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Summary: Don't be duped -- nothing original here
Review: There's nothing much going on here, so I'm surprised why so many people find this book so interesting. Vowell's no deep thinker and there's nothing particularly funny about what she says. This book comes off as the mildly entertaining musings of someone you might meet at a party -- but not particularly want to see again. (And, oddly, despite a claim to have an essay on Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the inside of the dust jacket, no such essay in in this volume.)
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Summary: Nothing Cloudy about Sarah Vowell
Review: This book couldn't have come at a better time! We may be feeling a bit more patriotic these days due to certain events in our country, but we still need to laugh, and that includes being able to laugh at ourselves. Sarah Vowell's dry wit and humorous NPR commentary-like stories are a big help. I had listened to her a few times while channel surfing in the car, but caught her promoting her new book on David Letterman. I had to have it right away. Her outlook on U.S. history is both educational and quite amuzing. If you enjoy David Sedaris, then don't miss out on this NPR newcomer.
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Summary: A Familiar Voice in Dark Times
Review: This book is great! Vowell's voice is easy-going and fun, and it's like she's sitting on the couch telling you all about the lunchroom in the caves and teddy roosevelt and shooting hoops. This book's entertaining, if not neccessarily earth-shattering. Her essay about post-Sept 11th flag-waving is worth the price of admission.
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Summary: The Liberal Patriot
Review: Vowell's love for the left is trumped only by her love for civics. In this book she talks about he political ideas and times that they have made he think or act in a way that seems remarkable when translated to the page. Vowell lives what seems like a rather ordinary life, but her writing style allows you to identify with her and want to read more. Maybe it's when she delves into her personal life that keeps me reading, or maybe it's because her politics so closely match my own. Either way I couldn't put this book down until I was finished, and even after that I was quoting it to friends and making them sit down and read passages, sections, or the whole book.
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Summary: You'll Be Glad You Bought A Vowell
Review: Webster's Dictionary defines "droll" as "amusing in an odd or wry way." There are many adjectives for Sarah Vowell, but "droll" may be the best one-word description out there. In her second major collections of essays, the self-proclaimed nerd focuses on her strength ' a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of American history and politics. Never has literary criticism (the genre this book is lumped into) been less stodgy as Vowell tries to come to terms with the end of the Clinton era, the 2000 presidential election fiasco, and the aftermath of 9/11. Also discussed are such wide-ranging topics as the Salem witch trials to arcade (pop-a-shot) basketball to a couple of famous Toms (movie star Cruise and former Dallas Cowboys' coach Landry). I happily admit to laughing out loud several times (and learning a thing or two) while reading this intelligent and entertaining volume.For those unfamiliar with Vowell, I urge you to try and get a listen to her either in her regular gig on NPR or a book tour appearance/reading that is currently being aired on C-SPAN. Having Vowell's distinctive speaking voice in your head (she notes that she and Abraham Lincoln may share a similar oratory style -- "as squeaky as a six-year-old girl"), will only add to your reading enjoyment. A slight warning ' Vowell is a bleeding heart Democrat and she wears that heart proudly on her sleeve, so those with who do not have a similar political bent may have a tougher time stomaching some of the essays. Despite having a perpetual "partly cloudy" outlook of the world, there is also a palpable optimism that runs through Vowell's work. As she hilariously notes in one essay, her motto in any situation is "it could be worse." And, at times, that is not a bad way at all to get through some tough times.
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Summary: Vowell's Consonants
Review: You may know Sarah Vowell from NPR's This American Life. Her quirky commentaries are the highlight of the show for me. This book is a wonderful distillation of those qualities into text. She writes in a conversational style that draws the reader into her world. Her essays cover various topics from Gettysburg to Tom Cruise to Tom Landry. Through all this, her particular brand of self-deprecating humor shines in all of them. A self-proclaimed "civics nerd," this knowledge of politics feeds her world view. The centerpiece of this collection, "The Nerd Voice," is a twenty-plus-page look at the 2000 election, why Gore didn't win, and how she and her friends--all members of a web forum--felt about it. Upon noticing that Bob Dole is attending, seeing him comforts her in a way, and she feels he "symbolizes a simpler, more innocent time in America when you could lose the presidential election and, like, not actually become president." She likens the presidential race to the proverbial Jock vs. Nerd battle from school. Gore was seen as too smart, so he must be taken down. She then notes that the reason Bush was not shot during the attack on the Oval Office was because he was not working, but was in the White House gym instead, exercising. The title piece, "The Partly Cloudy Patriot," starts out as a review of the Mel Gibson film but metamorphoses into a commentary on the use of the word "patriot" following the events of September 11th and concludes with her views on the prevalence of flags, their symbolism, and why she doesn't want one stuck uninvited into her yard. The collection is slightly uneven but that has to be expected from a collection whose only discernible theme is "America." What is here is a wonderful new view of the world around us; one that is insightful, pointedly funny, and should open your mind to see things in a different way--the Sarah Vowell way. After all, who else would list the numerous people who almost daily compare themselves to civil rights icon Rosa Parks and point out the insanity of it all?
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