The Nineties

A Book

By: Chuck Klosterman

Narrated by: Chuck Klosterman, Dion Graham

Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

An instant New York Times bestseller!

“Informative, endlessly entertaining.”—BuzzFeed

“Generation X’s definitive chronicler of culture.”—GQ

From the author of But What If We’re Wrong comes an insightful, funny reckoning with a pivotal decade

It was long ago, but not as long as it seems: The Berlin Wall fell and the Twin Towers collapsed. In between, one presidential election was allegedly decided by Ross Perot while another was plausibly decided by Ralph Nader. Landlines fell to cell phones, the internet exploded, and pop culture accelerated without the aid of technology that remembered everything. It was the last era with a real mainstream to either identify with or oppose. The ’90s brought about a revolution in the human condition, and a shift in consciousness, that we’re still struggling to understand. Happily, Chuck Klosterman is more than up to the job.

In The Nineties, Klosterman dissects the film, the music, the sports, the TV, the pre-9/11 politics, the changes regarding race and class and sexuality, the yin/yang of Oprah and Alan Greenspan, and (almost) everything else. The result is a multidimensional masterpiece, a work of synthesis so smart and delightful that future historians might well refer to this entire period as Klostermanian.

©2022 Chuck Klosterman (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“In The Nineties, Klosterman examines the social, political and cultural history of the era with his signature wit. It’s a fascinating trip down memory lane.” —Time

“Always an astute cultural observer and a fan of deep dives into any subject, Klosterman is focused here on a decade in American life that he says is often portrayed as ‘a low-risk grunge cartoon’ . . . Klosterman’s gift is seizing on those moments that any Gen Xer can readily recall and pulling the strings a bit to put it in some kind of historical perspective.” —Associated Press

“Serving up the moments and meanings of a modern decade in a few hundred pages is no easy task, but Chuck Klosterman has managed to boil a hearty stew of insight. . . . [Klosterman is] a master of smooth setups and downbeat finishes.” —USA Today

Incisive and Provocative

Loved it. Captures the decade perfectly. Klosterman is at the top of his game.

A few good moments but the performance…

Maybe the print version would have clarified this - but what was with the random handoffs to some other guy to read a few lines? I spent too much time trying to figure out the logic. Overall - it was fine. If you were a teen or adult in the 90s, some of the book can feel tedious.

Great Book

I loved everything about this book!! The music references were not the usual pop standard bands and the authors delivery was perfect.

Super fun read

It’s hard to fit a whole decade into a single book, but this title did it, bringing many of the key events of the 90s to the fore while masterfully linking them together.

Great book

If you lived during the 90s and even if he didn’t, this is a fantastic trip through that decade. I highly recommend this book.

Fantastic.

I lived through the 90s but until reading this book didn’t really understand them or what made them unique. I feel like I understand my youth more than I did while I was living it. Fantastic work by Klosterman. Really enjoyed the dual narration. I immediately downloaded a book narrated by Graham.

Great fun overall

Felt like I'm experiencing my childhood once again but with a grown up perspective

not what I expected but enjoyable

I knew of Chuck Klosterman from his short essays like sex drugs and Cocoa Puffs. when I started the book it wasn't what I expected and I initially didn't think I would like it. by the end though I really enjoyed it and I think he did a good job of connecting Trends in the 90s to things that are still going on today. I was afraid it was going to be overly heavy on the Nostalgia which I'm not a big fan of but instead I think it was a critical analysis of a decade and the implications for the future

Easy read and good nostalgia

Enjoyed the book. Took awhile to get used to the narrator but the content is great.

Masterpiece

Can’t say enough good things about this book. A beautiful examination of the importance of the nineties.