By Richard Todd The Thing Itself (First Edition) [Hardcover]

by Richard Todd

By Richard Todd The Thing Itself (First Edition) [Hardcover] [Hardcover] [Jul 30, 2008] … B00SB22WSM

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Essays

Hardcover

First published August 14, 2008

Reviews

[Matthew Taub · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a reason Richard Todd is a contributing columnist for a host of magazines and does not pay the bills as a full-time author. This collection of essays, intended to be a thesis about the lack of "authenticity" in (presumably modern American) life, suffers from many unforgivable flaws: (1) A lack of coherent thesis; (2) insufficient evidentiary support (more often than not, self-indulgent ramblings substitute for real evidence of trends and problems in our society); (3) a perniciously biased point of view in the form of an insulated, affluent, straight, white mainstream American male, oblivious to the lives of others; and (4) hypocrisy, due to the fact that the author nonetheless embraces and supports the very culture he criticizes, derides those who attempt to resist it or live differently, and does not offer alternatives. Though many of Todd's comments and analysis about modern life are insightful, or at least an interesting point of view to consider, they properly belong in a magazine column and are ill-suited here.

[Rama · Rating 3 out of 5]

“On the surface, we are a nation of anti-Thoreauvians. We flock to our malls, surround ourselves with gadgery, gewgaws, and junk, worship our cars, our computers, our cellphones, our HD flatscreens. We revel in stuff, and when it bores us we replace it with more stuff. We forget to put the Christ in Christmas. We are terrible, terrible people. "Americans love junk," George Santayana is said to have said. "It is not the junk that bothers me. It's the love.”

3/5- I have mixed feelings about this collection of short essays. After a few days of reflecting, I think I understand my main problem: It’s not that I couldn’t relate to the sentiments, or that I felt the attacks on materialism were unwarranted, or even that the author was out of touch with reality. It was the shadows of hypocrisy and the lacklustre writing style that eventually put me off enjoying it all the way through. Starting off, I was intrigued by the premise: How do we know we are real? Why does art that has been replicated lose value? Are those not the same question?

“On the search for authenticity” sought out to bridge the gaps between the self and the worldly perceptions it holds, but falls short because of its ambition to encompass too wide a landscape. The author covers antiques, Walt Disney (notably comparing him to Hitler..), Las Vegas, and many more. What he fails to do, however, is address the biases he possesses due to having been an affluent white man in the 20th century. He claims that brand logos are tacky and those who wear them are trying too hard while in the same breath revering, collecting, and branding himself via more visibly expensive pieces, likely for the same reason.

He shares some interesting insights on tourism vs traveling and replicas vs originals, but again the way he approaches the issues comes off as lacking understanding to the privilege it is to have access to those higher-level and therefore “superior” experiences. For example, he states that there is a certain appeal to, as a tourist, visit places locals go, and that travelling is only worthy if it is exploratory and long-term. He cites his address on the French coast as a “true” travel experience, as though proving his point. However, to the average person, tourism is limited to a short time frame where one does not have unlimited resources to explore the more refined experiences he claims to be necessary.

In terms of what I did enjoy, I thought his commentary on finding purpose in a higher power was obviously not original and yet still felt earnest and real in a way that the rest of the book did not. I loved the way he describes antiques & places as a gateway to describing the collective human experience: “All places are stories, stories we tell to ourselves. We have no choice, because all inhabited places, no matter how pure, are in fact polluted with meaning. No place is one dimensional. We share our environment with too many disparate people who are telling their own stories”. Riddled with heartwarming passages, I cannot give it less than a 3. Marred with bias, I should not give it more. Would recommend with caution if you’re into themes like materialism, the American Reality, and a shallow analysis of self-perception.

[Tommy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book got better as it went on but the first couple sections, specifically the section about things irritated to more than I can remember being irritated by a book. And just to spout off (hopefully without ruining too much of the book).

1. The value of antiques (something he loves) seems to be beyond question. "Authentic" pieces have tremendous value and this should be obvious. Knockoffs are a travesty. Meanwhile the author cannot seem to comprehend why someone would pay more for a shirt with a recognizable logo or name on it. It's frustrating that he doesn't realize that these are essentially the exact same thing. The objects themselves are not objectively any more useful or valuable. Their value, in both cases, derives entirely from the visibility to others and the status that it brings. You are basically trying to impress people like you with your good taste so demand for an item increases therefore the price increases. To me, markets like this are frustrating because the ability to engage in these inflated markets to enhance one's appearance have huge overtones of classism.

2. The next part I don't like was his discussion about art and his statement to the effect that 'everyone' knows that art reproductions are vulgar but posters of art that reference a museum, exhibit, or event are cool. This, again, smacks of classism to me. While I am against the reproductions of art that are intended to pass as the originals so that they can sell for millions of dollars, I am incredibly supportive of reproductions that are sold at a much cheaper price so that a much broader audience can see the brilliance of the art. For instance, I don't think Van Gogh can be fully appreciated by a poster version of his work. His textures and brush strokes are so important to his art that the only way to get the full impact of a lot of his works are to either go to the gallery where the originals are or to see a good reproduction. Not everyone can afford to fly to Europe to see original works of art (ie poor people who often have less exposure to education and arts and culture). But if $100 reproductions were more prevalent I think that would be GREATLY preferable to a $20 poster which doesn't begin to actually capture what the painting looks like up close. But I guess Richard Todd the classist would hate "the masses" to be able to even get a glimpse of some of the things he gets to see because that would make him less important.

3. My third major issue with the book is the author's take on travel. He is very confident that everyone wants to be a "traveler" and no one wants to be a "tourist". I'm sorry but that is just blatantly false. If it were true how would places like Disney World and other theme and amusement parks stay in business? Hell, I bet most visitors to major world landmarks, especially those in the western world (Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, Leaning Tower of Pisa) are visited much more by tourists than by travelers. These things are money making machines. And then Todd has the audacity to claim that Las Vegas is somehow more "authentic" than Disney World. Really? One of the most touristy cities in the country (and possibly the world) is secretly not touristy, it is actually a bastion of authenticity? Todd is just a pretentious hypocrite who mistakes "authenticity" for "things that I like".

4. The last major problem I had with Todd was his condescending view of rural life. I'm sure he doesn't think it's condescending but that is half the problem. He was raised in a wealthy area of Connecticut but his family was merely middle to upper-middle class so he felt inferior so now that he's an adult he has moved to rural Massachusetts he knows he is authentic and living the authentic life. He's around 'real' people. He evens goes so far as to look down on people who live in his town (most likely longer than he has and possibly all there live) and he has the gall to say that they are violating some code of being 'authentically rural' by having a split level home or having lawn decorations. I have no idea where he gets the entitlement to tell people who live their life how they want to live it in the towns and areas they have grown up in that they are not 'authentic'. He is stereotyping people pure and simple and he's allowed to get away with it because it's based on something generic like being 'rural New England' instead of race, gender, religion, or sexual preference. I'd like to see Todd write a chapter about how an East Asian American isn't 'authentic' because they aren't good at math or that a woman isn't 'authentic' if she doesn't know how to cook. There is little to no difference with these statements and what Todd is doing. It's equally as ignorant and arrogant in my opinion.

The only reason, in my opinion, to read this book is if you're too happy and haven't been pissed off enough recently because this book delivers that.

[Tarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at a used bookstore because I assumed it was an allusion to Virginia Woolf's constant search (and sometimes encounter) of her famous "thing itself." And it sort of is, though via the Wallace Stevens poem quoted in the book-- the underlying motivation, though, remains the same. For Todd, the search for the elusive "thing itself" is a question of authenticity, as much personal as it is national, and, for the most part, I think this book does a good job of balance between personal narrative and broader philosophical consideration.

It's a book for a very specific audience, though. The references to Walter Benjamin, Theodore Adorno (whose name is hilariously misspelled in the bibliography), Lionel Trilling, etc., these are not common cultural markers. Or, they are in my very specialized slice of life, but there's an assumption here that to really get the full value of this road-trip, you'll have paid the appropriate tolls (i.e. a full background in literary/cultural theory). It's not that this book couldn't be enjoyable without knowing who Derrida is, or Latour, or Marx (Leo), or or or... but that my enjoyment of the book is fully predicated on knowing how these names and works fit into a broader narrative to which Todd is availing himself (and, arguably, into which he is inserting himself... though that sounds dirtier than it should). There is a lot of breezing through these "bigger ideas" (or creators of ideas) threatens to compromise the book outside this specific audience.

With that in mind, one of the reasons I really enjoyed this book is exactly because it targets this ever-present tension in the academy (no doubt not-coincidentally also in my own ontological angst) about representation, "the real," authenticity... in sum, "the thing itself." And one of the things I like about the book is that he says the things I have the good sense not to say (especially on paper). It's self-indulgent by definition, and the joke he makes at the end of his mom calling him a "snob" to a neighbor is, of course, true throughout the whole book. Having a philosophical moment about "the real" after buying a $300 faux antique... how many people find themselves in this position? And such criticism by any reader would be fair. These issues that plague Todd seem, at best, to be issues of intellectual (if not economic) luxury. And yet, these questions are rooted, I would argue, in our national narrative, and, of course, in the field of literature, and certainly in my own personal consciousness. It's as if someone sat down after one of the many drawn-out discussion in or shortly after graduate school and wrote down a more narrative (coherent) consideration. Reading the book was, in this sense, like having a conversation with myself. And that, no doubt, is why I like the book so much.

Well, that and the pretty cover.

[Bibliomama · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book three years ago, which is why I found a bookmark slipped down inside after three or four chapters. I didn't recognize it as I reread it, but it moved quickly.

I like his writing very much, but disagreed with his insights about fifty percent of the time. Still, room for thought. One man's authenticity is another woman's sophistry.

The last two chapters were such a contrast. The penultimate discussing life and death, and the last deciding authenticity was eating dinner with your family. Seemed like a banal co-out to me.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much that I have purchased multiple copies and given them to people I know will appreciate it as well. Unfortunately for Todd, I found it at the Dollar Tree. I found he articulated and clarified many of my own ideas and attractions. I like how he started with the broader world of 'stuff' and gentle narrowed the focus in on self. It is one I know I will reference again and again.

[Slagle Rock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers some worthwhile tidbits to savor on the subject of authenticity vs. constructed or faked realities but my takeway is this is rather light reading. The narrative tone is easy, written in the style of a good magazine article.

[Caseyobrown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, not great. Loosely connected pondering of things.

[Pcox · Rating 3 out of 5]

.25 wanted more but this was interesting without much take away.

[John Kaufmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not about the search for an authentic self as the existentialists talked about it, which is what I had expected. Hence I was a little disappointed, which may unfairly color my rating.

[Lilliana Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book. I was particularly fond of the scenes set in my hometown.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book at my college's Friends Of The Library sale , for fifty cents. I would have paid the full price if I could, because this book is worth it. I began reading it today, at 12 pm and just finished it right now -- that's how engrossing it is.
Richard Todd has written what I've observed in our current pseudo-Victorian present; Anaheim's downtown is being transformed into a consciously hip yet "nostalgic/old timey" downtown for the 20-40 hip crowd; a vain attempt to regain the history Anaheim tore down in the 70s. But I digress, or not, since what is going on in Anaheim in 2011, Todd wrote about in 2008.
The book is divided into four sections, all of them dealing with authenticity starting from Things, Places, Culture/Society and The Self. The first section on Things is Todd's musings about antiques, why they are so captivating; a short breakdown of architectural movements in the US; American's love/hate relationship towards materialism and the most interesting part, the value of a reproduction artwork vs. the original one and what difference does it make if one unknowingly views a reproduction of the Mona Lisa; is it just as valid as the real Mona Lisa?

It helps if you've read some philosophy or literary criticism while reading this book; not to sound elitist. But Todd does reference many writers and ideas which have covered the topics he's writing about (And there's a bibliography at the end with books to read) and it helps if you have some type of background -- an intro to phil class works. Or this book might inspire you to take an intro to philosophy course! It's just that Todd is able to condense these ideas into a 247 page book, while still musing about American's obsession with sincerity, a false authenticity and tourism vs travel among other subjects.

I did find the last part, the section on the Self to be less on the evidence and more reflective/memoir. If you're interested in the idea of the Self, I recommend reading Socrates, Kierkegaard, Neitszche, Sartre et al or taking a philosophy course, since while the last part is interesting, it's more about his life. Indeed, he is able to weave in a memoir through out this look at our culture, and he does it well.

The writing itself is tight, lucid , conversational but not chatty, engrossing and reminds me of Virginia Woolf in some parts.

Overall, if you like navel-gazing works (Which I do..hence why I have a shelf called "Society"), then read this.

highly, highly recomended as an intro text for other works (Like the ones listed on the back)

And , by the way, as a first-generation daughter of Mexican immigrants , and largely poor, I did not feel offended by the writer being a WASP/yuppy white male. I'm only mentioning this because another reviewer felt strongly about this. Eeeh... that's all I have to say on that. Perhaps it's because I wish I could afford $200 antique boxes. Hell, I still go to antique stores and go to museums to view a Van Gogh or Rembrandt. California is fortunate to have LACMA and The Getty Center, so we don't have to travel to Europe to see great artists -- Art/Fine art can/is democratic without having to resort to oil-paint reproductions.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very loosely organized reflection on the phoniness of the human condition (at least the modern American human). Although Todd's main approach is gentle humor, he subjects himself to a fairly rigorous evaluation, poking fun at his own tendency to cherish things he views as real and genuine while admitting his own personality and history were self-consciously constructed in his youth. There are a lot of great lines in here. For instance, he talks about "the falsity of feeling that public tragedy can inspire," suggesting that we use often use sentiment to protect ourselves from genuine grief or the realization that we don't actually care. On the lighter side, I also enjoyed his musings on the urge to preserve old objects and buildings, and his admission that he overcame his budding alcoholism, not through his own willpower but because "it became generally unacceptable for an office in the afternoon to be full of men (and occasional women) pretending to be sober." In the end, the solution he offers to the problem is inauthenticity is simply to recognize it. The line between "authentic" and fake emotions and experiences is blurry, and maybe both are valid.

[Antonio · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a painful read and I regret having spent money on it or reading it. I was going to stop reading it but I was stuck on an airplane.
This only good thing about this book is that it references so many books that are more interesting and more readable than this book.
Anyone who has had even the most cursory contact with philosophy should avoid this. The major thing I found annoying about this book was that most of the material that is covered is covered much better in other places and a basic survey of philosophy can tell you where.
Nothing in this book was particularly original or novel. The author's approach was most often tedious and smug. He admits several times in the book that he is a snob and no one who has read this would disagree.
Imagine Christopher Kimball of America's Test Kitchen at his WASPiest, navel gazing and indulging even his most frivolous thoughts, and then ignoring the wide scope of material available on the subject, making half baked comments about intentionality.

[Zaiga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time reading this book until I figured out that Todd is mostly commenting/lamenting/poking fun of his topics, rather than offering any solutions. He writes entertainingly enough, and often makes valid points, but he spends so much time chagrined that I expected him to say "ok, here's what we can do to fix this". He never does that (which is ok, but when you hear someone complaining so much, you naturally ask "so whaddaya gonna do aboudit?"). It's a strange mix of social commentary and weird personal confessions. Todd spends an entire (thankfully brief) chapter on how his cluttered barn represents the failures of his life. So you only raised sheep for a few years and then moved on to something else? You have an overabundance of unused cross country skiis? How is that failure? It's just life. He's a bit melodramatic.

[Julieta · Rating 4 out of 5]

The search for authenticity is a complex one.
Think about it...if your authentic self craved heroin but you talked yourself out of wanting it you are no longer being true to your authentic self. Is that so bad?
I liked the part of the book when the author buys an antique box and pays $200 for it. He was drawn to it and had all these reasons for liking the box and needing the box. Then his friend tells him the box isn't an antique and is only worth $5. If the author never knew he was conned he would probably still be authentically happy with his box.

Every time we recreate ourselves are we destroying our authentic selves?
Authentic doesn't mean anything outside of being authentic. We are responsible for giving authenticity its stars and why is that?

I'm no longer feeling the need to find my authentic self or go after authentic experiences after reading this book.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtful meditation on authenticity. Todd has divided it up into 4 sections: Places, Things, Culture/Society, and Self. He explores what we mean when we talk about authenticity in each of these arenas, and why it matters to us. It is engrossing and beautiful, and for the most part, it rings true.

BUT. There seem to be no conclusions. So, what is authenticity? Todd doesn't have a theory. I was left with a sort of minor undercurrent of disappointment. Effectively, Todd tells us " I don't know what authenticity really is. I just know it's important, and we notice when it's missing."

Overall, though, I found this to be an engaging thought exercise conducted by an observant, open and likable guide.

[Dewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relentless and witty social commentary on aspects of "authencity"--from restored antiques, to landscape, to Disneyland and Las Vegas, to politics and ideas--serves as a stalking horse for this memoir by Richard Todd, whose examined life and hard won honesty seems as satisfyingly rendered as that of Richard Ford's fictional narrator, Frank Bascomb. Todd's life spans a Forties childhood (with a father in the Navy), a Fifties adolescence, a Sixties college education in New England, marriage, and first work in Manhattan, parenting, and a career in letters in Boston as an editor of The Atlantic Monthly and later at Houghton Mifflin. He is as culpable and alert as Shakespeare's Touchstone.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book interesting, though it wasn't really what I expected. The essays on objects brought up more questions than they answered, which I liked very much. Some of the essays struck me as very rooted in an Eastern US place-mindset. It surprised me, and I found myself pushing back against it, especially when reading the section on place. What I felt like Todd was presenting as some kind of universal (which he never actually says, so it could just be my interpretation) seemed very centered one particular American experience, an experience different from mine and I think many Westerners. Still, I enjoyed his writing style and the questions he raised.

[Kristylemmon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great little book of intelligent ramblings about our culture. He covers everything from our fascination with antiques, mall culture, to our celebrity and media obsessions. This book is very well written and several times made me laugh out loud as I recognized myself in his observations. Also, it's nice that he does not pretend to be above our cultural weaknesses. He acknowledges himself as a card-carrying member in most of our culture's follies.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This was a fascinating book that is impossible to explain. Todd examines the natures of things, places, and experience to try and understand what is real. What makes the actual Mona Lisa better than an exact duplicate? How does place define us and how do we define place? Fascinating stuff. But, the beauty of the book is that its not written in the voice of a sneering intellectual, rather Todd sounds kind of like the idealized Grandpa.

[Linda Heaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an interesting read showing that true authenticity is a mirage; that we are always adding and subtracting pieces. I found his chapter about Epcot, which he hated, and Las Vegas, which he liked quite interesting. He's a cultural snob but at least he admits it, and he is well-read and has a good sense of humor. I gave it 3.5 stars.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of essays reflecting on our search for an authentic life in a world that is filled with mass produced goods. Todd's craftsmanship coupled with current cultural references and philosophical insight moved this book to the top of my list. I'm pretty sure this will make my top ten of 2010.

[Ann Tonks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as an introduction to the idea of "authenticity" and by the end, I was charmed but still unclear. There are some wonderful descriptive passages; some delightful meanderings through the meaning of life; some small moments of profundity. In the end, it felt like a combination of a modest American autobiography and an exploration of life in America.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to give this back to the library, and so I bought it. What a great idea! This author interrogates authenticity by looking at his own desires for it. It's a good idea since so many people are touching about that kind of thing. I highly recommend it.

[John Pappas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great exploration of what authenticity means in place, self, etc. but is more personal and less philosophically rigorous toward the end. I found myself wanting to hear more of Todd's ideas about the mall, 9/11 etc. but his essays were a bit short.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't make it through The Thing Itself. I have this thing that I have to finish books, and I had to put this one down after 150ish pages. There were small glimpses of quality, and though the writing was done well, The Thing Itself just didn't do it for me. Maybe I'll pick it up again one day.

[Paige · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author must spend too much time reading his students work. Brings up a lot of other authors with good ideas, who write better. Suck. I would not mind burning this book.

[David]

Brilliant essays on the idea of 'authenticity' why we think 'country' is more authentic than 'suburb' and why we live as tourists.

[Lisa Powers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A talented writer who could have benefitted from a more adept editor.