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23rd out of 87 books
—
25 voters
The F***ing Epic Twitter Quest of @MayorEmanuel
Primary Colors for the social media era, the wildly profane, viral phenomenon that resulted from a fake Twitter account deftly satirizing Rahm Emanuel is the first significant Twitter epic in today’s digital age.
With web sensations such as Stuff White People Like and Sh*t My Dad Says making the leap from the Internet to the bestseller lists, it’s no surprise that this uniq
...morePaperback, 256 pages
Published
September 13th 2011
by Scribner
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I started reading the @MayorEmanuel Twitter feed about a month before its conclusion, and, like thousands of other people, I was immediately sucked in. Collected in book form, the tweets are just as funny the second time around, the ending just as poignant, and the fact that Dan Sinker constructed such a good story 140 characters at a time just as motherfucking incredible. (Yeah, it also generates a fun side effect: the number of f-bombs in your everyday speech increases by a factor of about fou...more
I feel a little embarrassed giving this book a full five stars, because I am a coward and I can't bear the thought of you thinking, "Another lackluster product of the social-media-to-book-deal boomlet, like 'Stuff White People Like'? Andy's ranking that a full five stars?" I am. I have to. It's a tremendous story. Not only does it not feel like a dumb, blog-to-book quickie at all, but it's better than most of the mediocre new published fiction I've read in the past year or so. This isn't really...more
A book based on a Twitter feed shouldn't work, but this one does, because a) @MayorEmanuel is in the pantheon of fake Twitter feeds b) @MayorEmanuel has a strong narrative arc that you appreciate more when you read it from the start c) Dan Sinker does an amazing job of providing annotated commentary, explaining all the obscure references to Chicago politics, the long-running John Cusack movie homage and a dozen other things I didn't notice upon first read-through. Super-enjoyable experience, giv...more
As a person interested in how people write online, this clever and engaging use of Twitter was incredibly fun to read. However, it is very most definitely not for everyone: Every tweet in this book contains at least one f bomb, and most use more than one. That turns out to 1000+ uses of just that particular word in the book. It's part of the character that Sinker creates, but not everyone would be thrilled with that. But if you're interested in experimental Internet-era fiction, this is pretty a...more
I didn't follow the @MayorEmanuel Twitter account back when it was active from September 2010 to February 2011. I didn't live in Chicago at the time and was busy finishing up graduate school, so despite my strong interest in politics, it just wasn't on my radar. I knew about it but never checked it out. But after hearing so much about the account from friends -- and after moving to the Chicago area -- I decided that I needed to catch up. So I bought the book and spent a few days laughing my ass...more
Probably better served as a twitter account than as a book, @MayorEmanuel's Quest is funny, but grows a little tiresome. Reading the word "fuck" hundreds of times within the span of a couple pages, as you might imagine, strips it of any shock value it might have had and turns it into little more than an annoying verbal tic (although I did feel a little weird reading this next to strangers on the bus).
Mostly, though, the book has difficulty juggling its tone, which seems like an odd problem. But...more
Mostly, though, the book has difficulty juggling its tone, which seems like an odd problem. But...more
I followed the Twitter feed as it was happening, and it's just as funny now as it was then.
I love owning this in book form... it's like a little diary of all things that were happening in Chicago while the Twitter feed was live. I'm glad it's not just a print-out of all the tweets... Sinker includes descriptions of the events that were going on as a mini-refresher of history. I get to re-live all the Bears games, the mayoral race, Snowmageddon, and laugh out loud all at the same time.
I love owning this in book form... it's like a little diary of all things that were happening in Chicago while the Twitter feed was live. I'm glad it's not just a print-out of all the tweets... Sinker includes descriptions of the events that were going on as a mini-refresher of history. I get to re-live all the Bears games, the mayoral race, Snowmageddon, and laugh out loud all at the same time.
It was indeed, f***ing epic. Made even better by the fact that I was rolling into Chicago on the train each morning as I read through the story. Everyone on Twitter right now can quit because Dan Sinker has clearly won Twitter. If you decide to read it (and I really do recommend this book to political junkies and Chicago enthusiasts alike), do yourself a favor and get "Separate Ways" by Journey queued up when Sinker suggests -- it helps with the epic ending.
At the time this whole thing was playing out, I wasn't paying much attention, which it turns out was a mistake. On the other hand, it was, perhaps, easier to read them all as a coherent narrative, without the interruption of other tweets, and the background the author provides about Chicago helped put a lot of the references in context, since I haven't spent much time in Chicago myself.
Not quite as fun as when I was reading the Twitter account in real time, but I still laughed out loud in parts. I'd forgotten just how over-the-top the profanity was, until the feed settled into more of a narrative. (It became more interesting at that point, too.) The tweets are annotated this time around, and there's an afterword by Sinker.
I really enjoyed not only the recounting, but his story: getting pitched to reveal who he was, his motivation, the backstory and context behind the tweets. ONe small quiblle: "Samurai" Mike Singletary was not a defensive lineman for the 1985 Chicago Bears. Not enough of a quibble to dock he, of admittedly low sports IQ, for.
I didn't read much of this while it was happening. I just don't have any interest in following Twitter - and I still don't, despite how much I liked this book. It's hilarious and I enjoyed reliving the saga of Emanuel's campaign all over again. The blizzard...Carol Moseley Braun...residency challenges...what a circus.
I kept this on the nightstand for a few weeks to get snippets of hilarity before bedtime, then finished the last 100 pages in one go because it was so oddly compelling. I knew of the Twitter feed as it was happening, but I didn't follow it aggressively.
Although this book seems like a disposable Intertubes phenomenon at first, it's also a neat snapshot of a very specific Chicago in a very specific time -- politics, tech startups, snowstorms, social media, t-shirts. And the annotation by Dan Sink...more
Although this book seems like a disposable Intertubes phenomenon at first, it's also a neat snapshot of a very specific Chicago in a very specific time -- politics, tech startups, snowstorms, social media, t-shirts. And the annotation by Dan Sink...more
The Twitter feed had a sense of timing. The book has a sense of history. Somehow, they are different, to be enjoyed in their own way. In fact, if you have a friend moving to Chicago, I can't think of a better gift than this book. Makes you excited about all that is Chicago.
The book itself was not tremendously entertaining, but because of my enormous love and respect for the @MayorEmanuel Twitter feed, I enjoyed reading a lot of the back story and information about Chicago that Dan Sinker used to fill its pages.
I remember when this happened on Twitter & even then you got a sense that you were watching something historic & unique unfold. In hindsight, it's exciting to know I was essentially watching a book being written live.
I saw the author on a local news program and was interested to read this book. However, I was disappointed by the content, even though I realize that that vulgarity is part of why @MayorEmanuel was so popular and humorous. I flipped through it and found several tweets that were amusing but overall didn't appreciate the negative language. Call me old/conservative in this area, but it just doesn't appeal to me.
Oh my goodness, this is hilarious and GENIUS. Warning - don't eat while reading this book. I snorked some apple out of my nose.
Obviously this gets 5 stars because it's effing amazing! Love re- reading through this brilliant effing masterpiece.
Totally made my winter, especially the blizzard. But i was reading it live on Twitter. All hail Quaxelrod.
Hilarious collection of the @MayorEmanuel tweets during the campaign. I loved reading about Axelrod's devotion to his Honda Civic, the pet duck Quaxelrod, and squatting in the crawlspace of Emanuel's rented home.
OMGLOLROTFL. Quick digression, now back to my regularly scheduled reading.
Giggled all the way through. Laughed out loud every few pages.
Really funny.
God I love the internet.
Fucking epic is correct.
Pretty funny.
Nov 25, 2011
Huma Rashid
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
21st-century,
america,
compilation,
culture,
fiction,
humor,
legendary,
philosophy,
politics
UM. Amazing.
Just amazing.
Somehow, despite being a Chicagoan, a political junkie and a Twitter addict, I missed the @MayorEmanuel phenomenon when it was happening, so I'm grateful that a good friend picked up a copy of this brilliantly observed book for me. There are a LOT of very inside-Chicago/Rahm/80s culture references, so it may not be for everyone, but I found it bed-shakingly funny (reading in bed at night) until it got increasingly surreal and startlingly moving towards the end. Thank you @kurthartwig!
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Dan Sinker is a journalist, journalism professor, and editor.
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