Character Studies: Encounters With the Curiously Obsessed

by Mark Singer

Filled with profiles of fascinating Americans, this selection of biographical essays by the New Yorker writer features produce farmer Tom Chino, illusionist Ricky Jay, director Martin Scorcese, chefs Alice Waters and Wolfgang Puck, and many others. Reprint.

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jigar Brahmbhatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Ricky Jay profile intrigued and entertained the fan in me. Martin Scorsese's portrait is fascinating for the portrayal of his obsessive side. Rest is okay.

[Mary K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always enjoyed Mark Singer in the 25 years or so that I’ve subscribed - off and on - to The New Yorker, especially when he does the humor piece. This book is a collection of some of his essays, a few of which I remember from the magazine. There are some REALLY good essays here, a couple of snoozers. So I’d say if you read this book and you get bored, skip that essay and move on. The final essay, about Martin Scorsese, was fascinating. And of course, when you read his article on Trump, you’ll wonder yet again - how in the hell did that idiot get elected?

[Ensiform · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of nine profiles, all of which originally appeared in The New Yorker. All of the pieces emphasize the obsessive aspect of their subjects’ personality: Martin Scorcese’s cinema-centric vision, Donald trump’s monomania, the micromanaging of a type-A full-time mother, a family whose legacy is growing perfect vegetables, a bibliomaniac who gives away as much as he buys.

By far the most interesting story is about Ricky Jay, whose deep learning in his esoteric field (the history of magic, con games, and freaks), skill to the level of miracle-working at card manipulation, and obvious psychological idiosyncrasies (why does he refuse so much work? Why does he avoid publicity?) could and should fill a whole book. Singer’s writing is clear and direct, though his language is rich and reveals solid erudition. Every portrait here is finely wrought and makes for compelling reading.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of profiles, all on "the curiously obsessed." People who collects Tom Mix memorabilia; a group of guys who meet every week to discuss how to find the skull of Pancho Villa (we didn't know it was missing!) and return it to Mexico. Then there is the chapter on Donald Trump, throughout which the author seems to be rolling his eyes. As Singer says, Trump, for all he has in this life, completely lacks a sense of irony.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointment, and much less interesting than "Somewhere in America", which was considerably more far-ranging than this book. Each essay in 'Character Studies' focuses on just one person, so the selection of subjects is a major determinant of the quality of the pieces. And what an odd selection it is:

Ricky Jay
Donald Trump
Joe Mitchell
Pablo Bush Romero, so-called member of the 'intelligentsia' of El Paso, with a bee in his bonnet about the skull of Pancho Villa
Tom Chino, grower of organic vegetables in Del Mar CA
Richard Seiverling, organizer of a Tom Mix festival
Sera somebody, a prototypical soccer mom
Michael Zinman, a book dealer
Martin Scorsese

Well, of course the piece about Ricky Jay is great - fortunately it's the longest in the book. And Scorsese doesn't disappoint either, though one might have wished for Singer to cut down on the hagiography and ask a couple of tough questions.

That's about it, really. I wasn't feeling a burning need to learn more about Joe Mitchell, given that I already have a copy of 'Up in the Old Hotel', New Yorker characters aren't quite as fascinating as they themselves might believe. And your Uncle Jasper is more interesting than the rest of the characters combined. Some of the essays are almost painfully boring - you cringe for the misfortunate children of the soccer mom from hell, and a Tom Mix festival has all the fascination potential of a Star Trek convention.

I know, I know - everyone has a fascinating story, just waiting for the right reporter to come along and set it free, by asking just the right combination of questions.
For the people in this book, Mark Singer just wasn't that reporter.

[K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally published in The New Yorker, the non-fiction essays that make up this collection each study a particular person (or people) who, as the title states, is curiously obsessed with something or another.

That I liked the essays on magician Ricky Jay, director Martin Scorcese, the farming Chino family, and book collector Michael Zinman most says more about me (and a couple of my own obsessions) than Singer's book, as all of the essays are sharply written with clear portraits of individuals inhabiting a particular world.

Essays that I liked less--for example, one on fans of early western film star Tom Mix or an essay on mothers who left the corporate world (which was, frankly, confusing)--were hard to get engaged in for me. Though the writing was still good, I had trouble indentifying with the people in the essays. And some essays--again, on the Tom Mix fans and another on a group called the Wednesday Club in El Paso--were quite a bit longer than I needed.

I think that readers with an interest in psychology might be more engaged with the material than I was, even though I did enjoy the book.

[Corey · Rating 3 out of 5]

In reading this book, I came to understand that being obsessed is not necessarily a good thing, which I guess is the actual meaning of the word. Character Studies occasionally provided an eloquent and entertaining view into the world of a knowledgable person comfortable in their obsession. More often, however, it provided either pretentiously-worded jabs at celebrties (i.e. the essay on Donald Trump you can just sense that the author was forced to write) or a sad portrait of someone whose obsession has gone too far. In terms of the former, it's almost equally painful to read the Trump essay as it is to read the style of the essay which is obviously designed as a "thumb your nose" to Trump that communicates a simple message: "I am smarter than you (as evidenced from the erudite words I use) and thus I am better than you." I finished the book with luke warm feelings towards it but there are two or three essays/portraits that are really fantastic if you don't let the rest of the book get you down.

[rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is comprised of several character profiles. If I were more motivated, I would review the articles one-by-one, as my enjoyment varied by topic. Instead, I made a rough average. My favorite was the first, a profile of the magician Ricky Jay.

[kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories were fine - even interesting - but not anything that got me so excited to pick the book up again. I'm happy to return this book to the library. It was starting to feel like the dreaded homework assignment reading.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://www.theonion.com/content/amvo/...

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I missed a lot of the '90s!