Colors Insulting to Nature

Colors Insulting to Nature by Cintra Wilson

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This novel will have readers howling with laughter and writhing with retrospective embarrassment. She is a staggering talent. Biography Cintra Wilson is a playwright, essayist and former columnist. Find a bookshop near you: Newsletter Hub Sign up and find out more. I'm an Educator I'm a Bookseller. BookBliss Subscribe to the BookBliss Newsletter for deals, giveaways and exclusive early sneak peeks.

But not David-Foster-Wallace-y at all. Jul 24, Laura rated it really liked it Shelves: In "Colors Insulting to Nature" Wilson explores the effect of pop culture on a young girl who is raised believing that happy-ever-after, prince-in-shining armor, wish-upon-a-star, ugly-duckling-into-a-swan fairytales are actual, possible life outcomes. Not only are they "possible", but her mother Peppy actively chases dreams to the exclusion of pretty much everything else Liza and her brother are lucky to have a grandmother who ensures they make it to their t In "Colors Insulting to Nature" Wilson explores the effect of pop culture on a young girl who is raised believing that happy-ever-after, prince-in-shining armor, wish-upon-a-star, ugly-duckling-into-a-swan fairytales are actual, possible life outcomes.

Liza and her brother are lucky to have a grandmother who ensures they make it to their teenage years fed and physically intact.

However, for Liza, the pull of achieving dreams "if she only tries hard enough" is overpowering, and her life careens from one tragedy to another. Wilson's coming of age tale is ironic, satirical, sometimes funny, often pathetic, and occasionally downright sad. Cintra makes the reader wonder how many children raised with the television for a babysitter view the world the way Liza does. And in what ways has the rise of social media since the book was written in changed or intensified the way television spun "perfect lives"?

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In any event, the Normal family is an interesting commentary on our present culture, and is definitely thought-provoking. Wilson is laugh-out-loud funny at times. In particular, the "Sound of Music" play had me rolling, and had my husband giving me funny looks: I especially liked Lorna and Ned. Parts of the book are a bit far-fetched ie. Overall, 4 stars or "Excellent". Recommended for anyone who enjoys irreverent humor! I didn't know how I'd feel about this book when I started it.

Liza Normal is unlike any protagonist I'd ever read about. But this book hooked me in and I enjoyed every bit of the ride from there on. Cintra Wilson is an expert on celebrity- but more so the bizareness of it all, and here she transforms that into a world you can easily imagine. One where you didn't do as your parents told you to and you got to just follow every weirdo whim you had as a teenager. The book is by turns to I didn't know how I'd feel about this book when I started it. The book is by turns touching, hilarious, weird, and insightful.

I personally enjoyed the weird narrator interjections and formatting of the book, and I knew once the 80s references started that it was a winner. I'd heard that said before - "characters that pop off the page", and now I believe that can happen. My only mistake was to read this in spurts; I think if I'd read it in one quick go it might have gotten a 5. Someone had said it was relatable to a John Waters movie, and that's the closest I can get to describing it, although I enjoyed this more than I've enjoyed any of those flicks.

Simply put, I've never read anything like this before, and don't know that anything like it will ever come along again. And if you haven't already read wilson's "A massive swelling", please do. The character of Liza just came to life. Her name is Lady Gaga. May 20, Erin rated it it was amazing. I absolutely adored this. Great writing; exemplary vocabulary; wonderful, flawed, real characters; great story; smarmy narration by a jaded meta-voice - ahhhhh. I do so love a story wherein a character f's up with the best intentions and inadvertently ends up fulfilling her destiny, because it feels awfully familiar to my own life story.

Colors Insulting to Nature - Cintra Wilson - E-book

And the childhood and high school humiliations were written perfectly right. Drop what you're doing and go find this book right now. Sep 06, Loren rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Recommended to Loren by: I used to see Wilson's plays in SF. It just kills me that the cover of this book is clearly illustrated by someone who never read the thing!

I felt dirty after I read it, but in a good way. Wilson is a great writer of mad, vivid characters, and the story is depraved and wonderful and nutty. I adored this book and I'm sorry it didn't do better- I suspect the cover didn't help. Mar 28, Martin Turnbull rated it it was amazing. What a wonderful find this book turned out to be.

Oct 05, Candice rated it it was amazing. One of Wilson's heroes was Hunter S.

COLORS INSULTING TO NATURE

Thompson, and she's a pop culture critic, so not only can her descriptions be wildly, hilariously imaginative and outlandish much of the time, "The waitress working at the Korral was a sixty-year-old woman with a firmly structured silver permanent and a name tag that said PANSY, who had obviously worked as a cocktail waitress since the dawn of table service and had, like an eyeless, deep-sea creature, become accustomed to casino life without sunlight or wind One of Wilson's heroes was Hunter S.

Thompson, and she's a pop culture critic, so not only can her descriptions be wildly, hilariously imaginative and outlandish much of the time, "The waitress working at the Korral was a sixty-year-old woman with a firmly structured silver permanent and a name tag that said PANSY, who had obviously worked as a cocktail waitress since the dawn of table service and had, like an eyeless, deep-sea creature, become accustomed to casino life without sunlight or windows, among the truly drunk, where the party never stopped and had never really started.

It's a very "American" story. It took a little while to get into because at first it seemed like farce, but then it evolved into a pretty recognizably accurate depiction, albeit skewed, of our society, not unlike Thompson's world view. Very entertaining, but wise.

Chapter Analysis of Colors Insulting to Nature

Jan 15, Sarah rated it really liked it Shelves: I previously read Wilson's book "A Massive Swelling", which was a nonfiction book about the horrible nature of Fame. This book takes a fictional look at the same topic. There are many aspects of Liza's personality that remind me of a younger me.

I also wanted to be "Famous". I yearned for recognition and the envy of my peers. Wilson is around my age.

She talks about 80s movies as a jumping-off point for many kids to this fame-worship. She I previously read Wilson's book "A Massive Swelling", which was a nonfiction book about the horrible nature of Fame. She has a brilliant section at the beginning that talks about the 80s movie as new-Greek Myth. The actual plot is good too, if somewhat meandering. But then, life sorta meanders.

You end up caring about these people, even though they are completely flawed and miserably ridiculous a lot of the time. Just like most people.

Also features some great gay guys, cross-dressers and bondage loving Little People. Nov 14, Kate rated it really liked it. But what's with the interruptions from a self-conscious narrator? We're rolling along in the story of Liza --a girl who grows up with no sense of self, just a burning desire to be famous -- and all of a sudden we're interrupted by the author herself, in boldface type, explaining that "now we're going to have a flashback," or something. It doesn't even come close to working. All those passages could simply be removed and it would be a better book. But, don't let m This was great!

But, don't let me dissuade you, the story is lots of fun, and it gives a nice subculture view of San Francisco in the 80s and 90s. Apr 11, Alvin rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: This story is a scathingly hilarious indictment of celebrity obsession. Too much contemporary fiction has been hobbled by the "good taste" of the author to exclude the sea of pop culture in which modern Americans float and read like dumbed down novels about 19th century Brits. The Hell with that! We need more authors like Cintra Wilson and George Saunders who actually notice that we're living in a hyper-commerical culture and that gasp!

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Feb 21, Sofia rated it it was amazing Shelves: I fucking loooooove Cintra Wilson. She's a hailstorm of hilarity, a voice so speedy it's like being on a road trip in Bombay with Hunter S Thompson. I like my life lessons delivered with an all-you-can-eat buffet of humour, and this book left me totally replete. Jul 14, Audrey rated it did not like it. I quit reading this book, it was depressing, NOT funny, not even quirky, the main characters were beyond dysfunctional and they never seemed to move forward! I don't know if it was my frame of mind at that time so would love to know if someone else has read it and what they think.

Sep 17, Carolyn rated it did not like it. I had a difficult time getting through this book. I couldn't relate to the main character or what she was going through. Just kind of weird. Wilson is a fabulous writer, mercilessly skewering our obsession with celebrities and fame while also giving Liza an interesting story. I must say the ending of Colors Insulting to Nature was a wee bit too pat, but I reminded myself that it was one hell of a roller coaster ride, with amazing twists and turns, heart pounding ascents and tummy turning descents.

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