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The “We’re Not Drinking the Kool-Aid” List of 2010 (Acclaimed Books—or Books by Acclaimed Authors—That Didn’t Live Up to Our Expectations)

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Cover art for BY NIGHTFALL
FICTION
Released: Oct. 5, 2010
BY NIGHTFALL
by Michael Cunningham
""Does America get the art it deserves?" wonders Peter. Or the novel?"
A surfeit of literary and cultural references can't disguise a lightweight soap opera. Read full book review >
Cover art for HALF A LIFE
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 15, 2010
HALF A LIFE
by Darin Strauss
"Genuinely remorseful and heartfelt, yet strangely unremarkable."
Redress and atonement mar a boy's adolescence after the accidental death of a classmate. Read full book review >
Cover art for BOB DYLAN IN AMERICA
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 7, 2010
BOB DYLAN IN AMERICA
by Sean Wilentz
"One for the practicing Dylanologist--general readers should approach with caution."
A noted historian tries to shed light on the less-traveled byways in Bob Dylan's epic journey. Read full book review >
Cover art for FREEDOM
FICTION
Released: Aug. 31, 2010
FREEDOM
by Jonathan Franzen
"If "freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose" (as Kris Kristofferson wrote), this book uses too many words to convey too much of nothing."
The epic sprawl of this ambitious yet ultimately unsatisfying novel encompasses everything from indie rock to environmental radicalism to profiteering in the Middle East. Read full book review >
Cover art for IMPERIAL BEDROOMS
FICTION
Released: June 18, 2010
IMPERIAL BEDROOMS
by Bret Easton Ellis
"Don't hold your breath for act three."
A sequel to Less Than Zero (1985). Read full book review >
Cover art for THE FACEBOOK EFFECT
NONFICTION
Released: June 15, 2010
THE FACEBOOK EFFECT: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE COMPANY THAT IS CONNECTING THE WORLD
by David Kirkpatrick
"Comprehensive but one-sided and surprisingly bland."
Fortune senior editor for Internet and technology Kirkpatrick delivers a data-heavy, analysis-light biography of the Internet's second-most-visited site. Read full book review >
Cover art for LAY THE FAVORITE
NONFICTION
Released: June 1, 2010
LAY THE FAVORITE: A MEMOIR OF GAMBLING
by Beth Raymer
"Uninspiring but sure to receive media attention."
An impulsive young female boxing enthusiast stumbles through the sordid milieu of professional compulsive gambling. Read full book review >
Cover art for ALTHOUGH OF COURSE YOU END UP BECOMING YOURSELF
NONFICTION
Released: April 13, 2010
ALTHOUGH OF COURSE YOU END UP BECOMING YOURSELF: A ROAD TRIP WITH DAVID FOSTER WALLACE
by David Lipsky
"Still, a nicely gossipy inside view of a writer's world and a beautiful yet anguished mind."
My Dinner with Andre in a rental car--Rolling Stone contributing editor Lipsky (Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point, 2003, etc.) turns in a splintered portrait of the late, great novelist. Read full book review >
Cover art for WILLIE MAYS
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 9, 2010
WILLIE MAYS: THE LIFE, THE LEGEND
by James S. Hirsch
"Well-researched and fluid, but tendentious and tunnel-visioned."
An admiring--at times even worshipful--portrait of one of baseball's greatest players, whose on-field exploits were astonishing but whose inner life remains largely hidden. Read full book review >
Cover art for ABOUT A MOUNTAIN
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 8, 2010
ABOUT A MOUNTAIN
by John D’Agata
"Well-meaning but off the mark."
Middling wanderings along the Las Vegas Strip and the Nevada desert. Read full book review >
Cover art for YOU ARE NOT A GADGET
NONFICTION
Released: Jan. 12, 2010
YOU ARE NOT A GADGET: A MANIFESTO
by Jaron Lanier
"A well-intended and insightful but messy treatise."
Quirky but sprawling indictment of our Internet-dominated society. Read full book review >