Poor Advice and Other Stories

By: Lou Gaglia

Narrated by: Steve Blizin, Cheryl Blizin

Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

An awful poet, dumped by his girlfriend, roams through Italy, where he clearly doesn't belong; an oil delivery man falls in love with a clumsy woman and becomes even clumsier than she is; and a six-year-old and his father kill over 200 flies at a horse farm while the father wonders about life and death. Poor Advice and Other Stories, with its mix of the serious and the absurd, reveals Lou Gaglia's humor, imagination, and range. A man avoids paying a World Series bet to a dying old woman; a vindictive whale chases after movie stars; and a man is jealous of his brother-in-law's ventriloquist dummy. Find these stories and many others in Mr. Gaglia's debut book.

Lou Gaglia puts the entertainment back in literary fiction. Many of his characters seem laughable and misguided in their fumbling ways, but the listener will come to love them for their heart-warming innocence. You will laugh, you will cry, but mostly you will go away remembering his vivid characters, his spot-on dialogue, and his varying modes of conveying the stories in this unique collection, all of which reflect the talents of an outstanding fiction writer.

©2015 Lou Gaglia (P)2015 Lou Gaglia

Check out Lou Gaglia's Poor Advice!!

Would you consider the audio edition of Poor Advice and Other Stories to be better than the print version?

Where can you expect to go through the wildly imaginative mind of Lou Gaglia in “Poor Advice and Other Stories?” Take “Orca (A Madcap Thriller)” for example, as seen through the eyes of a not-so-sinister yet still murderous whale. Adopting the personas of Ann Margaret, Boris Karloff, and Bud Abbott in their oceanic set, you’re taken on a uniquely twisted anthropomorphic ride. It’s great fun, though probably not recommended if consuming hallucinogens. Otherwise, all aboard!

Of a more serious, poignant nature, “Little Leagues” captures the reminiscences of childhood around communal baseball diamonds and bocce ball courts, blending a sense of Italian-Americana with pranking kids who, perhaps, see their own futures in an older generation. This naturally moving transgression will no doubt evoke certain memories and/or emotions with many readers, and inspire such brain-teasing pictures with the rest.

Need a laugh? “The Ventriloquist” tells the story of a man whose embarrassing moments in life become the subject matter of his bro-in-law Sal’s bowling alley ventriloquist act. Sal’s initial struggle to resonate with his audience turns to popular acceptance...with all but the resentful narrator. And when the dummy gets left behind in a taxi? Sorry, no spoiler here.

Colorful yet flawed characters populate Gaglia’s “Poor Advice” no matter what form they take...even from the perspective of a moustache doomed to shaving, lamenting missed opportunities to savor a romantic interlude and one last taste of spaghetti sauce. Gaglia’s nicely turned, artistic phrases lend themselves just as well to the ear as the eye. And that makes “Poor Advice” easily recommended in audio form as well as a terrific page-turner!

It's not 'Poor Advice' at all!

What made the experience of listening to Poor Advice and Other Stories the most enjoyable?

A mix of funny, quirky offbeat tales and more introspective stories about life and love made this a very engaging listen. The use of character voices really helped make the stories come alive, and made you feel like these were people you knew.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Russian character Ivan from The Spy and the Priest was my favorite. The dialogue was ridiculous and hilarious, and he took himself so seriously with the thick Russian accent - I cracked up and had to replay some passages over and over.

Which character – as performed by Steve Blizin and Cheryl Blizin – was your favorite?

See above - Ivan was really the standout among several extremely likable characters

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

It's hard to pick one because there are 2 stories that I found very moving personally. "Squeezing the Boots" seems like an odd title, but it's a very emotional story about adulthood's responsibilities, starting one's own family and missing the guidance of a father who recently passed away at an all too early age. It brought tears to my eyes as I could relate to missing my own dad during pivotal parts of my adulthood, longing for his advice and mourning the fact the he missed out on so much of my children's lives.

"This is My Montauk" is also a very moving story about friendship, family, the fragility of life, and the ties that keep us rooted to our sense of "place." One of the main characters gets an unexpected life lesson and in a way it's a cautionary tale reminding us to be kind to our fellow man and appreciate our lives while we're here.

Any additional comments?

The mix of stories was very well balanced and made for a very entertaining listen. Mr. Gaglia's talent for writing comedic characters and dialogue as well as describing heart-wrenching emotions is the basis for the success of this audiobook, and the narrator's ability to adapt the stories and convey those emotions is spot-on.

Great collection of short stories!

Would you listen to Poor Advice and Other Stories again? Why?

Yes! Absolutely! I wasn't sure what to expect but by the 3rd story, I was completely hooked. Each of these stories has something you can relate to. There's humor, misguided romance, summer jobs, wacky characters and they all seem like people I know. I'll definitely listen again (and again!)

What did you like best about this story?

At first it was the humor that drew me in. The author is very talented and has a very funny way of telling stories that become engaging from the first sentence. But after listening through stories like "Squeezing The Boots," "Little Leagues" or "This Is My Montauk," it's clear the author can weave very poignant and emotional threads into the mix without seeming out of place or out of sync with the entire collection. It made me laugh out loud in places and I even got a little teary in the car on the way to work listening. Great, thought provoking stuff.

Have you listened to any of Steve Blizin and Cheryl Blizin ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I'd never heard of them until I listened to a true crime story they did. It was ok but they both really seemed to come alive in this performance. The male narrator did several of the voices but the female narrator only appeared on a few. I think she could have been in more stories.

If you could take any character from Poor Advice and Other Stories out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I felt like I already knew many of them! I worked with a guy who sounded exactly like the Carnegie Hall concert goer and the crazy girl in "The Wrong Beth" reminded me of a girl I knew. In fact, I don't think there's a character in here that seemed unfamiliar.

Any additional comments?

I felt like most of these stories could be appropriate for all audiences. Not always G rated but maybe PG13. I think teens, young adult readers will enjoy this as much as any adult. I loved this!

LISTEN TO THIS BOOK!

Would you listen to Poor Advice and Other Stories again? Why?

Yes - in fact i just did which prompted me to review it. Early stories are good and connect via theme/character. To me they just keep getting better and had me still thinking about them after I'd read them. Then comes "Orca" which is crazy/bizarre and cracks me up listening to Bud Abbott and Boris Karloff and jealous of the whale (he ate Ann Margaret). By the time I listened to "Tony The Mustache" I was laughing out loud.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Poor Advice and Other Stories?

Too many to mention - the whole idea of Russia sending spies to figure out America's advantage - God in "The Spy and the Priest" and what happens is awesome. Love the voices!

What about Steve Blizin and Cheryl Blizin ’s performance did you like?

Excellent job - loved the New York, Russia accents and especially Bud Abbot

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No because it is series of short stories i enjoyed listening to two or three at a time. However i couldn't stop towards the end and listened to the last nine in a row.

Any additional comments?

I bought this book in May or June (7months ago) and read it then. I enjoyed it so much that I got the audio version to listen to on a recent trip and at the end I kept driving around after reaching home so i could hear the last stories..

Great narration, interesting story

Would you consider the audio edition of Poor Advice and Other Stories to be better than the print version?

Yes, because I think the reader is outstanding. The story, a series of "comedic" tales interested me. I'm always impressed with somebody who can create many different tales with one book.

Has Poor Advice and Other Stories turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. The author worked hard and I would love to hear more.

Which scene was your favorite?

The narrator's Russian accent was spot on. That amused me.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No. But the work was interesting.

Any additional comments?

Narrator fantastic, writer worked hard. Good job.