If Jimmy Breslin is uncertain about Joseph Mitchell's attitude toward race (June 3) , he might do well to read Mitchell's book ''Old Mr. Flood,''.
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- Old Mr. Flood!
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- Do You Have Any Idea... How Fine You Are?!
- Old Mr. Flood by Joseph Mitchell.
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But he's also irrepressibly full of life, somehow immortal -- much like the fish market and the New York harbor life itself, which was on its way out even as Mitchell wrote about it. The stories should be depressing, but I found myself laughing out loud quite a bit, and tugging on the ALP's sleeve to read him the good parts.
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The writing is quite astonishingly good, even as it effaces itself in service of the textures and details and talk and tools and mannerisms of its subjects. I've since been seeking out more of Mitchell's pieces, which are thankfully now readily available , and observing the world with his eyes and thinking in his language -- which is a sure sign that a writer has really gotten to you. I'm going to take the liberty to quote in full my favorite passage, which I read out loud to the ALP -- I'm hopeful that Mitchell's publishers and estate won't take it amiss.
It's got a bit of all the good stuff that the book delivers: I gave up eating any meat for Lent, but this bit made me crave oysters something fierce. As soon as Easter comes, I'm going in search of a place that serves oysters just like this. As a cure for a lingering cold or a spell of bad weather or the uneasiness of mortality, it seems you could do worse. I tell you what you do. You get right out of here and go over to Libby's oyster house and tell the man you want to eat some of his best oysters.
Stand up at the at that fine marble bar they got over there, where you can watch the man knife them open.
And tell him you intend to drink the oyster liquor; he'll knife them on the cup shell, so the liquor won't spill. And be sure you get the big ones. Get them so big you'll have to rear back to swallow, the size that most restaurants use for fries and stews; God forgive them, they don't know any better. And don't put any of that red sauce on them, that cocktail sauce, that mess, that gurry.
Ask the man for half a lemon, poke it a time or two to free the juice, and squeeze it over the oysters. And the first one he knifes, pick it up and smell it, the way you'd smell a rose, or a shot of brandy. That briny, seaweedy fragrance will clear your head; it'll make your blood run faster. And don't just eat six; take your time and eat a dozen, eat two dozen, eat three dozen, eat four dozen. And then leave the man a generous tip and go buy yourself a fifty-cent cigar and put your hat on the side of your head and take a walk down to Bowling Green. Look at the sky! And look at the girls a tap-tap-tapping past on their pretty little feet!
Aren't they just the finest girls you ever saw, the bounciest, the rumpiest, the laughingest? Aren't you ashamed of yourself for even thinking about spending good money on a damned doctor? And along about here, you better be careful. You're apt to feel so bucked-up you'll slap strangers on the back, or kick a window in, or fight a cop, or jump on the tailboard of a truck and steal a ride. Posted by Book Nerd at Newer Post Older Post Home.
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Aug 05, TLP rated it really liked it. Joseph Mitchell is a wonderful storyteller. I thoroughly enjoy his characters and his ability to portray the backdrop of NYC in a way that is as alive as the real thing. Jun 13, Gust rated it really liked it. Jun 18, Tyler rated it it was amazing Shelves: Feb 27, Reacher rated it really liked it. Mitchell has a very different writing style than you see in fiction today. Use of short, clear, simple sentences with an active voice. Hyper descriptive, short on metaphors. This is a mesmerizing story, and one that will energize you next time you're feeling old or sorry for yourself.
Jan 04, patty rated it liked it Shelves: This book isn't about one Mr. Flood - it's about several characters working at or hanging out at the Fulton Fish Market along the East River in Manhattan in the early part of the twentieth century. Serious fishermen along the East Coast would love this book. Apparently "industry" started to take out these prime oyster and clam beds over years ago.
Destruction of wildlife by pollution comes up several times in the book. What would these characters think today? Apr 24, Shacey Petrovic rated it really liked it. Dec 26, Judi sampson-young rated it it was amazing. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. One of the best written books I have ever read. It was a slow read though, only because I wanted to take in every word. Mind you, this is a book about a 95 year old man, who spends his days at piers to look at fish, talk about fish and eat fish.
His ultimate goal is to live to to prove that fish is good for you: Oct 14, Ed O'farrell rated it it was amazing Shelves: Joseph Mitchell is one of my favorite writers. He is incapable of penning a bad sentence, let alone a bad story. The title says it all The story is told with compassion, dignity, humor and should be a must read for any student of writing. A good read, well worth the money. I've never heard of Joseph Mitchell before but picked this book of his up, and I really liked the stories about his contemporary New Yorkers and the way Mitchell portrays them.
Two other Joseph Mitchell books are already waiting to be read next.
May 10, Andrea Engle rated it really liked it Shelves: Collection of three spirited, atmospheric short stories by a fabled, "New Yorker" writer Flood dominates these reminiscences of s New York, particularly the area around the Fulton Fish Market Apr 10, Robert rated it it was amazing Shelves: Three thematic magazine pieces presented in a slim volume. This is the only acknowledged fiction ever published by the reporter Joseph Mitchell, and in his introduction to the work Mitchell codifies Stephen Colbert's concept of truthiness half a century early. May 21, Jack Fischer added it.
Liebling may be better known, Mitchell wrote accounts of low-life and everyday life New York City in the s that are like nothing else. Mr Flood, actually a composite of a number of denizens of Fulton Fish Market, brilliantly resurrects a world long gone. Nov 08, Autumn rated it it was amazing Shelves: This book is written in the typical Mitchell style. It's a brilliant and insightful glimpse into the life of old Mr. It is a real page turner that I didn't want to put it down.
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Apr 07, Peter rated it it was amazing. A charming, delightful and marvelous evocation of a vanished place and time. I posted some more thoughts and a couple of great excerpts over at my blog. Mar 20, Michael Andersen-Andrade rated it liked it. Flood is a charming and nostalgic view of a New York City that no longer exists except in distant memories. Fun, Mitchell's a lovely writer. A New York that has entirely disappeared.
Reading this, it occurs to me it'd be suitable for a year-old boy, I would've loved this book back then. Jan 28, Linda rated it really liked it. Oct 17, Dustincecil rated it liked it. I like that he gave his main character his actual birthday in this story. Jeff rated it really liked it Aug 11,