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Why oh why did our generation waste so much ink lauding Hunter S Thompson when we have someone with true talent in our midst, with the gonzo ethic of Thompson and the talents of Gladwell. Not that Klosterman is truly overlooked (he makes a fine living I'm sure), but heavens you would think he would be mentioned in the same breath as the other coffeetable must-haves that are relentlessly rotated on the "'what white people like" lists (not that there's *anything* wrong with those writers, and, no, not only white people like them). Chuck Klosterman IV is a must-read, as is nearly everything else he has ever written, whether on a stained cocktail napkin or on fine bond letterhead.
This is the first Chuck Klosterman book I have read and I loved it. I've since read Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs and Killing Yourself to Live and am just letting my eyes rest before getting my next fix. It's hilarious, thought-provoking and just a really great read.
This is the first book I've read by CK and I found it, for the most part, to be pretty funny. I chose this book because I didn't want to read fiction. I would recommend this book to most people.
After reading it, I will say that I enjoyed the book although the intellectualism gets a little heavy towards the middle. It's a nice book to read while you're waiting for stuff because each essay/article is reasonably short. When I picked it up and thumbed through it I happened (apparently) among the more funny stories.
I think there are a few stories in here that most people will find pretty amusing. I remember thinking, "wasn't this book cracking me up the other day. Because right now, not so much." It was still interesting but more in a (begin finger quotes) lecture-y/think-y (end finger quotes) sort of way.
I will admit, though, that I did not read the fiction piece at the end. It wasn't bad but just not what I was up for plus I had read the previous 100 pages while I was stuck in the desert so I think maybe I overdid it.
This book collects about three dozen Chuck Klosterman essays, mostly reprints from SPIN and other US magazines, with new introductions from the author. The next 100 pages are "Things That Might Be True" and feature more subjective content. The first and strongest half of the book "Things That Are True" centers on music and includes profiles of modern greats Radiohead and Jeff Tweedy as well as classic legends like Robert Plant and Billy Joel. He documents a week of eating nothing but McDonalds' McNuggets (eight years before the film "Supersize Me") and watching 24 hours of VH1 Classic (and learning it repeats every eight hours). The final section is a 35 page novella. I enjoyed the majority of these segments but liked Klosterman's other books better than this collection.
Finlly he ends with a bit of fiction that is not without merit, but is not his best work. It includes several fascinating interviews with popular figures.
I picked it up with two lesser known Hemmingway's to justify my consumption of what has come to be known as intellectual guilty pleasure ( a topic he incidentally takes up with his usual skill and misdirection in one of the essays). It felt a little like my birthday when I found Klosterman's latest book on CD, read by him, in the Border's bargain bin.
It was a good bet.CK IV opens with a very good reflection on dread and high school basket ball. It is better than Killing Yourself to Live and not as good as Cocoa Puffs.Audio is the medium for Klosterman for several reasons including: his irony voice, it is not exactly the kind of literature that requires you to take notes, and the strangely melodical way he pronounces the word f*.#ing.
After listening to IV I acquired Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs on CD despite having read it, based solely on the notion that it would be more poignant and entertaining when performed by the author. Note: You could not intice me to read a story on Brittney Spears by another author, but CK had me transfixed.
On the whole, however, If you liked CDaCP, CK IV is worth the time.especially in the audio version.
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