2008 Woodie Awards
The Fine Line Between Life and Death, Literally
Author Klosterman stumbles upon interesting nuggets of pop culture, and sometimes trips.
John Roberts
Issue date: 9/6/06 Section: Entertainment
In the opening pages of "Killing Yourself to Live," author Chuck Klosterman finds himself at the Chelsea Hotel, where Sid Vicious allegedly killed Nancy Spungen. Although the hotel room where the murder occurred is now an apartment (and off limits to all), Klosterman's journey to the most notorious rock star death locales has begun.
Over the next 235 pages, Klosterman weaves his journey together with events unfolding in his own personal life.
Especially moving, is Klosterman's visit to West Warwick. Rhode Island. It is there where 100 concert attendees were burned alive on February 20, 2003 during what was supposed to be a Great White concert. A pyrotechnics accident ignited the club and flames engulfed thebuilding just moments later.
Klosterman is almost immediately greeted by two locals, one of which lost his uncle in the fire. It is this point in the book where the reader realizes that the author does not merely wish to exploit his subjects, nor does he wish to sugar coat them. He merely wants to put the stories on paper.
While he is driving from location to location, he delivers interesting monologues to himself, for the reader.
Extremely interesting is his explanation of how Radiohead's album "Kid A" was an exact soundtrack of the events of 9/11. After reading that specific section and listening to "Kid A" again, I have to admit that some of the coincidences are frightening.
However, some of the other highway rumination are just boring. Sometimes the author elicits sympathy (unsuccessfully) for his predicament involving being in some form of love with three
different women.
This is where Klosterman stumbles. In "Fargo Rock City," the author's first novel, his presence is welcome since he talks about his obsession with heavy metal.
By the end of the book, readers realize that he is the embodiment of metal.
In his second novel, "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs" he almost removes himself entirely from his musings on everything pop culture. At various times in the book, I found myself longing for the author to jump in and tell a story every now and again.
"Killing Yourself…" attempts (and sometimes succeeds) to walk the line between both books. This was the most frustrating aspect of this book, but in no way does it make it unreadable.
At the heart of it all, this novel is one person's search for life among places strongly associated with death. Only in visiting accident sites does the author realize what living really means. Not in some grand philosophic way, but in a practical, common sense approach.
Klosterman remains a leader in his field while continuing to be an enjoyable read.
Over the next 235 pages, Klosterman weaves his journey together with events unfolding in his own personal life.
Especially moving, is Klosterman's visit to West Warwick. Rhode Island. It is there where 100 concert attendees were burned alive on February 20, 2003 during what was supposed to be a Great White concert. A pyrotechnics accident ignited the club and flames engulfed thebuilding just moments later.
Klosterman is almost immediately greeted by two locals, one of which lost his uncle in the fire. It is this point in the book where the reader realizes that the author does not merely wish to exploit his subjects, nor does he wish to sugar coat them. He merely wants to put the stories on paper.
While he is driving from location to location, he delivers interesting monologues to himself, for the reader.
Extremely interesting is his explanation of how Radiohead's album "Kid A" was an exact soundtrack of the events of 9/11. After reading that specific section and listening to "Kid A" again, I have to admit that some of the coincidences are frightening.
However, some of the other highway rumination are just boring. Sometimes the author elicits sympathy (unsuccessfully) for his predicament involving being in some form of love with three
different women.
This is where Klosterman stumbles. In "Fargo Rock City," the author's first novel, his presence is welcome since he talks about his obsession with heavy metal.
By the end of the book, readers realize that he is the embodiment of metal.
In his second novel, "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs" he almost removes himself entirely from his musings on everything pop culture. At various times in the book, I found myself longing for the author to jump in and tell a story every now and again.
"Killing Yourself…" attempts (and sometimes succeeds) to walk the line between both books. This was the most frustrating aspect of this book, but in no way does it make it unreadable.
At the heart of it all, this novel is one person's search for life among places strongly associated with death. Only in visiting accident sites does the author realize what living really means. Not in some grand philosophic way, but in a practical, common sense approach.
Klosterman remains a leader in his field while continuing to be an enjoyable read.
Be the first to comment on this story