Last edited by Marc Grayson (2006-11-11 03:21:38)
Last edited by Norton (2006-11-11 05:08:52)
Over the last few days I have been reading through NA's book, today reaching just past the halfway point. While there is a lot which is interesting, there is a lot which is not very original or considered. The author's obsession with drape suits (i.e. the "Hollywood" suit) was constricting, I found the shoe chapter to be of very little use, and I dozed off during the shirt chapter. I have also been increasily unsettled by the author's barely suppressed joy in taking stances about various national ethnicities (is that the word?) and their perceived value vis-a-vis clothing and shoes, i.e. "English" such-and-such is good, "French" such-and-such is bad, etc. But I will have to wait until I've completed a full reading before I can make up my mind whether the book is "good" or "bad".
There was a pic on SF by someone -- maybe it was Iammatt -- that I thought looked pretty good.
I've finished the book and I'm not sure what to make of it. I rushed through the last couple of chapters, as I ran out of patience. Still annoyed by the English vs Italian vs American vs whatever references. Not that I'm suggesting racism, but certainly ethnocentrism. Another problem: most of the chapters start out with some Machiavellianisms (as per the overall "idea" of the book), then switch to personal commentary in modern language, then end with a short Machiavellian paragraph, almost tacked on as an afterthought. That's very uneven. The author might have done better to simply write a normal book instead of playing silly literary games. But I've obviously missed the latent esoteric themes in the book (not necessarily to my discredit).
There is another book on men's clothing of which this book reminded me of strongly. However, I cannot name it for my own reasons. But the comparison would make Antongiavanni wince (and it makes me smile).