Mr. Apology and Other Essays

Rating:
Summary: A Potpourri of Well-Crafted Essays.
Review: Alec Wilkinson brings a stimulating read with "Mr. Apology and other essays;" most of the essays were previously published in "The New Yorker." The first part hosts a cast of eccentric characters that easily compete with Kramer's adventures on the TV show "Seinfeld." Wilkinson is able to delve into the core of an individual within the space of twenty pages or less. In "Elmore's Legs" we meet Gregg Sutter, the legman for crime-writer Elmore Leonard - the person who does Leonard's research. Wilkinson also explores what makes hockey goalie Mike Richter, drag-strip champion racer John Force and others tick.
In the second part the laughs taper off as a tone of seriousness envelops his reflections about his son who has many of the characteristics of Asperger's syndrome. "The world with its lights and intensities bears down on them with terrific force." He also warmly remembers his mentor, William Maxwell, an editor at "The New Yorker." Although the subjects are obviously close to his heart, he does not stray into sentimentality and is objective so much so that it seems like he is interviewing himself.
Within the third part Wilkinson examines the rule of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot as seen by two Cambodian women who are now mysteriously blind like numerous others from that tribulation period. The author effectively translates the daily horror and puts the reader in the women's vantage point. The text is needless to say, difficult at moments to digest. But his essay on John Wayne Gacy, convicted of killing thirty-three boys, the most in America, is ultra creepy; some of these passages you might want to skip entirely. However, even if you have a weak stomach, the rest of the essays should be considered compulsory reading due to the author's ability to articulate clearly each person's reason for being.


Rating:
Summary: an eclectic collection
Review: I picked up this book after enjoying some of Wilkinson's numerous "New Yorker" pieces. This collection is truly eclectic, covering subjects/people as diverse as Asperger's Syndrome, John Wayne Gacey, the Rolling Stones, an NHL goalie and survivors of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime. It was a bit difficult to get a concrete sense of Wilkinson's voice, but his breadth of coverage and respect for his topics/themes definitely showed in the essays. I especially liked how elegantly he managed to describe his feelings toward these topics. Worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: an eclectic collection
Review: I picked up this book after enjoying some of Wilkinson's numerous "New Yorker" pieces. This collection is truly eclectic, covering subjects/people as diverse as Asperger's Syndrome, John Wayne Gacey, the Rolling Stones, an NHL goalie and survivors of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime. It was a bit difficult to get a concrete sense of Wilkinson's voice, but his breadth of coverage and respect for his topics/themes definitely showed in the essays. I especially liked how elegantly he managed to describe his feelings toward these topics. Worth reading.