Well, you've read the notes, you've made notes on the notes, the notes are noted, and now it is time to post until the cows come home. But, before you do, here is a sneak peek at Richard Valley's upcoming Scarlet Street review of Kritzerland, which will hopefully whet your appetite for Kritzer Time which, as you've read, is now available for preorder.
"Every now and then a reviewer encounters a book that strikes so close to home that he thinks he’s reading about his own life. This is unfortunate when the book happens to be Les Miserables or Crime and Punishment, but it’s a distinct pleasure when it turns out to be Bruce Kimmel’s Kritzerland (2003), the second volume in his Benjamin Kritzer trilogy.
Like his brash young hero, Bruce Kimmel was born and raised in California in the 1950s. Author and subject share much in common (including a breezy writing style), which is hardly surprising. What is surprising is the number of times, while reading Kritzerland, that a reviewer sits back and exclaims, “Why, I did that, too!” Preteen Benjamin Kritzer goes to the movies and is annoyed that the other kids aren’t properly respectful of the moviegoing experience. (“Why, I did that, too!”) Benjamin Kritzer attends a personal appearance by The Three Stooges. (“Why, I did that, too!”) Benjamin Kritzer goes to junior high school and hates, loathes, and despises gym class. (“Why, I did that, too!”) Benjamin Kritzer forms a friendship with a chubby kid with whom he performs comedy routines. (“Why, I did that, too!”) Benjamin Kritzer and the chubby kid make their own amateur movies. (“Why, I did that, too!”) Benjamin Kritzer visits Paramount Pictures and the set of LI’L ABNER and . . . (“Okay, I didn’t do that, but I would have if I hadn’t been living in New Jersey!”)
Kritzerland takes Benjamin from 1958 through the start of the turbulent sixties. Along the way, those who grew up during the same period will encounter some familiar signposts—THE TWILIGHT ZONE, amusement (not theme) parks, “Volare,” “The Purple People Eater,” VERTIGO, VistaVision, Jerry Mahoney, CLUTCH CARGO, QUEEN FOR A DAY, “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” Fizzies, Flavor Straws, and PSYCHO.
In Kritzerland, Benjamin has more or less made peace with the fact that his family seems to come from Mars and—as indicated by the Bar Mitzvah that brackets the book—is well on his way to becoming a man. If he still pines for the lost Susan Pomeroy of Benjamin Kritzer (2002), he’s not above forming a budding relationship with a new girl in junior high school. And if he again encounters a little childhood heartbreak, he's learned better how to cope with it. Like Daisy Clover singing “You’re Gonna Hear From Me,” he seems poised for great things. Thank God there’s a final chapter of his story yet to come! Meanwhile, Kritzerland is a great place to visit, filled with enduring images and splendid writing."
—Richard Valley
