bookchew's review against another edition
4.0
Take your time with this one, reading an article or two then setting it aside. Jon Ronson does some brilliant journalistic work in this collection of essays about the bizarre, the extraordinary, the oddities lurking in our communities and our pop culture. Topics range from Sylvia Browne to Stanley Kubrick, from religious conversion seminars to experimental arts and sciences. Fascinating stories all told with the calm, wry wit that makes Jon Ronson so compelling. 4/5 stars for intriguing tales, deft writing, and genuine laughs. Love Jon Ronson!
marpesea's review against another edition
3.0
Occasionally this is excellent, but compared to Ronson's other titles, this one falls short. A few of the essays dragged on while others were recycled from other places. Not a bad listen , but I'd recommend The Psychopath Test or So You've Been Publicly Shamed first.
jcschildbach's review against another edition
4.0
Covering topics from Insane Clown Posse to pedophilia to cruise ship deaths, and much more, Ronson manages to engage and entertain, but definitely with a dark edge. Arguably, some of the pieces about court cases and tabloid scandals are written with an assumption that the reader has at least a passing knowledge of the background stories and people involved, which caused some lapses in my attentiveness. There were also some pieces that had pretty involved premises which might have been better served by expanding them to book-length explorations of topics like how people are targeted for credit card offers, or what it's like living on different rungs of the income ladder. For the most part, though, Ronson's writing is very distinct and concise in voice and imagery, which left me marveling at how he gained access to some of the people and places involved--like rummaging through files at Stanley Kubrick's home--and glad that he decided to share those experiences.
taylorskye's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
morgs777's review against another edition
Not my favorite Ronson work; but quite good nonetheless. Especially enjoyed the North Pole, cruise, and Sylvia Brown essays.
susbro's review against another edition
5.0
Anyone who has been around me for the past couple of weeks knows how much I love this book. I've been talking about it non-stop. Although I read several of these articles when they appeared in The Guardian, they have been updated and expanded. The stories range from ridiculous to heartbreaking.
mistercrow's review against another edition
4.0
Great book. Some of the stories were very interesting and other times I found myself a bit wary. Some of the people were clearly mad and I started to think whether Ronson's was trying to get his audience to laugh at some of these people (who clearly needed help?)
Although for the most part it was an interesting read and made me very intrigued. I loved having to discover about Mosaic and the likes. I found that story entirely creepy and disturbing! So, for that, I would say this is a must read!
Although for the most part it was an interesting read and made me very intrigued. I loved having to discover about Mosaic and the likes. I found that story entirely creepy and disturbing! So, for that, I would say this is a must read!