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Whenever someone is like “I haven’t read a book in 5 years, what should I read?” I suggest this cult classic—because it is experientially easy but conceptually rich, and thus will effortlessly adhere to your attention and satisfy your urges. It is a Hollywood novel about an asshole (timeless genre!) who surfs the wave of power and excess until it all goes Terribly Awry. The book was published in 1988 so it is dated in fun ways but also timeless in the ways that matter. (Robert Altman made a movie of it but the book is better—which is saying a lot, because the movie rules!)
Apr 29, 2021
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It’s fun and wacky and feels like living inside the movie. And it’s full of SoCal wish-fulfillment. (And unlike some Pynchon it’s never a grind to read.)
Jan 23, 2024
📖
The book and the movie, even if you’ve already finished one or the other. They’re striking in different ways, and I loved both experiences. The book takes its time with each conversation in a way that the movie can’t, and for your patience you get some incredibly potent and profound exchanges and moments of shared reflection.
Feb 5, 2024
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I read this one a few weeks ago, but wanted to wait until I saw the movie before diving into my thoughts. Both start extremely similar, down to some exact word-for-word scenes, and the plot points are all the same, but the movie takes some creative license to show what’s going on for the main characters mentally that the book doesn't. This works in favor for both the book and movie. In the book's case you're left guessing, confused, and trying to pick apart every tiny detail til the very end. The author is continuously sneaking small details/hints past you without raising alarm, and at the end I found myself looking back to see a whole different story. This isn't to say I didn't see the twist coming, but it was done in a way that left plenty of good stuff to pick apart after you‘ve finished.
Oct 2, 2020
Top Recs from @molly-young
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...and not letting it stop you. I haven’t been the same since I read this post, but I continue to garnish drinks with these neon accessories.
Apr 29, 2021
🌿
Speaking of Iceland! This is an Icelandic alcohol that tastes exactly like rye bread. The flavor is both herbal and cozy—I think of it as “upholstered vodka.” Tastes refreshing in summer and life-affirming in winter. No clue why it isn’t more popular.
Apr 29, 2021
⛱�
This is a movie I’d never heard of until recently, but it seems like it should be a stone-cold classic. (Perhaps it IS—my film education is spotty.) It is about a mid-1980s era Bad Girl who loves sex and is angry and lives on the Irish seaside. You can get it on various streaming services. I’m a sucker for any piece of art about an irrepressible wench. good poster too!
Apr 29, 2021