The Philosophy Of Andy Warhol (From A To B And Back Again) (1977) - Plot & Excerpts
1. I decided to read this book because I am interested in Andy Warhol and his influence upon the current world and the commercialist mindset. I recently watched a documentary on him and he seemed like a very interesting and possibly neurotic kind of person, and I really enjoy delving into the minds and ideas of people who live in an altered reality.2. This book completes the "diary, biography or autobiography" category in wider reading. Although it is not strictly any of these things, it contains biographical information and reports about things that have happened in his life. I enjoy reading this category because I love to see the world through the eyes of another, in particular people who are regarded as highly intelligent and innovative.3. An idea I found particularly interesting in this book was Warhol's idea of consumerism. He indulged in spending and buying things he did not particularly need, only to throw them away at the months end. I found this interesting because it directly conflicts with my beliefs that consumerism will be the downfall of us all and is ruining the economy and greatly widening the gap between rich and poor. Warhol believes that because the rich and poor are both buying the same products, such as Coca Cola, it doesn't really make a difference. Everyone is drinking the same coca cola, and no coca cola is better than any others, therefore everyone is coming closer together through consumerism. I found this very interesting because it puts a new spin on a topic I am interested in.4. A quote I found interesting in this book was "Sometimes people let the same problem make them miserable for years when they could just say, 'So what.'". This shows Warhol's idea of getting on with life and not letting small things bother you. I think that this is important to remember because if you let things that happened in the past get you down, you're going to forget to live your real life and have fun with what you're doing.5. Something that I learned from this book is that consumerism is not always a bad thing, and can sometimes help the world become more equal. I think this is important because otherwise you could find yourself becoming more and more obsessive over stupid things, and it's more important just to get out there and live your life.
The Philosophy of Andy Warhol is essential reading for Warhol fans because it's filled with Warhol's views on life, money, art, film, fashion and most importantly, himself. Portions of the book are about as close as we're going to get to a full-blown autobiography, Warhol Diaries notwithstanding.He goes back in time to when he was a kid in school and picked on for his bad skin and awkward looks, which explains his cool detachment in general as a defense mechanism. Also poignant are his recollections of being a successful commercial artist.For all the talk about Warhol being an enigma it's a genuine surprise to read Warhol's confession of being a very shy, withdrawn person. His accounts of The Factory Years shows him being somewhat smothered by scores of nutty kids who spent more time there than he did. While he punched in from 10 am to 10 pm every day many "workers" moved in and wouldn't leave, according to him. I was also amused to read that rock & roll wasn't played there but Maria Callas records. Heh!But if the book does have anything shocking up its sleeve it's Warhol's candor in discussing his being shot, recalled several times during the book. "The worst, most cruel review of me that I ever read was the Time Magazine report of me getting shot". "Right when I was being shot and ever since, I knew that I was watching television". Unfortunately, two-thirds into the book Warhol runs out of philosophical gems and simply transcribes several long-winded and tedious conversations that would tire out a speed freak, so he loses a star or two. Highly recommended for Warhol fans.
What do You think about The Philosophy Of Andy Warhol (From A To B And Back Again) (1977)?
This book is (probably) my most favorite book of all time ever. There were at least three years of my life where every decision I made was influenced by this book. In fact, I wrote down my favorite lines in a sketchbook so that if I ever lost my copy of the book (or loaned it to the wrong person), I could still find the wisdom.I can't say that this is a book for everyone, and reading reviews written by peers on this site have confirmed this. BUT I can say this is an incredible read for incredible people; Or incredible to read in the right circumstances.
—Sissy
Warhol's persona here is at times enjoyable, at times pithy, at times profound, at times absurd, at times concerned with triviality (underwear brands), etc. Warhol's superficiality and the moments when he simply records the "buzz" he surrounded himself with (a B talking on the phone about how she cleans her house for pm an entire chapter, for example) can get a little depressing/spiritually draining. When you read a book you expect certain things; don't expect that here with Warhol. He subverts as usual.
—Emily
I read a year later that Andy Warhol didn't even write this. Two staff members of his Interview magazine did it based on things Andy said and the way he was. But I loved and related to a lot of the ideas in the book or at least thought they were brilliant in their eccentricity. I really like the part about there are two kinds of people- people who are totally into having sex and are just so into it and the people who can't ever get into because they are so caught up in the idea of "I am having sex". I think this is a pretty fair and correct assessment. And I'm not sure if it was in here or in Holy Terror (written by one of the ghost-authors of this) where he talks about using a new perfume every 6 months and then discarding it so that scent reminds him of all of the things that happened in that period and whenever he smells it, the memories from that time will come back. I love it.
—Amber
