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Snark [Hardcover]

David Denby (Author)
2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews) |

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Hardcover, Bargain Price $6.38   -- --
Hardcover, January 13, 2009 --   -- --
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Audio, CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged $15.59   -- --
Audible Audio Edition, Unabridged $11.95 or Free with Audible 30-day free trial

Book Description

Publication Date: January 13, 2009
• An acclaimed and thoughtful author: David Denby has been writing insightful film reviews since the 1970s. Formerly a columnist for The Atlantic and New York magazine, he has been with The New Yorker for the past decade. His nonfiction account of Western literature, Great Books , has been praised for its intelligence and breadth of scope..

• A biting polemic on the cultural tone of today: Snark tells the story of that nasty combination of snide and sarcasm that goes beyond irony and satire to just plain ugliness. Snark erupts from the mouths of politicians and pundits, from bloggers and newscasters, and from comedians too lazy to be truly funny. It’s the cheap shot that hits below the belt. It’s everywhere, and according to Denby, it’s damaging to everyone it touches. .

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

[Audio Review] New York Times best-selling author Denby (Great Books), a staff writer for The New Yorker, here presents a detailed and enjoyable argument regarding snark, today's ever-prevalent combination of snide and sarcasm. He traces the history of snark through the ages, defines it into subcategories (e.g., literary snark equals satire), and divides contemporary snark into acceptable and unacceptable categories based on his personal assessments. Six-time Audie Award nominee William Dufris (The Futurist) gives a terrific read, his tone and pacing bordering on the snark-astic. Highly recommended for adult audiences. Cliff Glaviano, Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OH --Library Journal --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

David Denby has been film critic and staff writer at The New Yorker since 1998; prior to that he was film critic of New York magazine. His reviews and essays have also appeared in The New Republic, The Atlantic, and The New York Review of Books. He lives in New York City.
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster (January 13, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1416599452
  • ISBN-13: 978-1416599456
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,101,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's David Denby Page
David Denby
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Lazy writing, Lazy points February 1, 2009
By Brigid
Format:Hardcover
The very fact that Denby would choose to "take on the snarkers" by being snarky about them undercuts his point. If he truly finds the form so distasteful why is it good enough for those he disagrees with. Additionally he doesn't seem to understand what "snark" really is. This reads like someone who doesn't get it rather than any kind of serious cultural critique. It also features some serious factual errors that serve to undercut his point even further. When coupled with the lazy sexism inherent in some of his points (any woman who writes anything mean about another woman has some form of "cat fight syndrome," it's true) it makes the book nearly unreadable.
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54 of 68 people found the following review helpful
Just so I understand... January 31, 2009
Format:Hardcover
...Snark is a detrimental philosophical outlook because it viciously attacks without reason. Writing books about snark however, where the author attacks only those with whom he disagrees, is an honest, noble calling? How is using a narrow personal interpretation of the world, while utterly ignoring the relative merits of a person's argument, a just cause?

This waste of paper would be illogical enough if he only set up the battle lines between liberal and conservative, an already idiotic delineation. But attacking fellow liberals for supposedly attacking other liberals? Brilliant.

With the fundamental concept of the book being such a shocking failure, it's just nitpicking to mention the mountains of simple factual errors. But, god forbid a member of the mainstream media bother with simple fact checking.

Wait, was that snarky?
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31 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is worth reading only - repeat only -- as a example of a reviewer/commentator who completely misunderstands his subject matter; utterly fails the basics of research/fact checking; and mistakes his own ignorance of modern society for legitimate issues.

A much more interesting book would be something along the lines of "Why Denby Failed: Intellectual Pretense and The Decline of Criticism."

Or something.

But the bottom line remains the same: Don't waste your money on this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Rambling nonsense read in an annoying voice
I knew I was in trouble when the book kicked things off by stating that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert do not use snark. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Aaron Silverman
This book has the dubious honor...
...of being only the second book I have ever thrown in the garbage, so that no one else would waste a moment of their precious time reading my copy. Read more
Published 10 months ago by lovemydanes
The Entire Book In One Sentence
Whenever a conservative makes a comment, it is mean-spirited and 'snark'; whenever a liberal makes a comment it is well-reasoned and insightful brilliance.
Published 21 months ago by Boiler
A snark within a Snark
What a lame excuse this book was for Denby to weave in a range of random cheap shots at people and groups he resents, for whatever reasons. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Heavy Reader
An Extended Essay Would Have Been Better
....Although an extended essay is really what this little book is. I agree with those who say "snark" is truly ill-defined, but I think dumbing-down, which is what is really being... Read more
Published 22 months ago by letters2mary
Denby : Snark :: Morissette : Irony
Denby's ostensible three-pronged assignment as the author of Snark is to:

(1) Define snark
(2) Argue that snark is, by and large, intellectually and morally... Read more
Published on May 6, 2010 by Mooph Magjik
Snarky on snark
Denby's pushing some snark at us in the guise of explaining how snark is deteriorating civil discourse and reducing our ability to understand and relate to one another's ideas. Read more
Published on March 28, 2010 by Eva Lyford
Snark on Snark
Denby is basically right on the idea that snark, which is a form of rudeness that rivals sarcasm as wit's poorest cousin, has gotten beyond the reasonable application. Read more
Published on March 24, 2010 by Ted Burke
Snark by David Denby
Well, it's about time... Finally, somebody had the perspicacity to dig into the cultural/linguistic phenomenon that has been raging ever since the blogosphere exploded where... Read more
Published on March 12, 2010 by BlogOnBooks
WONDERFUL BOOK
I love this book, it is refreshing after an onslaught of afternoon TV and gossip rags which I took part in recently. (Never again. Read more
Published on March 3, 2010 by Contra Factum
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Surprise Me!
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David Denby, New York, Private Eye, Barack Obama, Highly Intermittent History, Modest Proposal, East Side, Maureen Dowd, Hillary Clinton, The Dunciad, United States, The Hunting of the Snark, Jedediah Purdy, Bill O'Reilly, Tom Cruise, Juicy Campus, Vanity Fair, Cap'n Bob, Tom Wolfe, Black Panther, Radical Chic
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