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Early Bird: A Memoir of Premature Retirement
Everyone says they would like to retire early, but Rodney Rothman actually did it—forty years early. Burnt out, he decides at the age of twenty-eight to get an early start on his golden years. He travels to Boca Raton, Florida, where he moves in with an elderly piano teacher at Century Village, a retirement community that is home to thousands of senior citizens.
Early Bird is an irreverent, hilarious, and ultimately warmhearted account of Rodney's journey deep into the heart of retirement. Rodney struggles for acceptance from the senior citizens he shares a swimming pool with and battles with cranky octogenarians who want him off their turf. Before long he observes, “I don't think Tuesdays with Morrie would have been quite so uplifting if that guy had to spend more than one day a week with Morrie.”
In the spirit of retirement, Rodney fashions a busy schedule of suntanning, shuffleboard, and gambling cruises. As the months pass, his neighbors seem to forget that he is fifty years younger than they are. He finds himself the potential romantic interest of an aging femme fatale. He joins a senior softball club and is disturbed to learn that he is the worst player on the team.
Early Bird is a funny, insightful, and moving look at what happens to us when we retire, viewed from a remarkably premature perspective. Any reader who plans on becoming an old person will enjoy joining Rodney on his strange journey, as he reconsiders his notions of romance, family, friendship, and ultimately, whether he's ever going back to work.
Early Bird is an irreverent, hilarious, and ultimately warmhearted account of Rodney's journey deep into the heart of retirement. Rodney struggles for acceptance from the senior citizens he shares a swimming pool with and battles with cranky octogenarians who want him off their turf. Before long he observes, “I don't think Tuesdays with Morrie would have been quite so uplifting if that guy had to spend more than one day a week with Morrie.”
In the spirit of retirement, Rodney fashions a busy schedule of suntanning, shuffleboard, and gambling cruises. As the months pass, his neighbors seem to forget that he is fifty years younger than they are. He finds himself the potential romantic interest of an aging femme fatale. He joins a senior softball club and is disturbed to learn that he is the worst player on the team.
Early Bird is a funny, insightful, and moving look at what happens to us when we retire, viewed from a remarkably premature perspective. Any reader who plans on becoming an old person will enjoy joining Rodney on his strange journey, as he reconsiders his notions of romance, family, friendship, and ultimately, whether he's ever going back to work.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
April 15, 2009
Rothman is part of the ever growing number of writer's who set of on a predetermined venture of which they are paid to write about. This type of story typically works for me because I don't mind living vicariously through writing, these books are typically quite humorous and often I learn something from the vicarious experience.
Unfortunately, Rothman's just didn't resonate with me. The venture was too canned, the humor was few and far between, his knowledge and insight was limited.
Unfortunately, Rothman's just didn't resonate with me. The venture was too canned, the humor was few and far between, his knowledge and insight was limited.
January 7, 2008
“Where’s your coat?”
“It’s not that cold.”
“You’re going to catch a cold if you don’t wear a coat.”
“It’s 82 degrees outside.”
“I know. Where’s your coat? Put on your coat!”
“Yes ma’am.”
Rodney Rothman, I wish I were you. I wish I were a former head writer for The Late Show with David Letterman. I wish I had gotten to work on the Judd Apatow television show Undeclared. I’ve read some of your McSweeney’s articles, and I laughed at them.
I’ve seen your name pop up on shows like The Office. You’re that writer journeyman who gets to work on all the fun stuff; fun stuff that I like to watch and read. Yes, I would like just a sliver of your life. I want to walk in your shoes, except for that part when you spent a year in a retirement home.
“Where are your socks?”
“My socks?”
“Your socks. You’re going to catch a cold.”
“It’s June Grandma.”
“SOCKS!”
“Yes ma’am.”
It’s been awhile since I’ve read this book, but the jist is that after the cancellation of Undeclared Rothman decided to retire from work. He was a young writer, who had done nothing but work on television shows for seven years. He had some money saved up, he had no commitments (except for maybe a book deal), and he simply decided it was time to retire. So he retired. I’m not talking about, loaf around the house, watching CNN and eating frozen pizzas all day (which is my personal dream), he retired to a retirement community in Boca Raton, Florida.
“Have you eaten lunch yet?”
“No. I was just going to skip lunch.”
“You shouldn’t skip meals. Eat. I have some lunch meat in the refrigerator.”
“No, really- it’s…”
“EAT!”
“Yes ma’am.”
It’s really a cute book. Rothman meets and develops relationships with all kinds of old people. It’s funny, and slightly sad, as you think that all these people are going to die, as are we all. It sort of makes me nostalgic for something that’s never happened to me: being doted on by dozens of grandparents who have nothing better to do than to dote on someone.
“You eat too much!”
“You just handed me this sandwich.”
“I know, but if you keep eating, you’re never going to lose weight.”
“Right, I understand, but you literally forced me to take this sandwich from you like 45 seconds ago. Now you’re getting mad because I’m eating too much?”
“Oprah says…”
“Yes ma’am.”
I’ve been doted on by one set of grandparents, and it’s lovely, for the first week. I love my grandparents. It was several years ago that I found I had become one of those post undergrad twenty-something bums who found myself homeless when the American Dream failed me (that, or my degree in art failed to land me a job as a high powered business executive, what do those guys do anyway? I want to wear a business suit, and eat power lunches, and sit at a desk checking my Myspace all day too- except for wearing the business suit part) So I was forced to move in with my grandparents. They woke up early, they went to bed early, they didn’t know what the internet was, or have cable television, or know how to work their DVD player… but they doted on me like nobody’s business, and I loved it, and it drove me nuts. So maybe that’s why I loved this book. Not LOVED loved. It’s not my all time favorite book, but it had one of those, “find an old t-shirt in the bottom of the dresser drawer that you haven’t worn in years, but you loved that t-shirt, why haven’t you worn it? So you put it on, and oh yeah, that’s what you miss. Oh sure the sleeves are frayed, and maybe that’s why you stopped wearing it, but it does feel good.” That’s what this book is like… but probably only if you love old people, or were forced to live with your grandparents.
“It’s not that cold.”
“You’re going to catch a cold if you don’t wear a coat.”
“It’s 82 degrees outside.”
“I know. Where’s your coat? Put on your coat!”
“Yes ma’am.”
Rodney Rothman, I wish I were you. I wish I were a former head writer for The Late Show with David Letterman. I wish I had gotten to work on the Judd Apatow television show Undeclared. I’ve read some of your McSweeney’s articles, and I laughed at them.
I’ve seen your name pop up on shows like The Office. You’re that writer journeyman who gets to work on all the fun stuff; fun stuff that I like to watch and read. Yes, I would like just a sliver of your life. I want to walk in your shoes, except for that part when you spent a year in a retirement home.
“Where are your socks?”
“My socks?”
“Your socks. You’re going to catch a cold.”
“It’s June Grandma.”
“SOCKS!”
“Yes ma’am.”
It’s been awhile since I’ve read this book, but the jist is that after the cancellation of Undeclared Rothman decided to retire from work. He was a young writer, who had done nothing but work on television shows for seven years. He had some money saved up, he had no commitments (except for maybe a book deal), and he simply decided it was time to retire. So he retired. I’m not talking about, loaf around the house, watching CNN and eating frozen pizzas all day (which is my personal dream), he retired to a retirement community in Boca Raton, Florida.
“Have you eaten lunch yet?”
“No. I was just going to skip lunch.”
“You shouldn’t skip meals. Eat. I have some lunch meat in the refrigerator.”
“No, really- it’s…”
“EAT!”
“Yes ma’am.”
It’s really a cute book. Rothman meets and develops relationships with all kinds of old people. It’s funny, and slightly sad, as you think that all these people are going to die, as are we all. It sort of makes me nostalgic for something that’s never happened to me: being doted on by dozens of grandparents who have nothing better to do than to dote on someone.
“You eat too much!”
“You just handed me this sandwich.”
“I know, but if you keep eating, you’re never going to lose weight.”
“Right, I understand, but you literally forced me to take this sandwich from you like 45 seconds ago. Now you’re getting mad because I’m eating too much?”
“Oprah says…”
“Yes ma’am.”
I’ve been doted on by one set of grandparents, and it’s lovely, for the first week. I love my grandparents. It was several years ago that I found I had become one of those post undergrad twenty-something bums who found myself homeless when the American Dream failed me (that, or my degree in art failed to land me a job as a high powered business executive, what do those guys do anyway? I want to wear a business suit, and eat power lunches, and sit at a desk checking my Myspace all day too- except for wearing the business suit part) So I was forced to move in with my grandparents. They woke up early, they went to bed early, they didn’t know what the internet was, or have cable television, or know how to work their DVD player… but they doted on me like nobody’s business, and I loved it, and it drove me nuts. So maybe that’s why I loved this book. Not LOVED loved. It’s not my all time favorite book, but it had one of those, “find an old t-shirt in the bottom of the dresser drawer that you haven’t worn in years, but you loved that t-shirt, why haven’t you worn it? So you put it on, and oh yeah, that’s what you miss. Oh sure the sleeves are frayed, and maybe that’s why you stopped wearing it, but it does feel good.” That’s what this book is like… but probably only if you love old people, or were forced to live with your grandparents.
December 29, 2007
I thought "Early Bird" was interesting but too staged. You’ve got this successful Jewish writer who won’t stop talking about how Jewish he is parlaying his success into a book deal through which he moves to Florida for “spontaneous” interactions with retirees. I don’t know. Rather than experience retirement then writing the book, the book was clearly in the forefront of his mind throughout the experience. “Let’s go to Florida and write a funny book about old people!” He does treat the old folks with respect, though, and he handles the balance between patronizing the elderly and not making them sound like total assholes well. Plus, the bingo scene is great.
October 6, 2015
This is fun. Not too deep but poignant at times. Rodney Rothman (at one time the head writer for Letterman) decides to retire early and move to Florida. The catch is that he is 28. He moves to a retirement complex for @ 6 months to research this book. Funny and clever at times.
February 3, 2018
Mr. Rothman, I live in Century Village (CV) Boca Raton and I am the baby here - moving in, just before age 55. So, your book was right on the money! I nearly died reading it (from laughter of course) from cover to cover, and read it in two sittings.
By the way, your statement on the women's canasta groups being the 'Skull and Bones' group here at CV was hilarious, but so true. Having recently entered that echelon of society, I so sympathized with your rights of passage to even gain admittance.
But, for all other readers, if you have any interest into how life works at a large 55+ retirement home that tilts more towards older seniors, you'll certainly enjoy this book. It focuses less on the indignities of old age, and more on how a large condo block like CV self-organizes itself according to tradition, religious beliefs, and simply the ornery preferences of its residents. It is not a sad book (assuming you've come to grips with your own mortality). Rather, it is actually a celebration of all that remains to be done, tempered with the observation that not much will come your way unless you reach out to others.
And, for that reason alone, Mr. Rothman deserves to be celebrated for the spectacular attempt he made in getting close to those with life experiences and world views far from his own. Kudos, Mr. Rothman!
By the way, your statement on the women's canasta groups being the 'Skull and Bones' group here at CV was hilarious, but so true. Having recently entered that echelon of society, I so sympathized with your rights of passage to even gain admittance.
But, for all other readers, if you have any interest into how life works at a large 55+ retirement home that tilts more towards older seniors, you'll certainly enjoy this book. It focuses less on the indignities of old age, and more on how a large condo block like CV self-organizes itself according to tradition, religious beliefs, and simply the ornery preferences of its residents. It is not a sad book (assuming you've come to grips with your own mortality). Rather, it is actually a celebration of all that remains to be done, tempered with the observation that not much will come your way unless you reach out to others.
And, for that reason alone, Mr. Rothman deserves to be celebrated for the spectacular attempt he made in getting close to those with life experiences and world views far from his own. Kudos, Mr. Rothman!
June 5, 2007
the david sedaris comparisons (in the cover flap reviews as well as by the author himself throughout the book) are something i just don't see. this book was funny enough to make me crack some semblence of a smile 2 or 3 times in reading this book, but i never laughed out loud, and more than anything, i felt a little depressed reading it. i don't know why i thought this book would be funny. even after reading this book (especially after?) retiring and aging are not things i look forward to.
additionally, rodney added no new spin on things. obviously, he made many of the people he came in contact with uncomfortable; nearly getting his roommate kicked out of her condo for breaking the rules about keeping pets, taking viagra on a date to see 'the lord of the rings' and describing the results in detail, and tried to make some guy's mom like him more than her own son at thanksgiving dinner. this guy seems like he's starved for attention and moving to the retirement community and writing this book have been two efforts to get himself into a spotlight.
i thought 'undeclared' was a pretty funny series, and i love david letterman, but it's hard to believe such a so-so comedian was a writer for both those programs. i think this could have been a funny book if someone else had done it, as the idea is funny, but it wasn't executed in an engaging way.
additionally, rodney added no new spin on things. obviously, he made many of the people he came in contact with uncomfortable; nearly getting his roommate kicked out of her condo for breaking the rules about keeping pets, taking viagra on a date to see 'the lord of the rings' and describing the results in detail, and tried to make some guy's mom like him more than her own son at thanksgiving dinner. this guy seems like he's starved for attention and moving to the retirement community and writing this book have been two efforts to get himself into a spotlight.
i thought 'undeclared' was a pretty funny series, and i love david letterman, but it's hard to believe such a so-so comedian was a writer for both those programs. i think this could have been a funny book if someone else had done it, as the idea is funny, but it wasn't executed in an engaging way.
March 22, 2008
I loved Early Bird. Rodney Rothman takes you on a dysfunctional vacation to Florida, amongst floral-print couches, guffawing retirees, silly grandmas, and four-dollar buffets. These things themselves aren't very interesting, but Rothman synthesizes a broad array of ridiculous Floridians and their quirky habits, all the while using a fantastic observational voice.
It is contemplative at times, usually gut-busting, and mostly light-hearted. Although this book didn't challenge me or screw with my mind, it still gets four stars for making me laugh, pulling me out of rainy Seattle to sun-soaked Boca Raton, and providing wonderful characters along the way. It was my loosen-up book after wading through Ayn Rand's concrete jungle, The Fountainhead. It accomplished its purpose; I read funny parts to my friends, thought about retiring someday, and got a colorful picture of a corner of America that is rarely observed by young'uns such as myself.
His relationship with the African Grey Parrot is one of the funnier man-animal interactions I've read. "Shut up, you douche-bag bird." It's a quick read, but worth it for the humor and observation.
It is contemplative at times, usually gut-busting, and mostly light-hearted. Although this book didn't challenge me or screw with my mind, it still gets four stars for making me laugh, pulling me out of rainy Seattle to sun-soaked Boca Raton, and providing wonderful characters along the way. It was my loosen-up book after wading through Ayn Rand's concrete jungle, The Fountainhead. It accomplished its purpose; I read funny parts to my friends, thought about retiring someday, and got a colorful picture of a corner of America that is rarely observed by young'uns such as myself.
His relationship with the African Grey Parrot is one of the funnier man-animal interactions I've read. "Shut up, you douche-bag bird." It's a quick read, but worth it for the humor and observation.
June 16, 2016
from the book:
re: Amy, a friend in her 90s.
"I call Amy a few weeks later to apologize. I feel bad about how I acted with her. I'm not sure what got into me. God knows what kind of maniac I'll become when someone who is closer to me, like my parents, gets to be her age. I'm understanding a bit better now why so many of the elderly people I know at Century Village have strained relationships with their children. There's a lot of tension that comes from watching people you know grow old and helpless, when you want to see them as strong and capable. "You get along better with your grandchildren, " one man told me, " because they expect nothing from you other that you being Grandpa." "
There is much funny in this book. Also serious stuff. The above I found to resonate as I've personally found it to be true.
re: Amy, a friend in her 90s.
"I call Amy a few weeks later to apologize. I feel bad about how I acted with her. I'm not sure what got into me. God knows what kind of maniac I'll become when someone who is closer to me, like my parents, gets to be her age. I'm understanding a bit better now why so many of the elderly people I know at Century Village have strained relationships with their children. There's a lot of tension that comes from watching people you know grow old and helpless, when you want to see them as strong and capable. "You get along better with your grandchildren, " one man told me, " because they expect nothing from you other that you being Grandpa." "
There is much funny in this book. Also serious stuff. The above I found to resonate as I've personally found it to be true.
February 27, 2017
Rodney Rothman's humour is delightful in this quirky book about a 27 year old, who finds himself
unemployed and decides to give retirement a try.
Found myself chuckling more often than not!
unemployed and decides to give retirement a try.
Found myself chuckling more often than not!
June 28, 2009
I didn't really like this book. It didn't live up to my expectations. It has a quote from Jon Stewart on the cover, and seemed like a good concept, but wasn't that funny. The book doesn't have a good throughline. I imagine Rothman had all this material and it sort of resolved itself into various topics. However he ends one chapter abruptly and begins the next with no bridge between. He has a very dry style, but it comes off as lack of interest rather than wit. There's no sense that he actually cares about trying to get in with the old ladies by the pool, or how terrible his roommates cats are. It seems like he felt like he should write this book, so he did. But he didn't actually learn anything, I don't think. I wouldn't recommend it.
March 5, 2018
"This is an easy read", I heard from several. Yes it is, but primarily because there is nothing substantive about it. A young guy loses his job, decides to do "pretend retirement", and subsequently writes about it. Each chapter is a short story about some interaction he has in the retirement community. The cover jacket touts that this book is so funny but I didn't laugh at all through the whole book. The jokes felt too contrived and many of them were sacreligious in my opinion, taking away any chance of me liking the book at all. Would not ever recommend this book to anyone.
July 27, 2021
I loved this book - great summer read. I want to get into Shuffle Board now…any outdoor setups in Victoria, BC?
March 3, 2009
Rodney is 28. Rodney loses his job. Rodney considers going on vacation. Rodney remembers his best vacations--visiting his grandparents at their retirement home in Florida. Rodney decides to retire 40 years early. Just to check it out, you know. He literally moves into a retirement community, renting out a room in an elderly lady's condo. He has a bit of difficulty making friends with his neighbors (they're all pretty friendly until they realize that he isn't anyone's grandson). He joins clubs--lots and lots of clubs. The Newcomers Club, the Not For Women Only Club, the Shuffleboard Club. He makes new friends and is the scared recipient of a seventy-five-year-old woman's come-on (he doesn't go through with it). He finds the foulest-mouthed old woman in the world (and ends up yelling at her). Throughout the six plus months, we go with Rodney as he experiences the world of retirement and does some investigating into his future.
Not as funny as advertised...but are they ever, really? Not a bad memoir, pretty funny at times. It bothered me a bit that he moved to the retirement community with the book idea in mind, so some of it seems a bit contrived. Overall it was a good read--the elderly friends he makes are pretty darn funny sometimes.
Not as funny as advertised...but are they ever, really? Not a bad memoir, pretty funny at times. It bothered me a bit that he moved to the retirement community with the book idea in mind, so some of it seems a bit contrived. Overall it was a good read--the elderly friends he makes are pretty darn funny sometimes.
February 17, 2009
Aside from a few amusing anecdotes and some humorous character sketches, I wouldn’t really characterize this as a funny book. Nor is it a particularly insightful look into retirement through the eyes of a burnt-out 20-something. In fact, I’m not really sure what this book is. The most I can say about it is that it is sweet in a kind of funny/kind of sad way.
Borrowed from the public library.
Borrowed from the public library.
December 16, 2023
The book concept was sort of interesting, if a bit gimmicky. As another reviewer wrote, the author does seem to have taken up the idea of living with old folks merely in order to write the book. But we don’t ultimately learn too much, either about the author, or about the condition of being aged or retired.
January 23, 2010
Writer “retires” 40 years early after he loses his job. He moves to Boca Raton, Florida and shares a condo in a retirement village for four months. Quick read. He finds out that your personality is who you are, you don’t change as you get older.
February 6, 2021
I would have enjoyed it more if the cover hadn’t positioned it as him actually retiring early. It was obvious on every page this experiment was for a book (research, recorder). Still some funny and poignant observations.
January 1, 2015
I wonder what the folks at the retirement community this 28 year old lived at think of this book.
November 2, 2023
This former head writer for the David Letterman Show, felt stressed and burned out. When he was twenty-eight, the show he was writing for was cancelled and he was out of a job, so he decided to take early retirement. He moved to Century Village, a retirement community in Boca Raton Florida and began a new life sharing accommodations with someone he had never met. Margaret was a widowed piano teacher who had pets, was depressed and had no friends. It proved to be an interesting “new beginning”, living with someone he did not know and surrounded by an age group he had rarely spent time with.
Starting his journey was not easy. His first hurdle was finding a retirement community that would accept him, as most have a minimum age requirement and twenty-eight is not a number that cuts it. When he finally secured his new residence, he was surprised at the reaction of his neighbors. Some thought he was a visitor, someone’s grandson come to visit their grandparent. They were not quite sure how to take this young man who had suddenly appeared in their midst. They were suspicious, looking on him as an intruder or an imposter and making it clear they were not delighted with him honing in on what they considered to be “their” turf. It led Rothman to conclude that seniors have as much potential to be cliquey as high school students. He also noted how creating communities that included only the elderly, created an unnatural state of affairs, without the verve and energy of younger people to give it an important additional dimension.
As he takes on his new life, he learns how to play shuffleboard and canasta, joins strip bingo and becomes a member of the early bird dinner crowd. He plays golf with his new buddy, a former real estate agent and ex-heroin addict and is subjected to the amorous attentions of a divorced Romanian woman who has already worked her way through five husbands but has enough sexual libido to keep going for more. He sees what he never noticed before, old people at the coffee shop, secretly pilfering packets of sweetener; old men washing and waxing their cars at some ungodly hour of the morning and all of them laughing riotously at dirty jokes.
Rothman’s narrative is packed with an hilarious record of his experiences and the funny and unusual characters he met, but is contrasted by some of his more serious comments on aging. He intersperses all the silly funny things with comments on depression, senility and mortality, speaking to the point in everyone’s life when the aging process becomes more noticeable and we all begin the slide down that inevitable slope, knowing where we are all headed.
This ends as we all knew it would, when Rothman returns to his former life in Los Angeles as a writer, believing he is now a wiser man. It is a light and easy read, laced with some more serious comments about aging and the elderly. A funny but also thoughtful quick read.
Starting his journey was not easy. His first hurdle was finding a retirement community that would accept him, as most have a minimum age requirement and twenty-eight is not a number that cuts it. When he finally secured his new residence, he was surprised at the reaction of his neighbors. Some thought he was a visitor, someone’s grandson come to visit their grandparent. They were not quite sure how to take this young man who had suddenly appeared in their midst. They were suspicious, looking on him as an intruder or an imposter and making it clear they were not delighted with him honing in on what they considered to be “their” turf. It led Rothman to conclude that seniors have as much potential to be cliquey as high school students. He also noted how creating communities that included only the elderly, created an unnatural state of affairs, without the verve and energy of younger people to give it an important additional dimension.
As he takes on his new life, he learns how to play shuffleboard and canasta, joins strip bingo and becomes a member of the early bird dinner crowd. He plays golf with his new buddy, a former real estate agent and ex-heroin addict and is subjected to the amorous attentions of a divorced Romanian woman who has already worked her way through five husbands but has enough sexual libido to keep going for more. He sees what he never noticed before, old people at the coffee shop, secretly pilfering packets of sweetener; old men washing and waxing their cars at some ungodly hour of the morning and all of them laughing riotously at dirty jokes.
Rothman’s narrative is packed with an hilarious record of his experiences and the funny and unusual characters he met, but is contrasted by some of his more serious comments on aging. He intersperses all the silly funny things with comments on depression, senility and mortality, speaking to the point in everyone’s life when the aging process becomes more noticeable and we all begin the slide down that inevitable slope, knowing where we are all headed.
This ends as we all knew it would, when Rothman returns to his former life in Los Angeles as a writer, believing he is now a wiser man. It is a light and easy read, laced with some more serious comments about aging and the elderly. A funny but also thoughtful quick read.
December 29, 2024
Rodney Rothman ist Ende Zwanzig, als er entlassen wird. Während seine Umgebung von ihm erwartet, dass er sich so schnell wie möglich einen neuen Job sucht, hat Rodney andere Pläne. Was, wenn er jetzt schon ausprobiert, wie es sein wird wenn er in Rente geht? Die Erinnerungen an die Zeit in Florida mit seinen Großeltern sind gut, also mietet er sich als Untermieter bei einer alten Dame in einer Seniorenresidenz in Florida ein und geht probehalber in Rente.
Mit nicht einmal dreißig in Rente zu gehen ist ein großer Schritt, den Rodney nicht freiwillig unternommen hat. Der ehemalige Drehbuchschreiber für TV-Größen wie David Letterman wurde nicht mehr gebraucht. Er sieht seine Entlassung nicht als Katastrophe, sondern als Chance.
In Boca Raton holt ihn die Realität ein. Es ist nicht leicht für ihn, Anschluss zu finden. Das liegt nicht unbedingt an seinem Alter, sondern daran dass er ein Außenseiter ist. Die meisten seiner Nachbarn sind dorthin gezogen, wo ihre Bekannten schon wohnten. Man kennt sich von früher oder kennt zumindest jemand, der jemanden kennt. Es gibt eine Poolclique, eine Tennisclique, eine Shuffleboardclique und noch viele andere. Es braucht seine Zeit, bis Rodney da hineinkommt. Aber als er in der ersten Clique aufgenommen ist, geht der Rest von alleine.
Anfangs ist es tatsächlich nah an perfekt. Dann aber bröckelt die Fassade. Das Leben in Boca Raton ist nicht die heile Welt, die es zu sein scheint. Die alten Leute sind nicht so nett, wie sie auf den ersten Blick wirken. Die kleinen oder großen Intrigen sind nicht einmal fas Schlimmste für Rodney. Es ist das starre Gerüst, in das sich die meisten einsperren. Bestimmte Dinge müssen zu ganz bestimmten Zeiten erledigt sein. Spontaneität scheint etwas Gefährliches zu sein. Flexibilität oder Mut für Neues? Fehlanzeige. Immer wieder klingt auch durch, dass manche Leute lieber woanders wohnen würden. Aber ihre Freunde sind nun mal hierher gezogen, deshalb wohnt man auch hier.
Rodney erzählt seine Geschichte sehr humorvoll, aber man darf sich nicht täuschen lassen. Er hatte einen gewissen Abstand zum Ganzen und im Gegensatz zu seinen Mitbewohnern hat er eine echte Alternative. Early Bird ist ein interessanter Ausblick auf das, was sein kann. Ob man es wirklich so haben will, bleibt jedem selbst überlassen.
Mit nicht einmal dreißig in Rente zu gehen ist ein großer Schritt, den Rodney nicht freiwillig unternommen hat. Der ehemalige Drehbuchschreiber für TV-Größen wie David Letterman wurde nicht mehr gebraucht. Er sieht seine Entlassung nicht als Katastrophe, sondern als Chance.
In Boca Raton holt ihn die Realität ein. Es ist nicht leicht für ihn, Anschluss zu finden. Das liegt nicht unbedingt an seinem Alter, sondern daran dass er ein Außenseiter ist. Die meisten seiner Nachbarn sind dorthin gezogen, wo ihre Bekannten schon wohnten. Man kennt sich von früher oder kennt zumindest jemand, der jemanden kennt. Es gibt eine Poolclique, eine Tennisclique, eine Shuffleboardclique und noch viele andere. Es braucht seine Zeit, bis Rodney da hineinkommt. Aber als er in der ersten Clique aufgenommen ist, geht der Rest von alleine.
Anfangs ist es tatsächlich nah an perfekt. Dann aber bröckelt die Fassade. Das Leben in Boca Raton ist nicht die heile Welt, die es zu sein scheint. Die alten Leute sind nicht so nett, wie sie auf den ersten Blick wirken. Die kleinen oder großen Intrigen sind nicht einmal fas Schlimmste für Rodney. Es ist das starre Gerüst, in das sich die meisten einsperren. Bestimmte Dinge müssen zu ganz bestimmten Zeiten erledigt sein. Spontaneität scheint etwas Gefährliches zu sein. Flexibilität oder Mut für Neues? Fehlanzeige. Immer wieder klingt auch durch, dass manche Leute lieber woanders wohnen würden. Aber ihre Freunde sind nun mal hierher gezogen, deshalb wohnt man auch hier.
Rodney erzählt seine Geschichte sehr humorvoll, aber man darf sich nicht täuschen lassen. Er hatte einen gewissen Abstand zum Ganzen und im Gegensatz zu seinen Mitbewohnern hat er eine echte Alternative. Early Bird ist ein interessanter Ausblick auf das, was sein kann. Ob man es wirklich so haben will, bleibt jedem selbst überlassen.
August 13, 2024
About every other month, I bemoan "I'm ready to retire." Not because I hate my day job, but because I imagine retirement as a lifetime of Saturdays. Sleep in, linger over coffee, read, write, maybe take a bike ride or a walk, meet friends for lunch. So when I saw this book in my free library, I snatched it up, honestly, hoping it would give me some financial advice on how to achieve my goal of endless Saturdays.
There was no financial wizardry that allowed Rodney Rothman to retire before 30. He was a successful writer for the David Letterman Show and other successful tv series, decides to take a break and write a book about retirement but actually retiring to Florida. He moves into a retirement community (he quotes some rule about how these communities, due to anti-age discrimination laws, must allocate a housing for all ages, I'll assume that's true) with an eccentric older woman and her cats and her bird and he does all the Florida retiree things: sit by the pool and gossip, plays golf, eats early bird dinners (which I already do, dinner at 5 has always been my habit) joins a shuffleboard tournament and tries, tries, tries, to break into the canasta circuit.
He expects to learn wisdom from these men and women, but finds out they are no wiser at 70 or 80 or 90 than they were at 20 or 30 or 40. Their priorities are different, but they women gossip, the men obsess about sex, they can be annoying or standoffish, but most of it is done before 9pm. Many of the people he meets are not afraid of death, they are active socially and many enjoy physical activities. He cites lots of interesting tidbits about Florida and it's retirement culture, about studies of what makes people live longer. I found it interesting. And while he didn't necessarily find what he expected (he mentions Tuesdays with Morrie as his frame of reference for time spend with older people) he does make lots of friends and does a few things outside his comfort zone (playing softball with a whole gaggle of beefy, Midwesterners who were former athletes - this was a great scene that had my laughing out loud). In fact, many of his new friends - attended his book launch. His style is similar to David Sedaris, but the book is more cohesive with each chapter connected to the next than Sedaris 'vignettes.'
Easy, quick read. I enjoyed it.
There was no financial wizardry that allowed Rodney Rothman to retire before 30. He was a successful writer for the David Letterman Show and other successful tv series, decides to take a break and write a book about retirement but actually retiring to Florida. He moves into a retirement community (he quotes some rule about how these communities, due to anti-age discrimination laws, must allocate a housing for all ages, I'll assume that's true) with an eccentric older woman and her cats and her bird and he does all the Florida retiree things: sit by the pool and gossip, plays golf, eats early bird dinners (which I already do, dinner at 5 has always been my habit) joins a shuffleboard tournament and tries, tries, tries, to break into the canasta circuit.
He expects to learn wisdom from these men and women, but finds out they are no wiser at 70 or 80 or 90 than they were at 20 or 30 or 40. Their priorities are different, but they women gossip, the men obsess about sex, they can be annoying or standoffish, but most of it is done before 9pm. Many of the people he meets are not afraid of death, they are active socially and many enjoy physical activities. He cites lots of interesting tidbits about Florida and it's retirement culture, about studies of what makes people live longer. I found it interesting. And while he didn't necessarily find what he expected (he mentions Tuesdays with Morrie as his frame of reference for time spend with older people) he does make lots of friends and does a few things outside his comfort zone (playing softball with a whole gaggle of beefy, Midwesterners who were former athletes - this was a great scene that had my laughing out loud). In fact, many of his new friends - attended his book launch. His style is similar to David Sedaris, but the book is more cohesive with each chapter connected to the next than Sedaris 'vignettes.'
Easy, quick read. I enjoyed it.
September 5, 2024
I thoroughly liked this book. I wouldn't call it award-winning material or anything deep or revolutionary, but it was enjoyable to read and even surprising in parts.
I liked that it wasn't entirely predictable and although the concept of the book itself seems foolish, the story that's told actually isn't. At times it does have it's silly/fun moments, but at other times its incredibly relatable and tugs at the heart strings.
I also love that he dedicated the book to his grandparents and I think the quote Rothman included at the beginning of the novel from Oscar Wilde's, "The Picture of Dorian Gray", truly sums up the feeling behind Rothman's story - "The tragedy of old age is not that one is old, but that one is young."
I liked that it wasn't entirely predictable and although the concept of the book itself seems foolish, the story that's told actually isn't. At times it does have it's silly/fun moments, but at other times its incredibly relatable and tugs at the heart strings.
I also love that he dedicated the book to his grandparents and I think the quote Rothman included at the beginning of the novel from Oscar Wilde's, "The Picture of Dorian Gray", truly sums up the feeling behind Rothman's story - "The tragedy of old age is not that one is old, but that one is young."
October 3, 2021
You can't escape the reality that this whole book is a kind of comedy schtick: how funny would it be if a young dude who used to write for Letterman retires to a senior living condo in Boca and reports back? But Rothman handles this assignment he's dreamed up with some delicacy, going for more than just easy yuks. The central finding is that people don't really change that much as they age (many old men in particular seem to have a knack for remaining about twelve). You may find it either depressing or hopeful, but I just found it interesting and amusing. A good read if any of this sounds fun to you.
November 7, 2019
After reading a really heavy book, I picked this up as a "palate cleanser", hoping for something light and amusing. This was light but not very amusing or very interesting for that matter. The anecdotes weren't particularly insightful or even entertaining. I forced myself to finish this to see if I would enjoy it better over time...nope, no such luck.
August 2, 2020
A insightful look at a burned out TV writer (Letterman) and his journey into retirement in Florida. Very funny, prophetic as generations clash and eventually mesh. Kind of living this now as my adult son works remotely in our “older” community in SC. Clever writing, generational insights and triumphs.
September 9, 2021
To be honest. I was disappointed with this one. Rodney made me laugh, but overall the book lacked substance. I kept reading hoping to find some more meaningful realization in the epilogue but was left unimpressed. I understand that might be the point in writing a memoir about retirement, but it makes for a lack luster book in my opinion.
September 29, 2019
This is probably one of those books that's funnier if you read it in the voice of the comic who wrote it. But I don't know the guy, and it didn't seem very funny. I did get a few good laughs here and there, which is pretty good.
December 22, 2019
I love this book... so real , easy to read , so true ... i live in Florida in a senior complex and the reality of the book and stories is so vivid... great sense of humor and funny too... recommend it !!! i
October 18, 2020
Do you often think of retiring? Me, too. Rodney Rothman did at at age 28, and this is his story about the 6 months he spent at a retirement community in Florida. (Where else, right?). It's quick & entertaining, good for light summer reading around the pool, minus the Pool Group, of course...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2023
I thought this was an interesting read, not really funny, but I didn’t realize it was based on true events until the end so maybe if it wasn’t it could have been made to have more humour in it. I did think it was a great showcase of different people and their lives, everyone’s got their own story.
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