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oh no. (Reply to this comment)
by jennfrank
waaaaaaaaaait a minute. i have that old mcsweeney's copy, with the cover made out of spongy cardboard. how different is my edition?
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Mar 01 '04
8:23 pm PST
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Re: Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Dis-
I realize she's not exactly Asian, but any Harbor in a storm, right?
Have I given you the impression that I'm not terribly picky? Recent events have proven otherwise, no? Not just anybody gets past my exhaustive screening process.
First it's "go get wrecked for me," then it's "I can't believe you had sex with the host on the coffee table, and split the cash with him afterward."
And then it's "Are you holding out on me? Bitch, where's my money?" I know the drill, cause, after all, I'm a motherf______g P.I.M.P.
That's five minutes of baffled squinting and head-scratching I'll never get back. Thanks a lot.
Tee-hee! You're so welcome, slowpoke.
-mike
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Sep 02 '03
1:30 pm PDT
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Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by disinclined
Mike,
I've gotta say: I'm starting to freak myself out.
Yeah, well, it's aboot time.
If only there was a Hott Asian Beauty around here that could distract me from my incest-ridden man-crushes. But alas…
Why, did you and Senorita Bello break up or something? I realize she's not exactly Asian, but any Harbor in a storm, right?
Go get wrecked for me, will ya?
Oh, sure. First it's "go get wrecked for me," then it's "I can't believe you had sex with the host on the coffee table, and split the cash with him afterward." Make up your mind already, will ya?
Armageddon hott over here.
This joke is so lame that I had to read it about four times before I even got it. That's five minutes of baffled squinting and head-scratching I'll never get back. Thanks a lot.
dis
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Sep 01 '03
9:23 pm PDT
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Re: Re: Re: Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Dis-
So you have a crush on Johnny Depp and Jude Law because you think you look like their love child? Man, you freak me out.
I've gotta say: I'm starting to freak myself out. If only there was a Hott Asian Beauty around here that could distract me from my incest-ridden man-crushes. But alas…
(It's really only because I'm at somebody's house, and I'm too drunk to think of a clever comeback. *hic*)
You've taken time out from drunken party-monstering just to reply to my comments? That's sweet. And a bit silly. Go get wrecked for me, will ya?
And damn sexy, too. You can toss a Pearl in my Harbor anytime.
Armageddon hott over here. Can't wait until I get to Chase your Amy the next time.
-mike
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Sep 01 '03
9:04 am PDT
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Re: Re: Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by disinclined
Mike,
I wouldn't call it typically Canadian. I was going for this:
Oh, I get it. That's very funny. If you add a "U," I bet it would be even funnier.
Oh, the guilt! I feel like I had a small part to play in Jude Law's death. Just please don't do any harm to Johnny Depp.
You did. If it hadn't been for your slutty behavior, I wouldn't have had to whack Mr. Law. Lucky for you, Johnny and I have a thing of our own going on, so he's safe from my murderous wrath. Unless you start talking lustfully about his silky-smooth chest.
Is it just me, or does Eggers look a bit like the love child of Marky Mark and Don King? Mfunk, of course, looks like the love child of Jude Law and Johnny Depp. May they RIP.
So you have a crush on Johnny Depp and Jude Law because you think you look like their love child? Man, you freak me out.
This delay should give you enough time to buy some earplugs, before you inflict my dubious musical taste on your ears.
Hey, you said it, not me. Look - I'm actually passing up a chance to mock your musical tastes! Will wonders never cease? (It's really only because I'm at somebody's house, and I'm too drunk to think of a clever comeback. *hic*)
I'm Ben Affleuck, of course.
And damn sexy, too. You can toss a Pearl in my Harbor anytime.
dis
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Aug 31 '03
8:57 pm PDT
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Re: Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Dis-
Is this another example of the famous Canadian "humour"?
I wouldn't call it typically Canadian. I was going for this:
O.D.B. (http://www.chez.com/frakim/Ol_Dirty_Bastard_-_The_Trials_And_Tribulations_Of_Russell_Jones-front.jpg) wears Eau de Bee. Lame, I know. But gold lame.
That's it - I'm going to assassinate Jude Law. I can't handle the competition anymore!
Oh, the guilt! I feel like I had a small part to play in Jude Law's death. Just please don't do any harm to Johnny Depp.
Well, he's haggard and wild-haired, and you're hott and stubbly.
Is it just me, or does Eggers look a bit like the love child of Marky Mark and Don King? Mfunk, of course, looks like the love child of Jude Law and Johnny Depp. May they RIP.
there's no guarantee that it'll ever arrive; I'm still waiting for my CD & letter.
Tuesday, I promise. Check your mailbox bright and early. This delay should give you enough time to buy some earplugs, before you inflict my dubious musical taste on your ears.
I used to know a Canuck, once... foxy as hell, but he couldn't spell for beans. Who did you say you were again?
I'm Ben Affleuck, of course.
-ben affleuck
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Aug 31 '03
6:50 am PDT
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Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by disinclined
Toph,
I have one more suggestion, for the hip-hop/Wu Tang crowd: Eau de Bee. (Get it?)
No. Is this another example of the famous Canadian "humour"?
Nope. I would never cheat on Jude Law.
Oh, you're killing me here. That's it - I'm going to assassinate Jude Law. I can't handle the competition anymore!
I don't see it.
Well, he's haggard and wild-haired, and you're hott and stubbly. Otherwise, you could be twins. Maybe you are twins.
In YSKOV! you pretty much always knew what was coming next: more of the same.
And there's only so much same I can handle.
I think I will do just that. But, rest-assured, it's been cleaned and disinfected. From the man-musk.
A little man-musk would spice things up nicely - I just don't want it dripping off the pages. But there's no guarantee that it'll ever arrive; I'm still waiting for my CD & letter.
Now I know just what to get you for your birthday:
Yeah, get that. That's my dream gift, right there.
don't we recycle jokes, comment after comment, in the apparent hope that the other is too senile to realize they're reading the same damn joke again and again?
Eh? Who's that? I used to know a Canuck, once... foxy as hell, but he couldn't spell for beans. Who did you say you were again?
dis
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Aug 30 '03
7:19 pm PDT
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Re: Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Dis-
I was thinking more of marketing a line of beauty products, heavily scented with Eau de Snark.
Look at that. We haven't even opened up the perfumery yet, and already we have two products for sale: Eau de Snark and the ever-popular Eau de Eh. I have one more suggestion, for the hip-hop/Wu Tang crowd: Eau de Bee. (Get it?)
Are you sure you don't have a man-crush on Eggers?
Nope. I would never cheat on Jude Law.
Is this because you guys kind of look alike?
Do we? Let's compare and contrast:
http://www.portlandmercury.com/2002-10-02/book_revue-1.jpg
http://www3.sympatico.ca/michaelstone/images/hey_whos_that_over_there.jpg
I don't see it.
I suppose Eggers is defying the artificiality of a tightly constructed plot (and it could be argued that, when telling a story like this, an aimless, meandering plot is the only possible option), but it's still unpleasant to read at times.
I wouldn't call it unpleasant reading. But there's something to be said for a propulsive narrative, when it comes to bringing the reader back to the book in anticipation of what is to happen next. In YSKOV! you pretty much always knew what was coming next: more of the same.
Maybe you should. Then again, I'm not sure I want to touch it, if it's got man-musk oiling up the pages.
I think I will do just that. But, rest-assured, it's been cleaned and disinfected. From the man-musk. I can't say the same for some of the awful stories contained within (be sure to steer clear of Stephen King's torturous entry).
Everything about "Family Circus" makes me incoherent with rage.
Now I know just what to get you for your birthday:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0449148149/ref=pd_sim_books_1/102-7897110-6705756?v=glance&s=books
(And, by the way, don't we recycle jokes, comment after comment, in the apparent hope that the other is too senile to realize they're reading the same damn joke again and again?)
-ben affleck
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Aug 30 '03
9:59 am PDT
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Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by disinclined
Marmamike,
If we teamed up, we could open our own pub, serving only the juices of the cynics.
I was thinking more of marketing a line of beauty products, heavily scented with Eau de Snark. One whiff of that stuff, and the men would come a-runnin'.
How about "enthrall" or "fascinate"? Or, as Eggers himself might put it, "stagger" or "break hearts"?
Are you sure you don't have a man-crush on Eggers? Is this because you guys kind of look alike? Because I gotta tell ya, if so, that's not only narcissistic, but kind of creepy, too.
Now if only Eggers had though about connecting the dots, so the narrative, oh I don't know, moved forward instead of just wandering around aimlessly.
Well, right. Stuff happened, but it lacked the narrative drive that made it all feel like it was happening for a reason. I suppose Eggers is defying the artificiality of a tightly constructed plot (and it could be argued that, when telling a story like this, an aimless, meandering plot is the only possible option), but it's still unpleasant to read at times.
Maybe I should just send you my copy
Maybe you should. Then again, I'm not sure I want to touch it, if it's got man-musk oiling up the pages.
But don't you just love it when Jeffy's Grandpa is watching down on him from heaven? Or when Billy traces a dotted line through the neighbourhood, just to find his lucky ball cap?
No. NO. NO! Everything about "Family Circus" makes me incoherent with rage. And there are only like five jokes, total, which Bil Keane keeps recycling, decade after decade, in the apparent hope that his readership is too senile to realize they're reading the same damn cartoon again and again. Arrghh. Down with stupid cartoons about lovable tykes!
the born disser
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Aug 22 '03
10:51 am PDT
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Re: Re: Re: Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Dis-
Hey, you've got man-musk on tap, I've got snark.
If we teamed up, we could open our own pub, serving only the juices of the cynics.
Maybe "frustrate," or "bore"?
How about "enthrall" or "fascinate"? Or, as Eggers himself might put it, "stagger" or "break hearts"?
As fascinating as character studies are, I also like things to happen in stories.
A mess of stuff happened here, though. They almost got killed a couple of times. They met some truly fascinating people. And they spent an inordinate amount of time in airports. All the marks of a propulsive narrative. Now if only Eggers had though about connecting the dots, so the narrative, oh I don't know, moved forward instead of just wandering around aimlessly.
Well, I wouldn't know aboot that, since the universe seems determined to keep me far away from Thrilling Tales. Did I tell you I tried to find it at B&N and couldn't? It's true.
That story is itself a "thrilling tale". Maybe I should just send you my copy, so I can finally stop harping on this one story that, now that I think about it, doesn't necessarily deserve all the harping I've been doing. It deserves a harp or three, true. But I've been doing so much harping lately that they're liable to draft me into the Marx Brothers.
Words cannot express how much I hate "Family Circus." So very, very much. More than I hate "Beetle Bailey," or even "Andy Capp." It makes me tingly with rage just thinking about it.
Tingly is good. Tingly with rage, not so much. But don't you just love it when Jeffy's Grandpa is watching down on him from heaven? Or when Billy traces a dotted line through the neighbourhood, just to find his lucky ball cap? Or when Dottie, uh, does whatever Dottie does? Oh the laughter! My sides are hurting just thinking about it!
-the family mikus
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Aug 22 '03
6:36 am PDT
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Re: Re: Re: ... (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Nater-
Oh, I know; I don't actually *read* him.
Good. Crisis averted.
And I read his Answer Man column because 1) it's fun to see how stupid people can be, and 2) to remind myself what a self-aggrandizing idiot Ebert usually is.
Excellent. Misanthropy and Miseberthropy, in equal supplies. You have earned your orange hat, oh wise one.
-mike
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Aug 22 '03
6:26 am PDT
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Re: Re: Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by disinclined
Not Mike,
You'd explode from all the unvented snark. So, you're welcome for that.
Hey, you've got man-musk on tap, I've got snark. We've all got our personal specialties.
He didn't lose me. Well, he didn't lose me any more than other, non-Staggering Genius authors, lose me.
Okay, maybe "lose" is not the word I want. Maybe "frustrate," or "bore"?
Plot? Was there a plot here that I somehow missed? You lie.
Yes, well, that's the problem, you see. As fascinating as character studies are, I also like things to happen in stories.
…Or in already-published short stories.
Well, I wouldn't know aboot that, since the universe seems determined to keep me far away from Thrilling Tales. Did I tell you I tried to find it at B&N and couldn't? It's true.
Oh, Jeffy, will you ever learn?
Words cannot express how much I hate "Family Circus." So very, very much. More than I hate "Beetle Bailey," or even "Andy Capp." It makes me tingly with rage just thinking about it.
dis
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Aug 21 '03
10:48 pm PDT
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Re: Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Dis-
Besides, what would I do if I abandoned my Canuck-baiting?
You'd explode from all the unvented snark. So, you're welcome for that.
No, I don't think he composes his novels with Magnetic Poetry while blindfolded or anything.
That's a job for William S. Burroughs.
I just think he gets carried away at times by his own sheer brilliance, and loses his audience.
He didn't lose me. Well, he didn't lose me any more than other, non-Staggering Genius authors, lose me.
He works so hard at developing intimate character studies that the plot suffers neglect by comparison.
Plot? Was there a plot here that I somehow missed? You lie.
But I believe he'll find a way to even it out with future books.
…Or in already-published short stories.
But then I noticed that half of the six-pack of Red Hook I just bought is missing, and there's a bunch of long-distance calls on the phone bill that I didn't make, and my ass claims it had nothing to do with that, either.
I think your ass has been reading too much Family Circus:
http://206.138.137.5/dailytoon/images/Fami0814.jpg
Oh, Jeffy, will you ever learn?
-mike
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Aug 21 '03
9:52 am PDT
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Re: ... (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Nate Dogg-
I was just reading Roger Ebert's "Answer Man" column…
Okay, first of all, now that you are a TR in Movies, you must swear off Roger Ebert. Cold Turkey. If you can't, there a number of effective 12-step programs that can help. Otherwise, that man's words will poison your mind. Be forewarned.
We sell hooks, striped socks, treasure chests in all sizes, lard…
I just sauntered over to the store's website, hoping to find out why a pirate would need lard (Anyone know? I found no answers, except for, "It seems that flavored lard balls are often served as a delicious Ukrainian dessert", but that can't be the extent of its uses). I did discover a picture of Sinbad on one of the pages (the actor/comedian, not the sailor… nyuk!), and a list of Frequently Asked Questions. Which, in the spirit of helpfulness, contained no answers.
though we don't sell cannonballs anymore. Our supplier was good, but they kill you on the shipping.
That joke is redundant without a rimshot. "Barump-bump!"
I thought it was funny.
The Eggers bit was. The Ebert reply made want to gouge out my eyeballs with an ice cream scoop. ;)
-mike
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Aug 21 '03
9:40 am PDT
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Re: I remember when (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Marsha-
(I'll have to check and see if you've reviewed [AHWOSG], now that I think about it.)
I have, but not here. Check out this obscenely long link, if you're still interested:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/books/0375725784/customer-reviews/20/ref=cm_rev_prev/102-5537433-9606524?show=+submittime
It's on that page somewhere.
I'm not sure this is a book I'd like, but your review was beautifully written - even poetic at times - and quite intriguing.
Why thank you, fair maiden. If it helps, I generally write to the level of the book I'm reviewing (when I, intermittently, review books). So any credit for my poetry (!) must be shared with Eggers himself.
Thank you, Mr. Handsome Man
*blush*
-mike
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Aug 21 '03
9:27 am PDT
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Re: Re: Re: ------ (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Jack-
Substitute the word "literature" for "film", and "words" for "images", then you'd definitely be indifferent to Larry Clark's "Bully".
Well, on film it's a different story. Though I haven't seen Bully yet, I sure loved Clark's Kids (which, if memory serves, you didn't).
-mike
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Aug 21 '03
9:23 am PDT
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Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by disinclined
Mike,
Somebody Might Observe Our Clashes and Hear Everything Seriously. You wouldn't want that, would you?
Oh, it's all in good fun (mine, that is). Besides, what would I do if I abandoned my Canuck-baiting? I'd have to take up building model airplanes, or actually getting something constructive done with my time.
So you think he might just be tossing a bunch of words at the page, and hoping that they get blended together in such a way that it creates something new, fresh, and seemingly manipulative?
Oh, the mockery continues. No, I don't think he composes his novels with Magnetic Poetry while blindfolded or anything. I just think he gets carried away at times by his own sheer brilliance, and loses his audience. He works so hard at developing intimate character studies that the plot suffers neglect by comparison. But I believe he'll find a way to even it out with future books.
Possibly the best news I've heard all day. Dis' ears are saved by the kleptomaniac, rent-welshing a-ss!
I talked to my ass, and it swears it hasn't seen my CD. But then I noticed that half of the six-pack of Red Hook I just bought is missing, and there's a bunch of long-distance calls on the phone bill that I didn't make, and my ass claims it had nothing to do with that, either. A word to the wise: never room with your own ass.
dis
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Aug 21 '03
8:21 am PDT
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Re: ... (Reply to this comment)
by disinclined
N8,
But you know Dave Eggers isn't kidding, right? He actually does own a weird little store in San Francisco that sells pirate gear and other strange things. I read an article in BOOK magazine about it. That Eggers, he's a weird guy.
dis
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Aug 21 '03
8:15 am PDT
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I remember when (Reply to this comment)
by katmar
a "Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius" came out, and I laughed out loud at the arrogance of the title, and yet I loved it, too. When I read what it was about, I stored it way in the back of my mind as a book to pick up somewhere, sometime. (I'll have to check and see if you've reviewed it, now that I think about it.) I never did so. (Surprise, surprise!)
But I wondered then if he'd write anything else, and here it is.
I'm not sure this is a book I'd like, but your review was beautifully written - even poetic at times - and quite intriguing.
Thank you, Mr. Handsome Man... :)
Marsha
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Aug 20 '03
10:26 am PDT
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Re: Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
DisV.O.L.V.E.-
Somebody save me from the ambitious acronyms of pretentious Canucks.
If you keep teasing me like that… Somebody Might Observe Our Clashes and Hear Everything Seriously. You wouldn't want that, would you?
You're making fun of me.
Not this time. Usually, but I took a break to engage in some healthy po-mo lit-crit.
I just wish I could always trust that Eggers knew exactly what he was doing, and was manipulating the reader consciously for effect. Sometimes I think he just spreads his wings and sails away on the warm breezes of self-love.
So you think he might just be tossing a bunch of words at the page, and hoping that they get blended together in such a way that it creates something new, fresh, and seemingly manipulative? See, I didn't get that. I trust that he's in full control of his powers. I've read enough of him by now to be sure of that.
Mostly because I lost "Kid A" several months ago, and have never been able to locate it.
Possibly the best news I've heard all day. Dis' ears are saved by the kleptomaniac, rent-welshing ass!
-mike
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Aug 20 '03
7:13 am PDT
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Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by disinclined
Mike,
How about "Dave Eggers Verges On Literature Very Excellently" for those looking for an ironic statement on his contributions to the medium.
Oh dear. Somebody save me from the ambitious acronyms of pretentious Canucks. Although "verging on literature" says it rather aptly, I think.
Ah, so metaphorical "um"ing and "ah"ing. I get it.
You're making fun of me. Hey, at least I don't cook up cutesy po-mo acronyms...
True, when Will gets stuck, having some 10-page long hypothetical discussion with Jack, or his Mom, or some random woman he met in a bar, it can frustrating. But, then again, Will is frustrated. So isn't passing that feeling on to the reader a feat in itself?
I guess it's an accomplishment of sorts. I just wish I could always trust that Eggers knew exactly what he was doing, and was manipulating the reader consciously for effect. Sometimes I think he just spreads his wings and sails away on the warm breezes of self-love.
The lesbian a-ss has its own Siren's Song. You probably can't hear it anymore, but I sure could. I think, when I heard it the first time, it was humming something by Radiohead.
That is indeed very strange. Mostly because I lost "Kid A" several months ago, and have never been able to locate it. I wonder if my ass purloined it? Man, that thing is worse than a roommate! And it doesn't even pay rent.
dis
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Aug 19 '03
11:31 am PDT
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Re: ------ (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Jack-
If you're going to start going the printed-work route now, you f-ucking bookwork, can you at least make the next review of Penthouse magazine?
Nope. I prefer my literature to have a greater than 1:1 ratio of words to crotch shots.
-mike
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Aug 19 '03
9:17 am PDT
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Re: high velocity in all directions at once (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Voxy-
I feel that in theory I should read and enjoy Mr. Eggers, but i became entangled in a sixteen-comma chainwreck in a David Foster Wallace novel a couple months back and have become unable to wander the land of Mad Genius since.
Eggers doesn't come near to the textual pyrotechnics practiced by DFW. Now there's a "mad genius" for you. I think I realized he was just a bunch of hot air when, while struggling through Brief Interviews With Hideous Men, I discovered that one piece was just a series of footnotes embedded within footnotes embedded within footnotes, ad nauseum, until you start bleeding from the eyes. Eggers, to his credit, never writes a sentence that will last an entire chapter. DFW does just because he can.
Eggers goes down easy, like warm milk. DFW is a mile-long row of tequila shots by comparison.
-mike
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Aug 19 '03
9:15 am PDT
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Re: Re: Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Dis-
Right now, I think it's … Love to Occasionally Hate, While Finding It No Less Interesting For Its Infuriating Coyness. But that doesn't make a cute acronym.
LTOHWFINLIFIIC turns out to be a wonderful acronym. Totally lacking in meaning, but wonderful and cute nonetheless. How about "Dave Eggers Verges On Literature Very Excellently" for those looking for an ironic statement on his contributions to the medium.
not literally stammering or hemming and hawing, but the backtracking and fact-checking.
Ah, so metaphorical "um"ing and "ah"ing. I get it.
It's just dizzying, at times, to be that deep inside someone's head.
True, when Will gets stuck, having some 10-page long hypothetical discussion with Jack, or his Mom, or some random woman he met in a bar, it can frustrating. But, then again, Will is frustrated. So isn't passing that feeling on to the reader a feat in itself?
He wasn't asking if he could help me, he was just drifting purposefully, immediately in back of me. I wonder if he was trying to get a glimpse of the lesbian ass?
The lesbian ass has its own Siren's Song. You probably can't hear it anymore, but I sure could. I think, when I heard it the first time, it was humming something by Radiohead. Which is weird, because Radiohead doesn't actually write tunes anymore. Anyway, it made me want to be a Nissan, I'll tell you that much.
Certainly, he's a very talented writer; I reserve judgment on the issue of genius until I've seen more from him.
Fair enough: You Shall Reserve Judgment!
-mike
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Aug 19 '03
9:10 am PDT
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Re: So....... (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Sue-
I guess you had a little time to do some reading while being deprived of the conveniences of modern man?
I had the time. But not always the light.
a 50 page addition that changes everything both before and after is really quite intriguing. Any idea why that was done?
Because Eggers is doing his best to not only screw with genres, but with the medium itself. Normally, once the text is published, it becomes The Text (I hope that distinction is obvious). But Eggers is a product of the information age, where multiple meaning often bump into each other, where The Truth (there's that pregnant capitalization again) is fluid, and where hypertext is often King. So he's written a book that can be interpreted differently depending on which version you've read, that subverts its own Truth, and refers back on itself multiple times. His aesthetic can be a frustrating one to grasp (thus, the backlash), but I find his writing strong enough to overcome such gimmickry.
-mike (wearing his English Major hat, for once)
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Aug 19 '03
8:59 am PDT
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high velocity in all directions at once (Reply to this comment)
by voxpoptart
This was, of course, a typically excellent review deserving my typical enfeebled attempts at wiseass Commentary. Luckily, the Comments section is doing just fine in my absence. I feel that in theory I should read and enjoy Mr. Eggers, but i became entangled in a sixteen-comma chainwreck in a David Foster Wallace novel a couple months back and have become unable to wander the land of Mad Genius since.
Luckily you mere Stark Raver sorts remain within my wanders (even when i'm sitting peacefully at home), or all would be lost.
this message will repeat itself, this message will repeat itself,
- Brian
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Aug 19 '03
5:04 am PDT
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Re: Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by disinclined
Mike,
His style is certainly the Style You Love to Hate. Or Hate to Love. Or something.
Right now, I think it's Hate to Admit Loving, or maybe Love to Occasionally Hate, While Finding It No Less Interesting For Its Infuriating Coyness. But that doesn't make a cute acronym.
Well, Will doesn't do much "um"ing and "ah"ing, right? But he does flitter about from thought to thought a lot. And, you're right, at times he does go on past the point of intimacy, to where we get too much of a glimpse inside his tortured thought processes. But I kind of liked those parts.
Yeah - not literally stammering or hemming and hawing, but the backtracking and fact-checking. It's just dizzying, at times, to be that deep inside someone's head. But I know Eggers knows what he's doing; uncomfortable closeness and artificially-jumped social barriers are what the book's all about.
In the updated bits, we do get a bit of the YSKOV! backstory, i.e., how Will conceived of the trip and Hand's interpretation as to what he (they) wanted to get out of it.
I tried to start reading it yesterday at Barnes & Noble, but this employee kept hovering right behind me. He wasn't asking if he could help me, he was just drifting purposefully, immediately in back of me. I wonder if he was trying to get a glimpse of the lesbian ass? (It was reading A Series of Unfortunate Events)
How about if I just call him a "mad genius"? Does that suit him better?
I think that's what he'd like people to think. But you can't always invent yourself to your precise specifications. Certainly, he's a very talented writer; I reserve judgment on the issue of genius until I've seen more from him.
dis
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Aug 18 '03
11:30 am PDT
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So....... (Reply to this comment)
by millinocket,  in Books
I guess you had a little time to do some reading while being deprived of the conveniences of modern man? I have absolutely nothing of value to add here, except that a 50 page addition that changes everything both before and after is really quite intriguing. Any idea why that was done?
Sue
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Aug 18 '03
10:02 am PDT
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Re: Damn! (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
Jer-
Will have to read it all again, of course, though I intend to wait a while so I can approach the thing somewhat fresh.
There's just this one, 50-page bit about 2/3 of the way through, that amounts to most of the new additions (at least the new additions I could discern). I almost think that you'd be better off diving in before the memory of the book fades too much.
Always nice to see someone standing up for Eggers, who seems to be at that backlash-following-a-great-early-success stage in his career.
See, I'm not plugged in to the literary community enough to know, or feel the sting of, that backlash. I do know that I like Eggers, even if he is quite maddening at times.
-mike
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Aug 18 '03
9:39 am PDT
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Re: A Heartbreaking Will of Staggering Genius (Reply to this comment)
by mfunk75
You Shall Dis This Book All Over Again!-
Well, anyway, I think you've done a good job of arguing for and against Eggers's brand of loopy, capricious stream-of-consciousness narrative.
His style is certainly the Style You Love to Hate. Or Hate to Love. Or something. There's no one out there right now who makes me enjoy jumping through narrative loops, and willing to do it again and again and again and…
But it's almost sickening in its intimacy, violating, as it does, the convention of the narrator speaking in polished, formalized prose, without the "um"s and "ah"s that we're subject to in our own conversation.
Well, Will doesn't do much "um"ing and "ah"ing, right? But he does flitter about from thought to thought a lot. And, you're right, at times he does go on past the point of intimacy, to where we get too much of a glimpse inside his tortured thought processes. But I kind of liked those parts.
In the updated bits, we do get a bit of the YSKOV! backstory, i.e., how Will conceived of the trip and Hand's interpretation as to what he (they) wanted to get out of it. So maybe I have a bit of an advantage over you in this regard (the only time, I suspect, I'll have an advantage over you in the realm of literature. Me being a dilettante and all).
And then, of course, there's the repetition thing. But you already know what I think about that.
I do. But I'd love to hear it again. And again. And again. And…
I'll probably go and look through this paperback edition, if only to catch the 50-page manifesto and see how it informs the story I read.
The thing is, I think you have the advantage over me in this regard (see how quickly I lost the title). I can't read the hardcover, without knowing what I now know. But you can add new meaning to the book, by taking in the paperback's new stuff.
I'd also take issue with your readiness to slap the laurels of "genius" upon Eggers's bloated, narcissistic noggin, but that's a debate for another time. :)
How about if I just call him a "mad genius"? Does that suit him better?
-mike is might
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Aug 18 '03
9:36 am PDT
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