Rating:  Summary: A Strong Turkish Heart For All To Enjoy Review: This Dave boy is a god. Finally, someone has created a book cover that has rendered the saying of old, "Don't judge a book by its cover", obselete. There in the red of the curtains, those silky red curtains (dave what template is that red?) lies the pained heart of the forgotten life of the Ottomans, and the blood that they spilled, but only in the name of advancement. In this way, they too were like authors, creators of a legacy handed down to us-- sometimes with swords, but other times in pen like us, though probably not in this type font because they didn't have computers-- even to those of us in idaho, and dave writes to us like a general to his weary men. In terms of style, David's searing and jarring rending of fragile topics such as and , make the of the story both hubling and startling. His answer to this world that screams "" is defiant-- "". In our everyday lives he finds the and contrasts it to the that we were expecting. In this way he, too, is Ottorman as Chris Farley was before him, as I throughly explained above. So folks, mark my words-- these man will find your heart and stand over you with it in his hand, all red-like, and, believe me, you won't know WHAT to do.
Rating:  Summary: a heartbreaking review Review: So, just wanted to add my two cents to this review discussion. As someone who lost both parents in my twenties, and became guardian of my teenage sister, I feel your pain, Mr. Eggers. There was not a phony sentence in your book...it all rang so true and real to me that I had a hard time turning each page with out a crying break. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for explaining to people what it is really like to go through this type of situation...and thanks also for not throwing in the sappy bits you so often see in the hollywood-ized versions of similar stories.
Rating:  Summary: Beyond the Beer Test and D.F. Wallace Review: Yes, yes, yes, we all love David Foster Wallace and there's more than just first names in common between the two writers. But, Dave Eggers not only passes my "Would I have a beer with this guy?" test, reading his book drove me to formulate a "How soon can I track this guy down in Brooklyn and become his partner in crime?" test, which he promptly passed. The book is like a good, old, slightly irritating friend: entertaining and lovable, yet sometimes self-important or self-loathing to the point where it's all you can do to prevent yourself from slamming it shut and shouting, "Snap out of it!" But you always pick it back up again. It's also moving and sometimes profound, as much as he tries to make it not so. It's a story of making a story out of your life, and if you're a struggling naif-cynic like me it makes perfect sense. Are you guiltily scanning through these reviews, Dave, on an approbation hunt? You've got it from me.
Rating:  Summary: Blistering and funny. Genius might be an understatement. Review: Dave. I got to hand to you, buddy. What a book. What a mighty fine book. It soared and it crashed. It was the olive in the martini. The salty morsel in a cold and alcoholic world. Thanks for writing it.
Rating:  Summary: twentysomething Review: well, maybe not genius, but then what when I read this book in 2 days, it running like some clear stream of consciousness, and, flawed though he is, he did it, raised his lovely little brother, something we know we would have done were we in his position, but he did it, all the while coping with having to be young and virile, atheletic, brilliant, 99.9% the whole bit - what it reminds me of most, strangely enough, is Oliver Sach's "A Leg To Stand On" - you are so young and strong and yet, things happen, and then there you are, just a mortal in the middle of the whole thing. Anyway, it was heartbreaking, not especially because his mother died, but because he seems to realize that, despite him being the center of his own world, that he is just one of billions. Wonderful book.
Rating:  Summary: Isn't it nice to be superior? Review: AHWOSG is an extremely entertaining book with some neat devices, but beware. Eggers' arrogance seeps through nearly every page. He's a satirist (and a damn good one) and thus can't help showing off. Eggers doesn't pass my beer test. Would I want to go out and drink a beer with this guy? Nope. He'd do most of the talking and then use the encounter to draw a condescending portrait for McSweeney. Good fun, but I cast a wary eye on anyone who'd actually want to be on MTV.
Rating:  Summary: Clever and Very Funny- isn't that enough? Review: Although the book never does reach a satisfiable conclusion, it certainly ranks as one of the wittiest books I've ever read. And what is the purpose of a book but to entertain, right? It is escapism and Dave Eggers at least offers this. It is also tragic, which seems to be the theme of recent "new voice" publishing in order to shock readers with incredible loss. In spite of this, Eggers holds your attention and succeeds in entertaining.
Rating:  Summary: Incredibly Dull and Wandering! Review: Rambling and pointless, this overhyped tome seems the product of a relentlessly clever sophomore. Imagine Nicholson Baker without the painstaking eye, David Foster Wallace without the searching intellect, or Rick Moody without the verbal talent. There's nothing here that Monty Python didn't do in the credits to their Holy Grail. There's not a belly laugh in the whole damn book. ( ).
Rating:  Summary: A memoir for people who don't like memoirs Review: This book is uneven, and I'm still not sure if the post-modernistic touches are necessary, but it's a great book. This isn't one of those "see how much I've had to endure" memoirs, and will probably appeal far more to readers of contemporary fiction (back cover blurbs from DFW and Rick Moody) than to those who usually read memoirs.
Rating:  Summary: Good Enough To Warrant A Backlash Review: Clearly this book isn't for everyone. It's incredibly self-reflexive. It's more than willing to employ a device while simultaneously satirizing it. Eggers, as described in his own words, is rarely likeable, noble, humble, or charming. Instead, he's self-indulgent, arrogant, and so full of neurosis that Woody Allen looks calm and confident in comparison. And while these factors will elicit cries of how overrated the work is, I find them the fuel behind what is a darkly compelling fever dream. Eggers takes the theme of being consumed (by cancer, by being young and wanting to make a mark on the world, by the responsibility of raising a child while maintaining friendships) and exposes its results in a harsh light. And it's angry and difficult and ... well ... real. Far different and more challenging than the back-patting, self-congratulatory, "Gee, aren't I a strong and admirable person for surviving these tribulations?" tone that fills most stories of this genre. I congratulate him on avoiding making things neat and tidy. The result is an astonishing, staggering, and, ultimately, heartbreaking work.
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