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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
I made the mistake of reading most of this book around the time my Grandfather passed away and it's not that the book is incredibly depressing, it just that it was JUST depressing enough to not make me feel better about my own situation. That being said, it's sort of a stream of consciousness novel, which I'm normally not a fan of, but in this case I think it worked perfectly. I don't know how much of it is true and how much is fabricated, but I found it interesting, even if it just sort of ended. I don't know. I probably should re-read it at some point because I really liked the style, I think the content was just a bit much for that particular moment.
This book made me feel like I had interesting stories to tell. It got me excited about everyday life.
This probably wasn't the right book to have been reading these last few weeks. Having a newborn at home right now means exhaustion and lack of patience with self aware naval gazing and stream of consciousness flights of fancy where not much really happens.
Which is a shame as I think there is a lot to like buried here. Like the honest and affecting opening chapter and the moments where his enormity at being responsible for his younger sibling sinks in and repeatedly screws with his head. I liked those bits a lot. The rest? Not so much.
I saw it through to the bitter end and even read the appendix, flipping the book round and squinting to read the very small type. There is humour and I appreciate what he attempted but it just wasn't quite right for me. Still, I can see this will have fans and that's good.
Which is a shame as I think there is a lot to like buried here. Like the honest and affecting opening chapter and the moments where his enormity at being responsible for his younger sibling sinks in and repeatedly screws with his head. I liked those bits a lot. The rest? Not so much.
I saw it through to the bitter end and even read the appendix, flipping the book round and squinting to read the very small type. There is humour and I appreciate what he attempted but it just wasn't quite right for me. Still, I can see this will have fans and that's good.
emotional
funny
fast-paced
funny
slow-paced
This book was recommended by William Zinsser as a prime example of making the most of the memoir format. His other recommendation (Growing Up by Russell Baker) was an absolute delight to read. Not so Eggers.
I think Eggers has excellent command of language. Like Baker, he can elevate mundane affairs with nothing more than clever use of English. Consider, for example, this corny bit of jealousy he feels when losing a TV spot to a guy named Judd, only to later end up a cameo on Judd's show:
"At the same time, it would also be nice to make clear the mistake Laura Folger has made, to have our cameo make clear who the real stars are, stars who far outshine this dowdy Judd person—we the brilliant ringed planets, he just a tiny, cold moon."
But these bouts of brilliance are unfortunately overshadowed by the tedious self-conscious ranting of a guy in his 20s. At first it starts out all charming and self-deprecating. Oh ha-ha, he's self-centered *and* self-aware, that's soo ironic. But over 500 pages, these charming quirks get old. Even the cute little doom-and-gloom tangents he goes off on grow tiresome eventually. And at some point you begin to believe that this guy is actually the very same egotistical asshole he claims to mock. Fabricating an interview with himself midway through the book is what did it for me.
I still made it to the end, and it does pick up after "Laura Folger's interview", but I would not have been much worse off if I'd never begun.
I think Eggers has excellent command of language. Like Baker, he can elevate mundane affairs with nothing more than clever use of English. Consider, for example, this corny bit of jealousy he feels when losing a TV spot to a guy named Judd, only to later end up a cameo on Judd's show:
"At the same time, it would also be nice to make clear the mistake Laura Folger has made, to have our cameo make clear who the real stars are, stars who far outshine this dowdy Judd person—we the brilliant ringed planets, he just a tiny, cold moon."
But these bouts of brilliance are unfortunately overshadowed by the tedious self-conscious ranting of a guy in his 20s. At first it starts out all charming and self-deprecating. Oh ha-ha, he's self-centered *and* self-aware, that's soo ironic. But over 500 pages, these charming quirks get old. Even the cute little doom-and-gloom tangents he goes off on grow tiresome eventually. And at some point you begin to believe that this guy is actually the very same egotistical asshole he claims to mock. Fabricating an interview with himself midway through the book is what did it for me.
I still made it to the end, and it does pick up after "Laura Folger's interview", but I would not have been much worse off if I'd never begun.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
medium-paced
Beginning to get tedious and the relationships seemed over the top with the Dave Eggers character larger than life and bigger, wiser, and more important than the rest— yawn.
Memoirs are inherently narcissistic, but this one was especially so. Granted, I think it was supposed to be that way. Part of the supposed message dealt with Eggers' self-absorption and pretentiousness. Maybe my problem with the book was that it was just too upfront. The author keeps interrupting his description of events and such to specifically state what he thinks the events mean. I like a little more subtlety.