Some Books I've Read Recently

I'll go years without reading a single non-Book-Club book, and then go a single month reading four books total. It's tough to get in that groove, but once I get in it, I try to ride it as long as possible. Either to motivate myself to keep reading whatever the Parkway Central Library has to offer or to just fill some made-up daily content quota on Puke on Your Birthday, I'm gonna type my main thoughts about the last four books I've read, and see what comes out.

Alright, Alright, Alright by Melissa Maerz

The interesting thing about this book, which is an oral history from cast and crew about the best movie of all time, is that I already posted about 15,000 words about the subject in a similar format, right here on PoYB. So I mainly went into Alright, Alright, Alright wondering if there was anything else I could learn about Dazed and Confused. Of course there was! Like, Pam discussed with me about some of the IMDB trivia, and I generally expressed my indifference toward those bullet points at the time of the interview, but it's a whole different fucking thing when the people who were actually involved in the creation of the film are giving you that trivia.

 

I remember Pam asking me whether I was aware that the kids (teens, young adults, whatever) were actually partying on the set of Dazed and Confused. It seemed right, and it was, but it was an infinitely more enjoyable experience reading first-hand experience from those (former) kids, ya know? The thing I love about Dazed and Confused is how strongly it reflects my general experiences as a teenager, and it was a goddamn joy to understand in what ways the film mirrors the process of actually making the film. If that makes sense.

It also provided some satisfaction in knowing that this film is as important to other people as it is to me. To hear Ben Affleck say that it was the most inspiring and important movie-making experience of his life spoke volumes, and if I'm being honest, made me like Ben Affleck and understand Ben Affleck as a person / Hollywood legend for the first time in my life.

Anyways, it should go without saying that an oral history of my favorite movie of all time is gonna get top marks, but here ya go regardless.

GRADE: 4.5 pukes out of 5

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Speaking of Book Club books, we read a George Saunders book (Tenth of December) last summer, and I really liked it (we'll leave my more nuanced thoughts back in July 2020). I liked it enough that I figured I should try another book by Saunders (also didn't hurt that the other blogger in America seems to like a whole bunch of Saunders). Also also, this book ended up on some old Free Library list I made in like 2018 for reasons lost in the sands of time, and also also also I remember the cover from one of my favorite episodes of High Maintenance, when The Guy starts reading it but is distracted by a solar eclipse party...

Digression aside, this was a pretty decent book. The premise is that it is also an oral history, which I considered somewhat kismet after reading an oral history prior to this. But the catch is that it is historical fiction, so one can assume that either most or maybe all of the sources and quotes are made up. The story is about President Lincoln and the death of his son, twelve-year-old Willie Lincoln. Oh, and another catch is that much of the fictional oral history is provided by ghosts in the graveyard where Willie is laid to rest.

I separate the structure and the story because only one was truly effective. I felt like the "fake oral history" design was hit-or-miss. I enjoyed many of the tangents by real-life party guests and tertiary ghosts, but I don't know if it necessarily added anything to the novel besides forgettable joy. For the most part, the very best parts of the novel were the reflections on Willie's death by Lincoln himself, as well as those surrounding him (supernatural or earthly). Regardless of whether you buy into the premise of this novel, there is no doubt that reflections on death re: a young child are going to feel like a fucking sucker punch (especially if you are a father to young ones yourself).

For that reason alone, it was a worthy read. Even though I spent a few hours on the train annoyed at how I had to read this book, I also spent a few minutes on the train shedding tears because of what I was reading.

GRADE: 3 pukes out of 5

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

I don't even know that many people who could seriously recommend a book to me, but when a recommendation comes through on our very own goddamn blog, I'm more than likely gonna take the author up on it.

Sam's description was on point—this was seriously fun book about a lovable character. Not much to say otherwise. I will mainly say that this is the type of book that is so fun and so well-written that I can't help but be jealous of it. "Why can't I write like this?" is my constant refrain throughout every chapter. (The answer probably being "because you waste your fucking time writing inconsequential bullshit on your blog instead of honing this menial skill otherwise.")

GRADE: 4 pukes out of 5

This Isn't Happening by Steven Hyden

I always say that I'll watch any movie that has to do with music, no matter how critically reviled it, because music in general interests me, and so why wouldn't any form of medium that concentrates on music interest me too? (This is how I ended up giving the 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody 1 puke out of 5 instead of 0.) The same applies to books.

The best part about this nonfiction novel all about Kid A is how it took my opinions about Kid A (that it is middling at best), and laid down like 87 reasons as to why this isn't as unique an opinion as I like to pretend it is. Talking shit on Kid A is fucking BORING, argues Steven Hyden, and he truly did a good job proving that.

The second-best part about This Isn't Happening is how aware it is that writing an entire book, and also reading that book, about an album that came out twenty years ago by a band that is mid-tier at best, is laughably unimportant. Hyden knows he isn't rewriting the 95 Theses, and the self-awareness is admirable and enjoyable.

 

Like, there's a part where he references Chuck Klausterman's 2005 essay about Kid A (featured in his book / essay collection Killing Yourself to Live). Hyden starts explaining what the essay is about, and then stops cold and says something like, "I feel like I don't need to explain what this essay is about—if you consciously chose to read an entire book about Kid A, then you know which fucking essay I'm talking about."

 

It's so important to be this way when you're talking about music, because if you start getting too serious about it, then it stops being fun. And why spend half your life committed to this stupid ass hobby if it's not going to be fun?

GRADE: 3.5 pukes out of 5

(KID A's GRADE: 2.5 pukes out of 5)