Ugh.
Chuck Klosterman has really just been losing it for me. This book was ---- pretty bad. Klosterman excels at non-fiction. I really [mostly] enjoyed his non-fiction pieces, and I really like the collections of essays. I think he does a really great job focusing on both music and sports. BUT - it's clear that Chuck thinks he's an expert, and he gets really pretentious really fast.
This book is supposed to be FICTION. And I can't help but hear Chuck's voice throughout the whole thing. There were several times where I couldn't believe that an editor [or even a friend who read it prior to being published] didn't take some of that stuff out. It's most apparent in the music references that have NO BEARING AT ALL on the story that Chuck is trying to tell. If you're writing fiction, you need to take yourself out it. At the very least on the surface.
Overall, I think the concept was interesting, but the execution was beyond poor.
Chuck - perhaps I'll read Killing Yourself to Live [by far my favorite of his] and like you again, but you're really just getting on my nerves now.
I've never read Klosterman's fiction; while I like his non-fiction, I feel like he is TOO consistent with his style. Reading through his essay anthologies, there are certain words that he seems to use in almost every essay (and not common words like "with." I can't think of examples right now, unfortunately). I love that you keep giving him a shot though!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I'd say he's too consistent, but I think [especially in high doses] he gets a little boring. But, I will keep giving him a chance (there are a couple other books of his I've yet to read). I think with him there are enough gems (even if they're only a paragraph or a sentence) that it's worth reading all of it.
DeleteOn another note, in the book I'm read right now, the author keeps using the word "happily" at the beginning of sentences, and it is driving me INSANE. She uses it as a substitute for luckily, which is fine, but it's like every three paragraphs. And she never uses "luckily" - you can't even change it up half the time?!
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