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sophiejuhlin's review against another edition
3.0
This book is like Pensées, but way less smug, and hissed in your ear by a drunk stranger you’ll probably fuck later while at the leftover guest table of a mutual acquaintance’s wedding, who neither of you actually like and whose taste in decoration is expensive and entirely unoriginal.
daisysbookmusings's review against another edition
2.0
An underwhelming mix of thoughts that has left me with no real desire to write an intelligent or witty review based off the 10% of this book that I liked.
sloatsj's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this. I love aphorisms and these were different, many about shame and sex and love.
fvawter's review against another edition
4.0
Manguso writes as one of her 300 arguments, "Think of this as a short book composed entirely of what I hoped would be a long book's quotable passages." Essentially, that's what this book is. It's filled with aphorisms and short anecdotes, many of which were very thought provoking and insightful, but others felt a bit superficial rather than profound.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read.
keight's review against another edition
3.0
The premise of this slim offering is contained in one of the 300 snippets: “Think of this as a short book composed entirely of what I hoped would be a long book’s quotable passages.” While I definitely found some quotable moments in the quotable passages (which is kind of funny!), it didn’t really work for me as a book; it just didn’t feel crafted. Some of the “arguments” are funny or sardonic, some feel rather profound, while others strike me as throwaways. The trouble is the ones that do sound like a long book’s quotable passages just beg for the rest of the book, and the rest are fragments for the sake of the premise. Read more on my booklog
rainbowarpaint's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
debi_g's review against another edition
4.0
“The fastest way to revise a piece of work is to send it, late at night, to someone whose opinion you fear. Then rewrite it, praying you’ll finish in time to send a new version by morning” (11).
“There were people I wanted so much before I had them that the entire experience of having them was grief for my old hunger” (40).
“There were people I wanted so much before I had them that the entire experience of having them was grief for my old hunger” (40).
lucysmom828's review against another edition
3.0
Some of these were interesting and I could relate, others seemed a bit pretentious. All in all, a solid 2.5 stars.
caramels's review against another edition
1.0
I can't fathom (let alone understand) how someone could ever write something this pretentious. Everything else (the possible quality of the book etc) is overshadowed by all its ostentation.