Title: Between the Bridge and the River
Author: Craig Ferguson
LC Rating:
I had some significant doubts before entering in this book, after all Craig Ferguson is a minor celebrity, apparently the host of the Late Late Show; never watched it. The truth is that I was in a bit of a hurry at the library, and the inside cover caught my interest to the point where I figured I’d give it a chance; I’m very glad that I did.
Between the Bridge and the River was a single sitting book for me, I simply could not put it down, it’s a propulsive read that manages to create moments which evoke laughter and other genuine emotions, Ferguson paints his characters with quick wit, and those rare bits that miss are over quickly and easily forgiven.
What’s amazing to me is the way that Between the Bridge and the River manages to feel epic and cozy at the same time. As readers, we’re treated to vast sections of the lives of almost all of our characters, but Ferguson’s engaging tone keeps the pace moving along crisply, and keeps you smiling as he probes (admittedly not deeply, but still deftly) into topics ranging from religion to love, with themes of entertainment and salvation all over the place.
And by the time I hit this sentence on page 240 . . . I was smiling from ear to ear.
So the brain-damaged, dentally challenged Scottish holyman in the orange dress; the street-fighting, gay Watusi; the crackhead on the lam; and the ninety-pound stripper peeled out of Delray in the purple, pimped-out Chevy Caprice and headed for the Florida Turnpike.
It’s a surprising book, with enough going for it that I’ve included it on my list of books to read again, I strongly suggest you give it a shot.