Saturday, July 24, 2004
Book #68
To Be the Man, by Ric Flair, with Keith Elliot Greenberg, edited by Mark Madden.
2004: WWE/Pocketbooks.
Begun: July 23, 2004
Finished: July 24, 2004
This is The Nature Boy's autobiography. I'm not as bad as the Filthy Hippy, but I enjoy looks at the world of pro wrestling, especially at the eras that came before Vince McMahon and the the World Wrestling Federation started running the show.
But more than that, these guys have a non-typical job, and I enjoyed hearing what makes a guy who goes out and gets beaten up for a living tick.
As far as pro-wrestling autobiographies go, I rank Flair's right up there with Jerry Lawler's, and just below Mick Foley's. Foley may not have been the strongest in-ring performer, but he's got the benefit of telling his own story, and lending his own brand of humor to his storytelling. Plus, as wrestling personalities go, I think Mick is the one I'd jibe with most.
Flair's story begins in Minnesota. He was a wildman to begin with, and Flair would prove himself to be a wild man in a profession filled with wildmen.
It's a good read, especially in looking at how the old National Wrestling Alliance worked to lord over the wrestling territories, and how Flair, as champion, worked in the capacity as NWA champion for years.
On the whole, I enjoyed the read. A did note a little sadly that Flair, at times, comes off as a guy who didn't know how to shit or get off the pot. And I was sorry to hear the couple of times he decided just to snipe at people, usually to even the score. Shane Douglas gets the best brush off, though. (I'm very sleepy in writing this, so it probably doesn't make a lot of sense.)
To Be the Man, by Ric Flair, with Keith Elliot Greenberg, edited by Mark Madden.
2004: WWE/Pocketbooks.
Begun: July 23, 2004
Finished: July 24, 2004
This is The Nature Boy's autobiography. I'm not as bad as the Filthy Hippy, but I enjoy looks at the world of pro wrestling, especially at the eras that came before Vince McMahon and the the World Wrestling Federation started running the show.
But more than that, these guys have a non-typical job, and I enjoyed hearing what makes a guy who goes out and gets beaten up for a living tick.
As far as pro-wrestling autobiographies go, I rank Flair's right up there with Jerry Lawler's, and just below Mick Foley's. Foley may not have been the strongest in-ring performer, but he's got the benefit of telling his own story, and lending his own brand of humor to his storytelling. Plus, as wrestling personalities go, I think Mick is the one I'd jibe with most.
Flair's story begins in Minnesota. He was a wildman to begin with, and Flair would prove himself to be a wild man in a profession filled with wildmen.
It's a good read, especially in looking at how the old National Wrestling Alliance worked to lord over the wrestling territories, and how Flair, as champion, worked in the capacity as NWA champion for years.
On the whole, I enjoyed the read. A did note a little sadly that Flair, at times, comes off as a guy who didn't know how to shit or get off the pot. And I was sorry to hear the couple of times he decided just to snipe at people, usually to even the score. Shane Douglas gets the best brush off, though. (I'm very sleepy in writing this, so it probably doesn't make a lot of sense.)
Books 63-67
I've not updated my readlist, like I said I would. I'm a dirty, dirty liar. What I've been reading lately:
Book #63
Summerland by Michael Chabon. (I enjoyed it, but felt like Chabon was writing down to an audience a little bit, rather than write the story for all ages that he wanted to write.)
Book #64
Tales to Astonish by Ronin Ro. (A biography of comics legend Jack Kirby. Ultimately, I lost a lot of interest, so my thoughts probably aren't worth a lot on this one. After a point, I ended up only lightly reading this one. I dunno, my impressions of Kirby have been a little less rebellious and rockstarry than Ronin Ro seems to want to paint the man. Maybe that's what biography's about, changing impressions. But this one didn't work well for me.)
Book #65
Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams. (Funny. I wish I could do something that's as broad in scope as the whole Hitchhiker's Guide, and as consistently as funny.)
Book #66
Inside the Animal Mind by George Page. (An examination of possible cognitive abilities of the other animals. I'm still reading this one, and it's interesting. Page has mentioned a couple of other books that I want to pick up and read, too. I don't know enough yet on the subject to comment well on what Page has done, but I'd like to learn more. I'll post more when I've finished this one).
Book #67
A Death in the Family by James Agee. (Just started this one, after picking it up at a used book store a while back. So far, so good.)
I've not updated my readlist, like I said I would. I'm a dirty, dirty liar. What I've been reading lately:
Book #63
Summerland by Michael Chabon. (I enjoyed it, but felt like Chabon was writing down to an audience a little bit, rather than write the story for all ages that he wanted to write.)
Book #64
Tales to Astonish by Ronin Ro. (A biography of comics legend Jack Kirby. Ultimately, I lost a lot of interest, so my thoughts probably aren't worth a lot on this one. After a point, I ended up only lightly reading this one. I dunno, my impressions of Kirby have been a little less rebellious and rockstarry than Ronin Ro seems to want to paint the man. Maybe that's what biography's about, changing impressions. But this one didn't work well for me.)
Book #65
Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams. (Funny. I wish I could do something that's as broad in scope as the whole Hitchhiker's Guide, and as consistently as funny.)
Book #66
Inside the Animal Mind by George Page. (An examination of possible cognitive abilities of the other animals. I'm still reading this one, and it's interesting. Page has mentioned a couple of other books that I want to pick up and read, too. I don't know enough yet on the subject to comment well on what Page has done, but I'd like to learn more. I'll post more when I've finished this one).
Book #67
A Death in the Family by James Agee. (Just started this one, after picking it up at a used book store a while back. So far, so good.)
Books 58-62
I haven't been updating regularly. Forgive me.
Book 62
Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer.
It's a look at Christopher McCandless, who gave up everything he owned to live the vagabond's life, in search of a Great Adventure. McCandless wandered into the Alaskan wilderness, and lost his life. Krakauer talks with those who knew Chris, especially in his last days. Krakauer lets the people of the story tell it as much as they are able. Krakauer has a role in the story, largely to explain his motivations in retracing Chris's journey. It's necessary, and it doesn't glare in its shifting the tone of the narrative. But it does break up the tone of the book, a little. I'm nitpicking, however. I read this in a couple of sittings. Krakauer has a style that lends itself to a quick but extremely engaging read.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
I just about got bludgeoned to death with the number of places and people wanting me to read this one. NPR, the Today Show (which made the book its Book Club selection), plus a couple of people I used to work with really liked this one. It's an interesting novel. Told in the first person by autistic Christopher Boone, it's a recounting of his attempt at detective work, following the death of a neighbor's dog. Christopher, obsessed with order and facts, tells his story in the only way he can.
Everything happens along a linear model. Simply, this happens, and this happens, and then another thing happens. Which is generally poor storytelling, but it's the only way Chris can understand and explain the world. He says himself that he views life along a single line. He can rewind his memory, he says and has a startlingly good memory, but in the course of his investigation, this is the best way for him to tell his story.
The style's interesting. I'll warn that at a couple of points, I put the book down because with Chris narrating, it gets a little monotonous. There were a couple of times I found myself getting thrown out of balance by the lack of passion in the telling of events. It works within the frame of the story, but a couple of times, I had to make myself stop, and go back and re-read something just to make sure I'd picked up on another character's nuance. Chris doesn't pick up on them, so you're often left to fill in the blanks that he didn't get. It's a neat device. I just got irked at having to stop my own freight train for a second.
Book 60
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
A creepy story for kids in the mold of Wizard of Oz and the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. With a nice little bit of Edmund Gorey thrown in for good measure. Coraline's a precocious girl who, in exploring her new flat, finds a secret door which leads to a world that is a twisted mirror image of her own.
The inhabitant(s) of that other world have taken someone very dear to Coraline. This book is her trying to get it back. It's written right around the same level as the Wizard of Oz. So it's for younger readers. But I enjoyed the flow of the book, and found the imagery sufficiently creepy.
Book 59
Savage Season by Joe Lansdale
The first of the Hap Collins and Leonard Pine novels. Very pulpy. Smartass buddies getting into trouble. I like Lansdale. He writes books for guys. Pulpy, like I said. Lots of action, lots of buddy comedy. With an odd bit of East Texas philosophy thrown in for good measure. Dark Tower VI:
Book 58
Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah by Stephen King
A really quick read. One of the interesting points of the book itself was the lack of substantial fore- or afterword. Mr. King likes to talk about what he's done in his books. But I think with this sixth book, he's interested in tightening the screws a bit, and just pushing you down the chute as we move toward the last book in the Dark Tower series, in the fall. In the last book (which we had to wait something like 8 years for), things got a little metaphysical, as Father Callahan recoils in horror to find that his story is told in a book he finds, Stephen King's Salem's Lot.
The sixth book dives deeper into that meta-type story, as King his own self becomes something of a character. I read these parts at first with a skeptical eye, but I liked how things worked out in the end.
Going back briefly to the wait between books. We had to wait seven or eight years between the fourth and fifth books, and then six months or so between the fifth and sixth. And then the last book in the series will appear in September. I appreciate Stephen wanting to finish the story at last, and maybe this is his way of recompense for the long waits up to this point between books. Not complaining, but it's an adjustment from 7 years to 3 months.
I haven't been updating regularly. Forgive me.
Book 62
Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer.
It's a look at Christopher McCandless, who gave up everything he owned to live the vagabond's life, in search of a Great Adventure. McCandless wandered into the Alaskan wilderness, and lost his life. Krakauer talks with those who knew Chris, especially in his last days. Krakauer lets the people of the story tell it as much as they are able. Krakauer has a role in the story, largely to explain his motivations in retracing Chris's journey. It's necessary, and it doesn't glare in its shifting the tone of the narrative. But it does break up the tone of the book, a little. I'm nitpicking, however. I read this in a couple of sittings. Krakauer has a style that lends itself to a quick but extremely engaging read.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
I just about got bludgeoned to death with the number of places and people wanting me to read this one. NPR, the Today Show (which made the book its Book Club selection), plus a couple of people I used to work with really liked this one. It's an interesting novel. Told in the first person by autistic Christopher Boone, it's a recounting of his attempt at detective work, following the death of a neighbor's dog. Christopher, obsessed with order and facts, tells his story in the only way he can.
Everything happens along a linear model. Simply, this happens, and this happens, and then another thing happens. Which is generally poor storytelling, but it's the only way Chris can understand and explain the world. He says himself that he views life along a single line. He can rewind his memory, he says and has a startlingly good memory, but in the course of his investigation, this is the best way for him to tell his story.
The style's interesting. I'll warn that at a couple of points, I put the book down because with Chris narrating, it gets a little monotonous. There were a couple of times I found myself getting thrown out of balance by the lack of passion in the telling of events. It works within the frame of the story, but a couple of times, I had to make myself stop, and go back and re-read something just to make sure I'd picked up on another character's nuance. Chris doesn't pick up on them, so you're often left to fill in the blanks that he didn't get. It's a neat device. I just got irked at having to stop my own freight train for a second.
Book 60
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
A creepy story for kids in the mold of Wizard of Oz and the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. With a nice little bit of Edmund Gorey thrown in for good measure. Coraline's a precocious girl who, in exploring her new flat, finds a secret door which leads to a world that is a twisted mirror image of her own.
The inhabitant(s) of that other world have taken someone very dear to Coraline. This book is her trying to get it back. It's written right around the same level as the Wizard of Oz. So it's for younger readers. But I enjoyed the flow of the book, and found the imagery sufficiently creepy.
Book 59
Savage Season by Joe Lansdale
The first of the Hap Collins and Leonard Pine novels. Very pulpy. Smartass buddies getting into trouble. I like Lansdale. He writes books for guys. Pulpy, like I said. Lots of action, lots of buddy comedy. With an odd bit of East Texas philosophy thrown in for good measure. Dark Tower VI:
Book 58
Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah by Stephen King
A really quick read. One of the interesting points of the book itself was the lack of substantial fore- or afterword. Mr. King likes to talk about what he's done in his books. But I think with this sixth book, he's interested in tightening the screws a bit, and just pushing you down the chute as we move toward the last book in the Dark Tower series, in the fall. In the last book (which we had to wait something like 8 years for), things got a little metaphysical, as Father Callahan recoils in horror to find that his story is told in a book he finds, Stephen King's Salem's Lot.
The sixth book dives deeper into that meta-type story, as King his own self becomes something of a character. I read these parts at first with a skeptical eye, but I liked how things worked out in the end.
Going back briefly to the wait between books. We had to wait seven or eight years between the fourth and fifth books, and then six months or so between the fifth and sixth. And then the last book in the series will appear in September. I appreciate Stephen wanting to finish the story at last, and maybe this is his way of recompense for the long waits up to this point between books. Not complaining, but it's an adjustment from 7 years to 3 months.
