Chuck Klosterman has always been something of a cultural enigma.
As a writer, he has disagreed with almost every publication he has worked for. He consistently breaks standard writing conventions, often prominently featuring himself in his interviews with famous authors and musicians.
Additionally, his uncompromising worldview is off-putting to many new readers.
However, Klosterman doesn’t care, and that’s what makes his work so unique: He writes what he would like to read. Those who understand it love it, and those who don’t despise it. As a Klosterman fan, I quite enjoy his books, though I do understand those who don’t.
Klosterman’s latest book, “Eating the Dinosaur,” once again meets the expectations of culturally bizarre but highly relevant writing. His first collection of essays since 2003’s “Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs” once again rummages into pop culture criticism and continues his tradition of unexpected interviews.
The first essay in the collection, “Something Instead of Nothing,” is a collection of interviews featuring popular authors and other journalists. The interviews are an unexpected gem, and it’s clear that despite the popular conceptions, the strange flip of circumstances works almost as well as interviewing the standard actors and musicians Klosterman fans may be more accustomed to.
The old fans will not be disappointed, however, as soon as the second essay starts. An analysis of mainstream cult icon Kurt Cobain, Klosterman takes an unexpected route, arguing that the famed Nirvana front man was living in a fantasy world of “rock and roll” that had been dead for years. This attitude toward fame and money ultimately led to his internal destruction: Klosterman argues that the heroin and marriage were ultimately simply a means to an end. The book has no theme and is damn proud of it. Prominently bragging that the book features no plot or theme, Klosterman is well aware of his audience. He knows his audience and serves them.
Sadly, though, this may be the biggest fault with the book. While his writing has admittedly gotten more complex, it still isn’t quite as adventurous as it could be. The best example is his essay “ABBA 1, World 0,” which is, unfortunately, only moderately compelling. Comparing the Swedish pop group to Australia’s hard rock pioneers AC/DC seems like a brilliant idea. In practice, however, this comparison lacks the passion one would expect.
2008’s Klosterman release, “Downtown Owl,” disappointed many of his fans by departing from his tried-and-true essay format. An all-fiction publication, it left many scratching their heads, wondering why the satire they loved was suddenly confined in the restrictive world of a false narrative.
“Eating the Dinosaur” can be seen as a return to form, though it is very little more than that. Though it may be stereotypical to say: Klosterman’s fans will love it. All others will likely pass by without a second glance.
I fall into the first camp, and I firmly believe that this is Klosterman’s best work yet. Though it could have been more ambitious, few others would think to apply the American political spectrum to football. This book deserves your attention, especially if you’ve never delved into his world before.
alexwunrow@dailynebraskan.com
