Niagara Falls All Over Again Audiobook

" This book is in my top 3 of all time. A beautiful piece of work. "

" Sibling rivalry, the rise and fall of Vaudeville, the Great Depression, comic teams, young love, forsaken families, and horrendous guilt. There's a lot going on in this little book, perhaps too much. Still it was a fun read and exciting immersion in an earlier time when people left the comfort of their homes seeking entertainment. "

" The story of a Jewish kid who grew up in Valley Junction, Iowa as the only boy in a large family of sisters. Mose Sharp went on to become the straight man half of a successful comedy team first in vaudeville and then on to radio and early Hollywood movies. The setting is show business, but much of the book has to do with relationships. First we meet Mose as a son and brother and later know him as a friend and comedy partner, husband, and father. Mose is familiar with failure and success, loss and happiness. The book is both funny and poignant at the right times. "

" I read this b/c Ann Patchett mentioned during her talk at the Nashville library that McCracken is the only person allowed to edit her fiction. I love Patchett, so I thought I'd try McCracken. While her style is very different from Patchett, I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I knew the characters at the end and thought about them even after the book was done (for me, that's a sure sign of a good book!). "

" Precise, surprising metaphor and heart-ache are to be expected. What is harder to grasp is the wholly believable premise that the narrator is an aged vaudevillian looking back through the middle 20th century while still managing that unmistakable McCracken tone. A pleasure. Especially poignant if read in conjunction with her "An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination". "

" I didn't finish it. I would have but two books on my library hold list came to me at the same time and I wasn't interested enough in this one to keep reading. "

" It's taking me a while to get into this book but McCracken is fun to read and I'm enjoying it. "

" Got halfway through, it's due back at the library. Right now, it has not engaged me enough to want to take it out again. Maybe when I go on vacation in a few weeks, but for now, I'll leave it unfinished. "

" I loved this book so much. I need to read it again so I can actually give it a worthwhile review. "

" A good story about a Jew from Des Moines who turns down the opportunity to take over his father's men's clothing store & instead becomes the straight man in a comedy team that becomes very popular in the 1940s & 50s. A good, but not great, book with a number of familiar Iowa & Des Moines references. "

" Enjoyable, lagged some in the middle. I liked the subject matter of a comedy duo who rise to success and then break apart. Good for people who appreciate quirky characters. "

" A really beautiful and intricate (but not over-done) portrait of a man who was haunted by sadness, but performed comedy. This is one of my favorite juxtapositions. "

" Again, I'm in love with the sort of relaxed summer reads. This is one of them...well written and with enough umph to keep you going. It's the story of a vaudeville duo that transitions to movies. Typical heartbreak of show business. One holds up the other falls. "

" It took me awhile to get into this book, which is the last in my Elizabeth McCracken kick. For whatever reason the characters and story were not as compelling to me as The Giant's House. However, I liked the time period of the novel and learning more about Vaudeville and early Hollywood. "

" Elizabeth McCaracken is a very lyrical author. Her writing is almost like poetry at times. This was an engaging book with very likable and interesting characters. My only complaint is with the end of the book, which seemed lacking. "

" I thought this book was just lovely. It took a bit to get into the reminiscent story-telling style but I truly enjoyed this fictional memoir of an Iowa boy turned straight man in a comedy duo in the early part of the 20th century. "

" This book was slow, but I loved it. "

" Amazing epic story of a comic team's rise to success from the thirties on through to the sixties. Loved it. Thanks to Jason for reminding me to put this and "The Giant's House" on my read list. Five stars again, my friend! "

" The first third of the book is rather slow and has a few too many details about vaudeville for my taste. But the book picks up and the protagonist grew on me. I think that some of the cultural details of the 40s and 50s might be enjoyable for my parents' generation. "

" This just happened to push all my story buttons - love and dysfunctional families, the thin to disappearing line between love and the closest partnerships/frienships, to name a few - and it was funny and amusing and yet broke my heart in several ways "

" Really slow start, but there is a good story worth the read. "

" I was not in the mood to read this book when I started it, but liked it well enough to revisit it later. "

" Heartbreaking. This book was lucky to have had such a talented author to take its story down. "

" My friend and librarian, Sara Ferris, got me to read The Giant's House years ago. Browsing at te EL library, I found McCracken's third book. It's beautifully crafted and surprising as well as a peek at the lives of people I've never been. Loved it! "

" Elizabeth McCaracken is a very lyrical author. Her writing is almost like poetry at times. This was an engaging book with very likable and interesting characters. My only complaint is with the end of the book, which seemed lacking. "

" Reads like a memoir of a man from Iowa trying to break into show biz from vaudeville to movies, ages 18 to 90. All his struggles as a B performer, straight man, trying to escape his family, yet prove himself to them, especially his father. Interesting read. "

" very very good, heartbreaking at times, as well as funny "

" Got halfway through, it's due back at the library. Right now, it has not engaged me enough to want to take it out again. Maybe when I go on vacation in a few weeks, but for now, I'll leave it unfinished. "

" A wonderful read - very vivid characters, intriguing lives. Reminds me of Kavalier and Klay. "

" Very good story of a complicated relationship. "

" This book was slow, but I loved it. "

" A very enjoyable book with writing that is almost edible. The style is clever, profound, and thorough. "

" This was a sweet book. It really seemed like an autobiography. I remember seeing an episode of This is Your Life with Laurel and Hardy, and they were downright cruel to Mr. Hardy. This book brought me behind the scenes to what I'll imagine was a very similar experience. "