MORE TOWELS by Grant Jarrett, (iUniverse)

Where Seinfeld heralded itself as being a show about nothing, I might think Grant Jarrett's MORE TOWELS: IN BETWEEN THE NOTES might be a memoir about nothing.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. (*rim shot*)

In fact, it seems there is a string of memoirs hitting the market about twenty- or thirty-somethings that have accomplished absolutely nothing but seem to have something to say; indeed it is a point of angst among many literary folks in the Big Apple. These authors are not survivors or seers or anything else. They're just clever.

At the same time, some of these are fantastic texts, like this one and this one.

And Mr. Jarrett's book is quite good too. I'll admit before going any further that it is a guilty read. The story-teller is not particularly likeable. At all. It is the story of a lousy musician playing in a lousy band during the time where band members wore vibrant velvet and polyester. It's a story about a guy finding (trying to find/not finding) himself.

It's about nothing.

But it is funny. The book is littered with humorous vignettes and poignant stories regarding the (underground) music scene of yesteryear. Jarrett certainly devotes a large portion of the book to his sexual conquests and while at times it starts to weigh like a sandwich with too much mayonnaise (chew on that one for a while) the quality of writing brings it through with shining colors (in velvet and polyester.)

Maybe this book came out too long ago (2002) because it is a hot genre in New York right now. It is vaguely similar to HOLLYWOOD ANIMAL by Joe Eszterhas, but delivers the story from the trenches instead of the heights.

Well worth a read--and it's an easy one at that.

One other note: at the time of this review, MORE TOWELS is discounted 60% on Amazon, making the price $6.38. A POD for under seven bucks? The end of the world might nearer than we think.