Book Review: Drink, Play, F@#k by Andrew Gottlieb

I read, and loved Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, don’t get me wrong.  I found her journey, across continents and with herself amazingly insightful.   I appreciate how open and honest she was in describing her adventures.  There were some hard lessons, and sharing her personal feelings and insights makes them engaging.  It’s a book told from her perspective, with no fear and nothing held back.

The tone of the book does have an element of self-indulgence though.  That’s bound to happen when a woman tells her point of view as she’s reconciling the end of her marriage by touring around the world.  Taking a year off from work and obligations is a dream to most people.  Who wouldn’t love to do that?  What Elizabeth offers in addition to her story is the inspiration for others to do the same.  What follows is the question: What would you do with a year off?

In Drink, Play, F@#k: One Man’s Search for Anything Across Ireland, Las Vegas and Thailand, Andrew Gottlieb pushes that question even further.   In this parody he imagines what Bob Sullivan, a jilted husband might do with that time.  Where does a man go to heal his wounded spirit and ego?  His answers lie not in meditation and fine dining, but as the title suggests, drink and fun. 

As Bob spends months on his spiritual bender, the Gottlieb’s dry humor comes through.  Subtle references imply a connection between this narrator and the author of the other book.  Despite this, the book is not rife with cynicism.  Bob makes a couple of jabs, but what man wouldn’t.  This search isn’t about saying how wacky new-age people are, but just takes life from another perspective.

I found this book immensely humorous, not just for the smart writing, but also because of the tale.  We’ve all encountered change and heartbreak.  And we each have our own ways of coping.  If I were to write my own book, it would be closer to Bob’s tale.  “Drink, Dance, Play Gin Rummy” would be my own tale of soul searching through New York City dance halls and one very cold winter in Queens.  A necessary phase in my life, Lord knows I had way too much fun; I found my own gurus and learned about myself in the most remote places of New York City.  And this is perhaps why I found this book so amusing.  We each have our own adventures – if we all had the same one none of us would be very interesting.

Comments

[Ann Mehl]

Flo,
Great post! I hadn't heard of that book but I can't wait to check it out now. How good is your hand at Gin Rummy? I adore your transparency, openness and creative ability to express through the written word. You are a woman of many talents!
Best, Ann, www.annmehl.com

[Florence Wang Designs]

Thanks Ann! This book was a gift. A friend gave me both this and Eat, Pray, Love at the same time. Very clever. I can hold my own at Gin Rummy, though I don't have much of a poker face.