Book Review

700 Sundays
Billy Crystal

Tara bought me this interesting little book about Billy Crystal's childhood. I read it on one of the planes I was on the other day. (I slept the rest of the time, one flight was only 25 minutes one was 70 minutes, both seemed like nothing with the nap...)

Anyway, Billy Crystal's father died when he was 15. He worked 2 jobs the better part of his life, and spent plenty of time on Sundays with his boys. This book was about Billy's years growing up.

He had an interesting family. (I think that could sum up any comedian's family. Interesting.) His dad and Uncle were big in the Dixieland Jazz scene in New York back in the day. The family owned the "Commodore" label, and produced lots of Jazz music. He has some pretty funny stories about the rest of the family.

He once wanted to be a baseball player, which is no surprise to people that know a little bit about him, and ended up playing a lot of baseball with his brothers. He talks about how his dad threw curveballs to him every Sunday for months until he learned to hit them.

The book is funny, interesting, and just a little bit sad (The sad part when his dad dies and the effect it had on him.) It was a quick little book, worth the read if you come across it. I guess there is a play of the same title that Billy Crystal wrote, I think the book is based on the play, or both are based on real life...