kwugirl's review
3.0
I was a bit surprised by how recent some of the examples referenced in this book are and then later saw it was only published in 2013--for some reason, I felt like I'd been reading about Virginia Postrel's investigations into glamour for years before then, through fashion/sewing/feminism blogs and such. Then I got the book, and it's in a wider format with large margins and photos, so it kind of presents itself as like a coffee table book at first. But then in the reading, it's actually quite academic in tone. There are lots of really interesting discussions back and forth, but ultimately it's still a struggle for me to get through books that are that academic in their approach to a subject. Seems like it would've been great to read it as part of a class that somehow combined marketing/celebrity culture/art appreciation etc.
sigo's review
5.0
Never have I been so thoughtful to the idea of "glamour" that pervades our entire society. Virginia Postrel's book "The Power of Glamour" offers a complete and comprehensive answer to the question "what is glamour?" This book is great for sociologists studying the American culture, or anyone who wonders why a car ad makes you yearn to be someone that you aren't. I came into this book expecting it to be mainly pictures of glamorous people with a vapid account of why beautiful people are best kind of people, but with the very first sentence Postrel's writing held me captive. The book accounts the full scope of what could be considered "glamorous" from Marilyn Monroe to the Star Ship Enterprise and the power that glamour has over the viewer. Overall, this is a very informative book and a wonderful read.
postcorporeal's review
2.0
made me feel insane and/or psychopathic
and like i should be reading more berger and didion
and like i should be reading more berger and didion
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