Rating:  - It's a lot of fun.
FESTIVUS: THE HOLIDAY FOR THE REST OF US falls into the realm of the Just Plain Silly. The book has a foreword by Jerry Stiller. Any fan of TV's "Seinfeld" can tell you why that's significant and will instantly recall the "Festivus" episode that introduced the holiday's Festivus Pole, the Feats of Strength and the Airing of Grievances, all of which are covered here.
It seems Festivus can be celebrated at any time of year and, according to the book, it "can be adapted to fit anything." This little book explains the origin of the word in ancient times and brings us up to date with Festivus party planning, favors, food and games. Hosts of Festivus parties share their personal experiences, which can be bizarre and even offensive.
It's a lot of fun.
Rating:  - Festivus...YESSS!
My friends and I always talked about having a Festivus party and thought we were the only ones original and subversive enough to attempt it, but as Allen Salkin thoroughly reveals, we were not. Turns out, people all over the country have been celebrating Festivus since the Seinfeld episode aired, adding their own uniquely hilarious twists on the 3 essential elements of the holiday; the pole, the airing of grievances, and the feats of strength! The book is packed with enough accounts and images of Festivus revelers nationwide to turn even the steeliest reader onto its low-budget charms. I received the book as a Secret Santa gift at work (ironic, no?) and am spreading the gospel to my two brothers, who will both find this tight little tome tucked into their respective stockings this holiday season.
And in the spirit of Festivus, Three Grievances:
1. Gypsies don't excite me the way they used to.
2. The girl across from me looks better in her denim mini.
3. My boss's refridgerator smells like a rancid bait shop.
Rating:  - DISAPPOINTING
I don't make a lot of money, so if I shell out fifteen bucks for a book I kind of want it to be good. And this is just okay. The cover looks great with that funny Frank floating head, but after that it's kind of a letdown. The cat was kind of cute, but the stuff about the Romans confused me - who cares? And I guess it's nice people around the country are celebrating it, but I already knew that. Festivus is a joke holiday that comes from a comedy show, so I kind of wanted this to be more entertaining.
Rating: - I knew there had to be a better way!
While "The Strike" wasn't quite as good or memorable as the "Puffy Shirt" or "Soup Nazi" episodes, the one thing it did bring was real-life celebration of Frank Costanza's Festivus. Oh, and what a merry, merry holiday it is! I had no idea so many people were actually celebrating this thing, but it's hard not to laugh at recipes like "Chocolate Salami" and song sheets for "So Good You Do Not Smell." I nearly fell off my couch reading Stiller's intro. Who knew he was a Prada and Gucci man? Salkin is a fine and smart writer, but like any good writer he doesn't overtell the stories and allows the humor to come naturally. Highly recommended if you hate getting stuck in Midtown during Christmas season, or are looking for a fun, inexpensive gift to give your friends who aren't deserving of your affection.
Rating: - Kinda Dry
Disappointing that a book with its roots in SEINFELD is so straight-forward and lacking in laughs. Dry like a high school textbook. And while it does a good job covering the way fans celebrate Festivus, I found myself skipping over parts of it.
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