"When are the 1970's going to begin?" ran the joke during the l976 presidential bid. In these stories and essays Wolfe meets the question head-on -...
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reviews
Nov 12, 2011
Sabina
rated it: 
Oh yes, this is classic Tom Wolfe.
In this "sweet" little collection of witty retorts to all things steeped in 1970's culture Wolfe barrels into a series of mostly counter "counter-culture" pieces and vignettes (written at the time rather than a more modern reflection back to the 70's) true to the traditional Tom Wolfe formula.
No judgement is left unsaid.
No outward presentation by any do-gooder is sacred.
No more than the tiniest shred of l More...
In this "sweet" little collection of witty retorts to all things steeped in 1970's culture Wolfe barrels into a series of mostly counter "counter-culture" pieces and vignettes (written at the time rather than a more modern reflection back to the 70's) true to the traditional Tom Wolfe formula.
No judgement is left unsaid.
No outward presentation by any do-gooder is sacred.
No more than the tiniest shred of l More...
May 12, 2010
David
rated it:
What is amazing is that so much of what he wrote of 35 years ago is still prescient in our society. The essay he wrote on pornviolence is so true, where we live to read or see violent stories and how we like to watch as if we are the killer and not in the point of view of the victim. The title essay was also true and reminded me of my uncle, wh owas a writer in new york. some ofthe final essays were not as zippy, seeming to repeat themselves about funky chic, but still, a fun writer and a percep
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Mar 16, 2010
Ryan
rated it:
When Beck (my first wife) and I split, we divvied up the books which were, to be fair, largely hers, and she thought that I should have this particular one. That was some seven years ago, and this book, along with a number of others, has traveled with me from bookshelf to bookshelf waiting to be read. And now I have read it. This was, perhaps surprisingly — or not, I suppose — my first Tom Wolfe experience, and though many of the pieces reference fairly dated material, all were a treat to read.
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Jul 30, 2008
mark
rated it:
Mauve Gloves... gathers together a collection of Wolfe´s essays on American culture during the 1970s. It´s vintage Wolfe and, as I usually find with Wolfe, I really enjoyed reading it. In particular, ¨The Me Decade and The Third Great Awakening,¨ a description of the explosion of narcissism in the 1970s stands out among the collection, especially for what I feel is its continuing relevance today. Besides that, I also especially enjoyed his description of fighter pilot culture in ¨The Truest S
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Aug 07, 2009
Inunn56
rated it: 
Best work of fiction by Tom Wolfe. He mentioned in an interview that he had to constantly rewrite pages in this book because reality frequently surpassed his imagination.
Jul 28, 2011
Derek
rated it: 
Lots of bitchy pen-portraits of Noo Yawkers and sundry USA stereotypes, and some great pen and ink drawings too if I remember correctly.
Jan 09, 2009
Jeff
rated it:
Includes "The Intelligent Coed's Guide to America," which is a personal favorite.
Dec 17, 2009
Bob
rated it:
A mid-70s collection of short, mainly non-fiction, pieces that had probably all appeared in various magazines - quite comparable in a way to 2001's "Hooking Up", parts of which are going to seem similarly dated a few decades hence. However, "The Me Decade and The Third Great Awakening" and "The Intelligent Coed's Guide To America" (despite its awkward title - was "coed" ever not faintly derogatory sounding? - in this case, he was probably playing on that f
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Jan 25, 2010
Donna Jo
rated it:
Rather dated collection of stories and essays. Still, it is very readable.
Task 50
Task 50
Dec 17, 2009
C.
rated it:
Hey Tom Wolfe I used to think you were a bullshit bougie blow hard, who thinks it's cool to be a conservative intellectual, when being a conservative had very little to do with how you felt about Jesus, and more about your views on small government.
You still live on the Upper East Side in your tent of luxury.
But this collection was actually very good. I found some of the style a bit gimmicky and dated, but I really enjoyed most of the stories. Good job.
You still live on the Upper East Side in your tent of luxury.
But this collection was actually very good. I found some of the style a bit gimmicky and dated, but I really enjoyed most of the stories. Good job.
Nov 10, 2008
Collection of essay/stories from Wolfe's non-fiction days. The title of the book comes from the first essay in the book about a famous author living in a NYC apartment and trying to maintain his social status. Mauve Gloves & Madmen is the name of a catering company the famous author uses for a party and Clutter & Vine is the name of a florist he uses for the party.
Jan 19, 2008
Adam
rated it:
I wish he'd kept writing like this. This book is really more of a historical document at this point, since it's so dated, but there are some really good parts.
Aug 06, 2007
David
rated it: 
Not one of his better efforts. At his best, I like Tom wolfe quite a bit. But here he is nowhere near his best.
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