Irv's Odyssey: Lost in a Looking Glass (Book One)

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Irv's Odyssey: Lost in a Looking Glass (Book One)

by Irving H. Podolsky (Goodreads Author)

4.67 of 5 stars 4.67 · rating details · 9 ratings · 8 reviews

Irving Podolsky is a nice Jewish boy looking for a nice Jewish girl and a job out of college which would, Irv hopes, make the world a better place. But when our hero's food supply dwindles down to a slab of Velveeta and a jar of pickles, our lad takes his only job offer: directing pornographic movies. This leads to a night shift gig in a mental hospital, only to have that...more

Paperback, 278 pages

Published June 1st 2011 by Mill City Press, Inc.

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Feb 23, 2013 David A. rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in a terrific first-person picaresque trilogy of a young man's "fresh out of college" adventures in the early '70s, and is aptly titled an Odyssey, because the journey of his life quickly veers in every crazy direction imaginable when all he really wants is something approaching “normality” – whatever that is. Irving seems to think he’ll recognize “normal” when he eventually sees it, but as readers we’re not too sure as we go along with Irv on his wild ride through life.

Wi...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Gaele rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: independent-reviw, review-reads

This was a cleverly written story, delving into all of those issues a newly minted university graduate faces, especially one with an obscure degree in filmmaking. As strange as it may seem, although set in the 70’s, the issues that Irv faces: getting a job without experience, being responsible for your own support out of school, finding a home, making connections are all issues faced today.

The story had me laughing and groaning, with a distinct voice and a somewhat naïve approach to life and sex...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Sheri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Irv's Odyssey: Lost in a Looking Glass (Book One)

Set in the early 70's this is the story of a young man Irving Podolsky, recently graduated from UCLA. He sets out to find a directors job. He finds it is not easy, having no experience, and gets one rejection after another. The only job he can seem to get is in pornography, which he reluctantly takes.

Soon he realizes he is going now where in the business (no one reputable will hire the porn director) he decides to pack his bags and move on. Once...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

This review was originally posted on Lucybird's Book Blog

I’ve been putting off this review a little, mainly because I’m confused as how to categorise it. Irv H. Podolsky isn’t actually a real person, but he is the alter-ego of a person who is involved in the film industry- whose name is a secret. So is it an autobiography? A novel with autobiographic content? Or just the imagining of a creative mind? I wasn’t even sure how to approach it as a reader, but I’m going to review it as a novel.

I liked...more This review was originally posted on Lucybird's Book Blog

I’ve been putting off this review a little, mainly because I’m confused as how to categorise it. Irv H. Podolsky isn’t actually a real person, but he is the alter-ego of a person who is involved in the film industry- whose name is a secret. So is it an autobiography? A novel with autobiographic content? Or just the imagining of a creative mind? I wasn’t even sure how to approach it as a reader, but I’m going to review it as a novel.

I liked the tone of this book a lot. Irv’s voice was very believable and conversational. Actually his tone reminded me a lot of Lucy in the Sky, or maybe the setting has biased me?

As far as a drug culture and psychedelic elements were concerned, honestly I didn’t notice them a great deal. Irv did seem to be smoking weed a lot, or sometimes complaining that he couldn’t but it was more in the story than part of it, like a smoker would light a cigarette, it had n real significance.

There was also only one scene I would really call psychedelic, and that didn’t really fit in with the story either. There were also times where Irv talked about seeing lines and feeling spaced out, but they just made me want to tell him he needed migraine treatment- they sounded so similar to my migraine experiences!

It didn’t really matter to me whether there was a psychedelic/drug element to the story however, so finding little of it didn’t disappoint me.

When I decided to read this book I did think I would find the porn section most interesting. Not because I wanted to read something erotic (I wouldn’t imagine behind the scenes in porn is actually that erotic) but because I was interested to see how someone outside his comfort zone would cope with it. I think that was covered well, and the (possible) social and technical sides of porn were interesting to read about. Poor Irv though, it really wasn’t the place for him.

So that’s how he ended up working mental hospital- something he never intended to do. In the end this was actually the bit I found most interesting. It was rather sad in a way to read about these ‘kids’. Especially as a lot of those who cared for them didn’t really seem to want to be there. I think it was my psychological background which made this part of the novel most interesting for me- although it contained little real psychology.

I can certainly identify with this book. I can think of few of my university friends who are now in graduate jobs which they trained for, and most of those who are needed further training. Whilst I love my job it’s certainly not what my aim was when I went to uni- I’m still working up to that masters!

Overall I did enjoy the book, and I would be interested to read at least the next book in the series To the Light and Beyond

One little warning I would give is that this book does contain a lot of sex, it’s not very graphic but those who don’t like sex in books may not enjoy that element.(less)

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Mar 11, 2013 Cynthia Shepp Book Reviews & Editing rated it 5 of 5 stars

Irv’s Odyssey: Lost in a Looking Glass was a groovy trip back to the 70s. As someone who was not even born in the 70’s, it was an eye opening trip to experience the life of a boy fresh out of college, who had the idealistic dreams that most of the young have, only to find out that life in not idealistic nor easy. Written in first-person narrative, it felt as if you were really there, having a not-so-normal conversation with Irv.

Irv was a film major, with big plans to be a director and make a dif...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Donald Armfield rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-author, giveaways, own

I won the trilogy of this series from a blog giveaway. I'm glad I did So far very funny and enjoyable.

Who is Irving Podolsky? A Jewish boy with a dream to be a movie director and writer. With a degree for his dream he finds Hollywood is tougher than he thought. Porno movies become an option and a failed attempt, due to know sexual background himself.

Second job is taking care of mentally challenge/ misbehaving children. With a future promise on an opening in a media department. It gets real funny...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Grace rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-copies

My review was originally published at:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.wordpr...

I received a copy of “Irv’s Odyssey: Lost in a Looking Glass” from the author in exchange for an honest review. When I received the query, I wasn’t initially planning to accept it. I’ve got six months worth of books piled on my living room floor, and wasn’t planning to take on any others until I’d made a significant dent in the ones that I have. However, I read a chapter of the sample and was immediately hooked.

Irving...more My review was originally published at:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.wordpr...

I received a copy of “Irv’s Odyssey: Lost in a Looking Glass” from the author in exchange for an honest review. When I received the query, I wasn’t initially planning to accept it. I’ve got six months worth of books piled on my living room floor, and wasn’t planning to take on any others until I’d made a significant dent in the ones that I have. However, I read a chapter of the sample and was immediately hooked.

Irving Podolsky, the author’s twenty-something alter ego, has just graduated college and is setting forth in the world on his own. He was a film major, but ended up taking a job directing porn because nobody else was willing to hire him straight out of school without any experience. The novel recounts Irv’s stories and experiences as he finds himself swept away by the problems of life, love, and money, yet all the while he struggles to do what he feels is right.

I was drawn to Irv’s story because it represents a different type of coming of age. Normally coming of age stories focus on characters in their early teens as they learn what it’s like to be an adult. Irv is a bit older, and already thought that he had things figured out. Reality began to sink in, and he started having all manners of crazy adventures, from introducing his parents to weed to working in a mental asylum caring for patients while waiting for a film job to open up.

Even though Irv is transitioning to adulthood in the 1970s, I think that his story is particularly relevant today, as the younger generation is having a harder time finding jobs and college doesn’t have the same guarantee of a future that it once did. Part of Irv’s coming of age is the realization that even though he’s done everything right, the magic job isn’t just going to show up. It’s going to take a lot of work for him to get there, but mostly a patience and a lot of luck.

The book is self-published, and I noticed a very small handful of spelling/grammar errors while I was reading. Don’t let that discourage you; I only mention it because it’s one of my pet peeves, and I notice equally as many errors in traditionally published e-books. What I noticed here was incredibly minor, and Irv’s personality makes it easy to forgive.

Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot. Irv is a great character, and he reminds me of myself. If my life were a book, people would probably think that it’s fiction. Irv is the same way; he has some crazy shenanigans, but they’re still plausible, and I found it to be very realistic. He is the type of person who can make mistakes, but it's not the end of the world, and he can learn from them and move on.(less)

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Jan 01, 2013 Georgiann Hennelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Irving is a twenty something college graduate. He was a film major so he sets out to find a directors job. With no experience, he gets one rejection after another. He finally gets offwered a job in pornography which he reluctantly accepts. He soon realizes the job is going nowhere and he packs his bags and moves on. The only job he can get is working in a mental hospital in a low position but it at least pays the rent and buys food. This story is set in the early 70's and is filled with drugs, s...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Linda Lange marked it as to-read

Apr 08, 2013 Benjamin Torres marked it as to-read

Mar 07, 2013 DeeDee marked it as to-read

Mar 05, 2013 Bex 'n' Books marked it as to-read

Feb 25, 2013 Richard marked it as to-read

Feb 14, 2013 Jo Ransom marked it as to-read

Mar 07, 2013 Diana Febry rated it 4 of 5 stars

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About Irving H. Podolsky

Irving Podolsky resides in the mind of this writer and within the trilogy, Irv's Odyssey. As your storyteller, I’d like to share the adventure with your younger YOU, that which seeks fun, romance and a wild ride into the Unknown.

More about Irving H. Podolsky...

Books by Irving H. Podolsky

Irv's Odyssey: Seeking the Way Home (Book Three)

Irv's Odyssey: To the Light and Beyond (Book Two)

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Irv's Odyssey: Lost in a Looking Glass (Book One)

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