Ruining It For Everybody (Paperback)

by Jim Knipfel (Author) "In April of 1997, the Red River, fed by the melting snows of an earlier blizzard, rose to fifty-four feet, a full twenty-six feet above..." (more)
Key Phrases: refrigerator box, New York, Grand Forks, John Doe (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Knipfel, a columnist for New York Press, opens this memoir with, "Whenever I hear the word 'spiritual,' I reach for my revolver." Dogged by "bad spirits," he cites a wicked laundry list of his physical and psychological ailments, beginning with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease; epilepsy; and paranoia and depression. The author catalogued much of this torment, both of the body and mind, in his previous books, Slackjaw and Quitting the Nairobi Trio. Here, he uses his dark, sardonic humor to examine his inner self, finding "failure of the spirit is the most dangerous kind of failure there is." Childhood obsessions of a "blinding white light" and the crucifixion evolve, as demons continue to plague the adult Knipfel with seizures, blackouts, suicide attempts and the evil influences of his friend Grinch, a sociopath who tries to get Knipfel to burn down a building with him. Fortunately, two other (more sane) friends, Laura and Morgan, humanize his rage and paranoia so he can get on with the "patterns" of daily existence. What makes this book enjoyable is not Knipfel's false opinion of just being "a simple... man with psychological and neurological problems," but rather the author's triumph in the face of often overwhelming health challenges. Witty, irreverent and full of black humor, this is a memoir of a troubled, talented soul who can laugh at himself while refusing to throw in the towel on life.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description
Praised by The New York Times for his "wicked black humor" and by Thomas Pynchon for putting readers on "an extraordinary emotional ride," Jim Knipfel has written about the failings of his body (Slackjaw) and the failings of his mind (Quitting the Nairobi Trio).

Now, in his third-and finest-memoir, Knipfel looks unflinchingly at his soul, and comes to some surprising conclusions in this anti-spirituality spiritual manifesto.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher (May 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585423378
• ISBN-13: 978-1585423378
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #602,197 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He's one of the best writers in America (a well-kept secret), May 15, 2004

By A Customer

You will inhale this book, possibly in one sitting. Great cover, but the odd, square packaging makes it look a bit like a gift-book. Look past that and buy this book, because it contains the writing of one of our most gifted writers. Knipfel is brilliant.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than Sedaris--but different, June 5, 2004

By A Customer

Um, giving Jim Knipfel one star because he's not like David Sedaris is absurd. Knipfel is better than Sedaris because he's darker and he's smarter. This is an extraordinary book for intelligent people. And you'll look cool reading it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as powerful., June 22, 2006

By	James Robert Smith (Matthews, NC United States) - See all my reviews

So far, this has been my least favorite Jim Knipfel book. The others were far more effective and easier to read. This one seemed strained, as if Knipfel is really trying to mine a played-out vein. The book has its moments, and it's very much worth reading, but it's just not as well written as his previous efforts. I can still recommend it, but if you want to read finer efforts from this very talented author, go for SLACKJAW, the best of his memoir work, and THE BUZZING, his novel, which is just purely a lot of fun.