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.A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments
City Travel Guides > Books > Essays
by: David Foster Wallace

February 02, 1998
foot-note boy is a dud.
The essay about a cruise ship is not funny, not well-written and speaks volumes about the immature personality of the writer.
His much touted powers of observation are nowhere in evidence.
Hunter Thompson and Tom Wolfe did this sort of thing so much better.

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.Consider the Lobster: And Other Essays
City Travel Guides > Books > Essays
by: David Foster Wallace

July 02, 2007
If your a Professor of English this book might be up your alley. Otherwise, stay away!

The first essay is about an adult film awards show. it's lengthy and rather hilarious. But the rest of the book is a snoozer.
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.When You Are Engulfed in Flames
City Travel Guides > Books > Essays
by: David Sedaris

June 03, 2008
This was a nice read--but, a little different from other David Sedaris books...not in a bad way. This book is about David's adult life...
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.Me Talk Pretty One Day
City Travel Guides > Books > Essays
by: David Sedaris

June 05, 2001
After all the amazing reviews I heard about this book, I maybe laughed out loud twice. I didn't find anything cutting edge about his humor, it was predictable and often downright boring.
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.How Fiction Works
City Travel Guides > Books > Essays
by: James Wood

July 22, 2008
Breathtaking exposition on the development of the novel over the last few centuries, in particular the "realist" style. Brilliant non-fiction gem about fiction. Opinionated rather than encyclopedic, but a great touchstone for further reading.

The design of the book is particularly inviting--its modest weight, friendly typeface, and wide margins make this book a pleasant evening companion--a book you aren't afraid to ask out on a second date. I plan to re-read it once or twice if I ever get it back.

Bracing, memorable writing. If you want to add another dimension to your appreciation of the novel, this gorgeously edited book is ideal. If, like me, you are a writer of non-fiction, this book is a model.

If, on the other hand, you ... Read More:
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.Nothing to Be Frightened Of
City Travel Guides > Books > Essays
by: Julian Barnes

September 02, 2008
"In the midst of life we are in death." Julian Barnes has discarded God and religion, albeit admitting that he misses the certainty that religious faith offers. That makes his thoughts on mortality and death particularly intriguing, especially for others who share his lack of religious conviction or who grapple with questions. Death is the central and inevitable fact of our lives; our fear of confronting it means that works like Barnes's are all-too-rare.

In the hands of a lesser writer, this could have become a tedious and self-indulgent exercise. But Barnes blends memoir, literary reflections and personal philosophy to produce a series of extended essays that should prod the most reluctant baby boomer to re-examine their lives. Ultimately, the value of this eloquent ... Read More:
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.Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons
City Travel Guides > Books > Essays
by: Tim Russert

May 15, 2007
I bought this book for myself after Tim died. I was glued to the TV for that week, mourning with the thousands that mourned. I felt that if I purchased the book, I would have a connection with Tim. I didn't bargain for the sadness it made me feel over the loss of my own father some 33 years ago when I was only 22 (like Luke). After reading the book, I then purchased 5 more --- one for each of my children and one for each of my siblings. I am working on a 'letter to my children' about their grandfather, whom they never knew. I had erroneously thought that since I was adopted, my children wouldn't have any real interest in who my father was b/c there was no blood relation. Having read Wisdom of Our Fathers I now know that blood relation is really such a small part of the overall person I became because ... Read More:
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.McCain's Promise: Aboard the Straight Talk Express with John McCain and a Whole Bunch of Actual Reporters, Thinking About Hope
City Travel Guides > Books > Essays
by: David Foster Wallace

June 01, 2008
So if you have any interest in his other essays, read that book instead of this one. While this is not a bad essay, note the timing of its re-release during a year when McCain is running for the Presidency of the US. Note also that Wallace, recently deceased, had changed his opinion of McCain, as per an interview he gave in May 2008: [...]
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.The Best American Essays 2007 (The Best American Series (TM))
City Travel Guides > Books > Essays
from: Houghton Mifflin

October 10, 2007
I don't hate to be the voice of dissent in this case. I'm not a fan of Wallace, so I suppose I wasn't that surprised that his choice of essays was at best mediocre and at worst really, really (really) bad. Lately the Best American series has been disappointing. I'm hoping it will get better.
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.The Best American Essays 2008 (The Best American Series)
City Travel Guides > Books > Essays
from: Houghton Mifflin

October 08, 2008
I don't hate to be the voice of dissent in this case. I'm not a fan of Wallace, so I suppose I wasn't that surprised that his choice of essays was at best mediocre and at worst really, really (really) bad. Lately the Best American series has been disappointing. I'm hoping it will get better.
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