
The Disappointment Artist
Selected Unabridged Essays
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Narrated by:
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Jonathan Lethem
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By:
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Jonathan Lethem
About this listen
From a confession of the sadness of a "Star Wars nerd" to an investigation into the legacy of a would-be literary titan, Lethem illuminates the process by which a child invents himself as a writer, and as a human being, through a series of approaches to the culture around him. In "The Disappointment Artist", a letter from his aunt, a children's book author, spurs a meditation on the value of writing workshops and the uncomfortable fraternity of writers. In "Defending The Searchers" Lethem explains how a passion for the classic John Wayne Western became occasion for a series of minor humiliations. In "Identifying with Your Parents", an excavation of childhood love for superhero comics expands to cover a whole range of nostalgia for a previous generation's cultural artifacts. And "13/1977/21", which begins by recounting the summer he saw Star Wars 21 times, becomes a meditation on the sorrow and solace of the solitary movie-goer.
The Disappointment Artist confirms Lethem's unique ability to illuminate the way life, his and ours, can be read between the lines of art and culture.
BONUS: This audio also includes an interview with the author.
©2005 Jonathan Lethem (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
What listeners say about The Disappointment Artist
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Overall
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Performance
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- Joseph Vernon
- 08-28-21
Terrific additional insight
I enjoyed reading this collection when it was first published and I was intrigued at having the opportunity to re-visit it in a manner as intimate as hearing the author himself read these essays aloud.
Lethem doesn’t disappoint here; I recommend this audiobook version highly.
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