By: Rich Cohen
Vintage (April 8, 2003)
224 pages
Have you ever fallen in love? Probably so. But if you think back – your first love was probably not your girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, or husband. If you think back, your first love was probably your best friend. That friend that you looked up to. The one you always wanted to be around. And the one who you walked into adulthood with. Lake Effect is that story. Reading, you are entertained by Cohen’s youth as you reflect on your own.
One of my favorite quotes:
“Some old guy bought us a drink. He was alone and full of talk. “You boys are damn young,” he said, “so I just hope your generation is better than mine. My generation has done nothing. We did not survive a depression or win a war, we did not lose a war or go on pilgrimage, we did not immigrate or emigrate. Our lives have been just a collection of aimless conversations in smoky bars.” He thought for a moment, then said, “Just like this one.”