But Enough About You

Essays

De: Christopher Buckley

Narrado por: Bob Walter

An extraordinary wide-ranging collection of essays with “distinctive wordplay and quirky opinions…Christopher Buckley is good company whether you’re looking for two quick pages and a smile, or want to linger” (The New York Times Book Review).

Christopher Buckley, like his terrific volume But Enough About You, contains multitudes. Tackling subjects ranging from “How to Teach Your Four-Year-Old to Ski” to “A Short History of the Bug Zapper,” and “The Art of Sacking” to literary friendships with Joseph Heller and Christopher Hitchens, he is at once a humorous storyteller, astute cultural critic, adventurous traveler, and irreverent historian.

Reading these essays is the equivalent of being in the company of a tremendously witty and enlightening companion. Praised as “both deeply informed and deeply funny” by The Wall Street Journal, Buckley will have you laughing and reflecting in equal measure. This is a rare combination of big ideas and truly fun writing.

Reseñas de la Crítica

[A] dizzying display of versatility. As a longtime fan of Buckley’s comic novels (10 at last count), I came away from this book with tremendous respect — yes indeed, respect — for his ability to switch (apparently seamlessly) from one form to another, the prose enlivened by his distinctive wordplay and quirky opinions. He is good company whether you’re looking for two quick pages and a smile, or want to linger over his nuanced character assessment of his former employer, Vice President George H. W. Bush.

[O]ne of the funniest and most insightful writers in America... The word I wrote most often in my notes as I read the book was 'hilarious.'

Witty and irreverent.

Prone to benign mischief, a literary twinkle in the eye, Buckley nails his targets....

[Buckley] excels in parodies of newspaper corrections, travel tips for small-aircraft passengers, and the comedic dystopia of an imagined inaugural speech from President Donald Trump.

A geyser of comedy for three decades.

This collection of Buckley’s essays perfectly showcases and draws upon his many writerly voices… these are among his very best efforts…His thoughts are pithy, trenchant, and perspicacious, and for all that, his essays are seasoned with a light dusting of self-deprecation, the secret to this book’s exceptional charm…sublimely addicting.

Even with more than 450 pages and almost 100 essays, you’ll want more of Buckley’s astute observations of the human condition that will make you chuckle, laugh loudly or seriously consider the points made throughout the book. Read it straight through from beginning to end, or just pick it up at any point and you’ll discover what clever and invigorating writing can do for your spirit.

Enormously readable.

The great thing about But Enough About You is that if one essay is not to your liking, surely the next one will suit you. Buckley has had such a wide range of experiences in his travels, writing career, political experience, and his circle of friends that it seems he has no end of interesting anecdotes. His life is more interesting than most, and he writes movingly and brilliantly about it… You just have to admire a writer who is as comfortable writing about a visit to Auschwitz or a tribute to Joseph Heller as he is writing about his incompetence as a ski instructor for his 7-year-old son, or a fake questionnaire for vice presidential candidates.

[Buckley is] an esteemed humorist, traveler, and an irreverent historian. He is extremely gifted and as one goes from essay to essay, one is treated to reading his insights, friends such as authors Joseph Heller and Christopher Hitchens, dinner at the Reagan White House, flying a Cessna through Alaskan mountains, working aboard a freighter, gardening, and other topics galore… Reading Buckley, for aspiring writers, is a lesson in how to observe life and write about it in a superb fashion.

Generally interesting

Where does But Enough About You rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Around the middle--this one, being a compilation of the author's previous works, isn't suspenseful or exciting, but it is well done and, for the most part, interesting. Some satire, some history--just a collection of previous short works.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Some of the author's descriptions of travel. The least interesting was the sad fact that Buckley is, frankly, a bit of a name-dropper and something of an elitist--sad, really. But, considering that many of the articles are taken from his Forbes fluff-pieces, that's the sort of thing that does appeal to that demographic. Also, some of his faux lists or questionnaires fall short of the satirical mark they aim for. Fortunately, Buckley is an excellent writer with a remarkable command of the language, and for the most part that saved the day--IMO, 70% of the thing was excellent, 30% was a bit tired or reaching. Not a bad ratio, all things considered.

What does Bob Walter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His tone was great at all times; his pauses well-considered; his pronunciations of foreign words excellent--he imbued the material with a life it would not have otherwise had.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not by a long shot. When he goes on a name-dropping spree, you really need a break. Even one article that appears to want to satirize the whole name-dropping thing (quite reminiscent of JP Donleavy's Unexpurgated Code) was a bit odd because it appears that Buckley doesn't fully realize he's been doing that the whole time, as if the list of his "good friends" somehow validates him in a way the popularity of his prose does not.

Any additional comments?

Buckley is a well-educated and thoughtful writer, but those expecting purely satirical works may be disappointed.