Old Buddy, Old Pal

Like Kundera in T"he Book of Laughter and Forgetting," this author kept startling me with little reports on what it feels like to be unable to live unself-consciously. "Much of what I write is simple truth, but even so, when you say it over and over, it feels like a lie." Old Buddy Old Pal is a remembrance. But how do you recount the tale of a shared history? What's fair? What's true? The narrator, Burt, is too honest for nostalgia and too self-aware to be at ease with his past. This book is about missed chances and what happens when a chance for perfect love (and the re-vision of self it offers) re-appears. I was completely absorbed by this thoughtful, contemporary tale of friendship between two men.

Even readers who look no deeper than the surface of "Old Buddy, Old Pal" will find Mr. Laser's exploration of the boundaries friendships and relationships a worthwhile read. That is, the tension, the conflicts and the "universal truths" within the story - by themselves - are sufficient to keep the pages turning towards the book's surprising and satisfying finish. But readers who look beyond the simple "plot/story" of the book are in for a special treat. The author's skillful clipped-prose, present tense style lends itself well to developing the book's complex, multi-dimensional characters. Vivid imagery, subtle symbolism, and unexpected ironies await thoughtful readers seeking not merely a good story, but excellent writing as well.

With remarkable sensitivity, OLD BUDDY OLD PAL tells of the gradual dissolution of a college friendship over a 10 year period. There is a sub text of the alienation created by living in a big city. Mr. Laser switches effortlessly between the present and the past. Two great incidents describe a wedding ceremony held in an upstate Holiday Inn and attending a Yankee baseball game. Mr. Laser also has a gift for writing terse sentences which speak volumes (e.g. "That's what Thanksgiving is for...the reawakening of ancient enmities" and "It's just a convention of TV that friends hold no grudges, have no memories." I look forward to his next book.

Kudos to Mr. Laser. He shows remarkable sensitivity. The characters were richly developed and quite believable. An excellent effort. I was sorry to see it come to an end.

A great story. Romantic, sexy, sad, joyful; this book has it all and is written with such honesty, you'll feel like you can see into the authors's soul. It's a fast read and very enjoyable.