Goodreads | Tim's review

Tim's review

Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul
by Tony Hendra

[close]

blog this review

Copy/paste the text below into your blog.

<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1063254.Father_Joe_The_Man_Who_Saved_My_Soul?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1180667335m/1063254.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1063254.Father_Joe_The_Man_Who_Saved_My_Soul?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/59096.Tony_Hendra">Tony Hendra</a><br/><br/>
  <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24787133?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
  rating: 4 of 5 stars<br/>"Father Joe" by Tony Hendra should be more aptly titled, "Tony Hendra's Life, with not enough Father Joe."  The early and later chapters of this book are an engrossing account of a monk... a rare, once-in-a-lifetime sort of man filled with love, wit, and faith.  For these pages, the book is an absolute must-read.  However, the middle of this work is nothing but an egotistic recording of the author's life in comedy -- laden with drugs, deception, and selfishness.  Add in a healthy dose of "Everything is Reagan's fault" and you have the snide autobiography of a man too callous to see how his own corrosive life has caused nothing but pain to those around him.    Hendra's account of his career as a satire "pirate", raiding the establishments of the 70's and 80's, fails to champion him as a brave defender of the underdog.  Instead, the personality of an arrogant British humorist shines forth, too cynical to see the root of his misery.  A patient and caring Father Joe is the only man able to put a mirror in front of Hendra's bloated, coke-addled face.  Hendra, a talented and adroit writer, nevertheless weaves the tale of Father Joe into a timeless account of how others can affect our lives for better and for worse.  Perhaps my opinion of this book took on a sour air when I learned that Hendra now faces allegations of incest and molestation with his daughter.  To hear a man so enraptured with rage towards Maggie Thatcher, Hendra emits a strange callousness to the pain he causes his loved ones.  Whether the accusations are true or not, it illustrates the agonizing pages Hendra spends on his own life instead of the timeless moments of Father Joe's.  Nevertheless, this is an engrossing book -- more thanks to Hendra's lifelike depiction of the late Father Joe than from Hendra himself.  "Father Joe" is like a beautiful old painting, stained with the clumsy smears of a careless handler.  But to be introduced to a man like Joe, even by Hendra, is to be all the better for it.
  <br/><br/><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/733796?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Tim's review
rating:
bookshelves: audio

"Father Joe" by Tony Hendra should be more aptly titled, "Tony Hendra's Life, with not enough Father Joe." The early and later chapters of this book are an engrossing account of a monk... a rare, once-in-a-lifetime sort of man filled with love, wit, and faith. For these pages, the book is an absolute must-read. However, the middle of this work is nothing but an egotistic recording of the author's life in comedy -- laden with drugs, deception, and selfishness. Add in a healthy dose of "Everything is Reagan's fault" and you have the snide autobiography of a man too callous to see how his own corrosive life has caused nothing but pain to those around him. Hendra's account of his career as a satire "pirate", raiding the establishments of the 70's and 80's, fails to champion him as a brave defender of the underdog. Instead, the personality of an arrogant British humorist shines forth, too cynical to see the root of his misery. A patient and c...more "Father Joe" by Tony Hendra should be more aptly titled, "Tony Hendra's Life, with not enough Father Joe." The early and later chapters of this book are an engrossing account of a monk... a rare, once-in-a-lifetime sort of man filled with love, wit, and faith. For these pages, the book is an absolute must-read. However, the middle of this work is nothing but an egotistic recording of the author's life in comedy -- laden with drugs, deception, and selfishness. Add in a healthy dose of "Everything is Reagan's fault" and you have the snide autobiography of a man too callous to see how his own corrosive life has caused nothing but pain to those around him. Hendra's account of his career as a satire "pirate", raiding the establishments of the 70's and 80's, fails to champion him as a brave defender of the underdog. Instead, the personality of an arrogant British humorist shines forth, too cynical to see the root of his misery. A patient and caring Father Joe is the only man able to put a mirror in front of Hendra's bloated, coke-addled face. Hendra, a talented and adroit writer, nevertheless weaves the tale of Father Joe into a timeless account of how others can affect our lives for better and for worse. Perhaps my opinion of this book took on a sour air when I learned that Hendra now faces allegations of incest and molestation with his daughter. To hear a man so enraptured with rage towards Maggie Thatcher, Hendra emits a strange callousness to the pain he causes his loved ones. Whether the accusations are true or not, it illustrates the agonizing pages Hendra spends on his own life instead of the timeless moments of Father Joe's. Nevertheless, this is an engrossing book -- more thanks to Hendra's lifelike depiction of the late Father Joe than from Hendra himself. "Father Joe" is like a beautiful old painting, stained with the clumsy smears of a careless handler. But to be introduced to a man like Joe, even by Hendra, is to be all the better for it....less

Like this review? yes flag

comments (showing 0-0 of 0)

newest »

date

all Tim's books »