For how funny the book is (and it is truly hilarious), and how biting the satire can be, there are these moments of utter sincerity (especially in the back half-chapter 89 comes to mind) that had me weeping. This was a book that came along exactly when I needed it. I am so very glad to see your appreciation for this great work of art. Fantastic video, Chris.
You’ve brought up a great point here. I think the reason the book really comes off and works is that the author’s obvious heart is present even as B. makes such ruins of everything.
kaufman is my life light. he helped me a lot and i will forever be greatful to him for being out in the open and somehow reaching to me. I've had Antkind for more than 3 years with me but haven't read it yet. ive just been waiting for the right time . still dont know when the right time will come. i discovered you through that video on byung chul han a few days ago and im so amazed that you have antkind on yur hand. i forgot the point I was trying to make but thanks for all the work that you do. i love people with books in their hands. sending love ..
Wonderful to see that you got around to reading and covering this one! It truly is deserving of more attention and praise. Love to hear you make those connections to his filmography! Kaufman is a mad genius and I hope he has another novel in him, but if not, I’ll gladly keep revisiting this one for the rest of my life. Cheers Chris!
My pleasure! I’m so thrilled I got around to reading it so early (I hope) in my life-many returns are in store. He does have a short story coming out in a forthcoming collection called _Cage Went in Search of a Bird: Ten Kafkaesque Stories_ . So he’s at least still writing literature!
Great review of a book that I would agree is one of the funniest reads of all time. I wanted to note that while I think Kaufman is indeed satirizing the anxiety of the so called WASP’s role in identity politics, I think the book on the whole is concerned with the anxiety of living in a world where we are constantly faced with the opportunity of hurting others, intentionally or not. Kaufman sees much of PC culture as a bit silly, and satirizes it well, but he also, to a certain extent, takes seriously how comedy is largely predicated on hurting others and ourselves, as is explored through the plot line revolving around the comedy duos of Abbot/Costello and Mudd/Molloy. I’m not sure what to conclude from Kaufman’s probing here, but he seems a bit defeated when trying to formulate a comedy that doesn’t make other people or ourselves literal “objects” of the joke. B. is, if I remember correctly, practically aware that Kaufman is just abusing him for the sake of eliciting laughter from the reader, and the Trump robots, being slight variations of the same joke, come to represent all of us as equally vulnerable to mockery. Kaufman is almost rejecting the Cartesian model of internal existence here by saying our existence begins with the ability to be perceived and thus abused by others. Thanks again, Chris!
Very fitting to talk about this now that the story collection with a Kaufman short story in it just came out. Definitely love this book, hope we get more of them from him, because as successful as his movies have been at being good, he doesn't really get to make too many of them because they're not big sellers.
What a way to start a Memorial Day Sunday with a review of 'Antkind' by Charlie Kaufman, a truly hilarious novel. Thanks Chris, this veteran always looks forward to your reviews and couldn't be happier to have you review this treasure.
I loved the book. I think I was too fatigued on the last two hundred pages or so and was a little spaced out reading it. I'd love to read it again. It was absolutely hilarious. I most loved just seeing B go through his pathetic life, pining for Tsai, for Clown Laurie, falling through manholes, and dealing with Slammy's. It was inspiring to read just how bonkers out there so much of the book is. It feels like Kaufman had a lot of fun writing it.
During the week or so I was reading Antkind for the first time, (about 3 weeks ago) I was watching probably two of your videos a day. I’ve watched your channel for a while but for some reason, at the time, I was obsessed with watching your reviews. When I finished the book and went to log it on Goodreads I saw you had it marked as “currently reading” and it freaked me the fu** out. I probably felt extra weird because the book had already made me feel uneasy but it was still a bizarre “coincidence.” Anyway, Antkind is awesome and so are your reviews. Thanks for taking the time to do them.
Great presentation on a book that deserves wider appreciation. I love these kinds of big, wild, funny novels. Novels that refuse to behave properly. Kaufman has joined the ranks of Pynchon, Barth, and Coover, perhaps?
Absolutely, he has! It reminded me a lot of Against the Day in its wild capers, elaborate set pieces, and incessant gags! Plus the constant high and low cultural material.
Surprised you didn't mention Beckett. Kaufman has said a few times Beckett is one of his favourite authors and I thought this book was very Beckettian in how the whole thing is basically a monologue.
I know, I know. Beckett is indeed a huge presence here-implicitly and explicitly (Murphy, Watt, et al. are specifically mentioned), but I think I omitted it because almost every review out there brought it up. So I was trying to be selective. But. You’re right: I should’ve mentioned the indebtedness to Beckett. So thanks so much for pointing this out for others (who will read the comments). 🙏
I’m ¾ of the way through. I can’t believe I’ve only just recently become aware of this one. I love this book so much. It is hilarious. And everything good. I call this a perfect book. Thanks Chris. 😊
Cool! I had the book as I loved his movies but had been warned by many that it Is bloated and pretentious. But your assurance just convinced me to pick it up.
Awesome video per usual! Have you ever read any Toni Morrison? I’m currently absolutely devouring every word of Song of Solomon, I’m almost done unfortunately and was wondering where I should go next in her bibliography if you’re familiar at all with her work? I’m ecstatic I finally picked up one of novels and excited to read more.
Oh yeah, I remember his movies and screenplays. Didn't know he wrote a book, but it makes total sense. I should check it out, maybe in combo with Day Of The Locust. Thank you as usual :D
My K-Mart wristwatch is composed of metal gears and springs, and it requires an input of energy in the form of me winding its dial. After I wind it, the material parts work together to give an output of consistent measurement of time-located on the face of the watch. My alarm clock is composed of digital computer parts, and when it receives an input of energy in the form of electrical current, its material parts work together to give an output of consistent measurement of time-located on its digital display. When my beloved sundial receives an input of energy in the form of waves of sunlight, the material parts work together to give an output of consistent measurement of time-displayed as its shadow. I also own a digital clock which is located inside of a GPS satellite, flying high above Earth. For some strange reason it consistently runs slower than my clocks here on Earth-but that’s another story. My favorite movie of all-time (let’s say-measured by my K-Mart wristwatch) is, of course, Frozen Part 3. I just adore the scene where the girl falls in love with the guy and all that crap. I proudly have copies on BluRay disc, DVD disc, and VHS tape. They sit adjacent to my BluRay player, my DVD player, and my prized 1985 Panasonic Video Cassette Recorder. When I input the copies to the respective players, and eagerly hit play, the material parts work together to give the same glorious output of animated drivel-displayed on my television screen. My one and only friend is an alien named Sigourney who traveled to Earth on the spaceship Nostromo. She has corrosive acid for blood and quite an appetite. The other day she bit my leg off, and this sent an input of energy (in the form of electrical signals) to the collection of matter sitting at the top of my spinal cord. After receiving that input, the material parts sitting at the top of my spinal cord worked together to give an output of me jerking away from Sigourney. After she attacked me, I grabbed my flamethrower and set that b*tch on fire. This sent an input of energy (in the form of electrical signals) to the collection of matter located at the tip of her left pinky claw. After receiving that input, the material parts at the tip of her left pinky claw worked together to give the same output of her jerking away from me. Sigourney is a silicon-based being, while I am a carbon-based being. The matter in her left pinky claw is silicon-based, while the matter sitting at the top of my spinal cord is carbon-based. Like the carbon atom, the silicon atom has four electrons in its outermost shell, which enables it to combine-as the carbon atom does-with other atoms to form the same functionally-equivalent molecules. My computer is silicon-based too-but that’s another story.
@@LeafbyLeaf oh yeah, that's true! B. sends DeLillo one of his stories and DeLillo replies with "Thanks much for sending this along." lol Great review btw! Exactly the type of attention a novel such as Antkind deserves.
I think you’re right about the book coming out at an unfortunate time. I read it in late 2020, and as much as I loved most parts of it, I thought the Trunk sections were dreadful. At that time, we’d had four years of incessant Trump satire - not to mention the fact that he was actively wrecking havoc across the country with all his Covid misinformation - so it felt like such low-hanging fruit for Kaufman to choose for an otherwise wholly original book.
Yes, I will admit that I could’ve done without the Trunk sections-even removed as I am now from that particular moment. (Although, the horror is that it might not be over.) In any case, the book helps restore my sanity!
