I vividly remember his first New Yorker article, as well as reading this book when it came out. I saw a copy at my in-laws’ last week and borrowed it I vividly remember his first New Yorker article, as well as reading this book when it came out. I saw a copy at my in-laws’ last week and borrowed it for a second look 20+ years later. Still a great read. Still sad he’s gone. ...more
How could I resist? The making of a thriller as witnessed by one (academic) writer looking over the shoulder of another, wildly successful commercial How could I resist? The making of a thriller as witnessed by one (academic) writer looking over the shoulder of another, wildly successful commercial author whose work was mostly unknown to me. Mr Lee Child starts on Sept 1st every year and writes straight through to March/Early April with minimal backtracking or edits. This was his 20th year in a row doing exactly that, but now we’re along for the ride.
“The first draft is the only draft” is his motto (which sent chills up my spine, as someone who frequently starts over). He does this all while imbibing 25(!!) cups of coffee and 20 cigarettes (!) PER DAY.
This book was fascinating, surprising, and honestly… nauseating. I had recently read Don Juan for the first time, hoping to fill some gaps in my knowlThis book was fascinating, surprising, and honestly… nauseating. I had recently read Don Juan for the first time, hoping to fill some gaps in my knowledge (what with it being the 200th anniversary of Byron’s death). After that I figured I’d go all in on the man himself—the basis of Byronic antiheroes, alluring vampires, celebrity culture, gorgeously doomed-and-damned bad boys with dark secrets (“maybe my love will save him”!), essentially my favorite characters from Heathcliff / Rochester types to Buffy’s boyfriends, Doctor House (complete with limp…). You know the type!
But “knowing the type” in pop culture and meeting the real-life inspiration for said type are two very different things. Byron the actual dude is pitiable and sympathetic—particularly as an abused child, obviously— but also an absolute d*ick to literally everyone unlucky enough to become entangled with him, especially women of every age, class, country, or background. Especially his illegitimate daughter Allegra. No seriously he’s a HORROR. Like I actually truly felt ill reading about him.
THAT SAID, the author did an incredible job sifting through apparently, 3,000+ letters to find these ten to encapsulate the contradictory, irascible, mischievous, sullen, clever, incredibly scandalous man who did literally set the tone for so much of our gothic, Romantic, celebrity obsessed modern age. It's staggering how many elements of taken-for-granted character types and tropes originated with this one real-life person when you dig down into it....more
I would’ve gone the rest of my life without remembering Ross Perot’s running mate showing up at a debate and saying “Who am I? Why am I here?” if not I would’ve gone the rest of my life without remembering Ross Perot’s running mate showing up at a debate and saying “Who am I? Why am I here?” if not for this book, but once I saw it, the zing of recognition was a blunt physical staggering weirdness, and the whole book is like that. Hilarious, disconcerting, embarrassing, nostalgic—definitely worth reading for anyone who lived through the ‘90s (I was 13 in 1990, so the decade was my absolute formative years, and everything seemed so… normal at the time. It wasn’t strange, it seemed about right for most of it? Only in retrospect revisionism do I began to see and unpack how messed up and transformational of a time period it really was).
Coca-cola really did create Clear Tab and really did make it terrible on purpose so it would be shelved beside, associated with, and tank Crystal Pepsi.
Answering the phone really was the only way to STOP the phone. And sometimes it rang while you were watching TV and that was infuriating. You’d have to sacrifice a family member to get it, who would then have to accept the fact that they’d NEVER KNOW what had occurred in that chunk of whichever episode.
Anyway the entire book is quite smart and insightful and brought to the forefront interconnected events I’d either forgotten, or never placed together or never realized what they ultimately wrought....more
First read of 2023. A gut-wrenching and beautiful memoir about friendship for anyone, though if you happen to have been born in 1977 and attended collFirst read of 2023. A gut-wrenching and beautiful memoir about friendship for anyone, though if you happen to have been born in 1977 and attended college in the mid-to-late 90s, achingly familiar and bound to take you right back to that specific pre-internet, ‘zines and mixtapes era....more
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