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A review by littlelady_28
Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era by Saul Austerlitz
2.0
This was overall a really good read, one that I think any fan of the show, Friends, would enjoy. The author had clearly done his research, interviewing several producers, crew members, and writers for behind-the-scenes information and anecdotes from the set throughout the book. He provides the backstory of how the creators got the idea for the show, describes the casting, and even does a good job of setting the stage for the television climate at the time of the 1994 premiere.
Austerlitz then goes through the show, highlighting the big plot points such as the Ross and Rachel and the Monica and Chandler romances, while including more behind-the-scenes trivia. I'm not sure that anyone who has not already seen the show would be interested in this book, but it does cover the entire series, so don't read this book if it would be a spoiler for the show's ending.
I had two issues with the book that are causing me to lower the overall rating. 1) There was a basic chronological order that Austerlitz followed, but there was also a lot of information that seemed to be randomly thrown in. Like, I understand the need to include Matthew Perry's drug addiction in the book, but (if I recall correctly) it was included in one of the section's discussing the Chandler/Monica plotline. It didn't really make sense to include it there, and those types of tidbits were frequently scattered throughout the narrative.
My main issue with the book, however, was the obvious inclusion of the author's political views (see note below if you care to read my thoughts; not including them here since if you're reading this you want to know my thoughts on the book, not politics). I certainly did not read this book to hear the author's biased views and reading them left me with a negative view of the entire book. It was unnecessary and left an unsavory taste in my mouth for what should have otherwise been a fun and enjoyable read. I give it a C-.
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My thoughts: In 2016 Donald Trump was elected as President of the United States. As Austerlitz is apparently unaware, the United States government is based on democracy, basically meaning that the candidate who receives the majority of the votes is elected President. Yes, I understand the electoral college, but that's the gist of it. Therefore, Austerlitz's generalization that the nation was "horrified" is ignorant, since it is safe to assume that the "majority" of Americans were happy that the candidate they voted for won. Austerlitz's remark about Donald Trump being "reptilian" was completely unnecessary. And finally, his implied assertion that President Trump was completely to blame for the nation's divide is simply untrue and also ignorant to boil an extremely complicated situation down to one single factor. Let Friends be my happy place sir, and keep your negativity in the op-ed pieces.
Austerlitz then goes through the show, highlighting the big plot points such as the Ross and Rachel and the Monica and Chandler romances, while including more behind-the-scenes trivia. I'm not sure that anyone who has not already seen the show would be interested in this book, but it does cover the entire series, so don't read this book if it would be a spoiler for the show's ending.
I had two issues with the book that are causing me to lower the overall rating. 1) There was a basic chronological order that Austerlitz followed, but there was also a lot of information that seemed to be randomly thrown in. Like, I understand the need to include Matthew Perry's drug addiction in the book, but (if I recall correctly) it was included in one of the section's discussing the Chandler/Monica plotline. It didn't really make sense to include it there, and those types of tidbits were frequently scattered throughout the narrative.
My main issue with the book, however, was the obvious inclusion of the author's political views (see note below if you care to read my thoughts; not including them here since if you're reading this you want to know my thoughts on the book, not politics). I certainly did not read this book to hear the author's biased views and reading them left me with a negative view of the entire book. It was unnecessary and left an unsavory taste in my mouth for what should have otherwise been a fun and enjoyable read. I give it a C-.
************************************************************************
My thoughts: In 2016 Donald Trump was elected as President of the United States. As Austerlitz is apparently unaware, the United States government is based on democracy, basically meaning that the candidate who receives the majority of the votes is elected President. Yes, I understand the electoral college, but that's the gist of it. Therefore, Austerlitz's generalization that the nation was "horrified" is ignorant, since it is safe to assume that the "majority" of Americans were happy that the candidate they voted for won. Austerlitz's remark about Donald Trump being "reptilian" was completely unnecessary. And finally, his implied assertion that President Trump was completely to blame for the nation's divide is simply untrue and also ignorant to boil an extremely complicated situation down to one single factor. Let Friends be my happy place sir, and keep your negativity in the op-ed pieces.