Synopsis/blurb….
Many people perceive
the job of a chauffeur in L.A. as glamorous and exciting. As, Max, the jaded,
somewhat misanthropic young man in these stories set in 1978 says, “They don’t
know s**t. ... Maybe it’s different now, but I doubt it. When I did it, it was
airport pick-ups and drop-offs, catnapping in LAX terminals or the front seat,
hanging around the car-barn waiting for a ride, idling in underground garage
gas-chambers at some awards show, enduring the boring old f**ks who want to
tell you what it was like to drive Jack Dempsey or Betty Grable or some other
corpse nobody remembers, and long nights in parking lots behind some
restaurant, arena, or concert hall. Very glamorous."
If you’re looking for
beginnings, middles, and ends, don’t bother. A driver lives a life of starts
and stops, episodes and vignettes, with very few happy endings. Take a ride
through Los Angeles with Max in the days of posers, power-brokers, Peruvian “pep
rallies,” and big-hair bands. (Adult language)
One of my most enjoyable reads of 2013 was J.W. Nelson’s soon
to be published Joey’s Place. Review
here.
I've had this on my kindle since the week after I read Joey’s
Place and December was as good a time as any to get to it, bearing in mind I
was on a mission to get to 120 books total for my reading year, irrespective of
length and this was 70 pages long. 70 pages short in truth; too short because I
could quite happily have read more of these pieces based on John Nelson’s own
experiences as a limo driver in Los Angeles back in the late 70’s.
Crappy, cheapskate bosses; irritating and annoying fellow
drivers; half-cut, doped up and arrogant passengers that don’t have any regard
you as a person………I can’t say these vignettes have me rushing to join the rank of
the profession, but I did enjoy Nelson’s jaundiced recollections.
On picking up a couple of hefty, well-made up ladies……with outfits
of ….baggy blouses and jackets that baggy
women use to camouflage baggy bodies….. Cotton Candy Head…..was going for a “B-52’s” look and only
making it to 25 or 29.
In our next tale of a couple of LA wannabees and the
legendary Willie Nelson being driven to a meeting and back. It’s the small kindnesses
from Nelson that stand out…….oh …and the put down to the wannabee after he
stole his massive doobie.
This big office, big
expense account, big salary mother-f^*^*” is walking off with my f^”*ing bud … And
what I can do is absolutely nothing. Because he has the power and I’m the guy
in the cheap suit who’s making minimum wage…….When the guard opened the door
and stepped out to usher him in, I knew I had to do something, so I shouted, “Thanks for the blow job, man! Best I ever
had!”
Pretty juvenile…but it’s
what I could get away with. Sometimes, that’s all you've got.
Flight 18 ….. a great
recollection of a seat of the pants ride to the airport. It felt like the car chase in The French Connection!
The car and Candice……
another great tale – a street lady, a ride, a chat and more human kindness.
4 from 5
I’m looking forward to whatever he writes next.
J.W. Nelson’s
website is here.
Bought on Amazon UK in 2013
Col - Yes, I could imagine chauffeurs have plenty of stories to tell. And I wouldn't be eager to be one myself, although you do get to drive a very nice car... Thanks for sharing Nelson's work.
ReplyDeleteMargot - I think the downsides of the job probably outweigh the positives, but it does give fuel for some decent stories.
DeleteSounds interesting. I may try them out someday.
ReplyDeleteTracy - good and worth a look in my opinion, especially as you are embracing the format with your challenge!
DeleteThis is obviously your kind of writer Col, and you do a good job of selling him. I like the idea of the stories...
ReplyDeleteMoira cheers. It was definitely right up my street. I'm waiting impatiently for him to release something else!
DeleteCol, I can imagine the stories the writer tells in this book. I suppose he got a lot of his material from looking in the rear view mirror.
ReplyDeleteTrue life offers up entertaining snapshots, if you have a keen enough eye for detail, a decent memory and a way with words.Oh and probably a somewhat skewed outlook on life. Ordinary becomes interesting.
Delete