The Book Of Drugs: A Memoir (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
I almost didn't read this because the title makes it sound so unappealing - anyone who spends any time reading pop culture autobiography has certainly read junkie books and they get very repetitive after awhile - but I had faith in Doughty, whose book of poetry I enjoyed quite a bit when I read it. My faith was rewarded; there's a lot more to this book than just drug stories.Although the general trajectory of the story is familiar, the story is filled with odd anecdotes that are funny and compelling and exactly as long as they need to be. Doughty writes succinctly with an eye to the sublime and he often manages to achieve the proper balance between absurdity and warmth, which is tricky for skeptical writers. There's something breezy about his writing which makes the tangents seem just as compelling as the more dramatic moments of his life.This book was of particular interest to me because I liked Soul Coughing and I knew that Doughty hated the band, but I never felt like I had gotten a good explanation of why. His interview on Marc Maron's WTF podcast didn't get much farther than just asserting that they were all terrible people without really explaining how and why they were terrible. This book really clears up that mystery, giving concrete examples of dickishness that are probably funnier if you didn't have to live through them.That said, this is also a book about a man's experiences with drugs, so if you are sensitive to any of the cliches of drug books you should know that those are here. He doesn't get preachy, really, but the discussion of 12 step programs and the gifts they've given him is more sentimental than a lot of the other parts of the book (not unjustifiably so). Yea so I didn't know who Mike Doughty, or Soul Coughing for that matter, were when I read this book. Now I kind've wish I still didn't. I usually enjoy books about drugs. There's something that totally fascinates me about an addict or drug user and the things they do. This book was not that interesting except for the 20 or so pages near the middle where he actually talked about his big time use. The worst part of this entire reading experience is how I kept having the feeling Doughty was trying WAY too hard to impress the reader. I felt like he was trying to make a last attempt to have someone like him. It was pretty pathetic actually. He came off as whiny and arrogant and a complete asshole.
What do You think about The Book Of Drugs: A Memoir (2012)?
Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be rock stars.
—jumz
Went back and forth on if I liked this one or not...
—Matilda
Great memoir by the former leader of Soul Coughing.
—Nikki
