I just finished reading Jim Knipfel's book, "Ruining it for Everybody." I recommend this book for people who hate people. I'm talking about reclusive misanthropes and fanboys who think Bill Hicks is a truth-spewing God. People who embraced punk rock and hardcore, only to find themselves facing a mid-life crisis 20 years later. People who think life is pointless and who get annoyed by little things on a daily basis. Fans of Bukowski, Henry Miller and Celine will like what Knipfel has to say. Misery loves company.
Unhappy people will like this book.
For all of Knipfel's loathing (directed at others as well as inward), there is a fair amount of positive mental attitude as well as a recognition that every day life can have its beautiful moments. Knipfel also makes us realize that there are shitty people out there in the world too, but somehow, we put up with them and their shititudes. The same way people put up with people like me and you, and our shititudes.
I liked "Ruining it for Everybody," and I was glad to find that my local library has a copy of Knipfel's first book, "Slackjaw," waiting on the shelves for me to check out.
Knipfel currently has a weekly column in New York Press and his previous column Slackjaw is still available in all its nihlistic glory.
0 comments:
Post a Comment