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A review by carly_golightly
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men by David Foster Wallace
3.5
3.5 stars.
I’m pretty conflicted with DFW as a person and I struggle to separate the art versus the artist. At times this felt cathartic, because - well yeah, men are hideous and that’s the commentary. Or is it? His metafiction makes me feel bad for the interviewees while simultaneously cringing in discomfort at their behavior. We know DFW had his own foray into being a chauvinistic toxic man.
His prose - gorgeous. The interviews - incredible range. His creative ability to build layers on characters - an absolute delight. But is it really critiquing masculinity, or is it just another book spotlighting men? Lit bros are not able to spot the difference.
I’m pretty conflicted with DFW as a person and I struggle to separate the art versus the artist. At times this felt cathartic, because - well yeah, men are hideous and that’s the commentary. Or is it? His metafiction makes me feel bad for the interviewees while simultaneously cringing in discomfort at their behavior. We know DFW had his own foray into being a chauvinistic toxic man.
His prose - gorgeous. The interviews - incredible range. His creative ability to build layers on characters - an absolute delight. But is it really critiquing masculinity, or is it just another book spotlighting men? Lit bros are not able to spot the difference.