Tuesday, March 1, 2016
my review
Better Living Through Criticism by A. O. Scott
reviewed in 13 minutes by Robert Frumkin
1) It's not an argument. It's not a series of arguments. It's a bunch of arguments.
2) Scott utilizes the "Yurt Paradigm." If a short story is a yurt, you write a novel by connecting a series of yurts, according to George Saunders.
3) Scott's light touch and humor bring to mind Nietzsche's aphoristic style. But "The Gay Criticism" would not be a good title.
4) Samuel Jackson will not be amused by this book. "Why does this egghead motherfucker bother to write this motherfucking shit?"
5) The title is great. But it does not fit the book. I would call it "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Critic."
6) I can't believe I found myself contemplating a torso. So 1983. And I had those University of Minnesota theory books with the bright solid colors on the cover.
7) I did believe that Harold Bloom's name popped up when it did. I knew it would. I was waiting for the word "agon," but it never arrived. (Good thing.)
8) Scott is clearly provoking Samuel Jackson by quoting Rilke in German. But we (the 0.01% of eggheads) loved it.
9) If you relate to Anton Ego, you are indeed in a lonely profession. I think the problem is that you're the only one watching a movie every day. It's weird.
10) I still think it's gross that rats were cooking the food.
11) Ratatouille is a great pun but I find it hard to believe it's anyone's "madeleine."
12) Criticism = olive oil. The Julia Child metaphor was one of the greatest I have ever encountered. I'm not sure how it works. But still.
13) I could go on. But I got to 13.
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