Memoirs of an Amnesiac

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Summary: More than just a nut case
Review: In this book, the hypochondriac genius of movies, radio, television, and the concert stage delivers all the neurotic humor expected. But the author, a talented writer as well as one of the great pianists of the 20th century, also succeeds at conveying the ambience of the artistic world of the 1920s through 1950s. His insights about his contemporaries, including celebrated conductors, musicians, composers, and actors, are fascinating.

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Summary: a must re-read
Review: Luckily found this among my mother's books, the title caught my eye. When asked about it, my mother laughed softly. I thought, if it can make her laugh it must be funny; well it's the best humor, and I turned to a page and busted out laughing. It's more than that. I read the one I bought from time to time, and there is always a point of feeling I'm in the belly of a beast. Such integrity I'd never known, and never felt I could fit in this world 'til reading "Memoirs of an Amnesiac".

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Summary: The memoirs of an amnesiac, the year 2000
Review: oscar levant is a tragic figure; however, he gives the world-----suffering from its own mental illness-----a "hell" of a lot of hope. he was the player of the :"time" in respect to gershwin's music. his recording of Rhapsody in Blue was a best seller for 10 years. levant was a true music genius; i ,feel, the same could be said for his writing of music, not just the playing of music. he, likewise, could write "words" via his own books, with as much power as his music creations. the greatest "thing" of all was his ability to conquer "depression." i know, myself, how tough it is, because i lost 10 years of my life to the same thing he suffered for most of his life on again and off again. depression, now today, can finally be treated with medicine to restore the "chemical" inbalance which causes the "major" or "severe" depression to give up its hold on a person. besides all of his "wit" in writing, on the t.v. with jack paar, acting in american in paris,etc.-----i think he should be remembered, also, post-humously, for his gallant, personal "fight" to destroy the evils of mental illness, specifically: "depression." a movie of his life should be a project for some director to show the horrors of "deep" depression to much of the world, who to this day do not really understand "it." maybe a movie has been made; i am currently unaware of "one." i would love to play the lead "role" because, of my personal experiences with depression. i would not have to "act" the part; also, my father-----who suffered from depression, was named, strangely enough, "oscar." now would not that be poetic justice; oscar's son playing "oscar." i have read this book(his best, i belive) over 10 times; i can always come back to it when i need to have a great laugh: total recoil-----best chapter in all of book to make you laugh. people you do not have to believe me-----just go buy the book and/or check it out of library, and "go" for it. read it. i hope to run into levant in the "here," after; and listen to his great stories in "person" for the first time, if you get my "drift." till then, i will just have to "wait." but, then, there are probably others, also "waiting," like me.....

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Summary: Purely Levant at his most Witty, Disturbing, and Honest
Review: Oscar Levant's Memior's of an Amnesiac is one of the MUST-READ'S for anybody that enjoys the greatness of wit and wisdom. Levant, throughout the book, is acerbic and sardonic in a brilliant way. His anecdotes come to life marvelously the way he writes, and his biting wit is evident at all times. For instance, the titles of each chapter are laced with his dark-humor (though shockingly revealing of how he feels of himself). Chapters like "Total Recoil", "My Bed of Nails", and "Stand up and Faint". At the same time, the book is achingly disturbing, as he honestly (and avoiding any sugar-coating) tells the stories of his breakdown, his addiction to drugs, and his current mental condition. One cannot help but think that writing it was cathartic for Levant. Levant the musical genius; Levant the tragic figure; Levant the wonderful impudent Wit. All in all Oscar Levant's Memiors of an Amnesiac is a pleasure to read, and a great probe into the mind of the one of the world's greatest characters.

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Summary: Love The Wit!
Review: This book is fun to read, and offers an interesting historical review, from Levant's delightfully twisted view. If Kevin Bacon is six degrees from everyone now, Levant was three in his time. His is simply the most fascinating mind I've had the pleasure of looking into.

I also recommend "The Unimportance Of Oscar", if you can find it (I got my copy from the used book section on Amazon). It's a continuation of the thoughts in this book.

Rating:
Summary: Love The Wit!
Review: This book is fun to read, and offers an interesting historical review, from Levant's delightfully twisted view. If Kevin Bacon is six degrees from everyone now, Levant was three in his time. His is simply the most fascinating mind I've had the pleasure of looking into.

I also recommend "The Unimportance Of Oscar", if you can find it (I got my copy from the used book section on Amazon). It's a continuation of the thoughts in this book.

Rating:
Summary: Laughing All The Way To The Nuthouse...
Review: This has always been one of my favorite books. I recall reading it for the first time as a pre-teen, and chuckling at his OUTRAGEOUS stories. I'm probably among the last generation that remembers this brilliant man, which is a shame. In the days of the great "talk shows", like Jack Paar, etc.., Oscar Levant was always one of the most coveted, and controversial, guests. I remember seeing him on t.v., as a kid, & being fascinated by this odd looking man who, though I quite honestly didn't get 90% of what he was saying, was obviously someone truly unique. This book has all his irreverent humor, the humor even evident in his telling of his long battle with mental illness, and his extreme, then un-named "obsessive-compulsive" disorder. His brutal honesty about his ordeal was unheard of at that time, and was long before the trend of todays celebrities, who do everything but hawk their x-rays on informercials. There's many names in this book that you will recognize, and his telling of his encounters with various celebrities is not always in their favor, and will have you rolling on the floor. He was literally thrown off the air in the 1950's, for a remark he made on a live talk show, pertaining to Marilyn Monroe and her conversion to Judaism, which is recounted in this book, but can't be repeated here. But at the time, the staid 1950's, it must have had the audience awestruck in utter shock at his outrageous (and incredibly humorous) statement. This is just a fabulous book about one of the greatest wits of this century, the man who started out as an incredibly accomplished and respected pianist, he was most known for his rendition of good friend Gershwins "Rhapsody In Blue", and became something more than just a clown. Totally touching, hysterical, and honest, this book will have you falling in love with dear, lost, brilliant Oscar. In todays, for the most part, [dissapointing] "celebrity" climate, we sure could use the likes of him again.