Worst books of 2009: A Sampling.

So the other night, the night of the bad mood I posted about earlier, I finished up work, and instead of staring at the TV, I decided to find something to read, damn it, and started Chuck Klosterman's latest essay collection, titled Eating the Dinosaur, which I wasn't really in the mood for. But I was determined to read something. And this is what I found, in the first essay (which is about Klosterman's writing career, much of which has been spent interviewing people):

"If given a choice between interviewing someone or talking to them 'for real,' I prefer the former; I don't like having the social limitations of tact imposed upon my day-to-day interactions and I don't enjoy talking to most people more than once or twice in my lifetime."

Come on. That's awesome. Just like that, my bad mood evaporated. I'm now halfway through the book, reading the essays I enjoy and skipping over the ones that aren't working for me, and it's LOVELY. Thank you, Chuck.

In other news, I posted a starter list of Worst Nonfiction Books over at the Reader's Advisor Online. I know it's a cheap move to send you to another site, but I'm honestly too lazy to reproduce the list here. If I find more ambition in the new year I'll add some titles to it and post it again here.

In the meantime? A Very Merry New Year to you all, each and every one.

Comments

[Robert Brown]

That's a brave statement he makes, but not a mean one. Most people are pretty dull, and those who aren't don't have that much to say, certainly not on a daily basis. I wonder if that is the source of so much human misery: over-familiarity.

Most people have interactions with a small number of people their entire lives. Using a limited vocabulary, if you believe the research. The fucked-up-ness of the world has just been revealed by another tiny light of knowledge.

[Beth]

sooooo, i tried to post this and the site freaked out on me...so let's try that again.

i LOVE eating the dinosaur and am so happy you are loving it too. one of my favorite books that i've read this year. his essay on time travel is marvelous.

[Venta]

i just happened upon this quote by W. Somerset Maugham while reading a scholarly :( book on reading: "Conversation after a time bores me, games tire me, and my own thoughts, which we are told are the unfailing resource of a sensible man, have a tendency to run dry. Then I fly to my book, as the opium-smoker to his pipe."

We are a joyous bunch as we enter the New Year.

[Citizen Reader]

Bert,
I rather thought you might enjoy that. It's kind of a curmudgeonly thing to say, but you're right: it's not mean. Kind of gently curmudgeonly, and very matter of fact.
I do wonder if we wouldn't do better if we were able to remove, as Klosterman says, the limitations of tact. (And, the next time someone asks why I don't like bridal or baby showers, I'm going to say, because all conversations there are limited by tact.") But maybe we'd do worse without those limitations. I just don't know.

Beth,
Thanks for persevering--I have no idea how TypePad works or why the comments might be hinky. I've got to figure that out in the new year.

I agree with you about the time travel essay and felt way better that he also liked but didn't really understand the movie "Primer" )(which is exactly how I felt about it). I also loved, in a weird way, his essay on football.

Venta,
I LOVE Maugham. Sorry you had to read a scholarly book to get to him, but thank you for the quote. I think he was quite the curmudgeon too, but anyone who views books as opium is my kind of curmudgeon.

Glad to hear you are joyous. Hope all goes well with the two doggies--and I'm in the middle of a letter to you, must just get it done!

[Rachael]

Wow. I kinda want to put that quote on a t-shirt.

Also, when I'm in a bad mood I read crap. That fact feels a little embarrassing now that I know *some* people pick up Klosterman, and find it uplifting (I like him, just not when I'm cranky).

Also, I loved your post about the worst books list. Isn't it funny that preferring non-fiction doesn't spare you from books that are so bad they're almost offensive?

[Citizen Reader]

You and me both, Rachael (re: the t-shirt).

Well, I wouldn't say Klosterman's real challenging reading. (And it says sad things about me that I find such a misanthropic quote uplifting.) I too turn to crap and a lot of comfort reading when down--the same way I cruise OMG!Yahoo and Go Fug Yourself when bored at work.

Oh, gosh, preferring NF doesn't spare you from crap at all! Need I remind you of "The Last Lecture"? Everything written by Thomas Friedman? Bad celebrity memoirs and bios and tell-alls, oh my! I think your chance of hitting a bad book is probably just as high in the NF section as it is in fiction. What does anyone else think on this?
(And thanks--I'm glad you liked the post!)

[Beth]

can i say that my husband owns primer and i didn't even know? i'm very excited to watch it. (and as far as i'm concerned, if it's about time travel, and it's understandable, it isn't done properly).

and i too loved his essay on football, which i found odd. just as i find it odd that i'm enjoying the blind side right now. hmmm.

[Citizen Reader]

Beth,
Oh, The Blind Side is THE BEST. I heart Michael Lewis. I'm glad you're enjoying it--I think Lewis's fantastic writing and the football side of the story is getting lost in the big soppy sentimental reaction to the film. But that's just me.

[Angie]

Happy new year! I just wanted to thank you so much for the excellent writing and reading recommendations this past year. I've grown to love non-fiction (never thought I would after undergrad and then grad school) so merci and thank you from a fan in Canada. It's minus twenty-five here today. That's Celcius - perfect weather for reading and, well, reading with a glass of wine/tea/whatever.

[Citizen Reader]

Angie,
You're very welcome. I'm so excited to "meet" you--did you know that the only ambition/dream I have is to someday become Canadian? (Okay, well, I can't really become Canadian, but I'm eyeing up Canadian citizenship.)
And....BRRRRR! But you're right. Now's the time to park it by a nice fire or heating register with a blanket, a pet of your choice, a cup of cocoa, and a book. MMMmm. Hope your new year is filled with all of those things, and perhaps even a little warmer weather for you.