Mr Osborne’s style, wit, and humor makes this not only an interesting read, but a true joy. A rare example of prose and style that will delight anyone who reads and drinks – preferably at the same time.
Title : The Wet And The Dry
Subtitle : A Drinker’s Journey
Author : Lawrence Osborne
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Type: Reference
Binding: Hardcover, Octavo ( but available in E Readers)
Notes: We have reviewed on of Mr Osbornes books previously that being the Accidental Connoisseur .Mr Osborn is a rather prolific author ( and journalist). This book helps illustrate the term” a drinker with a writing problem” with his extremely colorful,gripping, and intensely engaging style of writing. Think of Lord Byron, with the wit of Oscar Wilde, H.L. Mencken, and Warren Zevon with some of the drinking habits of say Geoffrey Fermin (Under the Volcano or the real life Albert Finney), Oliver Reed , and Peter O’Toole somehow melded into a 6 foot 4 inch frame and let loose to wander in the Muslim World trying to indulge in all his habits and you start to get a feel for his narrative. By turns, fascinating,insightful, comedic, and almost a pilgrim on a quest, you are transported by his narrative skills, insight, and humor on a delightful, almost quixotic, quest for drink in places and among people who treat such pursuits as at best a regrettable failing and at worst an anathema that must be suppressed by force and terror. The book contains a great deal of information and background that a reader will find useful, fascinating, and in some ways frightening and alien as they sit somewhere with a drink in hand, openly,without guilt. There are a number of other reviews out there that already used up the good quotes so I won’t repeat them ( just google it – it’s very worthwhile but might ruin some of the thrill of discovery by reading the actual book). But as a wordsmith and drinker Mr Osborne is first rate.
Final Thoughts: Mr Osbornes brilliant writing, command of the English language and dry wit make for a must have addition to a writer and drinkers library.
Website: http://crownpublishing.com
The publishers website is full of interesting books of all type on a website that is easy to navigate for the most part. The search function may not be the best but it leads to a number of happy accidents of discovery along your way.
