Let's Talk About Love: Why Other People Have Such Bad Taste (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
3.5/5 Not as consistent as I prefer a book to be. Begins as a rant for several chapters with little in the way or analysis. That came afterwards. It was quite good and informative but still tiresome to read through some personal accounts. I don't hate Celine Dion and I wasn't sure why someone would have such a strong reaction to her but I guess I'm going to reflect more on the music that I do have a gut aversion to.(Comment about my rating system. The dog book I mention is not comparable in content to this.) This book is not as good as What's a Dog For. The latter is much better but I've rated them both 3 stars. :( Some facts: Celine Dion has more talent than nearly every artist in your iTunes right now. Her performances reflect hard work and superb stagecraft, and her music, beloved by millions, speaks to timeless themes. She is reported to be a good and generous person who is loyal to her team and has kept her hometown ties. And yet people who are "in to" music, myself and the author included, respond to her work with visceral distaste, even sometimes to the edge of what's socially appropriate, and far exceeding anything we'd exhibit towards a work that was incompetent, lazy, mediocre, or terrible. What causes the intensity of that reaction? Is there a rational foundation by which to dislike Dion's music? Is there a rational foundation by which to prefer Green Day, or O.D.B., or Arcade Fire, or Tiny Tim, or Prokofiev, to hers? Why do professional music critics write about bands loved by the tens of thousands and (often) deride the music loved by tens of millions?The answers he explores are surprising and convincing, and even if you disagree, worth considering.This book changed the way I think about taste and art, and even moreso the way I react to other people's artistic choices and works.
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this might be one of the finest books I've ever read.
—sophie
