Weekend Open Thread: Park
last Week at Portico: It was beneath us, of course, but we went to see Todd Phillips’s The Hangover last week. We went alone, thinking it unwise to tell anyone that we were going, much less to ask anyone to join us. We told ourselves that the movie would be surprisingly different in unexpected ways, but at least we don’t have to take back saying that to anybody else. We also read Geoff Dyer’s Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi , and decided that it’s a first-rate piece of conceptual art. Fun to read, too. Rather more engaging, or at least more geared to our possibly vétuste sensibilities, was this week’s New Yorker story, Lorrie Moore’s “Childcare.”
As for this week’s Book Review, the one truly good review in the entire issue was written by Liesl Schillinger, who is a critic. I’m not saying that Ms Schillinger ought never to write a novel, as long as she learns who to write one better than any of the novelists appearing this week knows how to play critic. Caleb Crain, who clearly speaks for all of those young gents (as I’ve no doubt most of them are) who strongly dislike the work and whimsy of Alain de Botton, ought to have the courage of his animus, and express himself plainly instead of resorting to condescending snark. Ha! Now there’s no need for you to click throught to this week’s Book Review review.