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A review by carlylottsofbookz
The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006 by Dave Eggers
1.0
As I was reading the last few stories, I actually started to like them....but upon reading that a "one star" is "didn't like it" and "two stars" is "it was ok", I have no choice but to render a 1 star.
This book was pathetic. The title: Best American Nonrequired Reading in 2006. If this is the BEST that can come out of any nonrequired reading, boy am I glad I had a LOT of required reading in 2006. Holy crap! I can't believe there are people out there, and then an editor and publishing company, that said, "YES! THESE STORIES ARE THE BEST!"
Was 2006 a terrible year? Did NO ONE give good speeches or write stories with PLOTS?
With the exception of--at most--4 stories, I found EVERYTHING in this book difficult and pointless to read. There were stories, where, after I read it, I thought to myself, what was the plot? What was the reason? And, being a person who prides themselves in being able to decipher difficult texts, I feel it is the fault of the authors, not me.
The only thing that kept me going with this book was knowing that I couldn't write a review of how terrible it was if I didn't finish it.
I am glad that I finished it, because they put two of the best stories in here, at the back. One was about a woman who read the Bible, and it lead to her disbelief in God (IRONY!). And another about a man who is so unhappy with his life, he finds a decapitated head and befriends it.
With all this, if I had read the Introduction first (which I didn't, I read it around page 280 when I wasn't sure I could continue), I would have been even MORE angry. The introduction by Matt Groening was SPECTACULAR. But, had I read that and figured that it set a course for the rest of the book, I would ahve been SORELY mistaken, and more angered.
As is, I can see why it was $1.00 at Half Price Books.
With the exception of the Intro and a few stories, this isn't even worth considering as literature.
Oh, and I didn't read the 25 pages of the Iraqi constitution. HELL NO.
This book was pathetic. The title: Best American Nonrequired Reading in 2006. If this is the BEST that can come out of any nonrequired reading, boy am I glad I had a LOT of required reading in 2006. Holy crap! I can't believe there are people out there, and then an editor and publishing company, that said, "YES! THESE STORIES ARE THE BEST!"
Was 2006 a terrible year? Did NO ONE give good speeches or write stories with PLOTS?
With the exception of--at most--4 stories, I found EVERYTHING in this book difficult and pointless to read. There were stories, where, after I read it, I thought to myself, what was the plot? What was the reason? And, being a person who prides themselves in being able to decipher difficult texts, I feel it is the fault of the authors, not me.
The only thing that kept me going with this book was knowing that I couldn't write a review of how terrible it was if I didn't finish it.
I am glad that I finished it, because they put two of the best stories in here, at the back. One was about a woman who read the Bible, and it lead to her disbelief in God (IRONY!). And another about a man who is so unhappy with his life, he finds a decapitated head and befriends it.
With all this, if I had read the Introduction first (which I didn't, I read it around page 280 when I wasn't sure I could continue), I would have been even MORE angry. The introduction by Matt Groening was SPECTACULAR. But, had I read that and figured that it set a course for the rest of the book, I would ahve been SORELY mistaken, and more angered.
As is, I can see why it was $1.00 at Half Price Books.
With the exception of the Intro and a few stories, this isn't even worth considering as literature.
Oh, and I didn't read the 25 pages of the Iraqi constitution. HELL NO.