I wish I could kiss him, if only to get closer to his brain

books:

	• Between the Bridge and the River Craig Ferguson Chronicle Books, 2007 - 336 pages average customer review:based on 82 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

I wish I could kiss him, if only to get closer to his brain

The kiss/brain thing isn't my idea. It's Carrie Fisher's. She mentioned it, if a bit more graphically, to a British newspaper. But it does bring up an issue with Between the Bridge and the River. Its author is so funny, sexy and smart, so damned appealing, that one starts the book hoping it is fantastic. Fortunately, it is fantastic--in the sense that it's a great read and in the literal sense that much of the story is fantasy. It careens, sometimes crudely, sometimes romantically, between past and present, venality and sacrifice, magic and reality, flesh and spirit, fact and fiction. It brilliantly, profoundly relates all its characters and all its themes while lightly poking fun at Starbucks and Hollywood. His characters, and there are many, are individuals. It was only upon reflection I realized how precisely, how economically Ferguson conveys their very essence. His mind is like a laser-guided missile when it comes to character development. Minimum of fuss. Deadly accuracy.

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Fasten your seatbelt

This is one of the craziest books I have ever read! In a good way - There is nothing sacred in Craig Ferguson's 1st outing - You are laughing from not believing what you just read, only to start again at the next lines - No stone unturned - just what I'd expect from Craig Ferguson.

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genius

Craig Ferguson must be a genius, and I don't know what he is doing kissing-up to Hollywood when he can write like this!

This book is compelling - you can't put it down. I fell asleep reading it, and only because I read for 8 straight hours after a full day of work. I was disappointed that I could not finish it in one sitting, it was that compelling.

The characters are all fully-developed, even the ones who just tangentally pass by the action. Their lives are full of realistic and unrealistic tricks and turns, just like real life, only better. The dream and unconscious (or subconscious) sequences are great, Ferguson demonstrates such a rich and rare imagination! No wonder he said in an interview that he would have gone crazy had he not let this book out of his head! How could he have kept this all inside for all these years?

The writing is great. My only complaint is that very few of the characters had accents, and I would have thought that more of the characters had them. But often accents are not characterized in American literature anymore because Americans don't get the dialog if it isn't formally spelled out for them. I would have liked to have "heard" Fraser's accent, George's accent, those of the Southerners, T. Bo's accent, etc.

I started out "hearing" the narrative in Ferguson's voice, but I realized after a couple of hours that it became more than just a book by Craig Ferguson, actor and late-night host, it became a work of art with a voice all its own.

I especially love how he can jump ahead in time and tell you the conclusion of a tale that goes beyond the range of the time period of the book, without disrupting the narrative (he also does this with background information that goes back beyond the start of the time frame of the book). It's like a conversation, and he answers almost all of your unspoken questions, or ones you would never have thought to ask but are glad he thought to answer them. It is just genius.

I highly recommend this book, it is worth buying in hardcover and as one reviewer suggested, reading again and again. Let your friends and family (the ones you like) read it, but don't lend it out to anyone who won't give it back to you!

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Very Profound!

In my opinion, this is a book to be read as you would read parables about life's experiences. It needs to be read more than once and with a view to the redemption that comes through understanding. Most people get this when they read with an open mind, but in some reviews where they focus on one line or make derogatory comments about the author's personal life struggles, it speaks to exactly why the very profoundness of this work of literature is misunderstood by those reviewers. This was not intended to be an extension of his talk show. It was quest for healing and learning about life, knowledge, relationships and spirituality. There were lessons about love and life which I responded to with tears and laughter, at the same time.

The author shows amazing knowledge of language, people and his own personal growth. The story takes you on the road of abuse, anger and bad decisions to a love that in his own dedication to his son is "too big to run" away from. I urge readers to give this book a chance to give you a wild ride that ends in a surprisingly right place.

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My guilty pleasure for the week ...

I very much enjoyed Craig Ferguson's book "Between the Bridge and the River". We can call it my guilty pleasure for the week. I read it in two days, reluctant to put it down.

Craig skilfully weaves multiple storylines that intersect with the slight-of-hand skill of a magician. He dangles multiple storylines before the readers' eyes like shinny fishing lures that captures the attention of the reader like a flexible string dangled in front of a cat and then pulled away and then put in front of the cat again. You want to know more and are happy when you get more of the storylines, and with a jugglers' skill he keeps all the storylines in the air.

Entertaining. And as a pleasant surprise side-affect it encourages you to question perspectives and how they influence your choices and your level of appreciation for what you have at different stages of your life.

It is a wonderful blend of story telling, mystery, comedy, a touch of love story/romance/with some war scenes for balance in a slightly religious wizard of oz kind of way - definitely for adult eyes only as some of the casual references and some of the languages used are not for sanitized ears or the faint of heart.

I'm 40, S/W/F, and I think it is likely to be equally enjoyable by both men and women (even if it may take you out of your comfort range a wee bit once in a while).

Two-thumbs up. Congrats to Craig, and by the way an eye-catching first line. I look forward to the next novel. Enjoy ... I hear everything's going to be all right.

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reviews: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, page 14, 15, 16, 17

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