Justin Monisit’s Reviews > Consider the Lobster and Other Essays > Status Update

Up, Simba - America really fumbled the ball by electing Dubya over John McCain for their GOP nominee. Wallace talks about leadership and character and the turmoils of running a GOP primary campaign. He tries to be neutral, but man it just makes me respect McCain even more - and Dubya even more than I already did. Anyways, awesome essay. Very insightful.

How Tracy Austin Broke My Heart - very well written diatribe about a disappointing tennis biography, and then switches it to be a vitriolic diatribe about the futility about writing anything like that. Nice little mini essay

View From Mrs. Thompson's - It was good and describes the mindset after 9/11, but it was neither sentimental or critical. Don't know what the point of this essay was tbh, but maybe that's just me

Authority and American Usage - there's a pretty good reason why it took me so long to get through this essay. While it may be interesting, the subject matter still kind of bores me - even if it was written well. Definitely my least favorite essay thus far, but for all those that love it - good for you

One Would Sort....: Have no opinion on this one considering I've never read an Updike book. Seems interesting though.

Kafka: honestly, I appreciate Kafka more now - especially his sense of humor. Not necessarily laugh out loud funny, but there is a structure to the joke that makes you appreciate it. Also really well written essay


So far so good. Next one is about grammar...hooray!

Big Red Son - this is such a strangely alluring essay. Makes fun of the adult film industry, but then shows the humanity within the absurdity in great detail. So well written though!

(reading this physically rather than an ebook for obvious reasons)

Still in the middle of the really long essay about grammar which is probably my least favorite up until this point. However, every essay has been very strong and tastefully erudite up until this point - even if there are thousands of footnotes to get through which pads the reading time. He makes the mundane interesting and I am down to read more of his books when the time comes.

Big Red Son - don't know what the "point" of learning so much about the AVN awards was, but the writing style carries it and makes it really interesting.

Preparing myself to read Infinite Jest, this guy's writing style is really interesting. It's these long dry but spry divulgences into some of the most banal things that make it so interesting.