postmodernblues's Reviews (465)

The dialogue in this book reads like the group chat of a high school GSA club. It's completely vexing.

The thing that fascinates me most about this play and the picture it paints of the AIDS crisis, particularly in NYC, is the nature of identity politics during a time of immense crisis. In a lot of ways, things have not changed at all: not in the minds and hearts of politicians, nor in the unity of the queer community. The way every scene inevitably devolves into a question of what it means to be gay: is it a sexual identity, or a political one? Is it fair to try and suppress an ongoing sexual revolution to save a generation? Even when information regarding the cause and spread of the disease is virtually nonexistent? 

Kramer also raises some interesting points about the nature of epidemics which are perhaps even more topical now, for obvious reasons. Each character is precisely crafted so these conversations occur naturally. There is no tip-toeing, no hinting, no subtext. Instead, there are statistics. There are fingers pointed directly at those whose hands bear the blood of the dead and dying. It is horrific. It is upsetting. But it was, and is, absolutely essential. 

"... I do very emphatically believe there is an enormous amount of the androgynous in any all-or-nothing prose writer, or even a would-be one. I think that if he titters at male writers who wear invisible skirts he does so at his eternal peril. I'll say no more on the subject. This is precisely the sort of confidence that can be easily and juicily Abused. It's a wonder we're not worse cowards in print than we already are." - J.D. Salinger, Seymour, an Introduction, page 213

I'll say one thing for this book: it sure made me want to move to Canada and experience its comic book/music scenes.

Not bad for movie novelizations, but both stories make some strange amendments and omissions, particularly to the dialogue. I know this is really just nit-picky, but a lot of the lines are said by different characters than in the movies, and some iconic lines are changed for no discernible reason (i.e. Venkman's "we came, we saw, we kicked its ass!" line). Additionally, the first novelization was weirdly anti-Egon and made him out to be this awkward, asexual creature as if he doesn't literally canonically sleep with slime in the name of science in Ghostbusters II. Winston is, as usual, sidelined, although seemingly even more than in the films. One thing I really liked, though, is how the novelization of the second movie expanded more on the Ray-Vigo possession subplot. Good, clean, Ghost-busting fun.

Nobody does precocious, enlightened young children and melancholy, chainsmoking adults like Salinger. Except maybe Wes Anderson.

As a high school student, I firmly believe this book should be required reading. It's funny, it's engaging, it's intelligent, and it's a perfect introduction to higher-level thinking about literature. 

I read this for an AP class, and it's not something I would usually pick up, but The Things They Carried is absolutely fantastic. Its nonlinear structure and moments of unreality and contradiction are very effective in conveying the author's emotional turmoil. The story "Speaking of Courage" absolutely floored me. Definitely worth a read.