Thanks to the great people over at Scribner, I was able to get a review copy of the much-anticipated new book from Chuck Klosterman. I have been very vocal about my love for his writing on this site and “Walk The Dinosaur” definitely quenched my thirst for some new material from him. Here is my book review for “Eating The Dinosaur” by Chuck Klosterman.
This book is in the vein of “Sex, Drugs, & Cocoa Puffs,” more so than any of his previous books. It’s all new material, so it’s not like Chuck Klosterman IV, which was a collection of mostly previously published material.
In “Eating The Dinosaur,” he tries to get a grip on his celebrity. He spends the entire first chapter trying to wrap his head around the fact that he has given more interviews than he has conducted. He is in a new phase in his life. His previous books may have been for a demographic that would span people in their twenties. “Eating The Dinosaur” skews a little higher in age, just because he talks about things in the same time period as his previous books. Where else are you going to find in-depth opinionated banter about Nirvana, Guns N Roses, Ralph Sampson, and even Abba? Chuck Klosterman gives you all that and more in this book.
If a person that has never read anything by Klosterman, if you told them that he can incorporate Garth Brooks, The Beatles, and Third Eye Blind in coherent essay that makes complete sense, they would think that you’re an idiot. You have to read his work to really get his thought process. An outsider may think that he is scatter-brained, but he uses intelligent-design to sculpt his thoughts into a well-written piece.
I have read every book that Klosterman has written, even his novel, “Downtown Owl.” I believe that “Eating The Dinosaur” is great and I’m not saying that just because I am a fan of his work. No author can reach every demographic, but if you want to read a book about how Abba took over the world, the history of the Ohio State/Michigan rivalry, and a breakdown of the TV show, “Friends,” then “Eating the Dinosaur” is for you.
