Snark [Hardcover]

David Denby (Author)

Book Description

Release 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; First Edition edition (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 (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,327,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 58 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Factual Errors + No Humor = General Misunderstanding January 31, 2009

By EllenJay

Format:Hardcover

Denby had an interesting book idea, and given that I enjoy political satire and am interested in the way it was used on all sides during the last election cycle, I thought this might be a terrific read. Wrong. I'm not sure how Denby came to possess the many axes he wants to grind, but his criticisms are chockablock with factual errors. Not only did he need the services of basic fact-checking, but his own utter lack of a sense of humor means that he frequently misinterprets what he reads. If his complaint against some bloggers and media is that they attack people without reason and without careful adherence to standards of truthfulness, well... hypocrite, anyone? This is not worth your money; don't bother.

51 of 65 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars intellectually lazy January 31, 2009

By okm

Format:Hardcover

This is a work defined by intellectual laziness and poor grasp of subject matter. It is a fine example of false teleology; The author attempts to construct a chronology of a recent cultural episteme without full knowledge of its discursive history then completely illogically projects it back throughout time. Also, in addition to turgid prose, it is wrought with factual errors.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting mess February 26, 2009

By Julie H. Rose

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I agree with other reviewers that this book is a mess. At 121 pages, one would think an editor could have easily helped, but it appears that editing is becoming another lost art.

Denby rambles, rages, and contradicts himself frequently. Yet,unlike other reviewers, I enjoyed every page.

I agree with the book's premise (though, at times, Denby doesn't seem to agree with himself). Because of this, I could put up with this short book's many flaws.

And yes, Denby is an elitist. He seems to find "snark" perfectly fine when practiced by those with enough credentials (or an English accent). Honestly, I had to laugh at this bit of hypocrisy.

I must admit I found it refreshing to read such an imperfect book of ideas. I'm leaning towards congratulating Denby for exposing his thoughts in such a free-flowing manner, warts and all.

The subject of the degradation of public discourse is one that needs to be addressed. "Snark", at least, starts the conversation. It also reads like a conversation, which is another reason I found it compelling, even as I scoffed over one point or another.

If you enjoy cocktail party debate, you may enjoy this book. If you're looking for an intellectually consistent, well researched tome, pass it by. Goodness knows, everyone else is recommending you do just that.

Myself, I had a good time with this short romp. Denby obviously enjoyed writing this, and I didn't mind spending a few hours with him in print.