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courtney_mcallister's review
3.0
3.5 stars. A bit uneven, and slightly repetitive, but overall engaging and fun. Moore describes Between Panic and Desire as a "cultural memoir," and this is a very apt term. While it is primarily about his personal experiences as a lonely, isolated child and directionless, apathetic adult, it also explores how these states of being represent a larger conglomeration of collective emotions. Some pieces might be stronger or more compelling for those who share Moore's generational identity. Even when his writing didn't quite resonate with me, I enjoyed his storytelling style. The exploration of skewed perception was especially nifty.
debnanceatreaderbuzz's review against another edition
4.0
I was disappointed to see this book when it arrived for me at the library. Awful cover. Looked like my fifth grade niece did the artwork.
I’d read Moore’s piece, Son of Mr. Green Jeans, for a class this summer and loved it. Raved about it. Masterful. This was the first selection in the book. Oh dear. Is Moore a one-hit wonder?
No. Happily I can say no. Ignore the cover. Moore can write, at least about the sadnesses of his life. It’s a lovely book. Funny. Clever. Glad I read it.
I’d read Moore’s piece, Son of Mr. Green Jeans, for a class this summer and loved it. Raved about it. Masterful. This was the first selection in the book. Oh dear. Is Moore a one-hit wonder?
No. Happily I can say no. Ignore the cover. Moore can write, at least about the sadnesses of his life. It’s a lovely book. Funny. Clever. Glad I read it.
bibliocyclist's review against another edition
2.0
"History would be so much simpler if you could just write it without ever having to let it happen."
"I was there, after all; I misperceived it with my own eyes."
"I was there, after all; I misperceived it with my own eyes."
willwrite4chocolate's review against another edition
5.0
Between Panic and Desire
, Dinty W. (an initial he explains in this book) Moore's cultural memoir of linked essays in experimental form complete with quizzes and his own autopsy report demanded that I read it in one sitting. The book weaves John F. Kennedy, Nixon, the cold war,the Cuban missile crisis, 9/11, both Bush presidents, the Beatles, Charles Manson, Squeaky Fromme, missing fathers, father figures, drug addiction, Irish heritage, automobiles, and Leonard Cohen into a witty and inventive narrative about life in the television-watching U.S.A. of the 1960s and the journey of a young man wandering through it. I really enjoyed the ride.
, Dinty W. (an initial he explains in this book) Moore's cultural memoir of linked essays in experimental form complete with quizzes and his own autopsy report demanded that I read it in one sitting. The book weaves John F. Kennedy, Nixon, the cold war,the Cuban missile crisis, 9/11, both Bush presidents, the Beatles, Charles Manson, Squeaky Fromme, missing fathers, father figures, drug addiction, Irish heritage, automobiles, and Leonard Cohen into a witty and inventive narrative about life in the television-watching U.S.A. of the 1960s and the journey of a young man wandering through it. I really enjoyed the ride.
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