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A review by sindri_inn_arsaeli
More Than Words: A Memoir of a Writing Life by Jerold W Apps
3.0
I'm a small town, farming community librarian, I was raised on a (non working) farm, I'm squarely in the Jerry Apps demographic. He's certainly always been on my To Be Read list. So I feel a little heretical here, but I'll say it - I was not really impressed.
This title felt like just a list of events and accomplishments, without much substance. There were occasional comments about how these events might have made him a better writer, but mostly it felt like just a long list of when he published things, with occasional comments on the weather, and whether his first attempt to sell a book was rejected or not. Every. Single. Time. he mentioned a new publication, he expressed renewed shock that people seemed to like it, and half the time his publishing or production staff also seemed to be surprised it was such a success. He's GOTTA be better in other books than this one, then!
There were hints of a better author voice, one that sounded, maybe not completely professional, but more like listening to your grandfather reminiscing about his life: comforting, easy to listen/read, nostalgic. Hopefully that's his regular voice, and this particular title just ended up being overwhelming, as it was about the job he still does, rather than looking back on the past. But I don't know, since this was my introduction to Apps as an author.
Based on those glimpses, and how beloved he generally is, I'll be willing to give something more nostalgic a try, or maybe a children's title. But this was certainly a less than stellar first meeting.
This title felt like just a list of events and accomplishments, without much substance. There were occasional comments about how these events might have made him a better writer, but mostly it felt like just a long list of when he published things, with occasional comments on the weather, and whether his first attempt to sell a book was rejected or not. Every. Single. Time. he mentioned a new publication, he expressed renewed shock that people seemed to like it, and half the time his publishing or production staff also seemed to be surprised it was such a success. He's GOTTA be better in other books than this one, then!
There were hints of a better author voice, one that sounded, maybe not completely professional, but more like listening to your grandfather reminiscing about his life: comforting, easy to listen/read, nostalgic. Hopefully that's his regular voice, and this particular title just ended up being overwhelming, as it was about the job he still does, rather than looking back on the past. But I don't know, since this was my introduction to Apps as an author.
Based on those glimpses, and how beloved he generally is, I'll be willing to give something more nostalgic a try, or maybe a children's title. But this was certainly a less than stellar first meeting.