Dear Mr. Unabomber

Brittany_Lewis_4747left a comment

Ray Cavanaugh342200231s 342200234Dear Mr. Unabomber342200235 is an epistolary novel composed of letters written to Ted Kaczynski from a twenty-something male college student. The letters chronicle our narrator342200231s journey through self-discovery, college and a technological world filled with plugged-in, tuned out people while simultaneously spouting his knowledge of Ted and offering his sympathies. The hilarity that ensues

bibleeohfileleft a comment

"Dear Mr. Unabomber" by Ray Cavanaugh wasn't quite what I expected it to be, but in some ways I think that made it better. Although each letter starts off by "talking" with Kaczynski about how he can relate to his end goal, or reminiscing about how long it's been since he--Kaczynski--has touched a bomb (fourteen years), each chapter quickly moves from there to a whole range of subjects, including

fujiwarkleft a comment

Ray Cavanaugh's "Dear Mr. Unabomber" contains a series of letters and accompanying drawings addressed to the incarcerated Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski. This epistolary novel is the work of an underachieving college student, disillusioned by the plethora of now ubiquitous social networking sites. His attraction to "Dear Ted" as he begins each letter stems from an appreciation of Kaczynksi's ideas supporting deindustrialization. Yet the writer's letters reveal more than blind hero worship as he occasionally critiques and even explicitly differentiates himself from the felon. Writing letters to a famous anarchist focuses the protagonist's interests and permits him to be, at times, painfully honest. While he passes judgment on fellow college students' use of sites like Facebook and MySpace, he details his personal excursions stemming from match.com dates and vigilante emails. Additionally, he recounts blog conversations with more interest than Instant Messenger chats with his best friend. He's adept at spotlighting superficial interactions, like his hilarious portrayal of an imaginary chat between the Unabomber and Paris Hilton, but he fails to similarly analyze his own shallow relationships (failed match.com romances) or note his shortcomings in face-to-face interactions (arguably the worst job interview ever). This book is a smart look at the dangers of a society reliant on technology to interact with others, especially the individuals unable to engage in the real world. After reading this book, one seriously questions who is the person behind the profile, has technology begun replacing real life interactions, and what happens to fan mail? Recommended for psych majors or anyone interested in the darker side of human nature.

SarahRaeleft a comment

"Dear Mr. Unabomber," by Ray Cavanaugh is an exploratory journey of identity in a technologically consumed, and dependent, world. What begins as a series of letters to the infamous “Unabomber,” Ted Kaczynski, evolves into a contemplative study of human nature as it becomes infiltrated by addictive television crime dramas, internet dating sites, and isolating excursions into the apparent “lives” of MySpace and Facebook users. The young college student who writes obsessively to Kaczynski attempts to extrapolate upon the Unabomber’s ideals of deindustrialization and to come to terms with his violent career of combating technology and its progression. This epistolary novel delves into issues of superficiality in academics, work life, and human relationships. How is it possible to succeed in any of these areas without conforming to the accepted, perfunctory social and political frameworks? Where does a person with true passions and opinions find a space that offers possibility for a genuinely fulfilling life? It is clear that a space for this young man is found in his writing to the incarcerated Unabomber. Yet, how would society view this as an appropriate outlet for self-discovery and justification? Cavanaugh exposes technology as both an enabler of positive change and knowledge, and yet also of stagnation and social degeneration. It is impossible that our society will eventually become disentranced by technology, as it is already embedded into our lives, but will we become so reliant that digression in inevitable? Peppered with original drawings by the author, "Dear Mr. Unabomber" is a captivating analysis of a culture which values the artificial in every respect, and which demands inquiry from its readers into the effects that all forms of technological innovation have upon humanity.