined if he's only spending one day a week there? Short answer: He can't. The trouble is that his surroundings seem as protean as he. I was glad for this psychological movement, the growth of self from experiences, that sets this fun and funny read apart from Sedaris' flat "Me Talk Pretty One Day." Here are two NY writers, one feebly snide and sniggering about anything that isn't "Big Apple," the other maturely confident enough to acknowledge the good and the bad in all arenas. You will laugh out loud many, many times -- particularly if you have much time and energy invested in NYC. And, last, don't you just love that title!
Rating:
Summary: GD flatlanders!!!
Review: Jim Mullen's "It Takes A Village Idiot" recounts an entertaining and insightful journey from mid-town Manhattan to the village of "Walleye in Catskills County," a fictitious analog of some genuine place three hours north of urban civilization. Mullen is riotously out of place up in rural dairy farm country and maintains a suitably haute attitude about his rustic neighbors, for a year anyway. But then come the telling clues in his narrator's voice -- and the "weekend" travel schedule which has morphed into driving up on Thursday night to return on Tuesday night. Something is definitely happening here. How can a 'flatlander" remain so defined if he's only spending one day a week there? Short answer: He can't. The trouble is that his surroundings seem as protean as he. I was glad for this psychological movement, the growth of self from experiences, that sets this fun and funny read apart from Sedaris' flat "Me Talk Pretty One Day." Here are two NY writers, one feebly snide and sniggering about anything that isn't "Big Apple," the other maturely confident enough to acknowledge the good and the bad in all arenas. You will laugh out loud many, many times -- particularly if you have much time and energy invested in NYC. And, last, don't you just love that title!
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining!
Review: Mullen has a wonderful sense of humor. He draws you in to his strange little world. He starts in NYC and moves out to the countryside. Reading between the lines there are some great lessons worth taking to heart about living one's life to the fullest. It's a sort of auto-biography but it doesn't read like one. A wonderful, funny, and endearing story that keeps your attention and is easy to read. I eagerly await the next one!
Rating:
Summary: Funny
Review: This book just oozes sarcasm. No, wait, it GUSHES...Mullen is the writer of the "Hot Sheet" in Entertainment Weekly magazine. As you can imagine, this isn't exactly serious literature, but if you need a break from everything, this book is perfect. It's only about 200 easy-to-read pages, and there's a belly laugh awaiting you at about every third page (and several chuckles in between). Mullen, a die-hard Manhattanite, goes through a sea change in his life when his wife buys a farm in the Catskills "because she quit smoking and needed something to do with her hands."
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