audiobook Look Back in Anger by John Osborne in Arts-Photography

Review

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Interesting; Engaging Book About an Under-Documented PhenomenonBy RocketRaccoonIts a wonderful little book about a cultural phenomenon that I was unaware of; but now totally convinced of. The book follows a narrative arc; documenting what Spitz calls a "canon" of Twee; i.e. the biggest forerunners and examples of the Twee aesthetic in film; television; literature; and perhaps above all; music. It was interesting to hear in-depth discussion about familiar names such as Wes Anderson; The Smiths; and Belle and Sebastian; and also interesting to find out about musicians; authors; and filmmakers whom I had never heard of; indeed; the book provides quite a reading/viewing/listening list (literally; at the back of the book).I would have liked to see a little bit more departure from the narrative arc; to flesh out the concept of "Twee" a little bit more; how does it intersect with the concepts of indie and hipster? Are they synonymous? Does one concept encompass the others? Spitz also sometimes departs into heavy-handed social commentary; deriding Twee and its icons for being too explicitly white; upper-middle class. The ending of the book; however; praises Twee and; in a sort of guilty way; claims that it is the way of the future. One can tell that Spitz is a bit conflicted; but it would have been nice to see him flesh these ideas out more instead of just sticking to the narrative arc.All in all; its a very interesting read; especially for those who will get some of the pop-cultural references (and if you were aware of pop culture at any point since the 50s; youll get some of them). If you are like me; it may also cause you to do some self-reflection and realize; "I think I might be Twee!" Definitely buy and read this book if you are interested in any aspect of pop-culture at all or in what your connection to broader culture is; its fairly short; well-written; and above all; a fun read.4 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Timely analysis; with a few gapsBy vladbIve been waiting for years for a book on the Twee phenomenon; so understandably I was quite excited about this. This book explores the meaning of Twee as the author sees it; and briefly introduces its icons. Of course; everyone has their own opinion on who should be included in the Twee pantheon. I thought that some of Marcs choices were spot-on; and others more questionable. "Maus" has anthropomorphic animals in suits; one of the Twee style landmarks; but to call the whole work Twee is a bit far fetched. On the other hand; Maureen Tucker and Edward Gorey are important early influences who are given their dues here.My one peeve; though; is that the book doesnt go far enough in time in search of Twee roots. "Ferdinand the Bull" is a great place to start; but a late one. The Romantic period with its "Sorrows of Young Werther" and the Victorian era with its celebration of childhood as a distinct life phase; its proliferation of facial hair; its "put a bird on it" cluttered aesthetic; and its commercialization of old-timey music deserved a whole chapter; I think. Second edition; perhaps?There are other omissions: in the 20th century; Winnie The Pooh (1926) is only mentioned once. Joseph Cornells (the ultimate outsider artist) collages and boxes are less well known; but probably as influential as Goreys art.In any case; Im grateful for "Twees" release; a work on the subject was long overdue. Hopefully; others will follow.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. EntertainingBy Tort LawyerVery entertaining- lots of references to music and movies I was unaware of and turned me onto some good "new" stuff. If you are simply looking to be entertained this is a great read.