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mariesreads's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed these essays, particularly the title piece. Gaitskill is very intelligent and her writing is elegant.
gonzorama's review against another edition
4.0
This book is packed with great writing, but worth picking up ENTIRELY for the essay "Lost Cat," which was gorgeous and devastating. Gaitskill has a raw, intelligently direct way of writing that I find refreshing, especially after reading essay after essay by younger women who seem to be fixated on amusing the hell out of themselves and the reader in a completely detached/ironic way. There is so much wisdom in "Lost Cat," but also plenty of humility, humor, and sadness. Gaitskill drills down to the essence of what it means to be human and to long for connection - but also to be flawed and to fight that connection, every step of the way.
ciarajalberts's review against another edition
Not the books fault my library loan ran out lol
opinionhaver69's review against another edition
4.0
girl your MIND. i didn’t always agree with gaitskill’s viewpoints in this; there were moments where her opinion on something or other aligned so closely with mine that i felt weirdly triumphant just reading it, but there were also moments where her sense of cynical detachment felt a little… poseur-y? as if she maybe slightly over-values her ability to remain detached rather than strongly opinionated one way or another when it comes to certain social issues (but this same exact quality also read as incredibly wise and compassionate at other points, seeming to suggest that her ability to empathise with all sides of an argument is because of her willingness to seek out people’s humanity first and foremost in the things they say and do; i will concede that some of my occasional frustration at her glibness might just have been me projecting) - either way i would cut off my left foot for a fraction of her talent & wit, what a remarkably intelligent, engaging writer she is. lost cat in particular was just fucking ridiculous for how good it was and honestly i would recommend everyone read it even if they don’t read any of the other essays or reviews in this book
wastelandmoon's review
2.0
"THE TROUBLE WITH FOLLOWING THE RULES” is a brilliant essay and there are a few other good ones here, but the book reviews are mainly a waste of time and take up far too much of the collection.
agmaynard's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Includes book and music criticism as well as some deeper pieces. Of the longer pieces, The Bridge and Lost Cat are rich, discursive, thoughtful. Several other pieces are pointed about feminism. And I quite agreed with her analysis of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl.
jpperelman's review against another edition
5.0
High Mark's for the essay Gattino, which was such a beautiful and moving meditation on love and loss. Interesting to hear her take on the movie adaptation of Secretary. But most of the rest were skippable, only because life is is too short to read book reviews in a book.
laura_sonja's review against another edition
4.0
As with nearly any essay collection, some of the essays in this are better than others. But when it’s bad, it’s just kind of meh, and when it’s good, it’s very good. I especially liked “The Trouble with Following the Rules: On ‘Date Rape,’ ‘Victim Culture,’ and Personal Responsibility” and “Icon: On Linda Lovelace.” Gaitskill also managed to do the impossible with “And It Would Not Be Wonderful to Meet a Megalosaurus” - she made me want to read Bleak House.