(this is in order of consumption)
1. The Time Traveller's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger) - I really liked this book, particularly the first 2/3 of it, when Henry's existential and emotional crises were at the forefront, as they are replaced later on by Clare's trepidation and difficulties in trying to bring a child (a likely "chronologically displaced" one at that) into the world. It is I suppose a tad "chick-flicky" at times, but that's really a lazy and inaccurate criticism. It makes you feel, and that isn't something to criticize, especially since it's not trying to just blatantly manipulate your emotions. And time travel is generally a pretty interesting concept, especially if the author doesn't waste a tonne of time trying to get around the mechanics of it, which Niffenegger does none of. Even less than Shane Carruth's Primer, which you should go watch. Just ask Terrell. I had a little reluctance about finally getting around to reading this book (it's been on my shelf since I lived at Fleet), but that was needles, because it was beautiful, and would recommend it to nearly anyone.
2. I Wear the Black Hat (Chuck Klosterman) - CK is the bomb. Sharp and biting social criticism wrapped in a hilarious pop culture drenched candy coating. This book is about villains in our society, both real and fictional. A villain is someone who Chuck deems "Knows the most, but cares the least." I feel that this isn't really the greatest measure of determining who is/isn't a villain, but that instead Klosterman chose this because it fit his thesis best, and allowed him to slap that tag on whoever drew his humerous ire. That said, he presented it pretty convincingly, and I ate this one up in a couple bus trips. Perhaps most memorable was his early on statement that Snidely Whiplash is the prototype for villainy that basically every other villain throughout history has tried to measure up to, based solely on the fact that he enjoyed tying buxom lasses to railroad tracks (only to be repeatedly thwarted by the dimwhitted Canadian law enforcement officer, Duddly Do-Right. I haven't seen the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show since I was probably 9 years-old, but I'm pretty sure it was a gem), if only because it sums up Chuck Klosterman's rather slanted view on the world. It was no Killing Yourself to Live, but it was a highly entertaining read nonetheless.
3. The Slap (Cristos Tsiolkas) - a common find in the bargain section at McNally, it looked interesting each time I went back there (which is every time I find myself at McNally, which is often enough) so eventually I caved and picked it up. It is an examination of family/friend dynamics in the wake of an incident at a "well-lubricated" neighbourhood barbecue in which a man slaps a friend's child (because he was being a real shit and was probably going to smack the first man's child with a cricket bat), and not unexpectedly, the child's parents go kind of batshit. The book is separated into 8 different chapters, each one written through the viewpoint of different characters, not a completely unique literary device, but used successfully, it can be a very effective way of conveying the complexities of a situation. Unfortunately, some (about half) of the perspectives were not of any interest to me, I really could have used some more of the first and last characters. Basically what I learned from this book is don't go around slapping other people's children1, and try to keep up a healthy tan, which are admittedly, pretty good bits of information.
4. The Rebel Sell (Joseph Heath & Andrew Potter) - I once quoted this book in a (fairly important) paper without really reading it. I found the section that sort of applied2 to my thesis, and just quoted it straight out, taking the time to read a couple paragraphs on either side. Of course I had intentions to read the whole thing, but the life of a music student isn't ripe with spare time to read entire books. I mean, come on, do professors really expect to forego important social interaction just to study all night?!?! I'm pretty sure they don't. And if they do, you're probably in the wrong program and you should transfer out pretty much immediately. To one that isn't lame. I hope no one is noticing that I'm not actually talking about the book, because I don't have a heck of a lot to say about it, mostly due to the fact that it was somewhat dense reading material. Basically its main thesis is that the "culture" can't be jammed, that the counterculture isn't actually railing against anything (it mostly uses consumer culture as the dragon to be slain), and instead is being easily co-opted as just another part of consumer culture, i.e. hippy love beads are a great sale item at The Forks, aren't they? Instead, they say that the countercultural movements have really missed the point, and instead the problems of society aren't due to some "system" but collective inaction. It was a tad nihilistic at times, and although was thoroughly engaging, it failed to offer very many concrete alternatives or methods for accomplishing what they believed the countercultural movements (particularly of the 50s and 60s) had failed to do.
5. Filth (Irvine Welsh) - Geeze, if I thought The Rebel Sell was nihilistic I was in for it this time out. Irvine Welsh can wring beautiful eloquence out of utter depravity (Trainspotting is still, years later and at least 4 reads through, one of my favorite books), but this time out it was just a little too much. When I was 16 I had a shitty interaction with a cop and I started to think that there were some real assholes in places of authority, but I hope none are this jaded and depraved. Or if there are (and there probably are), I don't want anyone I know to meet them. I'm hoping to trade this one in for High Fidelity in the hotel lobby.
6.La Guerre? Yes Sir! (Roch Carrier) - French Canadian author writes short, concise book about relationships between French Canadian villagers in the 40s, and their relationships with "les maudits Anglais!" Best part? "Christ en bicyclette sur son Calvaire!"
7.Norwegian Wood (Haruki Murakami) - I haven't actually read this one yet, but since 1Q84 was something like 1200 pages, I've read enough Murakami to know that it'll probably (hopefully) be a bit of a pick me up after being stuck in this literary mire of depression. Actually I've thoroughly enjoyed all of them, there's been something to love in each one. But especially the first 2. This was way too long. I'm gonna go hit the pool now, work on my splotches. I'm getting used to the side part already.
1 this was actually something I was aware of already, perhaps contrary to what a couple earlier posts may had alluded to. A lot of people in the book (mostly the dudes) seemed to think the kid deserved it, although they did prefer that it would have came from his father, but his father was an antagonistic, failed-artist drunk. So he was too busy being a dick at the time to be a half-assed parent.
2 it didn't really, which is terribly evident after reading the whole thing
No comments:
Post a Comment