Customer Reviews

Esquire (1-year)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

In their memorable October 2008 issue, Esquire celebrated their 75th anniversary. To commemorate the event they published an experimental limited-edition of the issue that featured something called electronic ink, with moving words and flashing images. My copy wasn't one of the lucky ones, but it was proof that this venerable publication wasn't behind the times.

This had been a magazine that I had previously bought the occasional issue to read in airport terminals while traveling, or in lobbies while waiting to keep an appointment. Had often thought about subscribing, but for one reason or another hadn't done it. I subscribed during one of those opportunities here on Amazon when the price was too good to pass up, and am glad that I did.

The magazine: their 200-page December 2008 issue had the expected plethora of ads, but also had some excellent recipes for chili, of all things, along with an amazingly creative gift guide. There was an interesting article about how Jaguar had been sold by Ford to India's Tata Motors and the effect that it would have on that carmaker. The issue also celebrated the innovators who are leading the way to a better world for all of us.

The March 2009 issue listed the top fifty songs that we should be listening to, and the diversity of their choices was surprising. No spoilers here; just look it up, even online, as they have a great Web presence to compliment their written articles. They offered suggestions on how we could create and maintain a better, greener environment, not just in a philosophical sense but with some innovative product suggestions as well. From that article I now know about Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap, a 100% organic product that has been around since WW II. We learn something new every day.

I have no problem with their ads, as here in this digital age they contribute to keeping the cost of this publication down. Their articles are tight and concise, often filled with more humor than one might expect from a magazine that's been around for so long.

Check the deals here. It's as good as it was in your father's or grandfather's day, only far more up to date... and actually even better.

Each issue of Esquire is like this: 30 pages of ads for expensive clothing, cars, cologne, and stuff like that before you even get to the table of contents. Then, in no particular order, you have an article about a celebrity you have absolutely no interest in, a feature about some clothing company or gadgets or something like that that you think is a really long ad (but isn't. Well, not officially.), a pictorial of some female celebrity you have never heard of, and one or two readable articles (these usually come in the form of short fiction or humor). Oh, and a lot more ads.

If you're thinking about subscribing to this because it's cheap and you just want something to read on the toilet or whatever, don't do that to yourself. Just spend a few extra dollars and subscribe to Mental Floss. If you want to have forgettable pop culture rammed down your throat and ads for all the latest gadgets and clothing so you can buy all that stuff so then when people come over to your swingin' secret agent pad they can look at your stuff and go "Damn, this guy's as cool as the people in magazine ads," then you should totally subscribe to this.

This is not just a magazine for men. I'm a woman and I enjoy the articles in this magazine. I recently read an article about a foreign journalist who wrote about a serial murderer who may have been the murderer himself. That was fascinating. There are also really good in-depth interviews of interesting men. I've also found good leads for books to read, music to listen to and movies to watch. My husband has me buy his clothes so even all the clothing ads are not wasted on me. I am enjoying ESQUIRE a lot more than most women's magazines.

I hadn't read Esquire for a few years, but remembered it as being a great mixture of satire, fashion, and just interesting articles. When the opportunity to subscribe for a year for $2 presented itself, I couldn't resist. The magazine has changed somewhat, but the features that have not been continued have been replaced with other interesting things. It's a great read. I'm very happy with it.

It wasn't long ago that I had no previous experience with Esquire, but I'd been led to believe that it had more substance than GQ, which had always seemed a little shallow in content to me. While it's true that Esquire strives to offer more literary content than GQ, the result is only slightly better than Maxim, except that it targets men instead of teenage boys. I've been receiving Esquire for a year now and I have to say that I'm surprised by how much this magazine has disappointed me in that time.

To put it simply, if you want to follow men's fashion, subscribe to GQ. If you want content for teenage boys, subscribe to Maxim or Mad Magazines. If you want literature, news or political commentary, there are a plethora of options available and most all of them do a better job than Esquire. In it's current form, Esquire is a whole lot of nothing with it's smart-alec quips that seem to come from middle-aged men going through an identity crisis, un-enlightening stories that never seem to tell you anything and a scant smattering of men's fashion content. This is a magazine that attempts to do too much and does none of it very well.

My advice to Esquire publishers would be to stick with men's fashion content -- especially by concentrating on fashion-related articles, advice, tips, etc -- and stay away from competing in the political and social arenas, where you're far outmatched. To be fair, I actually read several of your magazines from cover to cover and not once did I ever read a single story without wishing that I hadn't wasted my time. The topics are often intriguing, but the articles, themselves, always left me empty and without the answers seemingly promised by the titles. This is why I said that Esquire is a whole lot of nothing.

I am giving Esquire four stars because it is so cheap, and occasionally features well written award winning articles. In general, each issue is filled with ads that serve to subsidize the cost of the magazine to subscribers. Which is why I am getting this magazine at less than $0.40 an issue, which doesn't even cover postage. I subscribe to Esquire for the occasional article that is insightful and illuminating. You get what you pay for.

Pros
- Cheap
- Literary Tradition
- Occasionally features well written articles

Cons
- Full of Ads
- Most articles are boring

I bought this as a substitiute for a Vanity Fair & GQ subscriptions that had ended. I like the editorial aspects much better. I also look forward to certin sections each month. I will resuscribe when the time comes.

This is one of the best magazines out there. The articles and advice are good. I really enjoy the jokes and the 10 Things You Don't Know About Women features every month.

Esquire is the only magazine I subscribe to. The pictures are nice, the articles are even better, covering a range of topics from fashion, women, politics, to current events, social issues, and more! It definitely tries to target a more sophisticated audience than its rival magazines, GQ & Details. Plus, you can never go wrong with Chuck Klosterman, whose almost-monthly contributions alone make this magazine a worthy subscription.

I first subscribed to Esquire five years ago as part of a package subscription that got me Esquire, FHM, Maxim, and Stuff for a ONE LOW PRICE!!!. After a few issues of the other magazines, they became nothing more than an annoyance, and I would frequently throw them in the recycling bin before even reading through them. Esquire, however, made a subscriber out of me. The magazine is funny throughout. They do a great job of writing in a very specific, dryly amusing tone that permeates all the articles and makes everything a joy to read. They have many regular features I look forward to, but I also am consistently impressed with the top notch choice of topics their feature articles cover, and the writing within them. My only complaint would be that I would like to see more fiction. When they do publish fiction, it is always of quality, and it makes the dry spells that much harder to endure.

As another endorsement, I would also like to mention that I literally have never had someone over at my house who has not enjoyed reading Esquire. Friends, girlfriends, party-goers, parents, siblings, and even one time a cable internet installation guy. Everyone loves Esquire. I highly recommend this publication.