So it only took me almost four months to get through this book, not because it was bad or difficult to read, but because I was juggling two books at one time (something that never works out well since one almost always supersedes the other one in the "reading hierarchy"). Then, when I was finally able to devote my full "reading attention" to it, I would often put off reading until 10:30 or 11:00 at night and promptly fall asleep after reading about five pages. In the last week, I finally decided to read the book in the afternoon or early evening before I became irretrievably exhausted.
So here is a brief blurb I wrote about the book for the library. I thought I'd share it here, too (apologies if the font size does not match the blog--I am copying and pasting it):
This is a must-read for anyone interested in the life
of Buster Keaton, silent movies, comedy, or the early days of cinema. Film critic
Dana Stevens—who is also one of the hosts of the Slate Culture Gabfest podcast—presents
in the life of Buster Keaton within the context of his times. This is less a
biography than a cultural history. For example, a chapter about Keaton’s rough-and-tumble
childhood in Vaudeville leads to a look at the history of child labor in the
United States; the production and plot of Buster’s 1920 short film One
Week (about newlyweds’ home construction that goes comically awry)
spins off into a short history of the “kit house” craze
of that period.
Stevens’ research is impressive and her respect for
Buster Keaton and a man and an artist is palpable throughout the book.
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