Book Report

I fear somewhere in the back of my mind I may have turned reading Chuck Klosterman’s Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story into an assignment more than just acting on a recommendation. In any case, I found the book interesting and amusing but — honestly — he writes about a lot of music and a lot of bands I’ve barely just heard of — and certainly not listened to. While I try to keep up with current music, the music that absorbs my interest ended somewhere around 1965 or 66. Klosterman was born in 1972.

I found his obsessing about the women in his life (while on a cross country roadtrip) more interesting than his obsessing about the music; narcissistic, but interesting.

Klosterman does have a clever style though and at least three great lines:

“By now, the sky is as dark as Johnny Cash’s closet.”

“At this show, there aren’t many people with a job that includes air-conditioning.”

“Tina was always a case of good news/bad news (for instance, she was a part-time swimsuit model . . . but only for Target).”

What did I miss?

One thought on “Book Report”

  1. Maybe it is a generational thing; I was born in 1985, and listen to about… 60% of the bands he talks about (I cannot, however, stand Kiss, and believe if there were any justice they would die a slow, painful, makeup-filled death).

    I think Killing Myself to Live is the least favorite of his books, actually (though I haven’t yet read Fargo Rock City). I like the others because of his smart writing on essays — even if he does sometimes come off as smarter-than-thou.

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