Getting Started: A Memoir of the 1950s

by William Weintraub

Book by Weintraub, William

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Montreal was the place to be in the 1950's. This is an unassuming memoir by an ordinary man who found himself in the presence of greatness, and he knew it. His work in and around journalism brought him into contact with some of Canada's greatest authors-to-be, particularly Mordecai Richler and Mavis Gallant. Correspondence between them reveals the trials of becoming a writer and making a living out of your craft, and the choices everyone makes and how those choices shape your future. I found Weintraub's voice charming and shared his appreciation of being in that place at that time with those people. The book isn't complete or thorough in any way, there are chronological gaps and characters left unexamined, but it is an engaging window into the writerly world.

[Andrew MacDonald · Rating 2 out of 5]

So! I'm a big Richler fan, and I read this in part for insight I hoped to find about Richler, Moore, and Gallant. And I guess I found some insight. But the most interesting part of the book were the letters from the aforementioned trio. For the most part, Weintraub's 'memoir' sections, which make up I'd say 2/3 of the book, were pretty uninspiring.

I would have preferred just a straight up collection of letters from everyone, with brief introductions (like Dan Wakefield's collection of Vonnegut's letters) by the author to lend context.