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A Mickey Mouse Reader
Ranging from the playful, to the fact-filled, and to the thoughtful, this collection tracks the fortunes of Walt Disney's flagship character. From the first full-fledged review of his screen debut in November 1928 to the present day, Mickey Mouse has won millions of fans and charmed even the harshest of critics. Almost half of the eighty-one texts in A Mickey Mouse Reader document the Mouse's rise to glory from that first cartoon, Steamboat Willie, through his seventh year when his first color animation, The Band Concert, was released. They include two important early critiques, one by the American culture critic Gilbert Seldes and one by the famed English novelist E. M. Forster.
Articles and essays chronicle the continued rise of Mickey Mouse to the rank of true icon. He remains arguably the most vivid graphic expression to date of key traits of the American character--pluck, cheerfulness, innocence, energy, and fidelity to family and friends. Among press reports in the book is one from June 1944 that puts to rest the urban legend that "Mickey Mouse" was a password or code word on D-Day. It was, however, the password for a major pre-invasion briefing.
Other items illuminate the origins of "Mickey Mouse" as a term for things deemed petty or unsophisticated. One piece explains how Walt and brother Roy Disney, almost single-handedly, invented the strategy of corporate synergy by tagging sales of Mickey Mouse toys and goods to the release of Mickey's latest cartoons shorts. In two especially interesting essays, Maurice Sendak and John Updike look back over the years and give their personal reflections on the character they loved as boys growing up in the 1930s.
Articles and essays chronicle the continued rise of Mickey Mouse to the rank of true icon. He remains arguably the most vivid graphic expression to date of key traits of the American character--pluck, cheerfulness, innocence, energy, and fidelity to family and friends. Among press reports in the book is one from June 1944 that puts to rest the urban legend that "Mickey Mouse" was a password or code word on D-Day. It was, however, the password for a major pre-invasion briefing.
Other items illuminate the origins of "Mickey Mouse" as a term for things deemed petty or unsophisticated. One piece explains how Walt and brother Roy Disney, almost single-handedly, invented the strategy of corporate synergy by tagging sales of Mickey Mouse toys and goods to the release of Mickey's latest cartoons shorts. In two especially interesting essays, Maurice Sendak and John Updike look back over the years and give their personal reflections on the character they loved as boys growing up in the 1930s.
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417 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 20, 2017
This is not a coffee book of pictures about Mickey Mouse, this book is a reader like the title. You get a very short concise history of how Mickey came into creation after Walt Disney and the rest of his team were pushed away from the Oswald cartoon character. There are books that go into this with great detail. Any way on his return trip with his wife across country from New York back to California she suggested that he decide what character to work on when they get home to California. They settled on a mouse which became Mickey. Which led to Steamboat Willie and as they say the rest is history. This book takes you from Steamboat Willie through the changes and the adding of different characters, Donald Duck, Minnie, Pluto, ETC... This is a very well written book and done in chronological order and the author gives credit to the artists as well which is good. Overall I have no completes and being a Disney person I thought this book to be well done. I got this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
February 16, 2015
I love Mickey Mouse, which I don't think is a wildly unconventional position. In fact, liking Disney is basically a way to bond with random strangers. So obviously, I wanted to read this reader.
The Mickey Mouse Reader is basically a collection of news stories and articles about Mickey Mouse and Disney. It starts off with the birth of Disney, and people catching on to the fact that a star was born, and ends with a series of analysis articles about the famous mouse, and musings about its future. Occasionally, there are notes about the articles at the end, and in the appendix are the original versions of certain translated pieces.
For me, the first part was a bit boring at times. Some of the articles were basically announcements about events, which I didn't find interesting. Others, like Nazi Germany's reaction to Disney was interesting. I basically preferred the Op-Ed pieces and interviews to things that were simply announcing facts. Trivia fans may find that interesting though.
Overall, though, you get an idea of how Mickey Mouse came to be. He grew from a lovable scamp to an icon of the twentieth century, at the same time, growing from a mischievous mouse to the embodiment of respectability, which makes it difficult to play pranks. Hence, the development of Donald Duck, who can get away with things that Mickey can't. While Walt Disney was alive, this seemed to be a good thing, but now, some people think that it's holding the company back. The last few essays think about the future of The Mouse - how can the company reinvent the mouse while keeping to tradition?
Although a bit repetitive at times, this book gives you a good feel of how Mickey Mouse (and by extension, Disney as it is) came to be.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
The Mickey Mouse Reader is basically a collection of news stories and articles about Mickey Mouse and Disney. It starts off with the birth of Disney, and people catching on to the fact that a star was born, and ends with a series of analysis articles about the famous mouse, and musings about its future. Occasionally, there are notes about the articles at the end, and in the appendix are the original versions of certain translated pieces.
For me, the first part was a bit boring at times. Some of the articles were basically announcements about events, which I didn't find interesting. Others, like Nazi Germany's reaction to Disney was interesting. I basically preferred the Op-Ed pieces and interviews to things that were simply announcing facts. Trivia fans may find that interesting though.
Overall, though, you get an idea of how Mickey Mouse came to be. He grew from a lovable scamp to an icon of the twentieth century, at the same time, growing from a mischievous mouse to the embodiment of respectability, which makes it difficult to play pranks. Hence, the development of Donald Duck, who can get away with things that Mickey can't. While Walt Disney was alive, this seemed to be a good thing, but now, some people think that it's holding the company back. The last few essays think about the future of The Mouse - how can the company reinvent the mouse while keeping to tradition?
Although a bit repetitive at times, this book gives you a good feel of how Mickey Mouse (and by extension, Disney as it is) came to be.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
August 6, 2015
The key word here is “reader”, which means don’t expect a sumptuous coffee table book replete with lush full page illustrations. This is, instead, a collection of articles written over the years about the character Disney referred to colloquially as “The Mouse”, and also some about Disney himself.
I received this galley as a DRC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
The first third or so of the book is somewhat monotonous, because several articles are printed that essentially give the same information. They talk about the first cartoons that played as short films in movie houses during the era of silent films, and the consequence adaptation in which Mickey was given his voice, which was Walt Disney speaking in falsetto. The company was founded on a shoestring by Disney and a partner with whom he fell out when the man swindled him; consequently, Walt’s brother Roy came on board with a significant cash infusion and a willingness to join in. It was Walt Disney’s wife Lillian who prevented him from naming Mickey “Mortimer Mouse”. The character’s humor was modeled largely on the self-effacing humor of Charlie Chaplin, though Disney said that the two did not share political perspectives.
Those who have the attention span and the interest level will find more diverse material in the remaining portion of the book, and everything is fastidiously documented; articles published in a language other than English are reprinted in their entirety in the original language at the back of the book.
Mickey is analyzed up one side and down another by such diverse individuals as Carl Jung, Maurice Sendak, and Stephen Jay Gould; in relation to the last of these, there is an achingly tedious article giving all the cranial dimensions of the various incarnations of Mickey’s head. Who knows? Maybe that will be your favorite part. It didn’t do anything for me. Many others commented on Mickey and his role socially, internationally, and even politically. Some claims that seemed gob-smackingly over the top to this reviewer dampened my enthusiasm a little bit. For example, one commentator said that Mickey is the greatest contribution ever made to world culture by the USA because he is so instantly recognizable and has a different name in every language. The reasoning is specious, because it takes a trademark image and equates it with culture. Given that jazz music was originally hatched on US soil, it’s a little hard to swallow that Mickey is America’s greatest contribution, almost a damning by faint praise. But you can decide for yourself, and this book will throw plenty of claims and historical information in your direction.
In 1937, as world politics became tense, the New York Times pointed out that the only two internationalists left in the world were Mickey Mouse and Leon Trotsky.
The longstanding rumor that Disney was sympathetic toward German fascism before World War II is never addressed. As Mickey has been kept carefully squeaky clean, so is his and Walt’s biography. Instead, it is mentioned that the sight of the Mickey Mouse button worn by children throughout the developed world infuriated Hitler, who wanted German youth to display only the swastika. It is also mentioned that the name “Mickey Mouse” was used as a code during that war. And one of the book’s few illustrations is a political cartoon in which Mickey represents the USA, perched on the nose of , Charles de Gaulle, whom the Allies backed when France was split between the two sides.
Disney’s genius was not only geared toward animation; he had a good head for business. The Disney fortune compounded itself with merchandising. Initially, Mickey’s success bankrolled the expensive production of Snow White, Dumbo, Bambi, and the other early, magnificent animated full length films that followed. Tee shirts and wristwatches were everywhere in the 1960’s and 1970’s; Disney took the 50,000th watch that came off the assembly line and put it on his desk, which had once been graced with studio mice (actual rodents) which he had lovingly caged, observed, and set free in fields earlier in his career.
Brief mention is made of the cartoons made in an earlier era that caricatured African-Americans, and I confess I myself had wondered why those dreadful things were not pulled out of circulation, or limited to those studying animation history as opposed to popular entertainment. Brief mention was also made of the NAACP boycott instigated by the release of “Song of the South”, one of Disney’s few flops.
What does the future hold for Mickey, Apgar wonders. Disney himself had pointed out that there were limitations to what one could do with “The Mouse”. After all, Mickey is eternally young and eternally good; unlike Donald Duck, Disney’s more rounded character, Mickey could never have a sexual thought, lose his temper, or take a controversial stand. Because of this, and the fact that he had already been in some 70 short films as well as the acclaimed Fantasia and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, he more or less hit a dead end (my phrase, not Disney’s).
Cartoonist Art Spiegelman, creator of the graphic novel Maus, commented that if Mickey were to be updated, the obvious thing would be to make him gay. “After all, he’s already halfway there!” This gave me my first real laugh during the time I read this historical collection.
For the general audience, I rate this three stars due to the repetitive nature of a large amount of material and its dearth of artwork. For a niche audience including those researching the history of animation, the history of Disney , or that of Mickey Mouse, my sole concern is what is left out or glossed over: Walt Disney and pre-Hitler fascism; issues with the NAACP; and the reprehensible exclusion of the king of pop, Michael Jackson, who doesn’t even get a mention. For these reasons, five stars are not possible, so four stars for a niche audience. The collection is comprehensive in all that is glorious, and almost entirely devoid of rockier, more controversial moments.
I received this galley as a DRC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
The first third or so of the book is somewhat monotonous, because several articles are printed that essentially give the same information. They talk about the first cartoons that played as short films in movie houses during the era of silent films, and the consequence adaptation in which Mickey was given his voice, which was Walt Disney speaking in falsetto. The company was founded on a shoestring by Disney and a partner with whom he fell out when the man swindled him; consequently, Walt’s brother Roy came on board with a significant cash infusion and a willingness to join in. It was Walt Disney’s wife Lillian who prevented him from naming Mickey “Mortimer Mouse”. The character’s humor was modeled largely on the self-effacing humor of Charlie Chaplin, though Disney said that the two did not share political perspectives.
Those who have the attention span and the interest level will find more diverse material in the remaining portion of the book, and everything is fastidiously documented; articles published in a language other than English are reprinted in their entirety in the original language at the back of the book.
Mickey is analyzed up one side and down another by such diverse individuals as Carl Jung, Maurice Sendak, and Stephen Jay Gould; in relation to the last of these, there is an achingly tedious article giving all the cranial dimensions of the various incarnations of Mickey’s head. Who knows? Maybe that will be your favorite part. It didn’t do anything for me. Many others commented on Mickey and his role socially, internationally, and even politically. Some claims that seemed gob-smackingly over the top to this reviewer dampened my enthusiasm a little bit. For example, one commentator said that Mickey is the greatest contribution ever made to world culture by the USA because he is so instantly recognizable and has a different name in every language. The reasoning is specious, because it takes a trademark image and equates it with culture. Given that jazz music was originally hatched on US soil, it’s a little hard to swallow that Mickey is America’s greatest contribution, almost a damning by faint praise. But you can decide for yourself, and this book will throw plenty of claims and historical information in your direction.
In 1937, as world politics became tense, the New York Times pointed out that the only two internationalists left in the world were Mickey Mouse and Leon Trotsky.
The longstanding rumor that Disney was sympathetic toward German fascism before World War II is never addressed. As Mickey has been kept carefully squeaky clean, so is his and Walt’s biography. Instead, it is mentioned that the sight of the Mickey Mouse button worn by children throughout the developed world infuriated Hitler, who wanted German youth to display only the swastika. It is also mentioned that the name “Mickey Mouse” was used as a code during that war. And one of the book’s few illustrations is a political cartoon in which Mickey represents the USA, perched on the nose of , Charles de Gaulle, whom the Allies backed when France was split between the two sides.
Disney’s genius was not only geared toward animation; he had a good head for business. The Disney fortune compounded itself with merchandising. Initially, Mickey’s success bankrolled the expensive production of Snow White, Dumbo, Bambi, and the other early, magnificent animated full length films that followed. Tee shirts and wristwatches were everywhere in the 1960’s and 1970’s; Disney took the 50,000th watch that came off the assembly line and put it on his desk, which had once been graced with studio mice (actual rodents) which he had lovingly caged, observed, and set free in fields earlier in his career.
Brief mention is made of the cartoons made in an earlier era that caricatured African-Americans, and I confess I myself had wondered why those dreadful things were not pulled out of circulation, or limited to those studying animation history as opposed to popular entertainment. Brief mention was also made of the NAACP boycott instigated by the release of “Song of the South”, one of Disney’s few flops.
What does the future hold for Mickey, Apgar wonders. Disney himself had pointed out that there were limitations to what one could do with “The Mouse”. After all, Mickey is eternally young and eternally good; unlike Donald Duck, Disney’s more rounded character, Mickey could never have a sexual thought, lose his temper, or take a controversial stand. Because of this, and the fact that he had already been in some 70 short films as well as the acclaimed Fantasia and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, he more or less hit a dead end (my phrase, not Disney’s).
Cartoonist Art Spiegelman, creator of the graphic novel Maus, commented that if Mickey were to be updated, the obvious thing would be to make him gay. “After all, he’s already halfway there!” This gave me my first real laugh during the time I read this historical collection.
For the general audience, I rate this three stars due to the repetitive nature of a large amount of material and its dearth of artwork. For a niche audience including those researching the history of animation, the history of Disney , or that of Mickey Mouse, my sole concern is what is left out or glossed over: Walt Disney and pre-Hitler fascism; issues with the NAACP; and the reprehensible exclusion of the king of pop, Michael Jackson, who doesn’t even get a mention. For these reasons, five stars are not possible, so four stars for a niche audience. The collection is comprehensive in all that is glorious, and almost entirely devoid of rockier, more controversial moments.
April 28, 2021
One of my favorites! this book just makes Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse come to life, it takes you behind the scenes on how it all started! I loved it! its a MUST READ for anyone who loves Mickey Mouse and Disney.
I recieved this copy from Netgalley for exchange for my honest opinions/reviews.
I recieved this copy from Netgalley for exchange for my honest opinions/reviews.
January 18, 2017
This was a fascinating book. It collects articles and essays about Mickey Mouse from the late 1920s to the 2000s.
Even though I am a Bugs Bunny fan until the day I die, there was a lot that was interesting here.
1) The earliest articles on Mickey ascribe his popularity to the inventive use of sound. He is seen as a "talkie" equivalent to Charlie Chaplin. Then, after the Forties, the talk about Chaplin dies out.
2) The marketing of Mickey on clothing and stuff goes back to the 1930s. If you think "synergy" and the branding of everything on everything only started in the 80s, you are wrong.
3) Everybody seems to admit that after 1940 and "Fantasia," Mickey does nothing of interest. He is displaced inside Disney by Donald Duck, who can get angry and do stuff, whereas Mickey always has to be good-natured. To give this book credit, it pays attention to stillborn efforts to "reboot" Mickey in the 1990s and early 2000s.
4) The essays by E. M. Forster and John Updike are horrible. Forster is too cutesy and Updike is too in love with his own erudition.
A fascinating book.
Even though I am a Bugs Bunny fan until the day I die, there was a lot that was interesting here.
1) The earliest articles on Mickey ascribe his popularity to the inventive use of sound. He is seen as a "talkie" equivalent to Charlie Chaplin. Then, after the Forties, the talk about Chaplin dies out.
2) The marketing of Mickey on clothing and stuff goes back to the 1930s. If you think "synergy" and the branding of everything on everything only started in the 80s, you are wrong.
3) Everybody seems to admit that after 1940 and "Fantasia," Mickey does nothing of interest. He is displaced inside Disney by Donald Duck, who can get angry and do stuff, whereas Mickey always has to be good-natured. To give this book credit, it pays attention to stillborn efforts to "reboot" Mickey in the 1990s and early 2000s.
4) The essays by E. M. Forster and John Updike are horrible. Forster is too cutesy and Updike is too in love with his own erudition.
A fascinating book.
January 14, 2016
If you are looking to do research on Mickey Mouse, this is the book for you. It is a collection of articles that Apgar complied for his own research for another book he was writing as mentioned in the introduction. He points out any inconsistencies and errors in the articles, which would be incredibly helpful if you are using this for scholarly purposes. However, I would not recommend it for the average reader, no matter how infatuated you might be with Mickey Mouse. While interesting in the beginning, the articles are incredibly repetitive, and after you read a few you feel as though you are reading slight variations of the same article after the first few. Some articles seemed unnecessary to include, due to their repetitive nature with no new information to add, except for the purpose of adding another source. There is no real narration to help you through the research; it is just article after article. There are some interesting facts, but they tend to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information that is provided.
Apgar arranges the articles chronologically. He allows you to follow the evolution of Mickey Mouse and how this small character has drastically impacted our culture. There are many surprising and interesting facts about Mickey including his creation, his impacts on different cultures, and the impact of cultures on him. As it is nearly impossible to separate Mickey from his creator, there are also many interviews with Walt Disney.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
Apgar arranges the articles chronologically. He allows you to follow the evolution of Mickey Mouse and how this small character has drastically impacted our culture. There are many surprising and interesting facts about Mickey including his creation, his impacts on different cultures, and the impact of cultures on him. As it is nearly impossible to separate Mickey from his creator, there are also many interviews with Walt Disney.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
June 17, 2015
I really enjoyed learning a lot about the Mouse thanks to this volume. A truly fascinating history. Unfortunately, many people tend to rehash the things that are already known, as a result, after the first section or two, much of what is said about Mickey feels like a repeat until you get to the last section. If you want to skip over the middle sections of the book I don't think you'd miss much because the important parts of the middle sections are quoted in the last section.
At first I was disappointed that we did hear more about Walt in relation to Snow White or his other creations, but I reminded myself that this is a reader about the Mouse. Other commentary on those would be better and more appropriately served in another volume.
The reason I prefer the first couple and the last sections are because we get the initial critical reaction, as well as a look on how Mickey matured in those first several years, and then we get a relook at Mickey's career, including some new information that had been withheld in earlier articles. Some of the articles get very lengthy and tedious, but most are interesting, and many are short and sweet.
Even though I feel the middle sections are largely repeated information, overall the content of this book and it's wide appeal still make it recommended material with 4 stars.
I received a complimentary ebook in exchange for my honest review.
At first I was disappointed that we did hear more about Walt in relation to Snow White or his other creations, but I reminded myself that this is a reader about the Mouse. Other commentary on those would be better and more appropriately served in another volume.
The reason I prefer the first couple and the last sections are because we get the initial critical reaction, as well as a look on how Mickey matured in those first several years, and then we get a relook at Mickey's career, including some new information that had been withheld in earlier articles. Some of the articles get very lengthy and tedious, but most are interesting, and many are short and sweet.
Even though I feel the middle sections are largely repeated information, overall the content of this book and it's wide appeal still make it recommended material with 4 stars.
I received a complimentary ebook in exchange for my honest review.
November 20, 2015
(
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
.)
This was quite the interesting read.
I was never one to read non-fiction books, they are for me, at times, boring. This could also extend form my dislike of such books from school. 10 years later and it's effects have yet to full wear off. (I have some not so G-rated words for you high-school)
Enough on that or I'll be here all day.
I learned so much about Disney from this book. Somethings I already knew, like how Cinderella bailed Disney out when they where about to go bankrupted. But what I like the most was learning how Micky Mouse, my childhood hero, was born.
As for reading, it was at times a little dry, so this was not a one sitting read. It was more like a before bed, kind of read. The information was engaging enough to keep me in it, but not enough to make be stay up all night and want to finished it, before the sun came up.
Outside of the dryness, and some dull moments, the writing style was an eight.
I highly recommend this book for those who love history and learning something new. This is a good pick up book that has sometime new and unique on every page.
If you ever find yourself doing a report or assignment on Micky or Disney, this is a prefect reference book. A lot of work went into this, and you can tell from the care of detail in every word.
Happy Reading
-Emily
This was quite the interesting read.
I was never one to read non-fiction books, they are for me, at times, boring. This could also extend form my dislike of such books from school. 10 years later and it's effects have yet to full wear off. (I have some not so G-rated words for you high-school)
Enough on that or I'll be here all day.
I learned so much about Disney from this book. Somethings I already knew, like how Cinderella bailed Disney out when they where about to go bankrupted. But what I like the most was learning how Micky Mouse, my childhood hero, was born.
As for reading, it was at times a little dry, so this was not a one sitting read. It was more like a before bed, kind of read. The information was engaging enough to keep me in it, but not enough to make be stay up all night and want to finished it, before the sun came up.
Outside of the dryness, and some dull moments, the writing style was an eight.
I highly recommend this book for those who love history and learning something new. This is a good pick up book that has sometime new and unique on every page.
If you ever find yourself doing a report or assignment on Micky or Disney, this is a prefect reference book. A lot of work went into this, and you can tell from the care of detail in every word.
Happy Reading
-Emily
August 29, 2015
This book is a collection of articles that have been written about Mickey from the time he was first created to present-day. They're divided by time period and create a really great way of seeing the way Mickey evolved over time and the changes to Walt Disney's story that happened as time progressed.
While it's definitely possibly to sit down and read the book cover to cover (I did), I think the vast majority of people would enjoy it as more of a coffee table book where they pick it up and read one of the articles here or there. If you read it all at once, you do get a bit of repetition with the articles, which is cool because it helps you see trends in the way Mickey and Disney were talked about at different times, but I understand that some people would find that boring if they were reading the whole book straight through.
I'd recommend this book to any Disney fans, even casual ones, who are interested in reading about Mickey throughout different time periods. The book as a whole creates a very valuable resource for anyone wanting to learn more about Mickey.
I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
http://hmweasley-blog.blogspot.com/20...
While it's definitely possibly to sit down and read the book cover to cover (I did), I think the vast majority of people would enjoy it as more of a coffee table book where they pick it up and read one of the articles here or there. If you read it all at once, you do get a bit of repetition with the articles, which is cool because it helps you see trends in the way Mickey and Disney were talked about at different times, but I understand that some people would find that boring if they were reading the whole book straight through.
I'd recommend this book to any Disney fans, even casual ones, who are interested in reading about Mickey throughout different time periods. The book as a whole creates a very valuable resource for anyone wanting to learn more about Mickey.
I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
http://hmweasley-blog.blogspot.com/20...
September 28, 2015
In A Mickey Mouse Reader Garry Apgar brings together a wealth of primary sources from Mickey's birth through to contemporary times. For the fan of Mickey Mouse and/or Disney in general, this is a wonderful addition to your library even though, as some have pointed out, many early entries seem repetitive. Perhaps the biggest strength of this collection is for the writer, whether popular or academic. In this single volume one can find primary sources from which additional research can stem or, in the case of a popular writer, accurate representations of Mickey in the popular culture can be formed.
As popular culture has become an important lens through which to view history works such as this provide a relatively comprehensive introduction to a cultural icon's (mostly) ups and downs through the various historical periods. That said, the vast majority of the writings were for popular publications of each period so the book, while valuable in academic circles, is immediately accessible to anyone with an interest.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
As popular culture has become an important lens through which to view history works such as this provide a relatively comprehensive introduction to a cultural icon's (mostly) ups and downs through the various historical periods. That said, the vast majority of the writings were for popular publications of each period so the book, while valuable in academic circles, is immediately accessible to anyone with an interest.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
January 27, 2015
The mouse with the most
A Mickey Mouse Reader, edited by Gary Apgar (University Press of Mississippi, $35).
Everybody from psychoanalyst C. G. Jung to evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould weighs in on the mouse that roared in A Mickey Mouse Reader, edited by Gary Apgar. While the early pieces included get a bit repetitive, for the most part Apgar has gathered a wide—and representative—selection of writings about Mickey.
These include critiques and paeans to his artistic value, an essay by E.M. Forster on his relationship with Minnie, the economics of the Disney juggernaut and the economics displayed by Mickey himself, as he helped build and expand the concept of childhood consumerism ...
(Reviewed on Lit/Rant: http://litrant.tumblr.com/post/103551...)
A Mickey Mouse Reader, edited by Gary Apgar (University Press of Mississippi, $35).
Everybody from psychoanalyst C. G. Jung to evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould weighs in on the mouse that roared in A Mickey Mouse Reader, edited by Gary Apgar. While the early pieces included get a bit repetitive, for the most part Apgar has gathered a wide—and representative—selection of writings about Mickey.
These include critiques and paeans to his artistic value, an essay by E.M. Forster on his relationship with Minnie, the economics of the Disney juggernaut and the economics displayed by Mickey himself, as he helped build and expand the concept of childhood consumerism ...
(Reviewed on Lit/Rant: http://litrant.tumblr.com/post/103551...)
February 17, 2016
I love all things Disney, so I was excited to read this comprehensive history of Mickey Mouse. It is an interesting read that covers everything from Mickey’s first introduction to the general public all the way to musings from contributors as to the future of Mickey Mouse and where the world will take him from here. I found the beginning and the end to be the most interesting parts of the book, mainly because the middle portion got a bit repetitive with multiple articles commenting on the same Mickey facts that had previously been mentioned elsewhere in the book. While I did enjoy it overall, I think it would be more enjoyable as a coffee table book or just as a reference book that you can pick up and read an article or two at a time, rather than the entire volume at once.
*Disclaimer* I received this book from NetGalley for this review.
*Disclaimer* I received this book from NetGalley for this review.
September 19, 2014
An interesting look at the creation and impact of "The Mouse" over the years and some tidbits on Disney himself told through a collection of articles spanning the years. We often simply accept longstanding icons as icons without questioning why or learning the history of how they came to be. This peek behind the proverbial curtain did get a little repetitive from time to time because of background information included in many of the articles but overall it is an enjoyable read. A true Disney lover will consider it a four or five star read, the average reader would probably fall more around three stars. Lets split the difference and call it a 3.5 star read that most non-fiction readers would enjoy and be glad they picked it up if they stick with it.
September 2, 2015
*** I received a copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
I'm typically a fan of all things Mickey and Disney. A lot of what was in this book, I already knew, though I did learn a few things along the way. I enjoyed reading the articles and interviews that were done around the time that Mickey was first coming out on the scene. Overall, this was a very interesting book.
That being said, I started to get a little bored and felt the tone and wording was very heavy-handed. I would've liked it to be a bit more easy-going, in order to keep me engaged. It took me a bit longer than expected to finish it because of that.
If you are a fan of Disney and Mickey Mouse, you will probably enjoy this book. If you are not interested in the history, you probably won't.
I'm typically a fan of all things Mickey and Disney. A lot of what was in this book, I already knew, though I did learn a few things along the way. I enjoyed reading the articles and interviews that were done around the time that Mickey was first coming out on the scene. Overall, this was a very interesting book.
That being said, I started to get a little bored and felt the tone and wording was very heavy-handed. I would've liked it to be a bit more easy-going, in order to keep me engaged. It took me a bit longer than expected to finish it because of that.
If you are a fan of Disney and Mickey Mouse, you will probably enjoy this book. If you are not interested in the history, you probably won't.
March 3, 2015
*Netgalley Review*
I am a huge Disney fan and was really excited to read this one! I knew some of the information, but I learned a lot about Mickey and Walt!
That said - I got bored. Many of the articles in this reader repeated the same information, article after article.
It was fun reading the newspaper reviews of Steamboat Willie and other early Mickey films. I enjoyed the academic articles, and they were reminiscent of things I read while completing my Master's in Communications. I liked that this type of writing was included. However, like I said before, I was reading the same information over and over again.
I would only recommend this book to hard core Disney/Mickey fans.
I am a huge Disney fan and was really excited to read this one! I knew some of the information, but I learned a lot about Mickey and Walt!
That said - I got bored. Many of the articles in this reader repeated the same information, article after article.
It was fun reading the newspaper reviews of Steamboat Willie and other early Mickey films. I enjoyed the academic articles, and they were reminiscent of things I read while completing my Master's in Communications. I liked that this type of writing was included. However, like I said before, I was reading the same information over and over again.
I would only recommend this book to hard core Disney/Mickey fans.
December 16, 2014
**I received an ARC of this book for an honest review
I'm not a huge Mickey Mouse fan, I'm actually a huge Donald Duck fan, but the history of such an American Icon made me decide to try this book and see where it all began. The author does a good job of putting together everything there is to know about Mickey Mouse from the time of his conception. He used a chronological approach and made sure every written word about him was included. That being said, unless you are obsessed with Mickey Mouse, this book is not for everyone. Having grown up Disney, it was a bit much even for me.
I'm not a huge Mickey Mouse fan, I'm actually a huge Donald Duck fan, but the history of such an American Icon made me decide to try this book and see where it all began. The author does a good job of putting together everything there is to know about Mickey Mouse from the time of his conception. He used a chronological approach and made sure every written word about him was included. That being said, unless you are obsessed with Mickey Mouse, this book is not for everyone. Having grown up Disney, it was a bit much even for me.
February 24, 2015
Review for NG
September 26, 2016
There was quite a bit of information in this book that I did not know. I love Disney and I love reading history, but this was really boring.
April 26, 2017
'A Mickey Mouse Reader' is a great reference book in which Apgar has compiled a variety of articles on Mickey, from the first reviews on 'Steamboat Willie' (1928) to modern newspaper articles up to 2013. Apgar has even included original sources in French, German and Spanish. Therefore the book is a treasure chest of original source material for the Disney historian. But it's not really a book to read from front to end. If you do, you'll discover that journalists and writers will tell the same stories over and over again. Moreover, Apgar is mainly interested in Mickey Mouse as a cultural phenomenon, and he has included quite some articles with art scientific nonsense, with authors analyzing the mouse to death. Much more interesting are the praises of Mickey from the 1930s, illustrating the mouse's enormous popularity and high esteem.
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