Review: Great Male Perspective on Life and Love
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 9, 2012
LOL is a collection of eighteen short stories about the author's observations of life, especially romance and differences between men and women.  The book is written from the first person perspective and reads in an almost autobiographical fashion.  I'd like to briefly recap some of the shorts in the book.  It opens with Trouser Mouse, an embarrassing tale that happened to the author on an airplane.  Another story worth mentioning is Goddess 69, probably my favorite, about an email that gives the author delusions of studly grandeur but ends up to be a 1-800 number of fantasy.  Then there is The Precious Pulpit which delves into some of the personality differences between men and women.  Amber Alert is a rant about farmers who post online when their livestock go missing.  Charlie comments on goose dropping problems in Bulls Eye.  Butt Out lists some of the funny sayings we all hear while growing up.  And then there is Divorce Letter, a letter filled with accolades about wife then ends with pot-shots about gravity and her figure.  Lastly, I'd like to mention French Etiquette, a short that reads like an advice column about kissing a woman for the first time.This is something that really took me out of my reading comfort zone.  I never read a comedy piece in my life. My tastes range, but seem to keep coming back to horror, thrillers, and mysteries.  Overall, I was pleasantly surprised.  Charlie's writing is clear, unpretentious, and humorous.  He almost reminds me of a Seinfeld in a way.  There are many also similarities with Women from Venus and Men from Mars and Defending the Caveman, a show created by comedian Rob Becker .  Through some of the stories I could not help but wonder if he is a "play-a" in real life.  Divorce Letter seems to suggest he not married and on the prowl.  If this is true, good luck!  He also has the ability to laugh at himself and his attempts to hook up with the female persuasion, especially in Trouser Mouse and Goddess 69.  I can see Charlie one day writing an advice column for men in a male magazine or even hosting a radio show on relationships. Very funny stuff!  5/5 stars.