Noise and over 450,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
82 used & new from $0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Noise: Fiction Inspired by Sonic Youth
 
 
Start reading Noise on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.

Noise: Fiction Inspired by Sonic Youth (Paperback)

~ Peter Wild (Author)
Key Phrases: Sonic Youth, New York, Michael Chambers (more...)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

List Price: $13.99
Price: $12.59 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $1.40 (10%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Monday, March 22? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
48 new from $0.01 34 used from $0.01

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition $8.79  
Paperback $12.59  

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Goodbye 20th Century: A Biography of Sonic Youth by David Browne

Noise: Fiction Inspired by Sonic Youth + Goodbye 20th Century: A Biography of Sonic Youth
  • This item: Noise: Fiction Inspired by Sonic Youth by Peter Wild

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Goodbye 20th Century: A Biography of Sonic Youth by David Browne

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Editorial Reviews

Product Description

For more than twenty-five years, the antimelodic “noise” of Sonic Youth has assaulted us, exhilarated us, inspired us. Why?

Katherine Dunn says it's because they operate in the foggy world between the real and the surreal. Mary Gaitskill says that Sonic Youth caught her, years ago, when she was falling. J. Robert Lennon says it's because Sonic Youth rip it apart. Emily Maguire was hooked because once she was in love with chaos.

Their sound is caustic, elemental, nihilistic—and quite unlike any other cult band ever to achieve rock godhood. In Noise, twenty-one great literary voices offer short fiction based on or inspired by songs from Sonic Youth—a raucous coupling of music and literature featuring marrow-colored goo, severed hands and abandoned babies, Patty Hearst watching the apocalypse on TV, and other unruly images of the Zeitgeist.

Contributors
Hiag Akmakjian • Christopher Coake • Katherine Dunn • Mary Gaitskill • Rebecca Godfrey • Laird Hunt • Shelley Jackson • J. Robert Lennon • Samuel Ligon • Emily Maguire • Tom McCarthy • Scott Mebus • Eileen Myles • Catherine O'Flynn • Emily Carter Roiphe • Kevin Sampsell • Steven Sherrill • Matt Thorne • Rachel Trezise • Jess Walter • Peter Wild

About the Author

Peter Wild is the editor of a series of fiction anthologies based on the songs of rock and pop bands. His articles and fiction have appeared in The Independent (London), The Guardian (London), The Big Issue, Word Riot, NOÖ Journal, and 3:AM magazine.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Perennial (January 6, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061669296
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061669293
  • Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #423,425 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Inside This Book (learn more)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
5.0 out of 5 stars Effectively exudes Sonic Youth's sensations, March 12, 2009
Reviewed by Rachel Riebeling Durfor for RebeccasReads (3/09)

If you've ever listened to Sonic Youth before, you'd understand the plethora of adjectives that come to mind when attempting to describe their sound: unusual, surprising, versatile, puzzling, experimental. Those just came right off the top of my head, but if I were looking for one word to accurately capture the essence of Sonic Youth, it would have to be "Noise," which is, incidentally, the perfect title for this collection of short stories inspired by the band.

Any of the abovementioned terms would also do well to describe the stories found in this anthology, which is one of the reasons it's been a little difficult to review. Some of the stories within definitely lay claim to the puzzling aspect of the collection, while others project their meaning with palpable clarity. I found the entire collection to be a little experimental, almost avant-garde, another term that is often associated with Sonic Youth.

I enjoyed the stories within immensely (though some more than others), including the extreme diversity of the writing styles and subject matters. Of course, you could never accuse Sonic Youth of being derivative, and like the stories in "Noise," their songs and albums differ greatly. Sonic Youth are constantly reinventing themselves, and "Noise" effectively exudes the sensations that they have managed to inspire in fans for more than a quarter of a century.

I've noticed that the editor of "Noise," Peter Wild, is also responsible for "Perverted by Language: Fiction inspired by The Fall," and "Paint a Vulgar Picture: Fiction inspired by The Smiths." I think it's a fascinating concept he's employing, and I must say that in musical taste, I've found an affinity with Peter Wild.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Stories, Just Not As Good As The Original Inspiration, February 20, 2009
While the collection of short stories contained within //Noise// is, overall, quite good, its downfall is that the majority of the writing does not live up to or surpass the song-writing of the band from which the stories are inspired. Sonic Youth, one of the most influential and important groups of the past few decades, easily shines beyond 90% of the book.

That is not to say that any of it is terrible, or even bad. In fact, it's all quality work, and a few are standout stories that make you say "Damn..." But, the Sonic Youth set such a high standard that when basing fiction off of their work, simply doing well is not enough. In spite of that fact, /Noise/ is still a worthwhile read, as a few of the stories give not only a new, but an interesting spin on some of the ideas and themes found within Sonic Youth's music.

Reviewed by Jordan Dacayana
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   





Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.