Fleetwood Mac's Tusk
By Rob Trucks
Barnes & Noble link
(For those interested in learning more about this amazing book series, check out their website at http://www.33third.blogspot.com/)
There is nothing greater than reading an entire dissertation on a classic album. That's where the 33 1/3 series comes into play. This is their bread and butter, letting writers to properly geek out and write about an album, approaching it from any angle they desire. Almost reaching that sweet spot of 100 entries, nestled into the 77th spot, is Rob Trucks' slender entry on the iconic and controversial Fleetwood Mac album Tusk. Would it be a straightforward historical document? A journey deep into the psyches of the band members? Or would it be a missed opportunity to talk about its nuances, but in its place "quirky" autobiographical details that really add nothing to the big picture? It's all of the latter.
The book can be separated into three parts: one part Trucks' autobiography during the pre- and post-Tusk release, most of the time having nothing to do with the album (who cares, really?); one part interview with Lindsey Buckingham (most of it just stuff you can learn by reading other interviews), and one part interviews with various musicians about how they feel about Tusk (lemme get a "who the f*** cares?!" over here!) It is a convoluted mess, plain and simple.
None of it makes sense, especially the life and times of our author, who honestly shouldn't insert himself like this in the history of such a game-changer of an album. So what if you were having neighbor issues while you were researching the album? What does this have to do with everything? Yes, "Tusk is a symbol", but not the way you think it is. Big deal, I was about six months old when Tango in the Night was released and you don't see me make a huge to do about it.
There are times when the author can insert themselves into the time period that the album was released, capturing the mood and time with precise, sharp detail. That is where Jonathan Lethem succeeded with his take on Fear of Music. Rob Trucks failed because he couldn't resist making it all about him and how Tusk happened to be a blip in his world. Once again, how special snowflake of you, sir.
Please skip this entry with no doubt in your mind. You are missing nothing. I just hope that if 33 1/3 allows do-overs, someone can give Tusk the proper treatment it deserves. Without pretension, without unnecessary interviews, without a self-centered author.
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Friday, July 20, 2012
Monday, November 14, 2011
Book Review 18 of 24 (Scrapbooks Are Paper Blogs)
The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt
By Caroline Preston
Barnes & Noble link
(Fun fact: I just found out about this book earlier yesterday at my job. Read it in two sittings and decided that it was an appropriate last review.)
When given the tools, anyone can become the person they were meant to become. The influences could come from anywhere, but usually you can discern the usual suspects. For the narrator of The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt, this was an easy one: her own parents. But it takes more than that to get this girl going. Adventures await her as she leaves the farming countryside of New Hampshire for the wide-eyed wonder of New York State in this uniquely-presented tale.
By Caroline Preston
Barnes & Noble link
(Fun fact: I just found out about this book earlier yesterday at my job. Read it in two sittings and decided that it was an appropriate last review.)
When given the tools, anyone can become the person they were meant to become. The influences could come from anywhere, but usually you can discern the usual suspects. For the narrator of The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt, this was an easy one: her own parents. But it takes more than that to get this girl going. Adventures await her as she leaves the farming countryside of New Hampshire for the wide-eyed wonder of New York State in this uniquely-presented tale.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Book Review 17 of 24 (Atwood Schools Everyone About Sci-Fi)
In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination
By Margaret Atwood
Barnes & Noble link
(Fun fact: the main reason I joined Twitter was because Margaret Atwood had one and enjoyed using it.)
When you want to learn about a genre, you normally go towards the genre's representative books. In this case, we are talking about science fiction. Go for the popular, we have Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, and Philip K. Dick. Wanna get esoteric? Walter M. Miller, C.S. Lewis, and J.G. Ballard. How about the ladies? Margaret Atwood, Octavia E. Butler, and Ursula K. Le Guin. You have a lot to choose from.
In this case, let's go with Margaret Atwood. She has written the chilling The Handmaid's Tale, the apocalyptic tale of Oryx and Crake and its sequel The Year of the Flood. But she ain't through. She has more to say about science fiction than her novels could contain. With In Other Worlds, Atwood puts together all she learned about sci-fi and schools you good.
By Margaret Atwood
Barnes & Noble link
(Fun fact: the main reason I joined Twitter was because Margaret Atwood had one and enjoyed using it.)
When you want to learn about a genre, you normally go towards the genre's representative books. In this case, we are talking about science fiction. Go for the popular, we have Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, and Philip K. Dick. Wanna get esoteric? Walter M. Miller, C.S. Lewis, and J.G. Ballard. How about the ladies? Margaret Atwood, Octavia E. Butler, and Ursula K. Le Guin. You have a lot to choose from.
In this case, let's go with Margaret Atwood. She has written the chilling The Handmaid's Tale, the apocalyptic tale of Oryx and Crake and its sequel The Year of the Flood. But she ain't through. She has more to say about science fiction than her novels could contain. With In Other Worlds, Atwood puts together all she learned about sci-fi and schools you good.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Book Review 16 of 24 (Surrealistic Lady Writers Unite!)
Fantastic Women: 18 Tales of the Surreal and the Sublime from Tin House
Edited by Rob Spillman
Barnes & Noble link
(I'm breaking with tradition: I normally don't review things after reading another review, in fear of plagiarizing... but it's time to subvert!)
If it weren't for the wonderful magazine Bitch, this book's existence would've never been made unto me. Already hurting to read more works by female writers, this collection not only appealed to that but also for the draw of big names. I've read Rikki Ducornet's The Fountains of Neptune (a recommendation from a creative writing professor) and am currently reading Karen Russell's excellent Swamplandia! and the collected stories of Lydia Davis. Thanks to this book, I now have a list of fantastic writers to check out.
Edited by Rob Spillman
Barnes & Noble link
(I'm breaking with tradition: I normally don't review things after reading another review, in fear of plagiarizing... but it's time to subvert!)
If it weren't for the wonderful magazine Bitch, this book's existence would've never been made unto me. Already hurting to read more works by female writers, this collection not only appealed to that but also for the draw of big names. I've read Rikki Ducornet's The Fountains of Neptune (a recommendation from a creative writing professor) and am currently reading Karen Russell's excellent Swamplandia! and the collected stories of Lydia Davis. Thanks to this book, I now have a list of fantastic writers to check out.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Book Review 15 of 24 (Ladies and the Records They Love)
Record Collecting for Girls: Unleashing Your Inner Music Nerd, One Album at a Time
by Courtney E. Smith
Barnes & Noble link
There are not too many women writing and publishing books on music criticism, or even about the life and times of being a record collector. Well, there are but not enough to balance out what has been a longtime man's game. Music has been mostly about guys and showing off their collections and their knowledge. Us ladies have been treated as ones only casually interested (and stereotypically as only interested in "girly" music) and never being knowledgeable. But, this couldn't be further from the truth. Us ladies can be just as knowledgeable (and maybe even more) and we're into more than "girly" music. We can listen to Sarah McLachlan and have our Creedence Clearwater Revival too. Just don't count Courtney E. Smith as our representative (we're torn between Ann Powers and the late Ellen Willis at the moment).
by Courtney E. Smith
Barnes & Noble link
There are not too many women writing and publishing books on music criticism, or even about the life and times of being a record collector. Well, there are but not enough to balance out what has been a longtime man's game. Music has been mostly about guys and showing off their collections and their knowledge. Us ladies have been treated as ones only casually interested (and stereotypically as only interested in "girly" music) and never being knowledgeable. But, this couldn't be further from the truth. Us ladies can be just as knowledgeable (and maybe even more) and we're into more than "girly" music. We can listen to Sarah McLachlan and have our Creedence Clearwater Revival too. Just don't count Courtney E. Smith as our representative (we're torn between Ann Powers and the late Ellen Willis at the moment).
Monday, August 22, 2011
Book Review 14 of 24 (In Which We Learn the Internet is A DeLorean)
Retromania: Pop Culture’s Addiction to Its Own Past
By Simon Reynolds
Barnes & Noble link
(I dedicate the Doctor Who references in the beginning paragraph to my Amy Pond-cosplaying, Dalek-hugging little sister. Keep on shining with your Sonic Screwdriver.)
I shall never doubt the contents of the introduction ever again. When I cracked open Reynolds’ latest offering in music criticism/history, the introduction led me to believe that all the arguments were going to be a big load of “cool story, bro” and at worst, pathetic. By the fourth chapter, I was thunderstruck. Yep, seems like society jumped into a TARDIS and went back without warning the rest of us. And we left the Good Doctor behind.
By Simon Reynolds
Barnes & Noble link
(I dedicate the Doctor Who references in the beginning paragraph to my Amy Pond-cosplaying, Dalek-hugging little sister. Keep on shining with your Sonic Screwdriver.)
I shall never doubt the contents of the introduction ever again. When I cracked open Reynolds’ latest offering in music criticism/history, the introduction led me to believe that all the arguments were going to be a big load of “cool story, bro” and at worst, pathetic. By the fourth chapter, I was thunderstruck. Yep, seems like society jumped into a TARDIS and went back without warning the rest of us. And we left the Good Doctor behind.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge 2011: Book Review 2 of 5
after the quake
By Haruki Murakami
Barnes & Noble link
*Note: this is the second of five reviews for the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge*
Short stories are a strange animal. You are telling the story of people, places, and things; and yet you only have a limited amount of time. All there is time for is the important stuff, the "greatest hits" of it, if you would. It takes a different set of skills to reach shortened-literary perfection. Even novelists are daunted by them. Haruki Murakami remained, as usual, undaunted by a challenge. While he's done it before, he achieved his finest hour in after the quake.
By Haruki Murakami
Barnes & Noble link
*Note: this is the second of five reviews for the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge*
Short stories are a strange animal. You are telling the story of people, places, and things; and yet you only have a limited amount of time. All there is time for is the important stuff, the "greatest hits" of it, if you would. It takes a different set of skills to reach shortened-literary perfection. Even novelists are daunted by them. Haruki Murakami remained, as usual, undaunted by a challenge. While he's done it before, he achieved his finest hour in after the quake.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Book Review: 13 of 24 (First Lady of Rock Criticism)
Out of the Vinyl Deeps: Ellen Willis on Rock Music
Edited by Nona Willis Aronowitz
Barnes & Noble link
This was a book I wasn't sure how to approach when it came time to finally review it. At first, I abandoned the idea of doing this, since it is the first book of its kind that I ever reviewed (here or anywhere else). But after some consideration, the review will go on. This unsung lady of rock journalism shall not go ignored any longer! With a little help from her friends (and daughter too), the late Ellen Willis gets a fitting tribute in this collection of her greatest hits in Out of the Vinyl Deeps.
Edited by Nona Willis Aronowitz
Barnes & Noble link
This was a book I wasn't sure how to approach when it came time to finally review it. At first, I abandoned the idea of doing this, since it is the first book of its kind that I ever reviewed (here or anywhere else). But after some consideration, the review will go on. This unsung lady of rock journalism shall not go ignored any longer! With a little help from her friends (and daughter too), the late Ellen Willis gets a fitting tribute in this collection of her greatest hits in Out of the Vinyl Deeps.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge 2011: Book Review 1 of 5
South of the Border, West of the Sun
By Haruki Murakami
Barnes & Noble link
*Note: this is the first of five reviews for the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge*
When it comes to writing about lost love in an earnest tone, Haruki Murakami delivers in spades. If you need further evidence, please consult Sputnik Sweetheart and Norwegian Wood. He writes another story of lost love, and this time, there is nothing that stand between the two... well, except the two. Lovers go to battle with their own demons in South of the Border, West of the Sun.
By Haruki Murakami
Barnes & Noble link
*Note: this is the first of five reviews for the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge*
When it comes to writing about lost love in an earnest tone, Haruki Murakami delivers in spades. If you need further evidence, please consult Sputnik Sweetheart and Norwegian Wood. He writes another story of lost love, and this time, there is nothing that stand between the two... well, except the two. Lovers go to battle with their own demons in South of the Border, West of the Sun.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Book Review: 12 of 24 (Richard Matheson is A Ninja)
Other Kingdoms
By Richard Matheson
Barnes & Noble link
Imagine my surprise when I happened upon a random slice of information one late February day: Richard Matheson, the man who brought the world What Dreams May Come and one of the most popular Twilight Zone episodes (also a short story), had released a new book. New book. In 2011. You bet I ordered it before you could say "Bob's your uncle and he makes cheese of the finest variety". Too bad it was a sore disappointment.
By Richard Matheson
Barnes & Noble link
Imagine my surprise when I happened upon a random slice of information one late February day: Richard Matheson, the man who brought the world What Dreams May Come and one of the most popular Twilight Zone episodes (also a short story), had released a new book. New book. In 2011. You bet I ordered it before you could say "Bob's your uncle and he makes cheese of the finest variety". Too bad it was a sore disappointment.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Book Review: 11 of 24 (Nail-Biting Nonfiction)
Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima
By Stephen Walker
Barnes & Noble link
As the narrator of Fallout 3 best put it: "War never changes". Years have passed since the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on two cities in Japan, citing the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War. But, what if the bombs weren't dropped? Well, there would've been a land battle between Americans and Japanese. Many deaths were foreshadowed, possibly more than the total overall of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But, some had to die in order for more not to die? Those, among many more questions you will ask yourself as you read Walker's Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima.
By Stephen Walker
Barnes & Noble link
As the narrator of Fallout 3 best put it: "War never changes". Years have passed since the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on two cities in Japan, citing the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War. But, what if the bombs weren't dropped? Well, there would've been a land battle between Americans and Japanese. Many deaths were foreshadowed, possibly more than the total overall of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But, some had to die in order for more not to die? Those, among many more questions you will ask yourself as you read Walker's Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Book Review: 10 of 24 (Ballard Rides Again)
High Rise
By J.G. Ballard
Wikipedia link (click here to buy it from England!)
(Fun fact: this book was my solitary goal in my book-searching quest over in the British Isles earlier this year. It was this book or bust. Found it in the Foyles on Charing Cross. Excellent store, six floors of book heaven.)
A long time ago, I cracked open a copy of Stephen King's Danse Macabre (which I sorta recommend, but that's a whole other kettle of fish) and went to the far back to read the recommended books list. The tome of horror's long-ass history listed High Rise and Concrete Island alongside The Exorcist and The Haunting of Hill House. After finding High Rise, and just now finishing it, of this trilogy that Ballard had (Crash, Concrete Island, and High Rise; all which hilariously enough I read in order) this one is definitely the most likely to represent future real life.
By J.G. Ballard
Wikipedia link (click here to buy it from England!)
(Fun fact: this book was my solitary goal in my book-searching quest over in the British Isles earlier this year. It was this book or bust. Found it in the Foyles on Charing Cross. Excellent store, six floors of book heaven.)
A long time ago, I cracked open a copy of Stephen King's Danse Macabre (which I sorta recommend, but that's a whole other kettle of fish) and went to the far back to read the recommended books list. The tome of horror's long-ass history listed High Rise and Concrete Island alongside The Exorcist and The Haunting of Hill House. After finding High Rise, and just now finishing it, of this trilogy that Ballard had (Crash, Concrete Island, and High Rise; all which hilariously enough I read in order) this one is definitely the most likely to represent future real life.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Book Review: 9 of 24 (musician getting writing awards and stuff)
Just Kids
by Patti Smith
Barnes & Noble link
(Fun fact: I read a chunk of this on an e-reader on display at my job, since I was supposed to stand there and demonstrate it for curious customers.)
A memoir can be more than just about the pen-holder. It can be about another, a person that had stood beside the author through the tumbles of life. Inspire them to do great things and become someone that ends up making history. That is what Patti Smith did in her memoir Just Kids, making it not only about her, but the famed photographer and best friend Robert Mapplethorpe.
by Patti Smith
Barnes & Noble link
(Fun fact: I read a chunk of this on an e-reader on display at my job, since I was supposed to stand there and demonstrate it for curious customers.)
A memoir can be more than just about the pen-holder. It can be about another, a person that had stood beside the author through the tumbles of life. Inspire them to do great things and become someone that ends up making history. That is what Patti Smith did in her memoir Just Kids, making it not only about her, but the famed photographer and best friend Robert Mapplethorpe.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Book Review: 8 of 24 (Holy Mackerel!)
The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University
By Kevin Roose
Barnes & Noble link
(Lordy, I waited too long to read this glorious tome. Hope not to do that for Rob Sheffield's newest book.)
There are times when you confront someone who has different beliefs than you and you wonder "what is it like to be them? And most importantly, are the stereotypes true?" Kevin Roose, instead of settling with stereotypes, decides to dive right into the world of evangelical Christians. The Unlikely Disciple is the chronicle of that adventure.
By Kevin Roose
Barnes & Noble link
(Lordy, I waited too long to read this glorious tome. Hope not to do that for Rob Sheffield's newest book.)
There are times when you confront someone who has different beliefs than you and you wonder "what is it like to be them? And most importantly, are the stereotypes true?" Kevin Roose, instead of settling with stereotypes, decides to dive right into the world of evangelical Christians. The Unlikely Disciple is the chronicle of that adventure.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Book Review: 7 of 24
So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother)
by Micol Ostow with illustrations by David Ostow
Barnes & Noble link
(Note: this is one of four library books I need to get finish reading before the end of the month. Moral of the story: never borrow seven books at a time when you have at home 100+ of your own you need to read...)
Once in a while, in the young adult literature world, you stumble across a book that manages to capture what it's like being a teenager in its purest essence. The social pitfalls, the schoolwork, the dreams and dares. But what it does differently is it does it without making it vapid, you with the bookworm personality or the outcast who hasn't yet asked out the love of their life. Sure, it may also be in a framework that you didn't grow up in, but hey, it's neat to get a different perspective. So Punk Rock... is one of those books.
by Micol Ostow with illustrations by David Ostow
Barnes & Noble link
(Note: this is one of four library books I need to get finish reading before the end of the month. Moral of the story: never borrow seven books at a time when you have at home 100+ of your own you need to read...)
Once in a while, in the young adult literature world, you stumble across a book that manages to capture what it's like being a teenager in its purest essence. The social pitfalls, the schoolwork, the dreams and dares. But what it does differently is it does it without making it vapid, you with the bookworm personality or the outcast who hasn't yet asked out the love of their life. Sure, it may also be in a framework that you didn't grow up in, but hey, it's neat to get a different perspective. So Punk Rock... is one of those books.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Book Review: 6 of 24 (this gets personal)
Amberville
by Tim Davys
Barnes & Noble link
(Note: I happened upon this book while browsing my favorite Tumblr blog, Libraryland. The moment its existence was made known to me, I had to go out and buy it. It needed to be in my life twenty minutes ago.)
Talk about unexpected surprises. Tim Davys, an anonymous figure from Sweden, threw a doozy at the literary world. Taking elements of Chandler and Hammett, adding a dash of whimsy, and added his/her/hir secret ingredient; Davys unleashed a quartet (so far, two of them are out). What is the secret ingredient, you ask? Stuffed animals. Yes. As in teddy bears, bunny rabbits, and elephants with cotton-filled tusks and trunks. Still with me? Good, because believe this: this whole concoction is a miracle and must be witnessed by all who enjoy books.
by Tim Davys
Barnes & Noble link
(Note: I happened upon this book while browsing my favorite Tumblr blog, Libraryland. The moment its existence was made known to me, I had to go out and buy it. It needed to be in my life twenty minutes ago.)
Talk about unexpected surprises. Tim Davys, an anonymous figure from Sweden, threw a doozy at the literary world. Taking elements of Chandler and Hammett, adding a dash of whimsy, and added his/her/hir secret ingredient; Davys unleashed a quartet (so far, two of them are out). What is the secret ingredient, you ask? Stuffed animals. Yes. As in teddy bears, bunny rabbits, and elephants with cotton-filled tusks and trunks. Still with me? Good, because believe this: this whole concoction is a miracle and must be witnessed by all who enjoy books.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Book Review: 5 of 24 (damn, I need to catch up)
1984
by George Orwell
Barnes & Noble link
(This read was in celebration of Banned Books Week)
This is no underestimated, underground book. 1984, upon its release in 1949, changed pop culture. It added such phrases as "doublethink" and "Big Brother's watching you" into the lexicon. The notion of paranoia, of a government having control over everything from the media to how people are exposed to it, rings true for today. Especially in North Korea, where a totalitarian society, a living Oceania, currently reigns over its people.
by George Orwell
Barnes & Noble link
(This read was in celebration of Banned Books Week)
This is no underestimated, underground book. 1984, upon its release in 1949, changed pop culture. It added such phrases as "doublethink" and "Big Brother's watching you" into the lexicon. The notion of paranoia, of a government having control over everything from the media to how people are exposed to it, rings true for today. Especially in North Korea, where a totalitarian society, a living Oceania, currently reigns over its people.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Book Review: 4 of 24
The Stepford Wives
by Ira Levin
Barnes & Noble link
(I read this on a whim while reading Stephen King's Danse Macabre, which mentioned the movie and the novel on the chapter about horror films. I finished it in less than two hours, go me. *fails to mention her vision is blurry as all-get-out*)
Ira Levin may not be much of a household name these days, but respectful horror nerds (of both the literary and film varieties) must acknowledge his footprints on this metaphorical frontier. He first brought the world Rosemary's Baby, a story so deep-rooted in modern culture that you don't have to see the film in order to understand why it scared the bejeebus out of everyone. It became a popular film, one in the lauded tower with others such as The Shining and Halloween. In 1972, he did it again. In the wake of women's lib taking on the world, he released The Stepford Wives. The book, unlike his last hit, wasn't much into grisly horror. It instead punched readers and viewers (once the film was released) with subtle, even paranoid, horror.
by Ira Levin
Barnes & Noble link
(I read this on a whim while reading Stephen King's Danse Macabre, which mentioned the movie and the novel on the chapter about horror films. I finished it in less than two hours, go me. *fails to mention her vision is blurry as all-get-out*)
Ira Levin may not be much of a household name these days, but respectful horror nerds (of both the literary and film varieties) must acknowledge his footprints on this metaphorical frontier. He first brought the world Rosemary's Baby, a story so deep-rooted in modern culture that you don't have to see the film in order to understand why it scared the bejeebus out of everyone. It became a popular film, one in the lauded tower with others such as The Shining and Halloween. In 1972, he did it again. In the wake of women's lib taking on the world, he released The Stepford Wives. The book, unlike his last hit, wasn't much into grisly horror. It instead punched readers and viewers (once the film was released) with subtle, even paranoid, horror.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Book Review: 3 of 24
Piercing
by Ryū Murakami
Barnes & Noble link
(This was a library borrow. Two down, four to go. This also will be the last review that will be lacking quotes from the book, since I keep forgetting to do that.)
Ryu Murakami is no stranger to writing novels that will make readers squirm in their seats (please refer to Almost Transparent Blue, Audition [yes, that one], and In the Miso Soup... but with caution). Compared to the more popular Haruki Murakami and his surrealistic settings, Ryū Murakami could be almost the shock jock of modern Japanese literature, especially with his focus on sexual violence, drug addiction, and deviant behaviors. But calling Murakami (referring to the author of Piercing from this point on) that would be missing the point of his work. If readers looked past the violence and sexuality and drugs, they would discover something just as hideous as a growing pool of rich red blood: people can be terrible.
by Ryū Murakami
Barnes & Noble link
(This was a library borrow. Two down, four to go. This also will be the last review that will be lacking quotes from the book, since I keep forgetting to do that.)
Ryu Murakami is no stranger to writing novels that will make readers squirm in their seats (please refer to Almost Transparent Blue, Audition [yes, that one], and In the Miso Soup... but with caution). Compared to the more popular Haruki Murakami and his surrealistic settings, Ryū Murakami could be almost the shock jock of modern Japanese literature, especially with his focus on sexual violence, drug addiction, and deviant behaviors. But calling Murakami (referring to the author of Piercing from this point on) that would be missing the point of his work. If readers looked past the violence and sexuality and drugs, they would discover something just as hideous as a growing pool of rich red blood: people can be terrible.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Book Review: 2 of 24
Miracles of Life: An Autobiography
J.G. Ballard
Amazon link
(Quick backstory: I purchased this, along with several other Ballard novels, while I was in London a few months ago. My only regret was not buying Millennium People, since it is near-impossible to find in the States.)
After reading Concrete Island, the late J.G. Ballard gained a new fan in me. Upon learning that he had published a memoir, which was released one year before his death from prostate cancer, I made sure to track it down when I was in Europe.
J.G. Ballard
Amazon link
(Quick backstory: I purchased this, along with several other Ballard novels, while I was in London a few months ago. My only regret was not buying Millennium People, since it is near-impossible to find in the States.)
After reading Concrete Island, the late J.G. Ballard gained a new fan in me. Upon learning that he had published a memoir, which was released one year before his death from prostate cancer, I made sure to track it down when I was in Europe.
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