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Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

Posted by Melody on Friday, Nov 17, 2017

I have always loved the title of David Foster Wallace's book of short stories that was published in 1999. It just clicks. You know instantly these stories will twist your stomach into knots.

The pile-up of news about sexual harassment, misconduct, and assault has brought this book back to my mind again. One only has to read the title to understand this nearly 20-year-old book contains commentary on today's cultural climate. What is old is new again, as the saying goes.

I haven't opened this book up in 10 years. I picked it up today and one of the first stories that caught my attention was about someone having a memory of their father taunting and bullying them with his genitals. That short story is called "Signifying Nothing." David Foster Wallace is a master of irony. He somehow manages to make this title truthful while belying the psychological rage the narrator expresses over the father's response to being confronted about the incident.

John Krasinski directed a film adaptation of the book that came out in 2009. We don't have that in the ICPL collection anymore, but it's available through Interlibrary Loan. I recommend the film version for those who can't make it through Wallace's post-modern rambling and non-linear style.

About the Author

Melody's picture

I've been at the library for more than 10 years now, and I still find joy when choosing the best books for our readers. My current reading journey is taking me book by book through different genres. I'm challenging myself to find books that are enough outside my wheelhouse that I'd pass them by on first glance. The genre I'm looking forward to... more

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    mdworak's picture

    I saw this trailer on Netflix (which knows me so well) and knew I had to read the book first. I prefer audiobooks for rom coms, and this one did not disappoint. I am a sucker for a transformational backpacking journey in fiction--not something I get to do in real life. The characters were humane and loveable, and the banter between the leads was light-hearted and witty. The title comes from the name of a textbook a fellow sojourner brings with her, a book for a positive psychology class she's taking. Happiness studies grew in popularity as the pandemic wore on, so it might sound old hat to you as you're reading this in 2023. The first edition of this novel came out in 2015 and is seeing a resurgence thanks to the film adaptation. Now I just have to find 2 hours to sit still for a movie night. Happy reading! -Melody
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