Sore Sites

Rating:
Summary: Will Self's New Book is a Site for Sore Eyes
Review: Crudely alluring illustrations aside, Will Self remains one of Britain's most keenly astute observers of modern life, a writer for whom satire is never merely a means to an end. Articulate and frequently downright funny, he dissects societies many foibles like a 21st century version of Jonathan Swift, only a bit nastier. In his latest book of non-fiction, Sore Sites, a collection of 60 pieces from the weekly trade publication Building Design, Self plunders the breadth of architectural monuments and monstrosities to be found around England and the world, leaving no cobble stone unturned. His knowledge of the `built environment' as he calls it, is strangely compelling and gives a subject that might otherwise be sterile and dull, especially culled from a niche magazine such as Building Design, a new dimension that is both hilarious and insightful. Self, as our slightly demented tour guide, traverses the various Millennium buildings in and around London including the Millennium Dome, a project spearheaded by Tony Blair. We wind our way through the crumbling housing districts of Manchester, while Self muses upon the demise of British cities due to the loss of municipal housing. Expansive public pools, the Thames river, the Tower of London, vernacular architecture in Northern Ireland, all get the once over, and, Self even manages to question the integrity of such egregious structures like Seattle's Space Needle, where an over priced lunch can be had while you spin endlessly, taking in the grand views. Particularly Selfesque obsessions manage to rear their loveable ugly heads as well; preoccupations with scale, made all the more apt when put in the context of architecture, the freeways and roadways around England including the M25 and, of course, drugs, which he manages to argue, quite persuasively, are interconnected with, even predicated upon, the aesthetics of architecture. One of Self's literary heroes, J.G. Ballard even sneaks into the collection by way of his novel High Rise, and, well, you can guess the rest. Although not as eclectic, or thoroughly engaging as Self's first collection of journalism, Junk Mail, Sore Sites is a fast, enjoyable read that manages to put architecture in the context of a larger social, cultural landscape. These short pieces allow the reader to ingest the vast history of the `built environment' and understand just how meaningful it is in daily life besides merely being a marvel or an eye sore. So, grab this handy travel sized edition, throw it into the breast pocket of your jacket and take it along with you as you explore the incredible architecture of Rome, or contemplate the desert tray in a spinning restaurant atop Seattle.

Rating:
Summary: Will Self's New Book is a Site for Sore Eyes
Review: Crudely alluring illustrations aside, Will Self remains one of Britain's most keenly astute observers of modern life, a writer for whom satire is never merely a means to an end. Articulate and frequently downright funny, he dissects societies many foibles like a 21st century version of Jonathan Swift, only a bit nastier. In his latest book of non-fiction Sore Sites, a collection of 60 pieces from the weekly trade publication Building Design, Self plunders the breadth of architectural monuments and monstrosities to be found around England and the world, leaving no cobble stone unturned. His knowledge of the 'built environment' as he calls it, is strangely compelling and gives a subject that might otherwise be sterile and dull, especially culled from a niche magazine such as Building Design, a new dimension that is both hilarious and insightful. Self, as our slightly demented tour guide, traverses the various Millennium buildings in and around London including the Millennium Dome, a project spearheaded by Tony Blair. We wind our way through the crumbling housing districts of Manchester, while Self muses upon the demise of British cities due to the loss of municipal housing. Expansive public pools, the Thames river, the Tower of London, vernacular architecture in Northern Ireland, all get the once over, and, Self even manages to question the integrity of such egregious structures like Seattle's Space Needle, where an over priced lunch can be had while you spin endlessly, taking in the grand views. Particularly Selfesque obsessions manage to rear their loveable ugly heads as well; preoccupations with scale, made all the more apt when put in the context of architecture, the freeways and roadways around England including the M25 and, of course, drugs, which he manages to argue, quite persuasively, are interconnected with, even predicated upon, the aesthetics of architecture. One of Self's literary heroes, J.G. Ballard even manages to sneak into the collection by way of his novel High Rise, and, well, you can guess the rest. Although not as eclectic, or thoroughly engaging as Self's first collection of journalism, Junk Mail, Sore Sites is a fast, enjoyable read that manages to put architecture in the context of a larger social, cultural landscape. These short pieces allow the reader to ingest the vast history of the 'built environment' and understand just how meaningful it is in daily life besides merely being a marvel or an eye sore. So, grab this handy travel sized edition, throw it into the breast pocket of your jacket and take it along with you as you explore the incredible architecture of Rome, or contemplate the desert tray in a spinning restaurant atop Seattle.