Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/19 - Samurais

When recently I searched the donations to the floating book shop for something to read, I had a hard time making a selection. Those that seemed the most interesting approach 500 pages, and I don’t want to invest that much time in an unknown entity these days. When I glanced toward The Samurai’s Tale, I smirked, as the author, the late Erik C. Haugaard, was obviously not Asian. I immediately felt foolish. It was narrow-minded prejudice. There’s no reason a westerner wouldn’t be able to write an entertaining novel set in a foreign land and in the distant past. With research, the work could even have substance. The author, who received several literary awards, emigrated to the United States at age 17 when the Nazis overran Denmark in 1940. The Samurai’s Tale was published in 1984, geared to the young adult market. Within that parameter, it is successful. The hero of the story who, at the start, is a five-year-old orphan, sees his entire royal family wiped out by another. He is spared and sent to work as a kitchen aid. His intelligence and instincts lead to a gradual rise to the rank of samurai. Surprisingly, there isn’t much action in the narrative. Most of the battles happen off stage. The post-conflict carnage -- beheading, crucifixion -- is detailed, but I doubt it would disturb modern teens, who see horrors just as bad and more graphically depicted on TV and in film. It is a work of uncommon decency in this day and age, no sex or profanity, a story about an unconventional education. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommended it to anyone older than ten. It is an easy read, its 234 pages more like 200. It doesn’t have the substance I prefer, but that’s irrelevant, as it is geared toward the youngest teenagers. 20 years after its publication, it is still selling modestly at Amazon, ranked 45000+ at last check. The 70 users who have rated it forge to a consensus of four stars out of five. As an adult (stop snickering), I rate it three.

I accompanied a handicapped friend to a doctor's appointment today. She had a new CD playing in her car -- the 50 best tracks of Luciano Pavarotti, remastered. When Finiculi, Finicula came up I asked myself: What the heck does that mean, anyway? I hoped my friend wouldn't ask, as I was embarrassed I didn't know. Fans of Seinfeld will remember Elaine and the Maestro singing it merrily while riding in his car. I just looked it up at mamalisa.com. The song was originally written in a Neapolitan dialect in 1880. Luigi Denza wrote the music, Peppino Turco the lyrics. It was composed for the opening of the first funicular on Mount Vesuvius. A funicular is an inclined railway that goes up a steep slope. One tram goes up while another one goes down on a cable, hence "finiculi, finicula." The device the song celebrates was destroyed by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1944. I would've never guessed. Pop culture is frequently fascinating.

Here's the picture of the day. Note what's in the left hand:

She is eleven-year-old Lucy Li, interviewed after shooting an eight-over par 78 in the opening round of the Women's U. S. Open, for which she qualified by winning a regional tournament. She is the new samurai of the lady's tour. You go, girl.

The trip to the doctor's went so smoothly I was only a half hour late opening up the floating book shop. My thanks to the gentleman who drives the Jewish Meals on Wheels of Coney Island, who donated five books, one of which Herbie bought. Unfortunately, it started drizzling at about 12:30 and I didn't have the patience or energy to battle it, so that was the only sale of the day.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx