Scan barcode
captainwinter's review
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
Informative, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it ‘a history of poppers’ since after the first couple of chapters the poppers kind of get lost in a more anecdotal analysis of queer culture? I often times found myself wondering why certain things were included. Still, I learned some new things!
natbelks's review
3.0
An easy and interesting read, lots of ideas around queer history, pleasure, sex, drugs, men's bodies, HIV/AIDS, political ideologies (to name a few), which don't always come together with the main thesis of the book. The fascinating history of poppers itself gets lost in trying to tie all the ideas together.
jennderqueer's review
2.5
A nonfiction book ostensibly about the intersectional history of poppers and queer culture. The first part was this and it was good. In the second part the author got personal and now I know way more about his masturbatory habits than I ever wanted to. The third part is a utopian popper-baiter's fantasy manifesto. Boring. Overall this book was just sort of eh. And the author wasn't a great narrator either - kind of monotone.
leoniepeonie's review
4.0
I loved how playful and hopeful this was. That really felt like the point of the book: that poppers can be about escapism and pure pleasure and that's GOOD; that queer utopias are *possible*; and that poppers themselves can be a gateway into imagining, enjoying and creating those futures right now. Zmith explored the history of poppers themselves, through their scientific and medicinal roots into their lives as consumerist products and icons of (almost uniquely male) gay culture. Zmith looked at representations of poppers in popular culture too, in what was a really rich and interesting deep dive. At times I found the extended explorations of writing and films and side stories felt like a bit of a deviation from the main points, and made points on their own that felt a bit separate from the discussion of poppers, but I enjoyed the whole vibe of the book and felt that above all the narrative Zmith wove was a really positive and thoughtful and thought-provoking one, and I enjoyed the ride. More of a memoir and long-form essay by the end than a pure history of poppers, but I think it still has a place.
leecairnduff's review
funny
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Very informative and surprisingly interesting, the entire book is obviously very well researched and you can tell there is a genuine love from Zmith for the community.
Zmith often strays from the main purpose of the book (five pages on star trek) in trying to make what should be a very focused history a broader depiction of homosexuality.
Zmith often strays from the main purpose of the book (five pages on star trek) in trying to make what should be a very focused history a broader depiction of homosexuality.