An inspirational collection of romantic, reflective essays by the author of The Bridges of Madison County celebrate life, explore loss, and meditate on the complex nature of time--past, present, and future. Read by Robert James Waller.
Old Songs in a New Cafe: Selected Essays
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From Publishers Weekly
Waller, whose The Bridges of Madison County has been on PW's bestseller list since August 1992, offers 19 essays about love, life and death, written between 1983 and 1989.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
From Library Journal
In a slow musical drawl, author Waller reads his own collection of essays that were written before he became famous for his novels, The Bridges of Madison County (Audio Reviews, LJ 2/1/93) and Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend (Audio Reviews, LJ 6/15/94). While growing up in a small town in Iowa, Waller became a basketball champion and learned the skills of billiards in an old, smoky pool hall. His essays reflect the lessons learned and the pain, guilt, joy, and gentle humor of an introspective man. Waller muses on turning 50 and catalogs the bittersweet aches of cleaning up the debris of a daughter's childhood. He wonders at the loneliness of the last dusty sea sparrow. His gentle, rolling words and quiet reading, interspersed with a few chords from a guitar, harken back to simpler times and the pleasures of small-town life. Strongly recommended for all popular collections.
Susan B. Lamphier, Somerville P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Susan B. Lamphier, Somerville P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By Leslie C
Format:Paperback
I enjoyed reading this biography of writings by Robert James Waller. I, too, felt he was very similar to Robert Fulghum in his approach to life; a reverence for all that is simple and beautiful in this world. After reading only his fictional works, I gained a deep appreciation of the author himself and am refreshed that someone with a PhD in business can have a soul.
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Waller makes everyday situations so interesting. His essay on Romance is one of my all-time favourite readings. I have passed it on to many newlywed friends. I have read it so many times the pages in my book are dog-eared.
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Several years ago I attempted to read "The Bridges of Madison County" but the mood wasn't right. Eventually, I attempted to listen to it on audiocassette (against my better judgement, as I truly prefer to read the books) and had the opportunity to hear the author read it the way he wanted it to be heard. Finally!! I understood what everyone was talking about! I then acquired all of his other books and slowly but surely tried to get through them between all of my other readings. I truly loved "Puerto Vallarta Squeeze" but put off reading his other books for almost two years. Recently, I sat down and read "Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend" and "Border Music" within a two-day period. I immediately knew that I had to read "Old Songs in A New Cafe" while the mood was still with me.
From the moment that I opened the book I felt as though I was meeting a most incredible person. His essays were truly inspiring! I was impressed by his ability to express his emotions and his thoughts with such ease. While it is commonly surprising for a man to express such thoughts and emotions, there was only one person who came to mind while I read this book: MY FATHER. I thought of him so many times while I read about his romance with his wife and his feelings about his daughter growing up and creating a life for herself. Halfway through the essays, I spoke to my father and explained that the book (that he had purchased for me for Christmas 1995) would be returned to him immediately upon my completion because, of everyone that I know, he is the only one who could TRULY appreciate the enjoyment I received from this book. When he received the book and began reading the essays, he stated to me that Robert James Waller writes the way he thinks and would like to write. He also referred specifically to the essays about Waller's wife and daughter. I have often thought it incredible that authors like Robert James Waller and Nicholas Sparks ("The Notebook") were men because they write with such sensitivity about life and love and yet, it should not be so incredible, because I have a father who proves that many men also live that way!
Thank you Robert James Waller for pointing that out!
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