Old Songs in a New Cafe : Selected Essays

Rating:
Summary: Some early work by Waller to keep the fans happy !!
Review: After having read Bridges of Madison County & Slow Waltz at Cedar Bend, I found this book quite lacking in depth. The stories are too personal for my liking, eg. where he describes his daughter moving out of home. I did not seem to find any "content" in that one - it read more like a father writing an essay for personal solace, than a piece of literature !! The inclusion of Waller's speech to graduates seemed oddly out of place. It was interesting, but hard to grasp whilst reading in bed - perhaps a graduating speach is best read at a graduation, not sold to the public like some cheap piece of commercialism. There are some gems in this collection however - The story about Roadcat was warm and touching, similarly the one about the Burma airpilot - these had hidden "messages" which kept me reading. On average, there are some goods stories to be found however you need to search through the book to get to them. The book should appeal to those who are familiar with his work and now seek something different from the author

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Read
Review: I enjoyed reading this biography of writings by Robert James Waller. I, too, felt he was very similar to Robert Fulghum in his approach to life; a reverence for all that is simple and beautiful in this world. After reading only his fictional works, I gained a deep appreciation of the author himself and am refreshed that someone with a PhD in business can have a soul.

Rating:
Summary: The wind beneath Robert Kincaid's wings...
Review: If you ever read "The Bridges of Madison County" and wondered how could someone create such an amazing story,or how it would be wonderful to know a person like Kincaid - You will be excited to find out that Robert Kincaid is actually Robert James Waller himself! In this autobiographic book Waller lets us all take a glimpse into his personal life and discover what a special person he is.You'll learn about his childhood,growing up adventures,family and hobbies. And you'll see Kincaid is not just an imaginary figure but a side of Waller's personality. I was fascinated to learn so much about Waller and his "reclusive life of words and imagination".