jonscott9 's review for:

Overheard in New York: Conversations from the Streets, Stores, and Subways by S. Morgan Friedman

3.0

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A delightful little jam of a book, chock-full of the (un)usual amuse-bouches we've all come to expect from NYC dwellers, thanks to the eponymous website. Guaranteed to make you feel your city and its own denizens lack chutzpah, wit, flow, and style in their speech. New Yorkers shine, the tourists typically burn, and we all float on all right.

Often I've found that the headlines written by the site/book's keepers are just as funny if not funnier than the quotes themselves. The fan-submitted quotes are often hilarious, sometimes crass, and never dull.

I was gifted this book after a fairly serious car wreck, and blast it if that friend didn't hurt me good, causing me to laugh with my full torso and spine repeatedly. (Thanks for everything, ARose.) Reminds me of a certain Jack Handey-ism: "Papa always said laughter was the best medicine. Guess that's why so many of us died of tuberculosis."

morsels, and hardly the best ones:

ODDLY SATAN LOATHES STEAKS
(A group of punks walks by the Hellenic Steaks restaurant.)
Punk: This restaurant is perfect for me: I love steaks, and I love Satan!

I EAT IN THE THIRD PERSON
Billy: Can anyone help Billy out so Billy can get dinner? Anyone? No? Thanks a lot!
-Taco Bell, Union Square

AT LEAST THEY'LL STOP TAKING AMERICAN JOBS
Girl #1: Have you heard? I read dolphins are committing suicide together in ever larger numbers.
Girl #2: Is that good or bad for us?

THE NUISANCE
Guy: Facts are such a distraction from the essence of what's really happening.


Too true, mate.