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80th out of 101 books
—
4 voters
Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas
FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SEX, DRUGS AND COCOA PUFFS AND KILLING YOURSELF TO LIVE
CHUCK KLOSTERMAN IV consists of three parts:
THINGS THAT ARE TRUE
Profiles and trend stories: Britney Spears, Val Kilmer, McDonalds, 70's rock band nostalgia cruises � with new introductions and asides.
THINGS THAT MIGHT BE TRUE
Opinions and theories on everything from monogamy to guilt, a
...moreHardcover, 374 pages
Published
September 5th 2006
by Scribner
(first published 2006)
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I love Klosterman, I know others don’t, but I do.
Premises from IV that made me think:
- Brittney Spears is either brilliant or a moron in not understanding her role in perpetuating the Madonna/whore dichotomy.
- U2 might be genuine, they might be full of it, but they understand the concept that as long as they make money they can do whatever the heck it is they want.
- You can eat McNuggets for a week and it likely won’t kill you, despite what the movie “Supersize Me’ Might say.
- The line “corporat...more
Premises from IV that made me think:
- Brittney Spears is either brilliant or a moron in not understanding her role in perpetuating the Madonna/whore dichotomy.
- U2 might be genuine, they might be full of it, but they understand the concept that as long as they make money they can do whatever the heck it is they want.
- You can eat McNuggets for a week and it likely won’t kill you, despite what the movie “Supersize Me’ Might say.
- The line “corporat...more
as my friend sigurdur hilmarsson always says, "one data point is only a point; two points is a line."
when i read _sex, drugs and cocoa puffs_ -- the conventionally-wise "best klosterman book" -- i couldn't discern what troubled me about his blend of hyper-citation, extreme pop-cultural literacy, and equal-opportunity satire. these are all attributes i usually admire, if not over-value.
on the second go-round, i realized that klosterman is more a pop culture comedian than critic -- at any juncture...more
when i read _sex, drugs and cocoa puffs_ -- the conventionally-wise "best klosterman book" -- i couldn't discern what troubled me about his blend of hyper-citation, extreme pop-cultural literacy, and equal-opportunity satire. these are all attributes i usually admire, if not over-value.
on the second go-round, i realized that klosterman is more a pop culture comedian than critic -- at any juncture...more
Apr 13, 2009
Brenton
added it
Only Chuck can lend credibility and meaning to the seemingly inconsequential pillars of pop culture. And he's a nerd, like me!
3 likes · like · see review
Feb 15, 2008
Poorfish
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
nonfiction,
fiction
Things that are true:
Anyone who has read Klosterman’s IV will understand the following statement: Klosterman has become a guilty pleasure of mine. I receive enjoyment from his writings, yet feel guilty for liking them. Too often he comes off as smug and formulaic. I think that is what’s so problematic about his writing. The condescending nature of his writings isn’t always enjoyable. Especially in his interview-centered pieces, he comes of sounding like a record-store-clerk-snob or any other per...more
Anyone who has read Klosterman’s IV will understand the following statement: Klosterman has become a guilty pleasure of mine. I receive enjoyment from his writings, yet feel guilty for liking them. Too often he comes off as smug and formulaic. I think that is what’s so problematic about his writing. The condescending nature of his writings isn’t always enjoyable. Especially in his interview-centered pieces, he comes of sounding like a record-store-clerk-snob or any other per...more
I hated Klosterman's "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoapuffs", but couldn't resist "Chuck Klosterman IV'. I don't know why I grabbed it, but I'm glad I did.
Klosterman writes about pop culture, and occasionally tries to connect people and events and ideas to what we as Americans do with ourselves to get through life. Introducing an essay on McDonald's McNuggets, Klosterman says, "We are obsessed by the desire to accelerate every element of our existence in a futile attempt to experience as much life as we ca...more
Klosterman writes about pop culture, and occasionally tries to connect people and events and ideas to what we as Americans do with ourselves to get through life. Introducing an essay on McDonald's McNuggets, Klosterman says, "We are obsessed by the desire to accelerate every element of our existence in a futile attempt to experience as much life as we ca...more
I like Chuck Klosterman. A lot. He makes me laugh. Generally, I try not to laugh out loud when I'm reading in front of other people, but due to the increasingly diminished seat sizes on most airplanes, any shred of privacy (or dignity, for that matter) is lost as soon as the plane has been boarded.* I actually read the most recent edition of this book. Lots of footnotes, which on ocassion was helpful in terms of Klosterman's thought process. I skipped a couple of the sports pieces for Esquire bu...more
Ok, after reading two of his essay books, I think I've finally figured this Klosterman guy out and why he is equal parts interesting/infuriating. I think most of the controversy and/or confusion results from the fact that he's a good writer but a shallow thinker. He can bullshit with the best of 'em and keep you breezing along through a piece until you get to the end and realize he hasn't told you a goddamn thing you didn't already know. Not to say there's not gems here - I loved the pieces on B...more
Chuck Klosterman's essays are always interesting, even when I disagree with him, even when he makes me angry. There are even a couple of essays about musicians I really like in this volume (Bono and Morrissey) which is a fun bonus; considering that I've read Klosterman's book about heavy metal, which I am totally not interested in, it was a curious experience to hear his thoughts on something I honestly do care about. Klosterman doesn't shre my love, but he's fair to his subjects and really does...more
A reviewer once said that this book was like "junk food for the soul." I'd have to agree. At first I enjoyed Klosterman's writings on pop culture, but when I got towards the end I wanted to stab myself. I guess I just felt drained after listening to so much about the media, but this was mostly due to the fact that Klosterman is a horrible fiction writer. His 'novella' at the end was perhaps, one of the most self indulgent pieces of crap I've ever read, or rather heard, seeing as it was on audio...more
I couldn't wait to read more by Klosterman. Some of the articles might seem dated at this point but half the fun are the hilarious footnotes he's added before republishing them. I loved his description on the differences of an archenemy and a nemesis.
the thing i like about chuck klosterman (and the thing i like so far about this book) is that each of his essays is like the abbreviated version of a conversation you might have with five other people if all participants were very drunk and given about 8 hours to discuss one pop culture subject at length. he condenses that whole process into a short essay, something legible and entertaining (maybe occasionally infuriating) minus the hangover.
well, minus the hangover for everyone but chuck klost...more
well, minus the hangover for everyone but chuck klost...more
1 like · like · see review
I shall start off my review by stating this one fact: I love Chuck Klosterman. I really do. I recommend him to anyone that will lend an ear. Sex, Drugs, And Cocoa Puffs is one my absolute favorite books EVAR. So forgive me if my review of Chuck Klosterman IV (who's title is a reference to the classic, untitled fourth Zeppelin album) seems a tad less than impartial. You now know why. IV is a collection of stories, essays, and a single piece of short fiction that Chuck has done for various publica...more
Got a free copy of this at a book fair. It softbound edition and they guy running the booth was looking at me funny - "you sure you don't want that nice hard back copy of the new John LeCarre?". Well, actually I wanted them both, but he didn't offer. Maybe he had to lug a hard copy back to NY.
I on the other hand put Klosterman IV in my carry on and almost finished it on the plane coming home. It's that kind of book. Perfect for air travel.
Here's why Klosterman is an excellent writer. There were...more
I on the other hand put Klosterman IV in my carry on and almost finished it on the plane coming home. It's that kind of book. Perfect for air travel.
Here's why Klosterman is an excellent writer. There were...more
I thought it was silly of me to read a collection of work by an author without actually seeing any of his separate work. Who did I think I was: a fan?
Klosterman has a voice that should attract the general music lovers and whatever audience Esquire attracts (oh, men? I guess that makes sense). Which is pretty good for him, because that can secure him his job as an entertaining writer for years to come. It's not that every sentence is particularly funny, but the way he places his jokes are what go...more
Klosterman has a voice that should attract the general music lovers and whatever audience Esquire attracts (oh, men? I guess that makes sense). Which is pretty good for him, because that can secure him his job as an entertaining writer for years to come. It's not that every sentence is particularly funny, but the way he places his jokes are what go...more
BY all indications, Chuck Klosterman's new book is supposed to be his Zoso. But is it?
The famous North Dakota-born music journalist is perhaps best known for Fargo Rock City, in which he lovingly deconstructed, mocked and paid tribute to hair metal bands of the 1980s.
He has since expanded his pop culture musings in Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs and Killing Yourself to Live.
Taking its title from Led Zeppelin's officially untitled fourth album, sometimes called Zoso, Chuck Klosterman IV collects arti...more
The famous North Dakota-born music journalist is perhaps best known for Fargo Rock City, in which he lovingly deconstructed, mocked and paid tribute to hair metal bands of the 1980s.
He has since expanded his pop culture musings in Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs and Killing Yourself to Live.
Taking its title from Led Zeppelin's officially untitled fourth album, sometimes called Zoso, Chuck Klosterman IV collects arti...more
A collection of articles that Klosterman wrote for Spin, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, etc ... the book is a pretty decent read. It's easy to pick up and almost everything Klosterman says is entertaining. Is it deep? Thought-provoking? Hardly. Fun and easy? Worth the time? Heck yes.
This collection of articles is loosely grouped by "Things That Are True" (interviews and profiles), "Things That Might Be True" (discussions or thoughts), and "Something That Definitely Isn't True" (short story). There...more
This collection of articles is loosely grouped by "Things That Are True" (interviews and profiles), "Things That Might Be True" (discussions or thoughts), and "Something That Definitely Isn't True" (short story). There...more
This was good, though I think I was expecting a volume of unpublished essays (like Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, which I liked more). I enjoyed this book more than Fargo Rock City or Killing Yourself to Live, though some of the works in IV are starting to show their age as we move past the early 2000s.
I really like Klosterman's writing style, but sometimes I feel like he's forcing himself to take a strong position on a given topic just to fill column inches. There is no way he feels this strongl...more
I really like Klosterman's writing style, but sometimes I feel like he's forcing himself to take a strong position on a given topic just to fill column inches. There is no way he feels this strongl...more
I thought this book was like having a dinner discussion with my extended family. That is, you sit and listen to a know-it-all parse out the trivial intricacies of pop culture and deliver long monologues and half-baked theories about THINGS THAT DON'T ACTUALLY MATTER. Like, my grown adult uncle's genuine (not ironic) love of X-Men. It's fun, at first, to speculate and be a dorkus, like, what would happen if Wolverine had grown up in America, say, instead of Canada. But then you're done with the c...more
I mainly read this one to complete his body of work, and I found it to be the one I've enjoyed least. Whereas his most comparably collection to this point of his career (and also my favorite), Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, contained essays that felt well-developed and entertaining, this one contained essays that were short and, though generally intriguing, were less enjoyable because it felt he was unable to fully breath life into them. This, of course, can be attributed to the fact that it is a co...more
If you are familiar with Klosterman's work in such fine publications as Esquire or Spin, you know that his one article alone can sometimes make the longest lasting impression of that month's read. His fourth book, which is partially compiled from those essays, shows why many believe Klosterman is perhaps America's greatest critical/cynical observer of the modern life since guys like HST and Lester Bangs roamed the earth. (without the drugs of the former.) CK's stand-back-and-see what's-really ha...more
I bumped into a Chuck Klosterman article linked to a Kurt Loder tweet about bands like Nickelback and Creed, who, despite their obvious massive success, people openly love to hate. I adored the little quips in his article and was surprised to find in his bio that he'd written so much prior to it and that I'd never heard of him.
I am now on a mission to read the entire Klosterman catalog.
I'm about a third through this book and only now do I wish I'd started noting some of the phrases that capture...more
I am now on a mission to read the entire Klosterman catalog.
I'm about a third through this book and only now do I wish I'd started noting some of the phrases that capture...more
Thoroughly enjoyed this.
It was actually my first Klosterman experience...I've probably picked up Sex, Drugs, and Coco Puffs a million times and read tiny tidbits, but I never took the plunge.
Finally, I stumbled upon this at Half Price Books for $4.98 and decided that the time had finally come for me to test the waters.
I just thought this was great. I just finished a rather tedious (good, but rather...er...tedious lol) memoir, so it was nice to have something so light and able to be read in short...more
It was actually my first Klosterman experience...I've probably picked up Sex, Drugs, and Coco Puffs a million times and read tiny tidbits, but I never took the plunge.
Finally, I stumbled upon this at Half Price Books for $4.98 and decided that the time had finally come for me to test the waters.
I just thought this was great. I just finished a rather tedious (good, but rather...er...tedious lol) memoir, so it was nice to have something so light and able to be read in short...more
I generally enjoyed this book; it was a quick read about topics that I find interesting.
The first part of the book was a compilation of Klosterman's articles written for SPIN and other publications, mostly about musical artists ranging from (personal favorites) Radiohead and the White Stripes, to U2 and Britney Spears. The articles also included prefaces and footnotes from Klosterman, a little after-the-fact nod to what he had written. I like footnotes, so I dug this. There's only so much you c...more
The first part of the book was a compilation of Klosterman's articles written for SPIN and other publications, mostly about musical artists ranging from (personal favorites) Radiohead and the White Stripes, to U2 and Britney Spears. The articles also included prefaces and footnotes from Klosterman, a little after-the-fact nod to what he had written. I like footnotes, so I dug this. There's only so much you c...more
Fargo Rock City was my first intro to Klosterman. It was pretty well written and funny. For the most part, the rest of his work is the same.
This particular book is broken up into 3 sections. The first section is a series of his interviews with famous folks that he wrote for Spin, Esquire, etc. He interviewed Britney, Bono, Jeff Tweedy from Wilco, Thom Yorke from Radiohead, etc. All of the interviews were entertaining. Mostly because, as in the Billy Joel interview, even if he really likes the pe...more
This particular book is broken up into 3 sections. The first section is a series of his interviews with famous folks that he wrote for Spin, Esquire, etc. He interviewed Britney, Bono, Jeff Tweedy from Wilco, Thom Yorke from Radiohead, etc. All of the interviews were entertaining. Mostly because, as in the Billy Joel interview, even if he really likes the pe...more
This collection is divided into three parts: "Things That Are True," "Things That Might Be True" and "Something That Isn't True At All." As the quality of these respective sections varies so wildly, I'll review each individually...
Things That Are True: ***
I don't think Klosterman is a particularly good journalist. In fact, I don't even think that he's a particularly good writer (seriously, his use of semi-colons and m-dashes makes me want to shoot someone). Nonetheless, when he interviews a cele...more
Things That Are True: ***
I don't think Klosterman is a particularly good journalist. In fact, I don't even think that he's a particularly good writer (seriously, his use of semi-colons and m-dashes makes me want to shoot someone). Nonetheless, when he interviews a cele...more
Jan 28, 2009
Ellen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
20 and 30-something hipsters
Recommended to Ellen by:
Keegan
Shelves:
essays
There are three sections to this book. The first reprints essays that Klosterman wrote mostly about bands in the early 2000's. The second section contains more philosophical essays about pop culture and what it says about American society. The third section is a short story about an absolutely intolerable, self-centered, drug-addled movie critic in Ohio. I enjoyed the first section, particularly essays about my favorite bands, like Radiohead, the White Stripes, and Wilco. The second section was...more
Let me preface: I am HUGE Chuck Klosterman fan. I love his writing and his take on popular culture.
If you aren't familiar with Chuck, he is, generally, an essayist. Most of his books are compilations of essays that he has written about various topics. He has contributed several articles to Spin magazine and has spoken at colleges across the country. His writing is interesting and enlightening.
That being said, this wasn't my favorite Klosterman experience. I think I was spoiled by Sex, Drugs, a...more
If you aren't familiar with Chuck, he is, generally, an essayist. Most of his books are compilations of essays that he has written about various topics. He has contributed several articles to Spin magazine and has spoken at colleges across the country. His writing is interesting and enlightening.
That being said, this wasn't my favorite Klosterman experience. I think I was spoiled by Sex, Drugs, a...more
A very entertaining book, especially the first third of which is a collection of essays on pop culture, which is were Klosterman is at his strongest. Witty, creative and and excellent writing make this book a snap to read, with frequent stops to laugh at a comment or observation. Like a good conversation with a buddy in a bar, this is Klosterman at his best.
Where things get a little dicier is in the second third, where Klosterman poses hypothetical questions and then attempts to answers these un...more
Where things get a little dicier is in the second third, where Klosterman poses hypothetical questions and then attempts to answers these un...more
This book was fantastic! At first I wasn't sure that I would like it because it seemed like a collection of interviews that might spark an intrest here or there. However, as I continued reading, I liked that he put his thoughts and ideas out in the open, he let people see his opinions without discretion.Before every interview, he sets up his ideas and thoughts in a page or so to tell you what he thinks before hand. Then, in between and after the interview, he adds his own thoughts and comments a...more
Excellent stuff. Klosterman collects a decade of interviews, articles on culture, articles on music, and articles on sports that he has written for various media (newspapers, Spin, Esquire, ESPN, etc) into a single book that mostly spans 1995-2005.
Klosterman has this excellent way of both telling a story and making a point, all the while taking the briefest of vignette interludes or side-tracks that are both very poignant and not at all relevant simultaneously. His insight into culture and medi...more
Klosterman has this excellent way of both telling a story and making a point, all the while taking the briefest of vignette interludes or side-tracks that are both very poignant and not at all relevant simultaneously. His insight into culture and medi...more
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Charles John "Chuck" Klosterman is an American pop-culture journalist, critic, humorist, and essayist. He was raised on a farm near Wyndmere, North Dakota and graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1994. After college he was a journalist in Fargo, North Dakota and later an arts critic for the Akron Beacon Journal in Akron, Ohio, before moving to New York City in 2002.
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“Women intrinsically understand human dynamics, and that makes them unstoppable. Unfortunately, the average man is less adroit at fostering such rivalries, which is why most men remain average; males are better at hating things that can't hate them back (e.g., lawnmowers, cats, the Denver Broncos, et cetera). They don't see the big picture.”
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144 people liked it
“When given the choice, we’d all rather be happy now … even if that guarantees we’ll all be sad later.”
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8 people liked it
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Dec 30, 2008 11:52am