Closing Time: A Memoir Audiobook

" I enjoyed every word of this bittersweet memoir. Plagued by a brutal, alcoholic father, and a childhood lived in humiliating povery, Queenan, the survivor, kept his spirit alive. If you are from Philadelphia, this book will bring back a lot of memories both good and bad. I learned that working class Olney was a hotbed of Nazi sympathy and many other salient facts. "

" I started reading this book a long time ago. I really thought it was going to be good. Unfortunately, Joe Queenan could not hold my interest. Last ...moreI started reading this book a long time ago. I really thought it was going to be good. Unfortunately, Joe Queenan could not hold my interest. Last night I finally sat down and forced -- yes forced -- myself to finish it. It's too bad because I think Joe Queenan's life could make for an interesting story. He just didn't do it justice.(less) "

" Great memoir of an Irish American kid growing up in Philadelphia. "

" Like Frank McCourt in Angela's Ashes, Joe Queenan is an Irishman who describes the challenges of childhood poverty and a reprobate father. Cynical, iconoclastic, impressively learned, mercilessly honest, and utterly fascinating. I couldn't put it down. "

" Mostly I enjoyed this book for the descriptions of Philadelphia. I disagreed with his style of attributing any unique quality as a result of being Irish-Catholic, which seems almost lazy at the frequency he did it. The vast majority of the book is about his relationship with his abusive father, and that storyline was less compelling to me than the one of Philadelphia in the 50s. Overall though, it was well written and I dog-eared some pages for the interesting sentiment. "

" Really good story but with a record number of trite phrases, woven into lots of off-putting overwriting. Queenan is a better writer than this but I'm still glad I read it . . . "

" Terrific memoir by Joseph Queenan who makes understandable the development of defensive cynicism to get through a hard life and to finally escape it. "

" Queenan is a journalist first and a memoirist second, but he has a sharp wit and refreshing candor. I especially enjoyed his un-pc take on AA and the 12 steps. "

" Sweet memoir about his childhood in Philly. "

" Joe can turn a phrase beautifully. "

" Wonderful audiobook- not sure I would have enjoyed reading it in regular format- "

" I just couldn't get into this book. After 50 pages of really trying to figure out why, I gave up. It seemed monotonous and moved to slowly for me to continue. "

" Great book! Joe Queenan is a phenomenal writer and I know that's a huge reason that I enjoyed this book so much. The story of Joe growing up in poverty with an alcoholic father is quite sad but the relationship that he built with his father was unexpected. "

" spoke to me, as I, too, am irish-american and had a shitty dad. but it devolved toward the end into boomer corniness. sorry you missed woodstock, joe, but at least you have your jewel-like children. "

" gifted language skills - both in vocal & literary tools & tricks. Considering the mass of it is one sad sad sad story of a family terrorized by a abusive & drunken father, done so entertainingly and with memorable insights. "

" Just finished, love Joe even when he uses words like brobindingian. "

" An American Angela's Ashes. Once again we learn that the phrase "pathological Irish" is a tautology. Joe Queenan uses his wicked tongue to excise the cancer of his upbringing. Yet amusing. "

" For me, it was THAT good. "

" So far, I'm loving the gorgeous writing. And the fact that I'm learning new words every other page. Only about halfway through. "

" Joe Queenan grew up in dire poverty with an alcoholic abusive father and an emotionally distant mother. And he lived to tell us his story. I found the book compelling. "

" I appreciated some of his keen observations about human nature and his language, however I found it extremely repeptitive. "

" Joe can turn a phrase beautifully. "

" ah, this one hit rather close to home. didn't want to put this one down. "

" spoke to me, as I, too, am irish-american and had a shitty dad. but it devolved toward the end into boomer corniness. sorry you missed woodstock, joe, but at least you have your jewel-like children. "

" Well written, but hard to read. Such a painful childhood. "

" Queenan is a journalist first and a memoirist second, but he has a sharp wit and refreshing candor. I especially enjoyed his un-pc take on AA and the 12 steps. "

" Queenan doesn't like anybody much which makes him pretty unlikable himself. He doesn't like the class he rose from and he doesn't like the class he rose to. He seems to like only the Joe Queenan class. "

" Really good story but with a record number of trite phrases, woven into lots of off-putting overwriting. Queenan is a better writer than this but I'm still glad I read it . . . "

" This was an interesting read - but I felt like sometimes he didn't give enough examples - esp his early relationship w/ his father. W/out giving spoilers - I thought the ending was really heart-warming, and I was happy for Joe, the author. "