Rate this book

They Live (2010)

by Jonathan Lethem(Favorite Author)

3.75 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

159376278X (ISBN13: 9781593762780)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Soft Skull Press

series

Deep Focus

review 1: Lethem's in-depth criticism of this bizarre, not-recommended-but-to-film-buffs movie is insightful and thought-provoking, if intermittently cursory. He leans on other criticism a bit too much in some pieces, not fleshing out his own opinions enough. Lethem also has a tendency to give a paragraph or two to a subject I could read much more about. While enjoyable in its quick pace, I would have enjoyed fewer topics more deeply fleshed out, as in his book of essays "The Disappointment Artist." Still, more Jonathan Lethem writing is never to be sniffed at — I watched the movie purely so I could read the book.
review 2: A long time ago, I was reading some music criticism on the Beatles, specifically the song "Eleanor Rigby." The author (oh hell no I don't remember ... morewho) noted that, when McCartney sings the refrain "look at all the lonely people" he elides the word "lonely" so that, if one so chooses, one could hear it as "lovely." I wanted to shout "YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS TOO MUCH."And so it is with this book/essay/manifesto. Look, I love this movie, but at best it's a great bad movie. It might be worth 128 pages, but none of those pages should contain the term "diegesis." less

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