Stale Book Review #37: Bicycle Diaries

Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne

Cost: $3.99US

Page Count: 300

"And you may ask yourself

Well, how did I get here?" 

- Once In a Lifetime, Talking Heads

Sitting down to read Bicycle Diaries made me feel a little bit smarter; a little bit more cultured.  This has everything to do with David Byrne's writing style and his obvious love for the written word.  The dude just oozes high culture.

To be frank, I never really got into the whole "art rock" movement.  Maybe it's because I hail from central Florida and nowhere near Central Park in NYC.  But, I was never drawn to the avant garde or the true artist freak culture.  Therefore, much music has not entered into my field of (aural) vision.  Sonic Youth, Nico, The Velvet Underground...don't know much about them, at all.  They seemed just a bit too "high society" for a poor Florida cracker who grew up on the teats of Creedence, Skynyrd, and Zepplin.  But...I did like the Talking Heads.  So, I've got respect for Byrne even though he is definitely more cultured than I.

While on tour and while traveling, David Byrne often tools around various cities on a bicycle.  Hence, the name of the book.  In my book, this is pretty cool.  There is no better way to truly get to know a new place than from the saddle of a bike.  Byrne writes about these jaunts through foreign cities in Bicycle Diaries.  Paris, Sydney, NYC...they are all beautifully painted by Byrne in such a way that the reader can practically smell the shit on the city streets of Manila.  David Byrne is an artist.

To some extent, Motley Crue singer Vince Neil is an artist.  He creates music so that is an art.  But, it's super one-dimensional.  Not to disparage the Crue or Vince, but in the grand scheme of life their "art" is stupid as fuck.  It plays to the retarded masses...that's why I like it.

But, there is something MORE to Byrne as an artist.  Music, painting, photography, etc...these are all arenas in which I feel that the author could express a high level of expertise whilst in conversation.  This level of artistry and knowledge weasels its way into his writing.  The city streets become canvases; the bike his paintbrush; the words his paint. 

This book, in my honest opinion, is fucking difficult to describe.

There are times during the stretch of Bicycle Diaries where Byrne is too wordy, a bit pretentious, a lot erudite, and sometimes pompous.  It doesn't happen much but there are times when I was reading when I muttered, "Just get to the point, fucker".  But, these moments are overshadowed by the fact that the book is well-crafted and amazingly well-researched.  This author knows his shit.  And he knows it.

It took me a long time to finish Bicycle Diaries.  I read it here and there...never truly getting engrossed. I attribute this to the writing style;  it can be heavy.  It was read in chunks and pieces and not by chapter.  It's probably because I am just a lowly blog-writing dude.  But, this book, in the end, turned out to be pretty good.  Very informative. 

I must say that Bicycle Diaries ain't gonna be for everyone.  But, those that stick with it are definitely going to learn something.

If you like music, musicians, and travel journals give this book a shot.  

www.davidbyrne.com

www.rockhall.com

Stale Book Review #15 - In Search Of Captain Zero

In Search of Captain Zero by Allan C. Weisbecker

Cost: $3.00US

Page Count: 328

I love me a good travel narrative.  In Search of Captain Zero involves friendship, surfing, a beat up travel vehicle, and a good storyteller.  It has all the elements to make up a travel narrative that is worthy of coveted space on the bookshelf.

In Search of Captain Zero is the recounting of the travels by the author throughout central America in search of his friend, Christopher, who has seemingly fallen off the face of the planet.  Christopher had always been a free-spirit whom the author suspects has gotten lost on purpose.  So, he packs up the beat up van and his surfboards and heads south from the states to find his friend.  The stories of his journey are well told, humorous, and pretty vivid.  The first few hundred pages of the book are a great read.  Weisbecker does quite well in painting verbal pictures that are extremely well done.  Then...well, then you get to the end.

There is a spoiler in here, so you have been warned.  Anyway, after a long ass time of searching, Allen finds his buddy Chris.  Here's where I was completely deflated.  Over the course of the narrative, Allen reveals his friend to be a caring, free-spirited, soul-surfer type guy.  The first three quarters of the book had me really looking forward to the eventual meeting.  Well, do we ever meet Chris.  He is, to the relief of the author, still alive.  But...but...he's hooked on CRACK!  What the fuck?  I was so disappointed to know that the guy we had been searching for throughout the entire book was a fucking scumbag crackhead.  I was gut-punched.  I can only imagine what the author had felt when he discovered this elegant fact about his friend.  The ending of this book was such a downer.  I like happy endings, not cracky endings.  This still pisses me off.

But, overall, I think In Search of Captain Zero is worth a read.  It does exactly what a good book should do: elicit an emotion.  That it did.  That emotion was pissed-offed-ness.  I'm pretty sure that's not a real word...but, it should be.

Read the book.  Get mad.  Fuck Christopher, you crackhead.

Stale Book Review #14 - Gullible's Travels

Gullible's Travels by Cash Peters

Cost: $1.95US

Page Count: 272

Picking up Gullible's Travels, I didn't really know what to expect.  Therefore, I had zero expectations.  Gladly, I must say, that those expectations were exceeded.  Cash Peters is a funny fella.  I had no idea who he was.  But, apparently, Peters has done well for himself by writing and doing other stuff for the BBC.  

I've always been kind of a sucker for a good travel narrative.  They have to be decent travel books, though.  Robert Young Pelton, William Least Heat Moon, and Paul Theroux are a few that do a stupendous job.  Their book, however, are usually less on the humor tip and more on the serious side of the genre.  In Gullible's Travels, Peters explores the humorist side of travel writing.  I liked this.  A lot.

Other reviewers have compared Peters with Bill Bryson.  This is not fair.  Bryson writes well but Peters is far funnier.  And a better writer.  Sorry Bill.

Anyway, in Gullible's Travels Peters takes you everywhere you never thought you wanted to go.  You probably will never go to these place.  Like Salem, MA.  I've been and the author's summation of the city is so much better than anything that I could ever put into print.  There's the Sanitation Museum, the Lizzy Border Bed and Breakfast, Graceland, and the like.  Basically, Peters hits all the sights of a tourist that would make Clark Griswold (from National Lampoon's Vacation) ever so proud.  On the surface, these places would seem to suck so hard.  They probably do.  But, Peters' adept writing skills and humorous style bring these little, shitty, pockets of the world to life.

After reading a book for Stale Reviews, I often throw it in a box to be donated or given away.  Not so with Gullible's Travels.  I will likely read this again sometime.  So, on the shelf it goes.  

Good stuff.  Read it.  I'll let you borrow it if you promise to return promptly!