M. Gira: The Consumer Book Review

Five out of Five stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this book but it is not for everyone. I hope you enjoy the review.

[@viniciusferreiradasilva8348]

Hearing/reading Gira's work is like looking through a filthy, twisted and unwashed mirror at ourselves: the self-hatred, the degradation, the self-pity and the self-loathing for self-pity are all inexorable parts of the human condition that are much larger than we'd like to admit; and you ought to respect someone like him. Someone who's willing to dive in the mud to find that part of us that we've buried never to be seen.

[@FirstLadyReads]

Vinicius Ferreira da Silva I do respect him that is why I wanted to do this book review because I believe people need to acknowledge those parts of ourselves in heathy constructive ways. I thought I came off as very respectful but if gave the impression that I didn't I apologize. I highly regard his work and it was one of the best reads I had last year.

[@viniciusferreiradasilva8348]

No, you absolutely did. I was just sharing the way I see Gira's work--which is very much like the way you seem to.

[@JonathanNelsonOfficial]

Vinicius Ferreira da Silva beautifully stated and very true.

[@melvinmelvins5202]

This book was pretty controversial even before release, and a lot of copies, including mine, have several lines drawn under some of the text by customs officers. Pretty cool. I found the book to be filled with Gira's dark, dry humour - which is an often overlooked facet of his work. I also think he was expunging The 120 Days of Sodom from his system, which he read at age 14 while doing time in an adult prison in Israel. Many of the scenarios depicted have De Sade's touch, though 120 Days is _far_ more digusting and brutal. But anyway, great review! Glad to see people who are actually open-minded, rather than just _saying_ that they are. Subbed : )

[@ofmonadsandnomads9500]

Customs officers? As in, some lines were legally questionable?

[@rleeroberts6350]

What could POSSIBLY be better than a LOVELY lady reading one of my ALL TIME favorite pieces of literature EVER ! .....I got my copy signed about 4 years ago when I met Michael in S.F. for the SEER tour ....you should have seen the look on his face when I handed him the book to sign ....grinned EAR to EAR ......you should read "And the Ass Saw the Angel " by Nick Cave. Stay lovely ......and give "The Angels Of Light " a chance ....its Giras acoustical side project ...you may be surprised .

[@leavinghope1970]

FYI: Swans came out in the EARLY 80's. The first EP came out 1982. The first proper album, FILTH, came out 1983. They broke up in the 90s, with the last album Soundtracks For The Blind (1996) and then with the last live album, SWANS ARE DEAD (1998).

[@Swarmking]

I found this book online somewhere for £70. I had a choice: Buy this book and spend the next three weeks with so little money or wait until payday and lose out. I chose the former and it was so worth it. When this book arrived, I went through it voraciously like a famished vulture to the fresh carcass of a mammal. My personal favorites are 'The Young Man Who Hid His Body Inside A Horse' and 'The Consumer: Rotting Pig'. Like the painter Francis Bacon in literary form. Grotesque beyond mere words.

[@JPEGTOMUSIC]

god what a fantastic review!!! good job gurl! ♥

[@FirstLadyReads]

i'lldiealonebutireallydontwantto thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it.

[@carpademen1066]

Jacquie you're beautiful, that is the essence of the Swans and investigation into the swamp lands of the human soul and darkness. A beautiful symposium on the dark side of the human soul, not ignored but observed

[@FirstLadyReads]

Frogman Five Thank you for the compliment and your comment. Thanks for the support

[@AtCw593]

Gira with a soft G :)

[@govegan6682]

And Swans not The Swans :)

[@someguy779]

Please do a review of Nadja from Andre Breton. That and the consumer is in my top ten

[@umakantchavan4858]

u review very nicely. .it's strange that u don't have too many subscribers

[@Balfour.]

A Sacrifice and The Dog are my favourite short stories.

[@haleywilson520]

He just released a new book! Get a copy while you still can, since they're super limited.

[@DakicSlobodan]

I thought "The Boss" and "The Ideal Worker" short stories are the two jems in the whole book, the rest of it, not so much for me, but with these two he hit the nail IMO. "The Boss" sounds like some Richard Bandler/John Fowles/Robert Anton Wilson type shit, he is almost like Marcel Proust with those subtle thoughts. A form of literary exploration of The Qliphoth tree of the human collective unconscious.

[@gamer46653]

Great review thanks

[@savagekock]

So that book is a GG Allen song ??

[@clumpter4534]

You should listen to his spoken word piece with Lydia lunch “I’m an infant, I worship him”

[@lucasaoliveira7]

Available for download at: drive.google.com/file/d/1qv73vYqtlyc6SolmtPcMAlinRil7dEVB/view?usp=sharing

[@drummerofblackmarketcurren6186]

The coward II was where i stopped. Disgusted and angry is how i felt. Then i deleted the pdf and I'm done. Fuck that.

[@igivedafupbitch]

Where did you buy it?

[@FirstLadyReads]

I got my copy through the public library. I didn’t have a electronic device to read on when I read this in 2016

[@fatteneddessert]

You was going to cook you some breakfast Well you went in there And you put some toast in the toaster Put a skillet on the stove, some grease in it You got you some eggs out, some bacon Poured you some orange juice and made you some coffee Got some jelly and some butter, fried eggs, salt Pepper, got the bacon on the grill... Everything was fine except for one thing You had to call me in there... to show you how to use a fork

[@jtotheulian708]

i really like michel gira and his music. Though I don't think its meant for people like me (im talking about people who are around the age 15 which is my age) i loved the excerpt that you read, im not sure why but i would like to read the book. I think michel gira is simply a genius

[@iceydaywalker9198]

the band is called "Swans," not "The Swans," FYI. good review. :)

[@raec.9615]

Interesting but unfortunately I can’t find it ! Uh I want to read it though ! Ugh. I read ‘Lolita’ and I found it a great literary even if t was controversial...

[@FirstLadyReads]

I had to go through my public library and interlibrary loan to get the copy that I read. This is definitely one you won't forget for more reasons then one. If you get a hold of copy let me know what you think.

[@decadesofsegregation9677]

Local library? WHAT! Are you in the NY area?

[@FirstLadyReads]

Tom LaSala interlibrary loan

[@meatsuit6922]

"Within all the wrong they say I have done There lies a seed of a million more, just waiting to become Send them home, send them home, send them home, send them home Use your sword, use your voice Then begin again."

[@ReignOfPraine]

Try 'Story of the Eye' by Georges Bataille.

[@Goblin-ee4og]

Read his new book. The Egg.

[@Demention94]

Great review. Good looks to

[@FirstLadyReads]

Thank you.

[@marcellixxx]

My favorite story is Mr. Smother lol 🤣 I actually talk to people who do these acts 🤭

[@bookylorra8461]

Wow...that is all.

[@FirstLadyReads]

+Booky Lorra I know....that is why it was so long before I could get the review up. I had to process it first. I was speechless a lot throughout this book, but there are parts of this book that really do make you think despite all the graphics and imagery used.

[@childintime6453]

Where can I get this book for a reasonable price?

[@FirstLadyReads]

I know right! I would love to have a copy of this for my collection! I found it a few years ago on Book Depository for about 130 US Dollars but I don’t think Book depository is even open anymore

[@childintime6453]

​@@FirstLadyReadsmaybe stealing from a library is the only viable option rn lol

[@FirstLadyReads]

@@childintime6453 I don’t think that would be very good idea but until you find a copy that is comfortable for purchase interlibrary loan is amazing! even if you have to sign release forms..good luck with your hunt I will keep my fingers crossed

[@childintime6453]

@@FirstLadyReads thanks!

[@AlexanderLaurence]

Harry Potter is the problem. The Consumer is a real book.

[@craigdamage]

Early 80s, actually. SWANS started in 82.

[@FirstLadyReads]

Oh ok. Thank you for letting me know.

[@umakantchavan4858]

can I get one copy in India?

[@FirstLadyReads]

Umakant chavan You probably could if you went online and did some digging

[@heyitsritu]

U can get one on amazon.. its a little expensive though since they've stopped the production of this book

[@divix22]

I can’t find this book

[@FirstLadyReads]

The Consumer www.amazon.com/dp/1880985268/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_NT385B0MCMTSMBS5HYQM I checked the copy I got out through inter library loan.

[@jalijali8448]

Thanks for this. It's pronounced Jeera btw

[@ididgt4259]

Nope. It's like giraffe without the ffe.

[@jalijali8448]

Not sure if you're blind or deaf but it's exactly the same

[@ididgt4259]

Maybe you should try some phonetic books or something. Neither the J nor the EE sound fit.

[@jalijali8448]

@@ididgt4259 kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYvVoZ97nbqbes0

[@outis439-A]

@@ididgt4259 Dude, how do you sound out j?

[@phoenix11301]

lol made the mistake of reading this book whilst eating curry. Is cool though stomach is strong as is mind ;)

[@arcadianmuzique6593]

You don't condone acts done in a surrealist nightmare fantasy world?

[@HornedBee]

it’s pronounced dji-rA

[@FirstLadyReads]

Thank you.

[@AlexanderLaurence]

SWANS are real music. The rest is mediocre.

[@je4754]

Swans were formed in 1982, not the late eighties. The other things you got wrong I won't even bother mentioning.

[@jesseorth8244]

j e chill out mang, shes here to review the book not give us a run down of Swans history

[@raingirlcat2245]

@@jesseorth8244 At least try and be educated about the band if you are “ a lover of all music”. Tho, I get it’s about the review. That’s MORE important in this case.

[@raingirlcat2245]

Yeah, Swans were formed in 1982 but Micheal Gira’s career spans from 1979-2022

[@craigdamage]

Jeesh. Be nice. Younger people often can't specify an exact part of a decade and the farther back the cloudier it gets for them. She is reviewing a book and is clearly not a musicologist here. Hell, I remember back in the 90s people would get the 60s wrong all the time. I once read a journalist say: "....like the psychedelic rock of the EARLY 60s" (psychedelic rock didn't actually materialize until 66-67) ....etc. Lighten the fuck up.

[@bobsbigboy_]

im not a masochist so no i don't like to be degraded