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rj42's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
One of the strangest and hardest-to-define books I can remember reading in a long time. Bear vs Shark is ostensibly a road trip undertaken by a family to the titular contest, which has gripped America. But in truth, it is far more than that – it is a sprawling satire of consumerism which never misses an opportunity to dig at the vacuity of modern life. The most remarkable thing about it, however, is its form – Bachelder digresses into skits, riffs and commentary as he inches the actual plot forward. At times, it is incredibly funny and remarkably precise, and as a novel it is strikingly original in a way other modern satires could only dream of. At the same time, though, not everything about it works: the first half is achingly slow, as the author cranks the story into life while setting up his satirical premise. And inevitably, some of the satire lands sharply while some falls flat. This is nothing at all like The Throwback Special, Bachelder's later book which is a delightful exploration of masculinity and far more emotionally charged (and more linear, relatively). But it is worth anyone's time and it's certainly hard to forget.
bethany_demott's review against another edition
3.0
Really interesting book! Definitely a good satire of American society. Kind of confusing at first but definitely worth pushing through.
rocketiza's review against another edition
5.0
Its hard to believe it was published in 2001 but is even more relevant today. I was laughing out loud reading while wanting to cry at how deftly it lampooned how technology and our entertainment obsessed culture is terrible, if you take the time to think about it.
Highly recommend whether that topic interests you or not, you'll at least enjoy the humor and his shifting writing style throughout.
Highly recommend whether that topic interests you or not, you'll at least enjoy the humor and his shifting writing style throughout.
nssutton's review against another edition
1.0
couldn't be bothered to get through the first 50 pages.
sloatsj's review against another edition
5.0
I ordered this on a whim and after a couple pages I thought it was going to turn out like most of my whim books - like crap. A few pages in, it occurred to me that this was the kind of pop culture satiric overload that I'd like to avoid.
But very soon I was laughing like crazy. I was laughing until I cried. I really can't remember the last thing I read or heard or saw that was this funny. First thing I did when I finished the book was go back and read some of my favorite chapters - like, um, 29 and 62. Thank goodness for the index!
I am now pushing this book on everyone with a sense of humor. Some very ridiculous questions are asked, like does a shark have a neck? Do the Dutch have a culture? What's a Guardian knot? And most important, given a relatively level playing field, who would win in a fight between a bear and a shark?
But very soon I was laughing like crazy. I was laughing until I cried. I really can't remember the last thing I read or heard or saw that was this funny. First thing I did when I finished the book was go back and read some of my favorite chapters - like, um, 29 and 62. Thank goodness for the index!
I am now pushing this book on everyone with a sense of humor. Some very ridiculous questions are asked, like does a shark have a neck? Do the Dutch have a culture? What's a Guardian knot? And most important, given a relatively level playing field, who would win in a fight between a bear and a shark?
mundinova's review against another edition
2.0
Story: 2 stars
Characters: 1 star
Prose/Language: 3 stars
Bachelder is obviously a fan of DFW and Pynchon, but Bear v Shark lacks the vision to execute on any specific idea, let alone a multi-layered idea of the modern family. The writing was engaging and Bachelder has an almost-there unique voice. I'd be more interested in reading some of his current works to see if he's found his grove.
Characters: 1 star
Prose/Language: 3 stars
Bachelder is obviously a fan of DFW and Pynchon, but Bear v Shark lacks the vision to execute on any specific idea, let alone a multi-layered idea of the modern family. The writing was engaging and Bachelder has an almost-there unique voice. I'd be more interested in reading some of his current works to see if he's found his grove.
peteroneill's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0