Title: Best Served Cold: Essays
Author: Roger Zotti
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 9781524587703
Pages: 204
Genre: Literary Collections / Essays
Reviewed by: Gillian Pemberton
Pacific Book Review
In his introduction, author Roger Zotti touches on his experience when asked to read and examine a work by Charles Dickens in school. He took a decidedly unique approach to examining “David Copperfield.” Perhaps his teacher didn’t appreciate his approach that day, but countless people have read and examined Dickens’ work and in my opinion, a different perspective is not only refreshing, but also necessary. While the author has no doubt perfected his skills since his school days, he still strives to take a unique approach to his examinations. Furthermore, rather than focusing only on the over-read books of the school classroom, he explores what interests him, namely, sports, books, and movies. While his reading choices may have once been considered “vulgar,” they led to an informed and intelligent view on these subjects. In Best Served Cold Zotti shares his thoughts on everything from prolific hockey starts to Captain Ahab in Moby Dick.Reading TV Guide and sports magazines kept Zotti informed on his favorite subjects when he was younger and the value of his interests do well in today’s culture of social media, catchy headlines, and short attention spans. I won’t reduce the author’s work to this kind of “here today, gone tomorrow” internet content, I only wish to point out a book of short form essays, each with its own subject matter, lends itself well to a fast-paced world, even though the content is decidedly timeless. Readers seem to have less time to devote to long books extrapolating on the same subjects, but are likely to enjoy quick bites of information offering new perspectives.
While my normal reading habits don’t usually draw me to writings about Mary Louise- Parker, Cher, and boxer Johnny Risko, I found myself drawn into well-researched stories, anecdotes, and thoughts on a variety of sports stars and entertainment icons. Though quotes from other sources overwhelmed some of the essays, the overall effect was successful. Each essay was not only informative, but offered tidbits that brought each subject to life in a new and interesting way.
At first, the organization of the essay felt a bit daunting. The essays are short and there is no consistent timeline. Other than “Sports” and “Movies and Books” there is no division of the subjects, though each new essay has it’s own recognizable title. But, this in no way affects the outcome of the book, and if anything it improves it. It’s easy to pick up and read one or more essays and move around without changing the impact of a single essay. A clear Table of Contents directs readers to each essay and an index of subjects is easily searched. After reading through all of the essays, it’s easy to locate your favorites, though I recommend picking up the book and turning to a random page. Overall, it’s an enjoyable reading experience from a writer with a well-honed perspective and voice.
Zotti’s Best Served Cold is an entertaining and insightful group of essays exploring some of the most notable names in sports, entertainment, and literature.
