Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste (33 1/3) [Paperback]

Carl Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2007

Non-fans regard Celine Dion as ersatz and plastic, yet to those who love her, no one could be more real, with her impoverished childhood, her (creepy) manager-husband s struggle with cancer, her knack for howling out raw emotion. There s nothing cool about Celine Dion, and nothing clever. That s part of her appeal as an object of love or hatred with most critics and committed music fans taking pleasure (or at least geeky solace) in their lofty contempt. This book documents Carl Wilson s brave and unprecedented year-long quest to find his inner Celine Dion fan, and explores how we define ourselves in the light of what we call good and bad, what we love and what we hate.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Brilliant." -- Alex Ross, author of The Rest is Noise

 

"It's fascinating stuff...By turns hilarious and heartwarming." -- Guardian Unlimited Arts blog, March 2008

 

"A wide-ranging book, one predicated on the possibility that what repels us may say more about us than what attracts us...[an] insightful, engaging, and unexpectedly moving book." -- The Globe and Mail, January 19, 2008

 

"An important study- not just of Dion and pop music but also of the changing nature of criticism in the popular realm." -- Bookforum, January 2008

 

"This could be the best book of the series...razor-sharp and unerringly intelligent." -- John Wenzel, The Denver Post

 

“The always critical and erudite Mr. Wilson actually approached Let's Talk About Love as a non-fan grappling with questions of "good" and "bad" taste... -- Idolator.com

 

“a rigorous, perceptive and very funny meditation on what happens when you realize that there's more to life than being hip, and begin to grapple with just what that "more" might be.” -- Montreal Gazette

 

“A book pondering the aesthetics of Celine risks going wrong in about 3,000 different ways...Instead, this book goes very deeply right.” --Sam Anderson, New York Magazine

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From the Back Cover

Punk, metal, even social-justice rock such as U2 or Rage Against the Machine, with their emphatic slogans of individuality and independence, are as much "inspirational" or "motivational" music as Céline's is, but for different subcultural groups. They are just as one-sided and unsubtle. Morally you could fairly ask what is more laudable about excess in the name of rage and resentment than immoderation in thrall to love and connection. The likely answer would be that Céline is conformist, quiescent, unsubversive. "Subversion" today is sentimentality's reverse: It is nearly always a term of approval. To show the subversiveness of a song, TV show or movie is tantamount to validating it, not just in pop criticism but in academic scholarship.

Tens of millions of people around the world love Céline Dion. Many millions more can't stand her. Why? Carl Wilson, by no means a Céline fan at the start of his quest, searches for the answer in this extraordinary book. Immersing himself in Dion's 1999 hit album Let's Talk About Love (the one with that Titanic song on it), he examines everything from Céline's Quebec roots to her enormous voice to her tear-jerking sentimentality. As Wilson strives to understand Céline's immense global popularity, he faces the question of what drives personal taste - and whether it's possible to change it.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Continuum Pub Group (December 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082642788X
• ISBN-13: 978-0826427885
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( D ) > Dion, Céline
  • #10 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Sheet Music & Scores > Forms & Genres > Popular
  • #33 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > History & Criticism

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Let's talk about a little book that packs a powerful punch..., December 11, 2007

By 

Cliff Milledge - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste (33 1/3) (Paperback)

When I took Introduction to Aesthetics in college, I wish we had a text as smart, accessible, funny, and just plain awesome as this little book on Celine Dion to introduce us to the material. What Wilson has done here with his approach to the subject of taste and tackiness is nothing less than stunning. It is a must read for people who write about music and those that love to read about it.

Nota bene: You need not be a fan of Celine Dion to love this book.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I've ever read!, February 28, 2009

By 

Phil the Hypothetical "musiclover44" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste (33 1/3) (Paperback)

It took over a year of hearing about this book before I finally caved in and bought it, and now I'm kicking myself that I didn't buy the book when it first came out! It's hard to do Carl Wilson's book justice when it has so much to say, and says it so beautifully. So let's start with the obvious: DO NOT LET THE SUBJECT MATTER TURN YOU OFF! Yes, it's a book about Celine, but it's so much more than that. It's warm, erudite, smart, funny, insightful, provocative, kind, approachable, and ultimately moving. Sure, I can see the argument that the whole concept is a bit of a stunt ("Look, everyone, I'm going to write a book about something I hate!") but when it's done this brilliantly, who cares? This is the kind of book that should be a best seller, and I really hope the author publishes another book soon.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful discussion of taste and Céline Dion, March 6, 2009

By 

Bradley G. Bechtel (San Bruno, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste (33 1/3) (Paperback)

Why is someone like Céline Dion so popular? What does her popularity say about those who love her music, and more importantly, those who are critical of her career? Carl Wilson takes on these subjects and others in thoughtful, appreciative look at taste, criticism, and almost incidentally her 1997 best-selling release, featuring "My Heart Will Go On".

This is thoughtful, erudite reading, one of my favorite books I've read this year. I'd recommend it for anyone who is into music of whatever kind. Sure, Wilson throws big words around. If that bothers you, get a dictionary and look them up.