John Cage Ex(plain)ed [Paperback]

Richard Kostelanetz (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 194 pages
• Publisher: Schirmer Trade Books (April 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 002864526X
• ISBN-13: 978-0028645261
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #358,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( C ) > Cage, John

More About the Author

Individual entries on Richard Kostelanetz's work in several fields appear in various editions of Readers Guide to Twentieth-Century Writers, Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature, Contemporary Poets, Contemporary Novelists, Postmodern Fiction, Webster's Dictionary of American Writers, The HarperCollins Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature, Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Directory of American Scholars, Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in American Art, NNDB.com, Wikipedia.com, and Britannica.com, among other distinguished directories.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sadly tedious, April 12, 2007

By 

wagtail - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Cage Ex(plain)ed (Paperback)

It is difficult to describe how disappointing this book is or why the information is presented in such a repititious way. It appears to be a blend of interviews from many previous sources (including the author's) and this makes for a confusing read. When answers to specific questions about the performances of Cage's music include different recollections from various interviews within the same paragraph, you end up feeling like your reading a term paper rather than an insightful treatise. After 100 pages of this confusion and constant repetition, I gave up. I know Cage is compelling but you would not know it from this book.