This collection of nearly 200 short reviews and literary pieces—probably necessarily uneven in quality given the publish-in-haste nature of his book reviewing—demonstrates Burgess' broad learning and also his habitual critical highhandedness. The university don that Burgess—foiled by WW II—never became lurks close beneath the anything-for-a-buck man of letters and learned journalist of his current persona, ever ready to snap at bright objects—or dullards. Burgess includes among the dullards all feminists ("Grants from a Sexist Pig" heads the volume), most American scholars (Yankophobe Burgess finds Edmund Wilson's Anglophobia incomprehensible), and Daniel Defoe (whose Robinson Crusoe Burgess compares—outrageously—to P.C. Wren's Beau Geste). Burgess does like James Thurber, Vladimir Nabokov, and Princess Grace of Monaco—although his sketches of the first two never mention their celebrated crochetiness; but perhaps this master of the crochet never noticed a certain peevishness. If occasionally willful, these essays are also occasionally memorable in their epigrammatic succinctness. Another asset is Burgess' lack of prudery. He writes of Norman Mailer's Ancient Evenings: "Give it a few years. . .it may well appear as one of the great works of contemporary mythopoesis. It certainly gives us a new look up the anus." As Burgess says himself in reviewing a volume of S.J. Perelman's short pieces, this is not the kind of book to go through in one sitting—the repetitions and tics become too obvious. (Burgess notes Perelman's repetition of the odd word "lagniappe"; he is himself addicted to the equally recondite "onomastic.") Still, since the literary turf of the educated reader—judgments about the comparative merits of contemporary writers, or the probable duration of literary reputations—is now almost ignored both by the increasingly theoretical academic journals and the increasingly illiterate schlock media, intelligent and impassioned practical critics like Burgess perform a real service. Forgive him his obtuse remarks.
Pub Date: March 31, 1986
ISBN: 0070089779
Page Count: 604
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1986
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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