Take the Cannoli
Sarah Vowell
2001
219 pages
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This is a collection of essays written by Vowell and previously published elsewhere. Unlike her later works, there isn’t a central theme to this book. It still reeks (in a good way) of her signature style, though…snarky, insightful, and fun to read. Among other things, she writes about guns, Sinatra, the Trail of Tears, insomnia, learning how to drive, Disney World, and The Godfather.
There were two things in this book that made me think that Vowell and I were freakishly alike (actually, we’re not at all alike…but these two excerpts are totally me). In her essay ”Drive Through Please,” she relates her thoughts on driving and her experiences on learning to drive:
“In most families, I hear, the father teaches the kids to drive. But I had been in the backseat when he was screaming at Amy [her twin sister] not to damage the U-joints, whatever those are. I figured he already had plenty of reasons to yell at me without adding car damage to his list of behavioral complaints. So Amy tried to teach me – once. Before I even got around to turning the key in the ignition I couldn’t stop giggling so she kicked me out of her car and made me walk.”
This is ridiculously similar to my own experience. My father was the first person who tried to teach me how to drive. However, he was more concerned with telling me how the clutch and gears worked (yes, I had to learn how to drive in a stick shift), as if knowledge of the internal workings of a car would magically result in one knowing how to drive. Hah! The only thing that happened was I cried, and my dad was disgusted. Following this traumatic experience, my mom took me out, and we laughed so hard nothing was really accomplished. Fortunately, she didn’t make me walk home. My big brother is the one who actually taught me how to drive…who knew he’d have the patience of a saint?
The next essay that spoke to me was “Dark Circles.” Actually, the essay is on insomnia, but there was one paragraph:
“Phone rang. It was Dave, a writer friend. We talked for over an hour, mainly about punctuation. He has big plans for the ellipsis. He’s mad for ellipses. I tell him, yeah. I have similar affection for the parenthesis (but I always take most of my parentheses out, so as not to call undue attention to the glaring fact that I cannot think in complete sentences, that I think only inn short fragments, or long, run-on thought relays that the literati call stream of consciousness but I like to think of as disdain for the finality of the period). Dave is trying to decide whether he wants there to be a space before or after the ellipsis. He’s unsure. Is the ellipsis approach powerful because of what is not said after the dot dot dot, or is it a cheap excuse for not being able to verbalize? Conversely, do we parentheticals want to communicate by cramming more in, thus slapping what we’re not saying in between what we are, officially, saying? Or is it because we can’t decide?”
I’m afraid I’m a parenthetical who loves to cram stuff in, but who also loves the ellipses because I just can’t verbalize.
There was also numerous references to Columbus and his misdeeds, which is kinda weird considering I’m also reading A People’s History of the United States, and had just finished the chapter in which Zinn educates us on the bad side of Columbus. (Coincidentally, the book I read immediately before Take the Cannoli also had a Columbus bashing line. Howard Zinn would be so proud.)
I think this is the third Vowell that I’ve read (Assassination Vacation and The Partly Cloudy Patriot, which I barely remember, are the other two). I really want to read The Wordy Shipmates and Unfamiliar Fishes, although at the rate I’m going, it’ll be the next decade before I get to them.
We were with a group of about 6 people last year and had a big (friendly) argument on when in the movie the scene was with “Take the cannoli!” Ironically, right after that, the movie was on tv (well, not so ironic since it’s on every week) and we all cheered during that scene…
rhapsodyinbooks´s last [type] ..Review of “You Are My Only” by Beth Kephart
What movie?
The Godfather.
I like Vowell a ton but I didn’t have good luck with Assassination Vacation. I freakin’ adored The Partly Cloudy Patriot. I have The Wordy Shipmates around here somewhere and will definitely read more of her.
Andi´s last [type] ..On Chunksters, Or My Literary Nemeses
I’ve read Assassination Vacation, Partly Cloudy Patriot, Unfamiliar Fishes and am halfway through The Wordy Shipmates on audio as I write this. I have a thing for Vowell, though I find I do like her earlier works more than her most recent. Which is not to say I haven’t enjoyed Unfamiliar Fishes and The Wordy Shipmates (to-date), but that I just didn’t ADORE them the way I did the other two. Maybe I should go back and check out Take the Cannoli.
As an aside, Vowell on audio is wonderful — she captures her dry humor perfectly. Go figure!
Kerry M´s last [type] ..Stop SOPA & PIPA
Ah, Ms. Vowell. I have made a promise to myself to ONLY read her via audio because I love her delivery. Therefore, I’ve only listened to A.V., The Wordy Shipmates, and Unfamiliar Fishes, the audios carried by my library. I just love her to death. And now I love her more because I too am the queen of the dot dot dot…
Sandy´s last [type] ..Not So Wordless Wednesday: Krakow #1
This sounds like a great way to experience Vowell’s work. My dad taught me how to drive. Things changed when I had a child, though – I’m the one who taught him. Carl worked so much at the time, he wasn’t home enough to do it. It takes nerves of steel to teach someone to drive.
bermudaonion (Kathy)´s last [type] ..Wondrous Words Wednesday
Must get this!! Why did I not know about this? I think I’ve found my next audio! Love the excerpts you shared. My parents couldn’t teach me to drive either. It was too stressful. (I too learned on a stick.) I ended up learning from my girlfriend’s dad, who took us out to edge of town, parked the car on a hill and said if you don’t get it going forward, we’ll roll down. We both learned in like 10 minutes! He drank beer the entire time.
Jenners´s last [type] ..Poem: I Have Found Such Joy
OMG.
Care´s last [type] ..Sugar in My Bowl
I need to make time for this author! Like Sandy, audio may be my selected delivery method.
JoAnn´s last [type] ..Tuesday Intro: Every Last One
I loved the paragraph about the parenthesis and the ellipsis, and agree that could also be me. I have only read one book by Vowwell, but I do need to read more, for sure, and this one seems like a great candidate. Fantastic review today, Jill!
zibilee´s last [type] ..Graveminder by Melissa Marr — 352 pgs
This sounds brilliant! I’m a huge fan of parentheticals, but do admit to resorting to ellipses a lot in texts and quick emails!
Stephanie @ Read in a Single Sitting´s last [type] ..What do your books mean to you? Books as collectibles and representations of self
This and Radio On are the only two I haven’t read from Vowell (this one is waiting on my shelf — and now I want to read it even more!!). Unfamiliar Fishes was not very Vowell — I saw her at a Vroman’s event and she admitted that she had a harder time writing about people who’s descendants were still around and a bit touchy about the subject… you can tell this is the case in her writing.
I highly recommend (and think I own, and can lend you) The Wordy Shipmates!
Wallace´s last [type] ..Independent Literary Awards :: The Short Lists
I loved The Wordy Shipmates so very much, but I also have a weird soft spot for the Puritans. I haven’t read this one, but I’ll probably try to find it on audio — I like Sarah Vowell best that way.
Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness)´s last [type] ..Review: ‘Moby-Duck’ by Donovan Hohn
My friends (who all adore Sarah Vowell, as do I) have decided that SV and I have the same speaking style and the voice to go with it. I can’t hear it myself, but it’s a terrific compliment.
Bybee´s last [type] ..Books On The Move
I read The Partly Cloudy Patriot a couple years ago, and it’s one of the only 3 or so books that I didn’t end up blogging about. I just found it “eh” and didn’t have too much to say about it. I was so certain I’d be a huge Vowell fan before reading that, but now I’m hesitant to pick up any of her other books.
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