Why read Fargo Rock City?

Book cover of Fargo Rock City: A Heavy Metal Odyssey In Rural North Dakota

Book description

Powered by a sharp and wholly original voice, Chuck Klosterman delivers a real-life High Fidelity in this savvy, deliriously funny memoir of growing up a shameless heavy-metal devotee in 1980s North Dakota. The year is 1983, and Chuck Klosterman just wants to rock. But he's got problems. For one, he's…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Fargo Rock City as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Christopher Brett Bailey

Author

The cutest book I’ve ever read about being a fan. Warm and softhearted, Chuck’s writing is literary comfort food.

A music and sports journalist turned memoirist, this is his misty-eyed look back at childhood. Like an episode of The Wonder Years all about Hair Metal. You can substitute Hair Metal for anything chronically un-cool that you ever fell in love with.

It’s a gleeful defence of the dork inside, a reminder that taste is subjective, that fashions come and go, that when we poo-poo things we’re denying ourselves potential enjoyment. There’s no such thing as a guilty pleasure. Pleasure is…

From Christopher's list on for headbangers.

Richard Cosgrove

Author

Klosterman was brought up in a very different locale to Seb Hunter and myself – the tiny (population 498) town of Wyndmere, North Dakota – and Fargo Rock City provided an interesting juxtaposition to our UK stories.

The thing we all shared, though, was a passion for big riffs and bigger hair. While he didn’t want to be a rock star per se, Klosterman did immerse himself in the culture and ended up writing about it, earning his place on this list. Though some of his opinions won’t win him many feminist friends, his passion and enthusiasm for the genre…

From Richard's list on wanting to be a rock star in the eighties.