tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post809295834091670806..comments2024-02-11T15:29:31.409-05:00Comments on Richard's Pretension: Empathy with a RazorRichard Bellushhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-4251073359480942016-12-12T17:20:47.349-05:002016-12-12T17:20:47.349-05:00I don’t imagine Erich Segal was concerned at all. ...I don’t imagine Erich Segal was concerned at all. I remember the critics absolutely trashed that little novel – they went far out of their way to do it. They just seemed horrified that a Harvard/Yale/Princeton professor of classics could write a simple sentimental melodrama instead of some snorer of a treatise on Terence to accompany the treatise on Plautus that he actually did write. More the pity them not to have an adolescent romantic sense still inside them – it’s called “layers.” And I didn’t even like Love Story, but not because it is trash. It’s just not my preferred flavor of adolescent melodrama; I like other flavors just fine.<br /><br />Yes, Palisades Amusement Park was open until 1971. It was more accessible than any other large nearby park and it was pretty kid-friendly. The local residents hated it of course. They were even willing to rezone the property for luxury high-rises (which they also hated, but less) to get rid of it.Richard Bellushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-36808639631891015752016-12-12T12:32:23.421-05:002016-12-12T12:32:23.421-05:00I watched an old Dick Cavett episode recently when...I watched an old Dick Cavett episode recently when he had on Erich Segal, who wrote Love Story, and was enjoying some of the success from the novel and film. The next guest, I forget his name, was a snobbish book critic, who of course had little to say about either. Segal didn't take offense to it, nor would I have had if I'd had such a hit. I'd laugh all the way to the bank, which is more than probably the book critic did. I guess I was reminded of that from reading your review on the Hiaasen book. Not every book has to be high art for success or even an interesting read.<br /><br />I thought of you this morning when I was on Amazon, and ran across a novel about Palisades Park by Alan Brennert (I remember the hit song as well). I've never been there, but thought you may have. Sounded like an interesting read though: https://www.amazon.com/Palisades-Park-Alan-Brennert/dp/1250038170/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8<br /><br />Against Empathy reminded me of a small independent film I watched over the weekend called I Am Not A Serial Killer about a young man with a propensity for a sociopathic behavior (they didn't go into why they thought he had that). It was an interesting enough film, a bit silly like most horror, but engaging enough. It starred Christopher Lloyd. El Voxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05985563041511492981noreply@blogger.com