Summer Reading Book- 700 Sundays
700 Sundays, a memoir written by the well-known actor and comedian Billy Crystal, evokes emotions as the reader dips themselves into the ever-changing life of Billy Crystal. The memoir, sadly, describes the short amount of time that Crystal had to spend with his father. It goes through the daily family feuds of Crystal, his siblings, and his parents, giving the reader a realization about the unimportance of family bickering. The sudden death of Billy’s father surely puts life and appreciation into perspective.
BIlly grew up in Long Beach, New York, in a middle to low class household. Billy’s father worked multiple jobs to keep the family’s financial state “above water.” His father, because of all of these jobs, was constantly busy, leaving little time for bonding between he and his father. The only time that Billy had with his father were Sundays. He excitedly awaited every Sunday as it marked his favorite day to perform and spend the time he lacked during the week, with his father. The 700 Sundays that Billy had with his father was but a miniscule amount of time, but still a strong relationship between the two was intact.
Billy’s life was comprised of three main aspects: baseball, jazz music (tribute from his father), and finally, performing. His father’s career revolved around jazz music; owning a music store, managing jazz musicians, and hosting/DJing concerts. Because Billy had no real opportunity to build a strong relationship ship with his father, the jazz music brought them together. Baseball also impacted Billy’s life, instilling positive values whether Billy knew it or not. When reading this book, one can understand how to maintain healthy relationships with family, because of Billy’s dark period after his father’s death.
This book is one of the funniest books that I have ever read. Crystal’s sarcasm and quick wit puts this book at the top of my list. As i read, I chuckled at his language and how he made everything able to be connected to. Teenagers reading this book can relate to Billy and his attitude, family life, and personal life as a kid. However, this memoir did take place in mainly the 50s, so some aspects of his life may not be familiar to many, but still similarities are present.
Overall, 700 Sundays, is a wonderful book: well-written, extremely personal, and most importantly, to give the reader a sense of appreciation for their family. What Billy went through is very similar to what many people in the world are going through. This memoir puts life into perspective. After reading it, it made me appreciate what I have, whether it be family, friends or my possessions. The book conveys a vast variety of important values to live a healthy life. If someone is looking for a personal and comical book, 700 Sundays will surely satisfy these requests, and more.
