Not as bad as "Bridge of Sighs," but not as good as his earlier work. Russo seems to be going for a lighter tone, similar to "Straight ...moreNot as bad as "Bridge of Sighs," but not as good as his earlier work. Russo seems to be going for a lighter tone, similar to "Straight Man," but there's an underlying bitterness throughout that makes everything feel curdled and awkward. Between the rapidly crumbling marriage at the center of the story and the shitheel parents of the protagonist, this book was sometimes just hard to look at. (less)
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...moreI 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 Sinker is what will make this book interesting to look back on a decade from now. Also: fucking great use of swears.(less)
Engaging, funny, and often unstinting when discussing his own failures along the way. The book is arranged episodically rather than chronologically, w...moreEngaging, funny, and often unstinting when discussing his own failures along the way. The book is arranged episodically rather than chronologically, with chapters devoted to his favorite people (famous and not), foods, and places; his philosophical beliefs; his illness. So timelines overlap more than in your usual bio. Nothing I've ever read about hard-drinking newspapermen ever made me want to be part of that world until Ebert described his Old Town barhopping days with various Sun-Times and Trib ne'er-do-wells.
This section also produced my favorite sentence in the book, which made me laugh and laugh on the train and then admire its perfect construction:
(Regarding a regular at O'Rourke's bar, known as John the Garbage Man) "He would take discarded silverware and melt it down into jewelry that looked like blobs of melted silverware." (less)
Another interesting, eclectic, thought-provoking batch of goodies this year. My favorite bits include the oral history of Adama Bah; Tim Crothers' "...moreAnother interesting, eclectic, thought-provoking batch of goodies this year. My favorite bits include the oral history of Adama Bah; Tim Crothers' "The Game of Her Life"; Neil Gaiman's "Orange"; "the Imaginist" comic from Oliver Schrauwen; and a West Point commencement speech about how solitude is necessary for leadership, which is making me seriously rethink how I spend my time. The Sloane Crosley story did nothing for me, and the Joyce Carol Oates piece about a plastic surgeon was too icky to finish, even though I liked the writing. Warning: Lots of blood and skull fragments!(less)
I kinda feel like I know everything Elizabeth Crane can do now, which is disappointing. Reading this book of short stories after reading her novel (th...moreI kinda feel like I know everything Elizabeth Crane can do now, which is disappointing. Reading this book of short stories after reading her novel (that I didn't like much) and her other book of short stories (which I loved) felt like checking off boxes. Fun little surreal stories? Check. References to dead opera singer mom? Check, check, check. References to alcoholism? Check, check....and we're done. I kept waiting to be surprised again, like I was with "You Must Be This Happy to Enter," or at least to hear a slightly different narrative voice emerge at some point, but that didn't happen with this book. Alas. (less)
This spare coffee-table tome is the companion book to the Martin Scorsese documentary. It has lots of nice pictures and some fascinating letters repri...moreThis spare coffee-table tome is the companion book to the Martin Scorsese documentary. It has lots of nice pictures and some fascinating letters reprinted, but there's not much text (unlike the companion book to the Anthology series, which was chock full of goodies). This book might be better if you've seen the documentary, which I haven't yet, but on its own you'd really have to be a hardcore Beatles nerd like me to follow the chronology or understand the significance of the people in the photos.
Ugh. I loved Crane's weird book of short stories, but this thing. Jeez. I kept forcing myself to read it, but still only made it halfway through befor...moreUgh. I loved Crane's weird book of short stories, but this thing. Jeez. I kept forcing myself to read it, but still only made it halfway through before remembering that life is too short for bad books. The book starts promisingly, with a ten-page, one-sentence personal ad for the protagonist. The ad is blissfully crazy, with lots of asides and explanations and insights about the character and life in general. I figured I was in for a fun ride. But no.
Charlotte Anne is just dull and ordinary, and Crane's overstuffed prose doesn't make her more interesting. Every other sentence has a long, often parenthetical description or pop-culture reference, which can work if you're David Foster Wallace but doesn't if you're, you know, not. All the excess material just hangs on the book like a school of lampreys, sucking the life out of every page.
I loved this book for the first 50 pages or so, then I got really mad at it and considered giving up, then I forged ahead and got pulled into it again...moreI loved this book for the first 50 pages or so, then I got really mad at it and considered giving up, then I forged ahead and got pulled into it again and couldn't put it down until I finished it. But I still have mixed feelings about this book. Russell's descriptions of Florida, the park, and the animals are stellar -- her writing made me feel the humid, buggy stink of rural Florida. And unlike some other reviewers, I didn't mind the darkness of the story (although this is my third kids-in-peril book this summer, after "Lullabies for Little Criminals" and half of "You Remind Me of Me," which I gave up out of despair). But I never thoroughly connected with Ava Bigtree, the narrator for most of the book. In the second, harrowing half of the book, all the awful things that happen to her just feel like thrilling twists in the story and not atrocities committed against a real girl. (less)
The writing is great, but I just couldn't warm up to the story of the sad, interconnected lives of a couple of generations of sad, neglected kids. I d...moreThe writing is great, but I just couldn't warm up to the story of the sad, interconnected lives of a couple of generations of sad, neglected kids. I don't usually have a problem with nonlinear narrative structure, but this book is so jumpy that I had trouble keeping track of the timeline and was not engrossed enough in the characters to keep making the effort. Gave up about halfway through. (less)
Clever little stories about relationships, consumerism, celebrity, and zombie crafts. Some of the stories read more like exercises in following an ide...moreClever little stories about relationships, consumerism, celebrity, and zombie crafts. Some of the stories read more like exercises in following an idea to its most logical yet absurd conclusion (such as selecting items for your banishment to a desert island) than actual narratives. And one story is about a baby that suddenly turns into Ethan Hawke but is still enough of a baby to need his diapers changed (I suspect this is probably true). If you thought Girl in the Flammable Skirt needed an anti-corporate edge, or if you think Kelly Link could be a little cheerier, this is the book for you. (less)
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