Joel Samberg

Almost like Praying by Joel Samberg—an Early reader review

This is the story of a competitive woman who can not (or will not) see the strengths in her own family. She marries a man who loves her, but he is not the professional she wanted in a spouse. She controls the house design, she is embarrassed by her daughter’s dubious success, she drives one son away and is acutely aware of another child’s physical limitations. She cpmpares them to her sisters’ kids. Only when she accepts the responsibility of raising an incredibly gifted grandchild does she start to grow. Better late than never, I guess.
This read was a struggle for me—I really did not like her character and I could not identify with her. I also was sensitive to the fact that this prickly woman was written from a male point of view.
I am sure others may appreciate the story—it just fell short for me.… (plus d'informations)

A wide-ranging, finely-detailed story of an Irish-American family's coming of age in the latter part of the twentieth century. The primary focus of the book is mother Dolores, weighed down by inherited expectations and ambition: "The Farrells...carry themselves with distinction and therefore are favored in the eyes of the Lord." As she marries, leaves home, and has children of her own, her aspirations to 'American royalty' shape and cramp the family - but life fails to co-operate with Dolores' plans.
Most of us know a Dolores - always bewailing a glass half-full - but this story, without being twee or saccharine, gives hope that despite all that life can throw at us, joy can indeed break through in the most unexpected ways.
The only gripe I had with 'Almost Like Praying' was the 'frame' around the story, where the supposed writer explains his intentions. The style of this was so far removed from the elegance and simplicity of the rest of the book that it felt like an intrusion. That aside, this is a beautifully observed tale, and I was glad to have read it.
Received from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program in return for an honest review.… (plus d'informations)

Some Kind of Lonely Clown... by Joel Samberg is not, by his own admission, a biography. If the reader keeps that in mind then this can be an enjoyable book.

This is a tribute to Karen (and to some extent the group Carpenters) and as such it is mostly recollections from individuals, quotes from interviews and television shows as well as some of Samberg's own memories. He does a bit of trying to make sense of her life by expressing his ideas based on the information he collected. As with any conjecture, especially when it concerns a beloved artist like Karen, it will elicit strong feelings of either agreement or opposition. While this helps maintain the relatively informal tone of the book it also needs to be understood as a fan attempting to come to some kind of understanding of how such a talent could leave us so soon.

This really is best suited to either casual fans of the Carpenters or readers who can read opinions they may or may not agree with without perceiving it as some kind of attack on an idol. Enjoy it for what it is or, if you are a devoted fan, allow another fan (Samberg in this case) to ponder this wonderful but far too short life.

Reviewed from an ARC made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (plus d'informations)