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fayestrange's review against another edition
4.0
very interesting but not the most thrilling read; however, i will be thinking about it for a while and want to return to it someday
biolexicon's review against another edition
5.0
So this is my thousandth book I've logged as "read" in Goodreads. I picked it specifically as Zadie Smith's essays don't disappoint and the reflective nature of the book is fitting for a milestone.
I want to take a minute to be self-indulgent and comment on my journey to get here and where my reading is going in the future.
I've been logging books on Goodreads for 14 years. My genres and habits have changed. I resisted e-books for the longest time and never used audiobooks, whereas now I embrace any form the written word comes to me in. I went through phases of wanting only to read memoirs or generational sagas or biology/medicine related non-fiction. I used to hold myself to finishing every book I started; I wasn't confident enough to trust my judgement that a particular book needed to be put down. There are many books behind me at this point, enough of a stack where I'm confident in what I read (no matter what it is) and don't have anything to prove to anyone. I'm so thankful and proud to be at this point.
However, real life keeps getting in the way of my reading. Whether it's mental health issues, physical health issues, trying to find safe housing -- there have been periods where I wasn't reading. Even now, I'm living out a truly American life of working 2 jobs for 60 hours weekly, and I can't remember the last day I had off where I didn't have to attend either job. This has affected my reading in the last half of this year as I've had my free time significantly reduced. And will continue to affect it moving forward until I can make enough money to quit the second job.
This thousandth milestone comes during a year of drastic personal change for me. For the better, but my life looks very different than it had before. And I know my reading is changing too. I'm still growing my Spanish and want to make a better effort to read Spanish books from now on. I'm also clearing my to-read physical bookshelf so my reading is currently less contemporary. But where my reading life goes from there, completely uncharted. As it should be.
I want to take a minute to be self-indulgent and comment on my journey to get here and where my reading is going in the future.
I've been logging books on Goodreads for 14 years. My genres and habits have changed. I resisted e-books for the longest time and never used audiobooks, whereas now I embrace any form the written word comes to me in. I went through phases of wanting only to read memoirs or generational sagas or biology/medicine related non-fiction. I used to hold myself to finishing every book I started; I wasn't confident enough to trust my judgement that a particular book needed to be put down. There are many books behind me at this point, enough of a stack where I'm confident in what I read (no matter what it is) and don't have anything to prove to anyone. I'm so thankful and proud to be at this point.
However, real life keeps getting in the way of my reading. Whether it's mental health issues, physical health issues, trying to find safe housing -- there have been periods where I wasn't reading. Even now, I'm living out a truly American life of working 2 jobs for 60 hours weekly, and I can't remember the last day I had off where I didn't have to attend either job. This has affected my reading in the last half of this year as I've had my free time significantly reduced. And will continue to affect it moving forward until I can make enough money to quit the second job.
This thousandth milestone comes during a year of drastic personal change for me. For the better, but my life looks very different than it had before. And I know my reading is changing too. I'm still growing my Spanish and want to make a better effort to read Spanish books from now on. I'm also clearing my to-read physical bookshelf so my reading is currently less contemporary. But where my reading life goes from there, completely uncharted. As it should be.
fflur_jones's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely love Zadie Smith's writing and these essays are no exceptions. She just has a way with words that is so magical.
This really short collection of essays is a beautiful recap of the year so far - both intimate and universal, hopeful and sad, perfectly bittersweet.
My favourite essay was The American Exception, closely followed by Suffering like Mel Gibson. I also thought the postscript was stunning and very insightful.
100% would recommend - a fitting tribute to 2020 and a perfect way to end the year reflecting on what's happened.
This really short collection of essays is a beautiful recap of the year so far - both intimate and universal, hopeful and sad, perfectly bittersweet.
My favourite essay was The American Exception, closely followed by Suffering like Mel Gibson. I also thought the postscript was stunning and very insightful.
100% would recommend - a fitting tribute to 2020 and a perfect way to end the year reflecting on what's happened.
tildahlia's review against another edition
3.0
Controversially, I find Zadie's work often doesn't click for me as it does for others. Objectively I see she is incredibly smart and deft in her writing, but I do find some of her analysis a little pretentious and unnecessarily complex. This collection had passages of brilliance but overall felt a bit rushed to the printers. I prefer her fiction (Zadie stans don't @ me).
xtie's review against another edition
2.0
I’m not sure it added much to my life - and whoever approved the awful thick margins needs to be fired! Jokes aside; this felt a little ordinary and repetitive and unfortunately, a perspective of the pandemic (and ultimately, writing during the pandemic) that didn’t feel that… necessary
genevievefarrell_'s review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
moth_dance's review against another edition
4.0
*unintended NYU alumni bias included in this review*
Essential Zadie Smith. Essential 2020.
Intimate musings & conversations that I don't know if I would've recognized & honored as much as I would have had I not lived in NYC or attended NYU. These essays are very specific without being too extra. They are very honest but also tremendously objective.
Essential Zadie Smith. Essential 2020.
Intimate musings & conversations that I don't know if I would've recognized & honored as much as I would have had I not lived in NYC or attended NYU. These essays are very specific without being too extra. They are very honest but also tremendously objective.