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If you are on the fence about this book I suggest finding some of his magazine articles then if you like those get the book. Its not the most profound thing I ever read but it is fairly entertaining.
I read his articles when he used to write for Esquire and they were pretty good. This is the first book of Klosterman I have read.
This book is a quick and easy read. This book is basically a about Chuck's road trip visiting different places all over the country where famous and not so famous muscians died.
During the course of his trip he writes about his romantic issues, drugs life philosophy and pop culture. Chuck has an interesting view of pop culture.
I look forward to reading Chuck's other books.
Just not a very good book. It's supposed to be a lot about dead rock stars and what it all means to our hero-worshipping culture - especially when they're gone - but mostly it's a couple hundred pages of Chuck's drive across the country, some memories of old girlfriends, a weird meeting with one ex and a couple of dinners at places like Cracker Barrell. There's little about the dead rockers themselves, and this kind of "Chuck on Chuck" navel-gazing turned into a cliche for Chuck about, oh, six or seven years ago but he just can't give it up or come up with much new material.
Unlike a typical coming of age story, he is not a boy on his way to adulthood. Somewhere along the way I realized he was really discussing that period in all our lives when we realize we really are adults and that its time to put our 20's behind us.
He is a pretentious hipster, a stoner and a self-conscious kid playing at being a grown up. To a degree, he reminded me of me at his age.
Chuck Klosterman is only 6-years younger than me. (well, that and quite a bit of stoned stream of consciousness for our entertainment) By the end of the book, the tour itself was really only mentioned in passing while the relationships and stream of consciousness is now the main point.At first I didn't get his point.
He's also very funny and kept me entertained with this book.The book's premise is Klosterman touring the US visiting the sites where various and sundry rock stars died. That is the basic structure, but the book is really about Klosterman and his relationships with current and ex girlfriends.
He used His Nemesis, his girlfriends and his old friends as illustrations of that period in our lives when everyone we know is broke and still trying to figure out what to do with life. Instead he is an adult learning that it's time to be a grown-up.This is a highly entertaining book and well worth the read - even if one doesn't agree with his opinions on the top 3 bands of all time.
Chuck needs to let go and grow a pair.If you're looking for a good rock 'n roll experience, go elsewhere. Chuck Klosterman has the kind of literary journalism style that is usualy only found on self-indulgant blogs or pop-culture magazines that people forget about once they reach drinking age. If you're looking for another reason to hate rock journalism, check this book out. While his writing style will keep the reader interested, it seems he doesn't have the ability to write about anything without writing about himself first.Reading the back cover, one would think that this book was about death, drugs, and rock n roll, however Chuck only mentions those things in between rambling about all the women he's loved before and why he can't let go of any of them. Future ex-girlfriends: beware. If you happen to run into Chuck Klosterman on the street, punch him in the face for me. I'm sure he'll write about it.
I'm an audio production major, minoring in business, I'm not an extremely avid reader, but I LOVED this book. If you love music, and American culture as a whole, you will be entertained.Enjoy.
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