Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas

Klosterman's the type of guy you feel smart-yet-slightly-cool for reading. He observes the world through a unique lens which is evident whether he's interviewing a Steve Nash or discussing the ethics of chasing after women in committed relationships.

This book largely a collection of previously published articles about pop-culture icons. It's more than mere anthology, though—Klosterman wrote introductions and footnotes to the articles that are often as illuminating as the article itself. As if this wasn't enough, he ended this volume with a short quasi-autobiographical novella to round out the collection. Oddly enough, it all seems to flow together.

His perspective can grow wearisome, but (like Douglas Coupland) after placing the book show more down for a brief sabbatical you'll find yourself craving more.

Klosterman's a commentator on the human condition. A condition he perceives more accurately than most. show less

I like Chuck Klosterman. I think it's hip not to like him now, but I don't really give a shit. His Wilco profile was fun, as was his Radiohead piece. I wasn't crazy about some of his "theories," but his terrific profile of the Rock Cruise (a Carnival cruise featuring performances by Journey, Styx, and REO Speedwagon) had me giggling like crazy.As I read this book, I started to think about how the entire magazine industry exists solely to prop up the entertainment industry, featuring profiles of whoever has a new movie or album out. Without one, the other would likely crumble. I suppose that if I must read another piece probing the inner-workings of some hack rock band, I'd prefer it be Mr. Klosterman doing the probing.

I fell in love with Chuck Klosterman's writing and this was the third book by him that I read in a row. This is a collection of his essays that have featured in magazines, and includes pieces on Britney Spears, Radiohead, Billy Joel and Val Kilmer. It has everything you would expect from his writing, namely lots references to rock music and popular culture, but some of it did seem to overlap with territory covered in "Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs". It also includes his first venture into fiction, a short story that is interesting but left me wanting more.
Overall, not my favourite work by Klosterman that is still preferable to the vast majority of other writers.

Hmmm....well....hmmm. Have you ever read the celebrity profiles in magazines like Esquire, Vanity Fair, Spin, etc? Well, if so - and you like them - you've got the spirit of Chuck K. IV is a collection of his essays, which he introduces with a short lead-in. The lead-ins provide context on his thinking or approach at the time and they were generally interesting.

The book is a play in three acts:
Act 1, "things that are true," are reprints or, in some cases, unedited originals of some of his celebrity profiles and interviews. These range from a young Britney Spears to Steve Nash to Val Kilmer to Jeff Tweedy and Thom Yorke. My personal favorites are the ones about Styx and the 70s music cruise and his investigative reporting on his local show more clairvoyant scene. His interviews are humanizing rather than salacious and he mostly lets you draw your own conclusions.

Act 2, "things that might be true," is a collection of cultural perspective pieces. These I liked more. He's an interesting brain and while I don't always agree with his point of view, that's what makes him interesting. Also, his writing is funny, self-deprecating and incisive. I found myself laughing out loud at several of his essays and unfortunately it's turns of phrase that don't work outside the context of his writing. Some of his phrasing, I'd love to steal, but it'd just be peculiar. Particular favorites: Nemesis, Stories about Pants.

Act 3, "something that isn't true," is a short story that's...marginal. CK's perspective on the story is more interesting than the story itself. It just reads, unfinished and inserted because he didn't really know how to stick the landing and wanted to round out the content beyond stuff previously published in periodicals.

This is a book that's easy to dip in and out if you're in a line or a doctor's office and need a book that's easy to put down when your number is called. One week later I'm left with a mildly positive perception, but can remember few specifics. It's like a dessert--it tastes good at the time, but it's not particularly memorable and not nutritious.

Recommended if you're interested in pop culture and appreciate different perspectives on it. And bonus if your pop culture flavor is circa 80s or even 90s as that's about the right time period to appreciate it. show less

Chuck Klosterman's essays are always interesting, even when I disagree with him, even when he makes me angry. There are even a couple of essays about musicans I really like in this volume (Bono and Morrissey) which is a fun bonus; considering that I've read Klosterman's book about heavy metal, which I am totally not interested in, it was a curious experience to hear his thoughts on something I honestly do care about. Klosterman doesn't shre my love, but he's fair to his subjects and really does raise interesting points—fine qualities in an essayist. However, the one example of his fiction at the conclusion of this volume does not display his finer qualities quite so well; it kind of reads like a bad Chuck Palahniuk/ Douglas Coupland show more fusion. Chuck Klosterman should stick to being Chuck Klosterman; he's very good at it. show less

Once I started reading this I realized I had read some of the articles previously, the first time they were published in magazines. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy them just as much the second time around. Klosterman is a writer of quick wit, more than a few pop culture references, and a charming tone of slight self-deprecation. More than a few times I laughed out loud while reading this book, and even when the topics concerned things I have zero interest in (such as, sports), the writing was engaging enough to keep me reading, as well as laughing.

I like Klosterman, but this is his [b:Me Talk Pretty One Day|4137|Me Talk Pretty One Day|David Sedaris|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165389015s/4137.jpg|1030767]-the point at which the initially charming shtick starts to wear thin, and the author needs to break some new ground.