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Breaking White: An Introduction to Breaking Bad
Inukshuk Press
120 pages, Paperback
First published October 21, 2012
About the author
Pearson Moore
54 books19 followersPearson Moore is the author of "Deneb," the most exciting science fiction epic of the decade. "Deneb" follows dozens of memorable characters thrown into a hostile, alien environment as they scramble to understand the deeply-layered mysteries that control their lives. As they dig into ancient visions and secrets, they discover a web of conspiracies and evil intentions that span 45,000 years of history and call into question the most basic of assumptions about human will, desire, and destiny. With profound allusions to literature old and new, "Deneb" is a story that will stay with readers for years to come.
Moore is the bestselling author of "LOST Humanity," for many years the #1 bestselling companion book to the television series LOST, written in the style that has earned him tens of thousands of followers worldwide. As well as authoring several LOST-related volumes, including "LOST Identity," Pearson has written well-received companion books for both Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad.
With over 100 essays on LOST, read at over 40,000 websites around the world, Moore is recognized as a leading authority on the groundbreaking television series. "LOST Humanity" was the #1 Bestseller in its class for 14 weeks in 2011 and several weeks in 2012. His second book on LOST, "LOST Identity," includes illustrations by renowned LOST artist ArtGUS, and concentrates on the unique characters of LOST. Moore edited the highly regarded "LOST Thought" and "LOST Thought University Edition," now required reading in many college film and drama courses.
Moore has been Featured Writer at SL-Lost.com, the Dark UFO website, Westeros.org, and WinterIsComing.com. In addition to "Game of Thrones Season One Essays" and "Game of Thrones Season Two Essays," he is author of the "Thrones Questions and Comments" series of Game of Thrones books which analyze the television series in the rich, insightful essay format that has become his hallmark.
Pearson Moore writes in several genres, including historical fiction, science fiction, and current events non-fiction. His first novel, "Cartier's Ring," was published in April, 2011. "Cartier's Ring" is the story of the founding of Canada in 1608 as seen from the Aboriginal perspective. Moore has also written "Intolerable Loyalty," a novel set in Québec during the American Revolutionary War, and "Trinity," a science fiction novel treating the emergence of a genetically unique population and its social and political implications.
Moore is the bestselling author of "LOST Humanity," for many years the #1 bestselling companion book to the television series LOST, written in the style that has earned him tens of thousands of followers worldwide. As well as authoring several LOST-related volumes, including "LOST Identity," Pearson has written well-received companion books for both Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad.
With over 100 essays on LOST, read at over 40,000 websites around the world, Moore is recognized as a leading authority on the groundbreaking television series. "LOST Humanity" was the #1 Bestseller in its class for 14 weeks in 2011 and several weeks in 2012. His second book on LOST, "LOST Identity," includes illustrations by renowned LOST artist ArtGUS, and concentrates on the unique characters of LOST. Moore edited the highly regarded "LOST Thought" and "LOST Thought University Edition," now required reading in many college film and drama courses.
Moore has been Featured Writer at SL-Lost.com, the Dark UFO website, Westeros.org, and WinterIsComing.com. In addition to "Game of Thrones Season One Essays" and "Game of Thrones Season Two Essays," he is author of the "Thrones Questions and Comments" series of Game of Thrones books which analyze the television series in the rich, insightful essay format that has become his hallmark.
Pearson Moore writes in several genres, including historical fiction, science fiction, and current events non-fiction. His first novel, "Cartier's Ring," was published in April, 2011. "Cartier's Ring" is the story of the founding of Canada in 1608 as seen from the Aboriginal perspective. Moore has also written "Intolerable Loyalty," a novel set in Québec during the American Revolutionary War, and "Trinity," a science fiction novel treating the emergence of a genetically unique population and its social and political implications.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 31, 2013
This book is a repetitive, watered down, poorly paced version of what I consider to be the main points of the show.
I am a huge fan of Breaking Bad and I really wanted to like this book. I was let down. The tone is just strange. The author--who apparently writes all sorts of definitive tv analyses in self-published book form--insists that he doesn't have the correct answers. He is merely facilitating discussion and provoking thought. He admits that he has no background in literary, filmic, or moral analysis. I expected either a philosophical moral discussion of the carefully woven show or a cinematic analysis of the many colors and symbols in Breaking Bad. I got neither. Additionally, he claims to focus on Season 1 but instead the content is very general and underbaked.
It's 20% personal anecdotes which come off as self-important comparisons between the author and Heisenberg. It's bizzare.
It's 30% seemingly unrelated stories of early 1900s literature, references to LOST (the author's other favorite show), his chemistry profession, or other minute details of history. I actually found these aspects to be interesting in themselves but again, it's not why I picked up the book. Also, the photos taken from the internet were distracting.
It's 50% review and rough analysis of already obvious parts of the show.
I would also like to point out that none of the other reviewers seemed to read the book fully. The introduction, while promising, is not fulfilled by the book and is nothing but a restatement of a few of the best points. The author did offer fresh insight on a few points, but they are so few and far between that I will save you the trouble and the stylistic errors and repeat them here:
Walter White (the man) is emasculated by Skyler. (Duh!)
White (the color) is symbolic of pride and purity.
Heisenberg is defined by his pride. This infects Walter, then Jesse, then his family.
Walter became Heisenberg in a fatherly capacity in response to Jesse's pain at the hands of Tuco.
Hank is fully aware of Heisenberg's pride issues and this sets up the main conflict.
Symbols change in Breaking Bad. (This is a good point.)
Societal conditions predisposed Walter to breaking long before his cancer diagnosis.
Again most of this is valid but obvious.
Regardless, I will not be reading his follow up, Breaking Blue, and will turn to other high quality (and free!) analyses on the internet. I recommend "Breaking Bad Observations" on Seriable for the filmic close-reading of the colors and symbols and Seitz's "Revisting Breaking Bad" (one per season) on Vulture for the big-picture moral and literary discussion.
Look elsewhere.
I am a huge fan of Breaking Bad and I really wanted to like this book. I was let down. The tone is just strange. The author--who apparently writes all sorts of definitive tv analyses in self-published book form--insists that he doesn't have the correct answers. He is merely facilitating discussion and provoking thought. He admits that he has no background in literary, filmic, or moral analysis. I expected either a philosophical moral discussion of the carefully woven show or a cinematic analysis of the many colors and symbols in Breaking Bad. I got neither. Additionally, he claims to focus on Season 1 but instead the content is very general and underbaked.
It's 20% personal anecdotes which come off as self-important comparisons between the author and Heisenberg. It's bizzare.
It's 30% seemingly unrelated stories of early 1900s literature, references to LOST (the author's other favorite show), his chemistry profession, or other minute details of history. I actually found these aspects to be interesting in themselves but again, it's not why I picked up the book. Also, the photos taken from the internet were distracting.
It's 50% review and rough analysis of already obvious parts of the show.
I would also like to point out that none of the other reviewers seemed to read the book fully. The introduction, while promising, is not fulfilled by the book and is nothing but a restatement of a few of the best points. The author did offer fresh insight on a few points, but they are so few and far between that I will save you the trouble and the stylistic errors and repeat them here:
Walter White (the man) is emasculated by Skyler. (Duh!)
White (the color) is symbolic of pride and purity.
Heisenberg is defined by his pride. This infects Walter, then Jesse, then his family.
Walter became Heisenberg in a fatherly capacity in response to Jesse's pain at the hands of Tuco.
Hank is fully aware of Heisenberg's pride issues and this sets up the main conflict.
Symbols change in Breaking Bad. (This is a good point.)
Societal conditions predisposed Walter to breaking long before his cancer diagnosis.
Again most of this is valid but obvious.
Regardless, I will not be reading his follow up, Breaking Blue, and will turn to other high quality (and free!) analyses on the internet. I recommend "Breaking Bad Observations" on Seriable for the filmic close-reading of the colors and symbols and Seitz's "Revisting Breaking Bad" (one per season) on Vulture for the big-picture moral and literary discussion.
Look elsewhere.
September 17, 2013
I'll keep my review pithy, thematically befitting this author's brief but provocative work. The reason I gleaned meaning and a substantive appreciation from Moore's analysis is likely largely because his approach to the program (and drama in general) mirrors my own; the author makes the statement at both the beginning and end of this e-book that to truly understand drama, one must be a viewer-participant. This experience requires investments beyond the time to simply watch the series in full. It requires investments of thought and emotion. Full commitment to interpreting a dramatic work demands taking a pick to our intellectual and philosophical clay, exhuming greater understanding of self and the world from within. I couldn't tell you the number of times my fiancé, friends, and family members have gathered together for hours at a time to lay out our speculative, skeletal frameworks regarding future show developments drawing down upon the denouement, and also adding "meat to the bones," so to speak - discussing the greater meaning behind names, behaviors, attire, colors, etc. The beauty of this show is that it uses a layered philosophical context, through narrative, to convey truths about the human condition. It's a sublime work of art... And I felt as if the author's voice was right at home among my loved ones, speculating and vivisecting this show, breaking it down to its core elements and laying them bare for critique and welcome debate. Walt would be proud. A very faithful and thoughtful analysis. Well done.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews