Rating:  Summary: I relished this funky French Quarter primer Review: As a "Confederacy of Dunces" freak, Strahan's title caught my eye as I was searching for New Orleans travel books. I recommend this funny, engaging book to anyone who enjoys quirky, colorful (and real life!) characters -- but especially to folks planning a vacation to the Big Easy. Playing straight man, Strahan not only humanizes the vendors who hawk Lucky Dogs for a living, he gives readers a real taste of the Quarter.
Rating:  Summary: Please NOTICE the vendors! Review: Being a frequent visitor to the French Quarter (having been born and bred in Baton Rouge), and violently adoring A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, I was fascinated to read this book, especially as it was written by a historian most well-known for his book on Andrew Jackson Higgins and his development of the LSTs used at Normandy. Strahan's picture of New Orleans nails the truth on the head, but the best part of this immensely entertaining book is the insight one gains into the life of the guys (and gals) who guard the dog carts (with undoubtedly more success than Ignatius himself).
Rating:  Summary: Fun, Entertaining Book Review: Bought this book on a Tuesday night at 9:30PM, was done by midnight the following day (and I had to work that day). Hard to put down.One of the advantages to jobs at the low-end of the labor pool is one comes in contact with such a broader spectrum of characters than in say, a corporate office. You end up with a lot of stories to tell. In this case, most of the characters are the hot dog vendors that the author must try to manage. From vendors who warm their shoes and socks in the bun steamer to the author's own negotiating with loan sharks and pimps on behalf of his employees, this book recounts over 20 years spent hawking dogs in New Orleans' french quarter. A very fun read.
Rating:  Summary: Fun, Entertaining Book Review: Bought this book on a Tuesday night at 9:30PM, was done by midnight the following day (and I had to work that day). Hard to put down. One of the advantages to jobs at the low-end of the labor pool is one comes in contact with such a broader spectrum of characters than in say, a corporate office. You end up with a lot of stories to tell. In this case, most of the characters are the hot dog vendors that the author must try to manage. From vendors who warm their shoes and socks in the bun steamer to the author's own negotiating with loan sharks and pimps on behalf of his employees, this book recounts over 20 years spent hawking dogs in New Orleans' french quarter. A very fun read.
Rating:  Summary: This has everything on it. Review: From the moment I started the book until the end I could not turn the pages fast enough to find out what new character would show up looking for work or who would return. This will whet your appetite for hot dogs until you can get a Lucky Dog.
Rating:  Summary: Life among the lowest strata Review: Having lived, as I did, in Detroit's Cass Corridor for a decade back in the 1980s, this book brought back all the memories of living among the absolute bottom of society. Strahan certainly had a lot of affection for his employees, and it shows in the way he dealt with them and the way he writes about them.
Rating:  Summary: Dahlin', Jerry is telling it for True. Review: I grew up in New Orleans and spent a lot of time in the Quarter eating "Lucky Dogs" aka Bourbon Street Steaks. The characters are not exaggerations. From the shake down cops, to the vendors from Mars, Jerry is tellin' it for true. A visit with these characters is a great way to pass a good time.
Rating:  Summary: Dahlin', Jerry is telling it for True. Review: I grew up in New Orleans and spent a lot of time in the Quarter eating "Lucky Dogs" aka Bourbon Street Steaks. The characters are not exaggerations. From the shake down cops, to the vendors from Mars, Jerry is tellin' it for true. A visit with these characters is a great way to pass a good time.
Rating:  Summary: A Walk on the Wild Side Review: I started to read this book because I am a fan of Confederacy of Dunces, but now I am a fan of Jerry Strahan. Here is a educated man that has lived a life in a world of transients and street people that I will never know. I feel I have had an up close and personal visit to the strange but real world of misfits - hookers, hustlers and folks that will never be my suburban idea of normal. Thanks for the trip.
Rating:  Summary: I LOVE THIS BOOK Review: If you have ever lived in New Orleans, crawled through the French Quarter, and/or eaten a Lucky Dog, you must read this book. As a matter of fact, if you have ever visited New Orleans, ever wanted to, or ever dreamt of going to Mardi Gras, this book will give you a pretty good picture of my favorite city in all it's colorful glory. And anyone who's lived there can tell you -- no way is this guy making this up. If he were, it would be boring. All of my friends who have lived there are getting this book for their birthdays.
|