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dundermifflin's review
3.0
Not his best effort. Managed to fit in The Painted Word, his thesis on modern art.
fredsphere's review
I loved [b:The Bonfire of the Vanities|2666|The Bonfire of the Vanities|Tom Wolfe|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389856895s/2666.jpg|1080201] and other TW novels, but now the schtick is wearing thin. TW's presentation of homo fornicatus is reductionistic; human love is conspicuous by its absence here, making the novel unreal, and by now I simply don't have time to read (or in this case, listen) to such entertainment when so many other more worthy works clamor for my attention.
B2B is entertaining, at least in places. The narcissistic psychiatrist (inevitably, he's a sex addict who treats sex addicts) was an amusing caricature but was not portrayed in a way that explained his nurse/concubine's attraction. The narrator couldn't pull off his braying laugh. It got so I dreaded any appearance of this major character.
TW is on more convincing, and definitely more entertaining grounds, when he describes Miami's tense mix of Cuban, Haitian, Black, and Anglo tribes. A cuban cop's heroic act boomerangs on him when it earns him the admiration of Anglos but the ire of his family and neighbors. (He saves the life of a Cuban immigrant in a way that prevents him from gaining refugee status.)
Meanwhile, a Russian oligarch donates many millions of dollars worth of almost certainly forged paintings to the local art museum and its corrupting influence topples some dominoes that gets my curiosity going; if I could read just that part of the ending, I would. And I have to admit TW's description of a work of performance art, lewdly charged with sexual politics, although completely revolting, odious, and disgusting, was both believable and hilarious.
So, a mixed bag. Half way through, I had to give it up. No rating, because I did not finish. I can't even imagine what rating I would have given it if I did.
B2B is entertaining, at least in places. The narcissistic psychiatrist (inevitably, he's a sex addict who treats sex addicts) was an amusing caricature but was not portrayed in a way that explained his nurse/concubine's attraction. The narrator couldn't pull off his braying laugh. It got so I dreaded any appearance of this major character.
TW is on more convincing, and definitely more entertaining grounds, when he describes Miami's tense mix of Cuban, Haitian, Black, and Anglo tribes. A cuban cop's heroic act boomerangs on him when it earns him the admiration of Anglos but the ire of his family and neighbors. (He saves the life of a Cuban immigrant in a way that prevents him from gaining refugee status.)
Meanwhile, a Russian oligarch donates many millions of dollars worth of almost certainly forged paintings to the local art museum and its corrupting influence topples some dominoes that gets my curiosity going; if I could read just that part of the ending, I would. And I have to admit TW's description of a work of performance art, lewdly charged with sexual politics, although completely revolting, odious, and disgusting, was both believable and hilarious.
So, a mixed bag. Half way through, I had to give it up. No rating, because I did not finish. I can't even imagine what rating I would have given it if I did.
bibliocyclist's review
3.0
"Language is an artifact, like a sword or a gun."
"Imagination without skill gives us modern art."
"Imagination without skill gives us modern art."
m_ess's review
2.0
LOUD
You ever read a book that makes you want to beat someone to death with their thesaurus?
THIS IS THE MOST BOOMER THING IMAGINABLE
Picaresque copaganda written by a horny old man who hates other people for having the sex he wishes he was having. A book by a guy convinced he is so smart and good at crafting sentences that he can get away with being incredibly racist, misogynist, kind of a dumbass, and unable to focus himself long enough to tell a coherent story. I know this has always been Tom Wolfe's thing – being disgusting about women, big stereotypes and bold pronouncements about people, owning the libs, owning the minorities, self-owning (but not really), wrapping conservative politics in a thick layer of irony and sophistication, wrapping prudishness in a thick layer of overt arousal, pointing fingers, too much research, digressions on digressions, too many descriptions: portraiture and then laughing at every bit of the picture he's painted – but when I was younger it was all at least a bit smoother to read.
Less bitter. Less out of touch. Now it's just gross.
You ever read a book that makes you want to beat someone to death with their thesaurus?
THIS IS THE MOST BOOMER THING IMAGINABLE
Picaresque copaganda written by a horny old man who hates other people for having the sex he wishes he was having. A book by a guy convinced he is so smart and good at crafting sentences that he can get away with being incredibly racist, misogynist, kind of a dumbass, and unable to focus himself long enough to tell a coherent story. I know this has always been Tom Wolfe's thing – being disgusting about women, big stereotypes and bold pronouncements about people, owning the libs, owning the minorities, self-owning (but not really), wrapping conservative politics in a thick layer of irony and sophistication, wrapping prudishness in a thick layer of overt arousal, pointing fingers, too much research, digressions on digressions, too many descriptions: portraiture and then laughing at every bit of the picture he's painted – but when I was younger it was all at least a bit smoother to read.
Less bitter. Less out of touch. Now it's just gross.
readalot662f9's review
3.0
Not his best effort. Managed to fit in The Painted Word, his thesis on modern art.
marinazala's review
2.0
this is my first time read some tom wolfe's works.. I'm not really into to this story. it somehow confusing me with too many perceptives from other character who have correlation each other..
it also annoyed me with in the beginning chapter too much repetition word such as SMACK etc..
it also annoyed me with in the beginning chapter too much repetition word such as SMACK etc..
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