Tom Bissell
Full disclosure: I am not—nor have I ever been—a gamer. That being said, I have friends in the industry, so despite the fact that I do not own a console of any kind, video games are incredibly close to my heart. And Tom Bissell delivers the goods.
From the get-go, he lets it be known that his book will focus squarely on AAA titles with a narrative bent. Meanwhile, my favorite video games of all time are (not necessarily in order) Tetris, Duck Hunt, and Dr. Mario—all of which have at best the most minor suggestion of story.
That I found the book absolutely fascinating speaks volumes to its relevance in the fields of critical theory, gaming, and pop culture. If you like story (books, films, theatre, the age-old oral tradition, any/all of the above), video games, visual and aural forms of art (whether high or low), then chances are Bissell will strike a chord with you.
The book's final chapter—which delves into the author's battle with coke addiction in the heart of Sin City—goes a little too confessional for my tastes (particularly in light of the fact that this is meant to be a work of criticism), but then again, it's a chapter about the Grand Theft Auto franchise, so really, it's decidedly apropos.
I typically reserve 5 stars for books that, upon finishing, I can confidently say that I wouldn't change a thing about them if given the chance. Though this book gets 5 stars handily, I did have one teeny, tiny gripe: In the Appendix, the author—while discussing whether or not comedy is the next great untapped video game genre—asks his interview subject if he's a fan of Monty Python, he is, and neither one of them makes any reference to 7th Level's Monty Python & the Quest for the Holy Grail. But throw in a Stephanie Meyer/Ibsen joke, and all is forgiven.
I'll definitely be seeking out works by Bissell in the future.
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Funny enough, I just listened to a podcast today that also was recommending this book. As a fellow non-gamer involved with a gamer, you make it seem like it might be worth my while to give it a read. Great review!
ReplyDeletethanks, audrey! speaking of great reviews, your last post has me really tempted to check that series out - & i never read YA titles. but it sounds super good!
ReplyDeletewe were listening to this in the car on the drive back to long beach post-4th of july, & both of us were LOLing all over the damned place. he's a quality writer with a great, dry/quirky sense of humor. i think you'd dig it!