Adam Sharp

Gift from B

A delightful collection of phrases from various countries and languages, in list form, with lively commentary in the footnotes.

International versions of "once upon a time" (p. 1):
When animals talked and people kept quiet (Catalan)
In the old times, when wishing still helped (German)

Int'l euphemisms for being on your period (p. 4):
There are communists in the funhouse (Danish)

Phrases about going slowly (p. 20)
Schneckentempo (German) "snail's pace"

The meaning of the word for "pets" in show more various languages (p. 43)
House favourites (Hungarian)

"Sleeping like a baby" from around the world (p. 55):
Fast asleep with hands full of pancakes (Berkshire)

Expressions about leaving things to fate (p. 61):
We'll just see where the ship runs aground (Dutch)
Man plans and God laughs (Yiddish)

"All talk and no action" best English variant (p. 84): All wardrobe and no Narnia

Names for a bookworm (108):
Ink drinker (French)

When something is about to be finished or lost (p. 122): c'est le fin des haricots, "it's the end of the beans" (French)

Translations of the word for wren (p. 137)
Fence-skeddadler (Danish)
Thumbling (Finnish)
Mouse-brother (Faroese)
Little king of winter (Dutch)

How to say "zero f**ks given" from various languages (p. 162):
Narrate that to a tortoise (Tagalog)
Even the dog is uninterested (Hungarian)
I care not a potato (Welsh)
I care like a cat cares if it's Wednesday (Yiddish)
Tell that to a parking meter (German)

OMGs from different languages (p. 183):
Take a whole vacation! (Danish)

Phrases about bosom buddies from different languages (p. 192):
They resonate on the same string (Hungarian) show less

I was drawn to read this to learn about the post-punk life of Colin Sharp, briefly of Durutti Column. Of course, that was long past by and during the author's life. It was even further removed as Adam was so distant from both parents, at times in the antipodal sense, that he refers to both by their first names. That is part of his father's life he cannot access or participate in, except in his imagination. Globe-trotting and constantly re-creating himself, the plucky Adam Sharp proves a show more survivor, his own worst enemy, ringside spectator to world class family dysfunction, and, after all, an adept writer. He strings together his book's sections with pot boiler cliffhangers.

Good job, Adam! show less

I loved Adam's memoir and so I told him, "Adam, I loved that book"
The picture that I got from Adam's childhood is so clear and bright. it was so real that reminds me some memories from my own childhood.it was fantastic to look that close to someone's life.
and anyhow Adam is a cool guy.
I know he is working on his second book,and I'm waiting for it,impatiently.

It became redundant after 30% of the book , though is great for once in a while read when nothing else to do