Ruining It for Everybody

Rating:
Summary: He's one of the best writers in America (a well-kept secret)
Review: For those who have been following Jim Knipfel's work for a while, RUINING IT FOR EVERYBODY represents yet another plateau achieved by a writer who, with his two previous memoirs, SLACKJAW and QUITTING THE NAIROBI TRIO, has been carrying his readers along a sometimes harrowing, often hilarious ride through his "karmically"-challenged life full of foibles, fools, and shenanigans. (Oh, so many shenanigans!)

In RUINING FOR EVERYBODY, Mr. Knipfel examines the specters of his angry youth that continue to haunt his present. It is a work full of careful observations. It is also an apologia, but this apologia comes not at the end of life. Instead, it comes at what must be the beginning of a new life for the author. (A beginning whose path we can begin to see branch out in one of Mr. Knipfel's fictional works: THE BUZZING... May there be many more to come!)

I suggest this book be read in one sitting if you can manage it. Then try going back over passages at random. I believe this book, like Pessoa's THE BOOK OF DISQUIET, lends itself to this sort of casual perusal and contemplation. For in a sense, Mr. Knipfel's present work stands closer to parable than memoir, and defies simple genre classification but rather bends, distorts and juxtaposes genres in new and interesting ways (much like he did in THE BUZZING).

The various memories, reflections and observations explored in this book offer the reader wisdom on a par with THE ROSY CRUCIFIXION and Kurt Vonnegut's best works: BLUE BEARD, SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE, and CAT'S CRADLE. Best of all it's a spiritual work that doesn't require faith in anything outside of oneself. It is a work of great human spirit... A must read.

Oh, and it also answers that age-old question: "Can a person get a mild dose of stigmata?"

Rating:
Summary: Book is full of Such Things
Review: I knew Men & Women are different But only physically but I came to know that men are from mars & women are from venus only after reading this book.

Men feel he is doing right thing with his born Mr.Fix It Attitude But most of the times women only want him to listen.

Men go to his Cave when he is trying to find out solution to his problem But women dont understand this.They do what they do on Venus.They try to talk & men think she is annoying him.He pushes her out of his Cave & she thinks it was very Rude of him(It is Rude On Venus).

This was Just an Example.Book is full of Such Things.It gives complete Ideaof How Martian & Venusians Think Differently.They are made for Each Other But they should know what other want or Expect from them.

Some people laughed at me (Even Girls) that I am reading this kind of Book.My answer is Whether its men Or Women,This book is 'Must' for Everyone if they want their relationship work better,to communicate well because Men are from Mars women are from Venus.

This Book is like a Translator for Martian & Venusians.

Rating:
Summary: Better than Sedaris--but different
Review: I knew Men & Women are different But only physically but I came to know that men are from mars & women are from venus only after reading this book.

Men feel he is doing right thing with his born Mr.Fix It Attitude But most of the times women only want him to listen.

Men go to his Cave when he is trying to find out solution to his problem But women dont understand this.They do what they do on Venus.They try to talk & men think she is annoying him.He pushes her out of his Cave & she thinks it was very Rude of him(It is Rude On Venus).

This was Just an Example.Book is full of Such Things.It gives complete Ideaof How Martian & Venusians Think Differently.They are made for Each Other But they should know what other want or Expect from them.

Some people laughed at me (Even Girls) that I am reading this kind of Book.My answer is Whether its men Or Women,This book is 'Must' for Everyone if they want their relationship work better,to communicate well because Men are from Mars women are from Venus.

This Book is like a Translator for Martian & Venusians.

Rating:
Summary: I care what Squiggy has to say
Review: I loved Ruining It for Everybody. This latest memoir is an easy, entertaining read, but I could also count about 5 or 6 times that I actually wept while reading it--mostly from laughing, but sometimes because it was touching.

Knipfel examines the normally mundane travails of himself and others with humor and insight, and without the slightest hint of self-pity or cruelty (well...maybe a little cruelty). It's the kind of work that makes writing look deceptively easy. I envy the man's talent.

And yes, his fiction is excellent, too.

Jim--if you read these stupid things--more, please.

(side note: Amazon's recommendation of Knipfel's books to Sedaris fans probably assumes that these readers have the capacity to find humor in things not usually considered funny. This may be too great a leap for some.)

Rating:
Summary: Not Funny
Review: I was recommended this book by Amazon.com, of all places. The reason was, I bought the book "Me Talk Pretty One Day," by David Sedaris, and Amazon said it was of a similar nature. I did not find it remotely humorous, and in fact I was very turned off by the author's interest in all things punk and destructive. I would not recommend this book unless you would read anything placed in front of you.

Rating:
Summary: Better than Sedaris--but different
Review: Um, giving Jim Knipfel one star because he's not like David Sedaris is absurd. Knipfel is better than Sedaris because he's darker and he's smarter. This is an extraordinary book for intelligent people. And you'll look cool reading it.