Aside from containing one of the most sublime works Simon has ever written, this volume is mostly somewhat mediocre pieces, not his best work. There are a couple of pieces that reach his usual quality, but most of these do not date well and do not travel well. The laughs are minimal, the characters are less interesting than usual, and the plots are thin. Easy to read, not horrible, but mostly mediocre; however, the presence of Prisoner of Second Avenue brings it up by at least a half a star. ( )