I've always enjoyed the films of John Waters. Even Pecker, which seems to divide his fans. The movies are funny, outrageous, and even oddly endearing. Especially Hairspray, which has become one of the most beloved movies in our culture.
I like John's books, too. I read Shock value early on, and I found it to be entertaining and a fascinating look into a unique creative mind. The essays in Crackpot are fun. Role Models has good sections, as well as a few that leave me flat cold. I like Carsick a lot.
Now we have Mr. Know-It -All, a book which ostensibly teaches weird young people how to be successful. It's more of a look back at the Waters movies and an indulgence into his obsessions. All right, I can get with that.
Shock Value dealt with John's films up to Desperate Living, and Mr. Know-It-All takes it from there, starting with Polyester. A good beginning point, as I think Polyester is one of his funniest movies.
My favorite parts of Mr. Know-It-All are the chapters that focus on John's personal recollections behind the scenes of his movies. Reading this stuff makes it seem miraculous that he even has had a career at all.
Other chapters are highly enjoyable, such as one about music. I like the chapter where he, a seventy-year-old man, drops acid for the first time in decades. No one can say that John Waters isn't a trouper. The one about public speaking is entertaining.
Then there are ones that I liked less. A chapter about monkey art comes painfully to mind. As does one about an imaginary bad restaurant. I found it to be more tiresome than funny.
I do like John Waters. I happily purchased Mr. Know-It-All. He's a funny guy and I really enjoyed seeing his This Filthy World live show a few years ago. And while I do recommend this book, I think it might be a good idea to break it up. Read a few chapters, take a break and knock out a novel or two, then return for a couple more. I found the immersion into his brain for such an extended reading time to be more than a bit wearying, and I know that I personally would have gotten more pleasure out of it in smaller bites.
Obviously, if you like John Waters and his movies, it's a sure bet you'll like Mr. Know-It-All. If you don't, this book is not going to change your mind.
Review by Mark Sieber
I like John's books, too. I read Shock value early on, and I found it to be entertaining and a fascinating look into a unique creative mind. The essays in Crackpot are fun. Role Models has good sections, as well as a few that leave me flat cold. I like Carsick a lot.
Now we have Mr. Know-It -All, a book which ostensibly teaches weird young people how to be successful. It's more of a look back at the Waters movies and an indulgence into his obsessions. All right, I can get with that.Shock Value dealt with John's films up to Desperate Living, and Mr. Know-It-All takes it from there, starting with Polyester. A good beginning point, as I think Polyester is one of his funniest movies.
My favorite parts of Mr. Know-It-All are the chapters that focus on John's personal recollections behind the scenes of his movies. Reading this stuff makes it seem miraculous that he even has had a career at all.
Other chapters are highly enjoyable, such as one about music. I like the chapter where he, a seventy-year-old man, drops acid for the first time in decades. No one can say that John Waters isn't a trouper. The one about public speaking is entertaining.
Then there are ones that I liked less. A chapter about monkey art comes painfully to mind. As does one about an imaginary bad restaurant. I found it to be more tiresome than funny.
I do like John Waters. I happily purchased Mr. Know-It-All. He's a funny guy and I really enjoyed seeing his This Filthy World live show a few years ago. And while I do recommend this book, I think it might be a good idea to break it up. Read a few chapters, take a break and knock out a novel or two, then return for a couple more. I found the immersion into his brain for such an extended reading time to be more than a bit wearying, and I know that I personally would have gotten more pleasure out of it in smaller bites.
Obviously, if you like John Waters and his movies, it's a sure bet you'll like Mr. Know-It-All. If you don't, this book is not going to change your mind.
Review by Mark Sieber
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