"transcending the bullshit"

Yeah, that's my favorite line so far.

Not to get my own spirits down, but I'm going to be honest and say that The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, so far, has not nearly lived up to the expectations I had for a book with such an awesome name and cover. However, I do have high hopes for it, because I've learned that no book actually starts off good, in my opinion. I just have to get through the characterization and summaries as the author tries to put me in place to find out what really happens, if you know what I mean.

So I knew this would be about hippies. I don't like hippies. I'm glad that this fact is not influencing my opinion about this book, however, because there are a ton of good things about it. I love the stream of consciousness point of view, first of all, because my thought process is very similar. I mean, at one point early on he has a conversation with a man, but instead of listening to him, can't stop staring at the toothbrush in his hand and analyzing it. Short attention span, very easily relatable to a teenager.

Another thing I love is the way he describes things. To tell us what someone looks like, he has used examples like he "looked sort of like the early, thin Micheal Caine in Zulu." I mean, come on, everyone knows who Micheal Caine is. His other favorite thing to do is to reference comic books. He has already referenced The Spirit (*cough*goseeitintheaterssoonandmakefrankmillermoney*cough*) and Captain Marvel, and just that makes me like him even more.

From the very beginning, I can already start to piece together a few of his smaller messages. He makes a big ordeal within the first 30 or so pages about the group who are waiting for Kesey (their "Chief's") return, living in a makeshift shelter, that doesn't even have lighting or running water. He emphasizes the fact that people really spent a long amount of time living like this, and I felt like he was sort of trying to shove some sort of a message down our throat there, without even trying to mask it, which I didn't really like.

But hey, these are just first impressions. I'm sure it will be a good book, or else he would not be such a loved writer, right?

Jumping in

I am a wreck. This choice will determine the next three months of my life, and this blog post is making it definite. What if I picked the wrong author? I won't know until I start, and by then it will be too late.

I'm really hopeful, though, because I feel like thfis was the right choice for me. I mean, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. That has to be awesome, right? Something ridiculous like that is just something I would love. Also, I think I will be able to agree with him on many things. He is very opinionated and, from what I've seen so far in my research, I agree with a lot of the things he has to say. I am excited, I think I will really grow to love Wolfe. =]