Wednesday, March 25, 2015

MIDWESTERN 21st CENTURY MARK TWAIN? (A BOOK REVIEW)

REVIEW OF "BEST FOOT FORWARD" BY LARRY CROSSETT
HUMORIST LARRY CROSSETT's
 BOOK #1
I think we have found our own Midwestern 21st century “Mark Twain” – right here in Mason City, Illinois, in the form of newspaper reporter/author/graphic designer Larry Crossett!  I usually do not write reviews on every Kindle book I purchase and/or read, but this one brings a ready smile which stays all the way through this very fast read.  The name of the work is “BEST FOOT FORWARD: God Honoring Humor (Midwest Journey).

Derived from a collection of essays, which Larry mentioned were published in several area weekly newspapers, the short chapters are bite sized enough with descriptive expertise for which Midwestern humorists like Twain, Will Rogers and Garrison Keillor have come to be recognized. The humor is both personal, from Crossett’s family life foibles as well as from observation of Midwestern small town and rural life.  

For instance, having seen the environmentally destructive flying Asian carp fish operate in our Midwestern rivers, one gets the same feel of being in the boat on “Redneck Fishing Tournament” days as Huck Finn had on the Mississippi on a raft (chapter on Jumping Fish). Also, the winter of 2015 brought infestation of ants in almost every Midwestern homes and kitchens, due to high water tables. So the chapter on “Ant Infestation” brings a little humor to that real life annoyance. The essay on “ENFIDOL” is an extremely funny satire on medication infomercials (or maybe it wasn’t a satire…hmmm)!


Chapters include titles like ICM not IBM; Amy vs Cat; When Golf Ball Collide and more. This is definitely a fun read to lighten the seriousness of the time, even for an hour or two. Also, fear not – Book 2 – “The Wisdom of Answer Man….More God Honoring Humor” will follow this Spring. All us who love the writings of Mark Twain and now,  his modern day successor, eagerly look forward to that  and more Midwest Journey humor, along the way!

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