Title: The Folly of Life
Author: Michael F. Kaufmann
Genre: Non-Fiction, Proverbs
Rating: 3 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Treasure Every Word!
“I can hardly imagine you falling asleep while reading, but if you do, the proverbs are bound to color your dreams”
“The folly of life” is a book of proverbs containing original sayings by Michael F. Kaufmann. This is his third book in this genre, written – upon request, after the success of his first two books.
Smile if you can, laugh if can’t
“The folly of life” presents an ironic and funny outlook on the true nature of life. It addresses a number of different disciplines which will widen and enrich the readers’ perspective on reality. Humor is an intrinsic part of Kaufmann’s writing and is either presented directly – “If you’re dead serious than you’re seriously dead”, or indirectly – as an advice “if you want to guarantee the popularity of your next book, be sure to insert in it as many flattering photos of its readers”.
“Like an exquisite drink”
The recommendation of the first few readers was to try and resist the temptation of “swallowing” its pages and finishing it in one read. They suggested to treat the book as if it was an exquisite drink which is treasured and tasted in small doses. Thus, to slowly digest the diversity, to challenge the insights, to smile, laugh and enjoy!
The book is an easy read intended for readers who can smile with one eye and shed a tear with the other.
The Folly of Life is not my typical read – it’s a colleciton of proverbs containing original sayings and apparently, already the author’s third book in this particular genre. I had no idea these types of books were still popular.
Still, the humor in this book is pretty awesome and the book conjured a smile on my face on more than one occassion. It focuses on different aspects of life, on the good and the bad, and it manages to show the absurdity of every situation, turning something stressful or annoying into something humorous – a skill more of us should have.
This is an intriguing mix of comedy and tragedy, an unique book, and for that alone, I enjoyed it. Still, the genre isn’t really for me, and sometimes I had to force myself to go back to reading it – the good thing is that you don’t have to read this all at once, you can read a page a day, think about it, and then continue the next day.
