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dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Grief
Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma
Minor: Animal death, Alcohol
fast-paced
Unpleasantly vulgar, unexpectedly racist, and randomly (suddenly) ableist.
Why has everyone been recommending this book as the pinnacle of creative non-fiction?
It even reminded me that I could be reading a much better book that aimed to accomplish a similar goal (Derek Jarman’s ‘Chroma’).
Not a 1 star simply because the language was gripping enough to keep me reading, but otherwise this was such a miss.
Why has everyone been recommending this book as the pinnacle of creative non-fiction?
It even reminded me that I could be reading a much better book that aimed to accomplish a similar goal (Derek Jarman’s ‘Chroma’).
Not a 1 star simply because the language was gripping enough to keep me reading, but otherwise this was such a miss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Medical trauma
Minor: Ableism
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
75. Mostly I have felt myself becoming a servant of sadness. I am still looking for the beauty in that.
a lot to ponder
but i struggled w feeling detachment from the depth of feelings in this one
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcohol
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Medical trauma
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
“but I can say this: in watching her, sitting with her, helping her, weeping with her, touching her, and talking with her, I have seen the bright pith of her soul. I cannot tell you what it looks like, but I can say that I have seen it."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Medical trauma
Moderate: Suicide, Grief
Minor: Ableism
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Hmmm. Difficult to make heads or tails of. Some truly chest-clutchingly brilliant bits in here, some really cringe ones, some a little too ephemeral. Honestly, I feel like I like the idea of Maggie Nelson's writing and what I sense she is grasping for more than the real thing, but I respect her for trying! She's playing with form, she's messy and emotional while being intellectually dense and stimulating. Bluets is an emotional and engaging experiment, I just don't know how I feel about what it amounts to. It doesn't linger very long, almost too light for me, even though it does genuinely plumb into some really beautiful moments. I just needed a little more to grab onto. But, I feel like I will return to this again - it took me about 90 minutes to read - and probably gain new thoughts, little ideas to keep thinking about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Medical trauma
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
'The half-circle of blinding turquoise ocean is this love's primal scene. That this blue exists makes my life a remarkable one, just to have seen it. To have seen such beautiful things. To find oneself placed in their midst. Choiceless.'
As an eighteenth birthday gift, my friend bought me Bluets from the famous Shakespeare and Company in Paris. For this reason, and for my own lifelong, intrinsic connection to the colour blue, Bluets is extremely precious to me. (Although, apparently, according to Nelson, half of American adults also describe blue as their favourite colour. As a British just-turned-adult, can I count myself out?) Well, actually, Bluets stayed on my bookshelf for several months until I got a chance to read it, despite its short length, because I knew that it would shake me to my core. I mean, my poet friend must have gifted it to me for a reason.
So yes, maybe I came in with the preconceived notion that I would like this book. But I was indeed proved right. Nelson's series of 240 intertwining prose poems about heartbreak, sex, caring for her friend with quadriplegia, and of course, the colour blue, were so succinct yet sharp. 'Saturated', perhaps, with both the intense calm and reassurance of a blue ocean, but also the deep, dark blue of loneliness and depression.
This is my first time reading Nelson, and what I thoroughly enjoyed was her honesty and self-assured style of writing. Many moments in the book struck me, made me put it down and reflect or just sit in awe, as good poetry usually does. However, what I wasn't expecting was so many references to other people, mainly philosophers. Often, Nelson quotes these people and uses them to somewhat loosely tie them into her arguments/considerations. Like, I'm sorry, but after studying Literary Theories at uni, I don't necessarily want to bump into Jacques Derrida when I don't have to. But maybe this is a me thing.
I would recommend this mostly to people who are going through a hard time, especially a breakup. I think it would resonate with them most. (And also fellow blue lovers.)
As an eighteenth birthday gift, my friend bought me Bluets from the famous Shakespeare and Company in Paris. For this reason, and for my own lifelong, intrinsic connection to the colour blue, Bluets is extremely precious to me. (Although, apparently, according to Nelson, half of American adults also describe blue as their favourite colour. As a British just-turned-adult, can I count myself out?) Well, actually, Bluets stayed on my bookshelf for several months until I got a chance to read it, despite its short length, because I knew that it would shake me to my core. I mean, my poet friend must have gifted it to me for a reason.
So yes, maybe I came in with the preconceived notion that I would like this book. But I was indeed proved right. Nelson's series of 240 intertwining prose poems about heartbreak, sex, caring for her friend with quadriplegia, and of course, the colour blue, were so succinct yet sharp. 'Saturated', perhaps, with both the intense calm and reassurance of a blue ocean, but also the deep, dark blue of loneliness and depression.
This is my first time reading Nelson, and what I thoroughly enjoyed was her honesty and self-assured style of writing. Many moments in the book struck me, made me put it down and reflect or just sit in awe, as good poetry usually does. However, what I wasn't expecting was so many references to other people, mainly philosophers. Often, Nelson quotes these people and uses them to somewhat loosely tie them into her arguments/considerations. Like, I'm sorry, but after studying Literary Theories at uni, I don't necessarily want to bump into Jacques Derrida when I don't have to. But maybe this is a me thing.
I would recommend this mostly to people who are going through a hard time, especially a breakup. I think it would resonate with them most. (And also fellow blue lovers.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood