Red Mosquito

durdencommatyler wrote:So, I picked up my first Klosterman book. I'm reading 'Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs.'

I'd figured from the brief conversations I'd had with folks that I'd really dig this guys writing; his insights and observations. He's kind of an asshole. Single minded, patronizing, cynical, and kind of vapid. I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh from time to time. He's got a great sense of humor. But I feel like he's missing the point or ignoring different views of the issues he's discussing. So far, the third essay on MTV's The Real World has been the most engaging, but even that one gets damn near ruined by "I could never filter every experience through my singular, self-conscious individuality." Really dude?! Are you kidding me? Isn't that exactly what you've been doing for the last 40 pages?

For those who are fans, how do you feel about this particular collection and how it compares to his other work? Help me find a way in. He's clearly a competent writer. I like his writing style. But his observations and commentary are so exclusive they border on pretentious sometimes. It's not that I'm not enjoying the collection. I am. But I just feel like he's filtering everything through a thin tube and ignoring so much of the substance that doesn't fit.

Or maybe it's just me. Maybe I just don't value the same things he values or have the same goals he has (though he seems to present them as universal and fundamental). None of it really matters insofar as the writing is good and the essays are entertaining. I don't need to agree with the guy. I guess I just expected to agree with him. Maybe that's my fault. But a lot of this feels to me like I'd be all about it if I was still fifteen and had no idea about how complex the world can be. But then that sounds pretentious, too. So, what do I know?

Strat wrote:

durdencommatyler wrote:So, I picked up my first Klosterman book. I'm reading 'Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs.'

I'd figured from the brief conversations I'd had with folks that I'd really dig this guys writing; his insights and observations. He's kind of an asshole. Single minded, patronizing, cynical, and kind of vapid. I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh from time to time. He's got a great sense of humor. But I feel like he's missing the point or ignoring different views of the issues he's discussing. So far, the third essay on MTV's The Real World has been the most engaging, but even that one gets damn near ruined by "I could never filter every experience through my singular, self-conscious individuality." Really dude?! Are you kidding me? Isn't that exactly what you've been doing for the last 40 pages?

For those who are fans, how do you feel about this particular collection and how it compares to his other work? Help me find a way in. He's clearly a competent writer. I like his writing style. But his observations and commentary are so exclusive they border on pretentious sometimes. It's not that I'm not enjoying the collection. I am. But I just feel like he's filtering everything through a thin tube and ignoring so much of the substance that doesn't fit.

Or maybe it's just me. Maybe I just don't value the same things he values or have the same goals he has (though he seems to present them as universal and fundamental). None of it really matters insofar as the writing is good and the essays are entertaining. I don't need to agree with the guy. I guess I just expected to agree with him. Maybe that's my fault. But a lot of this feels to me like I'd be all about it if I was still fifteen and had no idea about how complex the world can be. But then that sounds pretentious, too. So, what do I know?

Thats the main thing.

Also this is my least favorite book of us.

durdencommatyler wrote:

Strat wrote:

durdencommatyler wrote:So, I picked up my first Klosterman book. I'm reading 'Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs.'

I'd figured from the brief conversations I'd had with folks that I'd really dig this guys writing; his insights and observations. He's kind of an asshole. Single minded, patronizing, cynical, and kind of vapid. I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh from time to time. He's got a great sense of humor. But I feel like he's missing the point or ignoring different views of the issues he's discussing. So far, the third essay on MTV's The Real World has been the most engaging, but even that one gets damn near ruined by "I could never filter every experience through my singular, self-conscious individuality." Really dude?! Are you kidding me? Isn't that exactly what you've been doing for the last 40 pages?

For those who are fans, how do you feel about this particular collection and how it compares to his other work? Help me find a way in. He's clearly a competent writer. I like his writing style. But his observations and commentary are so exclusive they border on pretentious sometimes. It's not that I'm not enjoying the collection. I am. But I just feel like he's filtering everything through a thin tube and ignoring so much of the substance that doesn't fit.

Or maybe it's just me. Maybe I just don't value the same things he values or have the same goals he has (though he seems to present them as universal and fundamental). None of it really matters insofar as the writing is good and the essays are entertaining. I don't need to agree with the guy. I guess I just expected to agree with him. Maybe that's my fault. But a lot of this feels to me like I'd be all about it if I was still fifteen and had no idea about how complex the world can be. But then that sounds pretentious, too. So, what do I know?

Thats the main thing.

Also this is my least favorite book of us.

Thank you, friend. I was hoping to hear some of you guys express this. Truth be told, I kinda wondered if this wouldn't be the case.

durdencommatyler wrote:Like I said, I'm enjoying the book. I'm just surprised how often I want more. Or how often I think he's missing the point, or misguided, or narrow minded. Does that make sense? Anyway, I'll keep reading because I am finding plenty of value in each essay, and they are well written. I just wanted to touch base and see if others had a similar impression of this book. And ask for recommendations going forward.

Strat wrote:

durdencommatyler wrote:Like I said, I'm enjoying the book. I'm just surprised how often I want more. Or how often I think he's missing the point, or misguided, or narrow minded. Does that make sense? Anyway, I'll keep reading because I am finding plenty of value in each essay, and they are well written. I just wanted to touch base and see if others had a similar impression of this book. And ask for recommendations going forward.

I dont think he would deny that he is close minded on some things, in fact i feel that is where he is writing from and being quite frank about it. His neurosis is so entertaining.

durdencommatyler wrote:

Strat wrote:

durdencommatyler wrote:Like I said, I'm enjoying the book. I'm just surprised how often I want more. Or how often I think he's missing the point, or misguided, or narrow minded. Does that make sense? Anyway, I'll keep reading because I am finding plenty of value in each essay, and they are well written. I just wanted to touch base and see if others had a similar impression of this book. And ask for recommendations going forward.

I dont think he would deny that he is close minded on some things, in fact i feel that is where he is writing from and being quite frank about it. His neurosis is so entertaining.

This I can see and agree with, so far. I'm only 42 pages (3 essays) into the book. And I'm finding a lot to like and laugh at/about. There's some great shit in there, for sure. Nothing is coming across as neurosis to me though. It feels fabricated somehow. Maybe this is how so many people feel about David Eggers.

Strat wrote:What if we're wrong is wonderful though

New York Times bestselling author Chuck Klosterman asks questions that are profound in their simplicity: How certain are we about our understanding of gravity? How certain are we about our understanding of time? What will be the defining memory of rock music, five hundred years from today? How seriously should we view the content of our dreams? How seriously should we view the content of television? Are all sports destined for extinction? Is it possible that the greatest artist of our era is currently unknown (or—weirder still—widely known, but entirely disrespected)? Is it possible that we “overrate” democracy? And perhaps most disturbing, is it possible that we’ve reached the end of knowledge?

Strat wrote:The jokes alone aren't that great, but once you are whisked into his world it starts making sense and comes together a bit more.

Steve Albini wrote:Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

tragabigzanda wrote:

Strat wrote:

durdencommatyler wrote:Like I said, I'm enjoying the book. I'm just surprised how often I want more. Or how often I think he's missing the point, or misguided, or narrow minded. Does that make sense? Anyway, I'll keep reading because I am finding plenty of value in each essay, and they are well written. I just wanted to touch base and see if others had a similar impression of this book. And ask for recommendations going forward.

I dont think he would deny that he is close minded on some things, in fact i feel that is where he is writing from and being quite frank about it. His neurosis is so entertaining.

Yea. I love Klosterman, have read most of his books, but there are a couple of his early fiction books that I skipped, and then I haven't read his new one. It's never been about "agreeing with him" for me; it's more about the sense of humor he instills into his naval-gazing about pop culture and various sub-cultures. I personally never got the sense that he takes himself too seriously, but rather that pouring over the minutiae of these cultures has inherent value.

My favorites essays by him tend to be the ones that are about subcultures with which I am not too familiar. I loved his piece on the NFL (I think that's in SD&CP?), and his one on the Guns N' Roses cover band is a blast. I think that pound-for-pound, I probably got the most enjoyment out of Chuck Klosterman IV, or maybe Eating the Dinosaur. And The Visible Man was surprisingly fun and insightful; I was lukewarm to the premise, but actually loved reading it.

I sort of think of him as a cross between DFW and David Sedaris. He's aware of the absurdity of his own ruminations, yet he can't help himself. I can definitely relate (said the guy posting the long-winded response on a Pearl Jam message board in 2017).

durdencommatyler wrote:He's kind of an asshole. Single minded, patronizing, cynical, and kind of vapid. I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh from time to time. He's got a great sense of humor. But I feel like he's missing the point or ignoring different views of the issues he's discussing. So far, the third essay on MTV's The Real World has been the most engaging, but even that one gets damn near ruined by "I could never filter every experience through my singular, self-conscious individuality." Really dude?! Are you kidding me? Isn't that exactly what you've been doing for the last 40 pages?

For those who are fans, how do you feel about this particular collection and how it compares to his other work? Help me find a way in. He's clearly a competent writer. I like his writing style. But his observations and commentary are so exclusive they border on pretentious sometimes. It's not that I'm not enjoying the collection. I am. But I just feel like he's filtering everything through a thin tube and ignoring so much of the substance that doesn't fit.

Steve Albini wrote:Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

washing machine wrote:You nailed it, KD. A lot of Klosterman's interests and enthusiasm for different subjects in Sex, Drugs & Rock & Roll sparked my curiosity to the point that I went down my own rabbit holes about those subjects when I first read them (The Sims, most notably...), but I never really took him that seriously as a critic or essayist. He always struck me as more of a fanboy than anything else. Since that's what I am too, I don't feel like I need to read too much from someone like that unless they have big picture ideas to add to the conversation (or are compatriot internetters.)