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ameenahlauren's review
challenging
medium-paced
3.5
Not One Day was a challenging read, for me at least. While I appreciated Garréta’s narrative, relinquishing herself to recall memories of desire that at times seem uncomfortable for her to confront and acknowledge.. her sentences strung along with some complexity I couldn’t always comprehend.
Between dissecting some anecdotes and their tangents, the sentiments revolving fragmented memory (its questionability and yet persistence) resonated with my own experience piecing together bits of my past, particularly my relationships to others and especially myself.
I enjoyed her sharings of tender moments, weavings of classic literature analyses and their impressions on her writing craft, critiques on Western standards of professional and passionate lives, and some bits of scientific interpretations.
The book’s ‘Afterward’ helped resolve some of my confusions, so I would suggest any to follow through with this examination of her (and universally our) desires, not only of love but wholly connection and familiarity too. All in all, glad I found this translated copy and I’m hoping to read her book ‘Sphinx’ one day
Between dissecting some anecdotes and their tangents, the sentiments revolving fragmented memory (its questionability and yet persistence) resonated with my own experience piecing together bits of my past, particularly my relationships to others and especially myself.
I enjoyed her sharings of tender moments, weavings of classic literature analyses and their impressions on her writing craft, critiques on Western standards of professional and passionate lives, and some bits of scientific interpretations.
The book’s ‘Afterward’ helped resolve some of my confusions, so I would suggest any to follow through with this examination of her (and universally our) desires, not only of love but wholly connection and familiarity too. All in all, glad I found this translated copy and I’m hoping to read her book ‘Sphinx’ one day
em_harring's review against another edition
3.0
[3.5 stars rounded down]
This book is a little exhausting to read. Hence why it took me six months to complete.
I really enjoy the project of this book. Not One Day is a confessional that details a series of women the author has loved or desired over the course of her life. Each chapter very much reads like a snapshot of one specific moment in time. There isn't much context given for women that Garréta knew longer than one day (or night).
The truly frustrating part of this book was the writing, but it was also the best part? At times, the writing is beautiful and evocative and poetic. Other times, it's extremely overwrought and overwritten, with so many different ideas in one sentence or paragraph that it's confusing to follow what's happening. There are also tangents that the author goes on, very stream of consciousness, that took me out of the moment.
As much as I enjoyed the project of this book, I'm unsure how successful it was for me, as a reader. Some sections I quite liked. My favorite section was about a car and landscapes and traveling--Garréta's writing really shone in that chapter.
There were some moments when I was left wondering if Garréta even likes women, because she spoke of them so disparagingly at times. It felt a little misogynistic in some chapters, or at the very least stereotypical and unfair. This book was also written in 2002, so some of the language is dated and not what we would necessarily say these days.
A mixed bag, overall.
This book is a little exhausting to read. Hence why it took me six months to complete.
I really enjoy the project of this book. Not One Day is a confessional that details a series of women the author has loved or desired over the course of her life. Each chapter very much reads like a snapshot of one specific moment in time. There isn't much context given for women that Garréta knew longer than one day (or night).
The truly frustrating part of this book was the writing, but it was also the best part? At times, the writing is beautiful and evocative and poetic. Other times, it's extremely overwrought and overwritten, with so many different ideas in one sentence or paragraph that it's confusing to follow what's happening. There are also tangents that the author goes on, very stream of consciousness, that took me out of the moment.
As much as I enjoyed the project of this book, I'm unsure how successful it was for me, as a reader. Some sections I quite liked. My favorite section was about a car and landscapes and traveling--Garréta's writing really shone in that chapter.
There were some moments when I was left wondering if Garréta even likes women, because she spoke of them so disparagingly at times. It felt a little misogynistic in some chapters, or at the very least stereotypical and unfair. This book was also written in 2002, so some of the language is dated and not what we would necessarily say these days.
A mixed bag, overall.
half_book_and_co's review
4.0
"It comes down to a single maxim: Not one day without a woman." For one month Anne Garréta sets out to sit down every day and write five hours about a woman she desired or/ and who desired her. No editing, no looking up dates or contexts. Just writing. Then sorting the episodes in order of the first letter of the women's names.
This little book is the result of Garréta's experiment and it is much more than what I could easily summarize here (also because I feel it is best not to give too much away). It is a musing on desire, but also on writing, the binaries of fiction/non-fiction, of memory/fantasy. Poetic, sometimes tender. I am sure I will come back to this book.
This little book is the result of Garréta's experiment and it is much more than what I could easily summarize here (also because I feel it is best not to give too much away). It is a musing on desire, but also on writing, the binaries of fiction/non-fiction, of memory/fantasy. Poetic, sometimes tender. I am sure I will come back to this book.
pearloz's review
3.0
Was not as into this as her previous book; this really came across as an exercise both in device and diction, this seemed wordy for the sake of wordiness and not for any other reason, and did not enhance my enjoyment of the book. Shame, but I'll definitely pick up her next.
lunabbly's review
5.0
What a trip. I loved that it read like a stream of consciousness and rawness. She wrote that (or it was translated that way) that she wrote it to be a stream of consciousness, thoughts, feelings, memories as they come rather than to conjure specific memories and feelings to paint it as a particular narrative. Because in some ways, that does taint or influence the way romance feels or can be portrayed to people.
But the ending! Was so excellent! I felt like it was perfect. Just marvelous and lovely in so many ways. Highly recommend to everyone.
So full of desire, longing, lust, love, and generally, attraction. I think Anne writes about all of these concepts about the allure of other people whom we find attractive so well. As well as their attraction to her too. That there's something magical, mystical, but not confusing, and sometimes mysterious. This enrapture, this capture that one can hold over us to make us feel so deeply about someone else. I appreciated the descriptiveness beyond words and highly recommend if anyone were to ever put together an anthology of desire, love, lust, attraction, romance to include Anne Garréta too.
But the ending! Was so excellent! I felt like it was perfect. Just marvelous and lovely in so many ways. Highly recommend to everyone.
So full of desire, longing, lust, love, and generally, attraction. I think Anne writes about all of these concepts about the allure of other people whom we find attractive so well. As well as their attraction to her too. That there's something magical, mystical, but not confusing, and sometimes mysterious. This enrapture, this capture that one can hold over us to make us feel so deeply about someone else. I appreciated the descriptiveness beyond words and highly recommend if anyone were to ever put together an anthology of desire, love, lust, attraction, romance to include Anne Garréta too.
raonaid's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
br00k3a133n's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0