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Mad Men Carousel: The Complete Critical Companion by Megan Abbott, Max Dalton, Matt Zoller Seitz
mikewardevrybdy's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe not as much of a definitive analysis of the show as I’d like and more of a episode by episode recap. It’s still great to get read and have so many feelings and concepts be triggered by this. Interested to read his Sopranos book as well.
shelb_e's review against another edition
4.0
first full read-through paired with my 4th watch of the show. very occasionally some editing goofs (whole sentences missing or merged with others) but excellent footnotes and thoughtful commentary.
sjgrodsky's review against another edition
4.0
One man's take on the incomparable series. I found his writing a little too much New Yorker magazine: polysyllabic, conceptual, abstract.
But he does get at the reason I (and many others) loved this layered, complicated, cerebral series. The characters were real people who acted in sometimes reprehensible ways. But they were the most interesting people ever. And the direction let you watch and form your own opinions. It never told you how to feel or what to believe.
But he does get at the reason I (and many others) loved this layered, complicated, cerebral series. The characters were real people who acted in sometimes reprehensible ways. But they were the most interesting people ever. And the direction let you watch and form your own opinions. It never told you how to feel or what to believe.
cruelmilkshake's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Great collection of episode recaps. It has the benefit of hindsight so it can connect the dots and cut out some of the more superfluous theories.
pixie_d's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. I loved Mad Men, and so enjoyed the thoughtful recaps.
subtlymelancholy's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.0
This book is great if you have a collection of Mad Men or television books, otherwise I'd suggest borrowing it. The discussion and feedback, while substantial, isn't all that unique. Then again, this is hindsight after the show has been finished for nearly a decade.
sonofatreus's review against another edition
5.0
Mad Men is a great show. Full of deep character work, sharp dialogue, and a long list of knockout performances. It can be tense and serious one minute and wickedly funny the next (sometimes in the same scene). It's set in a 1960s (mostly) ad agency (mostly) in NYC (mostly). It's really about that though. That's all just setting for the characters. It's really about the ways that they live their lives and interact with one another over the course of about 10 years. And, like, say, The Sopranos, it doesn't really have a neat ending. But this review is about the book.
Matt Zoller Seitz and his collaborators put together a great companion to the show. It's structured fairly simply: episode-by-episode essays/reviews, with a timeline (keyed to the show, but also real events), and copious notes (footnotes for first-time viewers and endnotes for repeat watchers). The analysis is sharp, picking up on details that can be hard to keep on one's head after 7 seasons. They highlight the many, many callbacks to previous episodes (and, in the endnotes, instances of foreshadowing) and tie various thematic strands together. As an example, in the essay on the series finale, he mentions episodes from every season, and cites specific examples from S1, S2, S4, and S7. It takes a lot to balance all of that and pull it together effectively, but MZS did it. I didn't necessarily agree with every interpretation offered in the book (in fact, I disagree with his take on the final scene, among others), but he always gives a compelling case. And, like the show, it's never boring, but rich and considered.
Matt Zoller Seitz and his collaborators put together a great companion to the show. It's structured fairly simply: episode-by-episode essays/reviews, with a timeline (keyed to the show, but also real events), and copious notes (footnotes for first-time viewers and endnotes for repeat watchers). The analysis is sharp, picking up on details that can be hard to keep on one's head after 7 seasons. They highlight the many, many callbacks to previous episodes (and, in the endnotes, instances of foreshadowing) and tie various thematic strands together. As an example, in the essay on the series finale, he mentions episodes from every season, and cites specific examples from S1, S2, S4, and S7. It takes a lot to balance all of that and pull it together effectively, but MZS did it. I didn't necessarily agree with every interpretation offered in the book (in fact, I disagree with his take on the final scene, among others), but he always gives a compelling case. And, like the show, it's never boring, but rich and considered.
sinelit's review against another edition
5.0
mad men, bence gelmiş geçmiş en güzel dizi. ortalama üstü bir diziden aldığım keyif, verdiği mutluluk vesaire mad men izlerken yaşadığım şeylerin yanına bile yaklaşamaz. mad men izlerken bir dizi izler gibi değil, bir roman okur gibi hissediyorum. çok katmanlı, çok derin, çok yoğun; her izleyişinizde farklı bir tat, yeni bir anlam buluyorsunuz. asla eskimiyor. anlattığı şeyler hem çok kişisel, hem çok evrensel. sabaha kadar mad men övebilirim. sevip sevmediğine göre insanları değerlendirdiğim az sayıda eserden biri mad men.
tabi bu kitabın değerlendirmesi olması gerektiği için birazcık da ona değineyim. kitap, bölüm bölüm ilerliyor; her bölüm için "recap" yazmışlar. nadiren izlerken düşündüğüm şeye hiç değinilmediği oldu, onun dışında çok kapsamlı, dipnotları, açıklamaları çok doyurucu. bu diziyi zevkle izleyen birinin bu kitabı okumaktan keyif almayacağını düşünemiyorum.
ben diziyi 3. sezondan itibaren yayınlandıkça seyrettiğim için haliyle biraz kopukluk oldu. bittikten sonra sevdiğim bazı bölümleri ve bazen de aradan rastgele bölüm açıp izlesem de son bir yılda yaptığım gibi peş peşe hiç izlememiştim. bu zaten başlı başına büyük bir keyifken, kitabın eşlik etmesi de harika bir deneyime dönüştürdü. diziyi izleyip sevenlere zaten şiddetle tavsiye ederim, izlemeyenler için ise şunu söylemem lazım: geleceğe yönelik yorumlarını endnote olarak sona saklamışlar, spoiler yeme korkusuyla okumaktan çekinmenize gerek yok.
tabi bu kitabın değerlendirmesi olması gerektiği için birazcık da ona değineyim. kitap, bölüm bölüm ilerliyor; her bölüm için "recap" yazmışlar. nadiren izlerken düşündüğüm şeye hiç değinilmediği oldu, onun dışında çok kapsamlı, dipnotları, açıklamaları çok doyurucu. bu diziyi zevkle izleyen birinin bu kitabı okumaktan keyif almayacağını düşünemiyorum.
ben diziyi 3. sezondan itibaren yayınlandıkça seyrettiğim için haliyle biraz kopukluk oldu. bittikten sonra sevdiğim bazı bölümleri ve bazen de aradan rastgele bölüm açıp izlesem de son bir yılda yaptığım gibi peş peşe hiç izlememiştim. bu zaten başlı başına büyük bir keyifken, kitabın eşlik etmesi de harika bir deneyime dönüştürdü. diziyi izleyip sevenlere zaten şiddetle tavsiye ederim, izlemeyenler için ise şunu söylemem lazım: geleceğe yönelik yorumlarını endnote olarak sona saklamışlar, spoiler yeme korkusuyla okumaktan çekinmenize gerek yok.
rochellem's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
A fantastic companion to my third or fourth full re-watch of this stunning series.