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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
reflective
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
An incredibly weird reading experience for me. Sometimes Smith would enrage me because I disagreed with her so vehemently, sometime I felt like she was moving me to tears, or she was writing something absolutely genius, other times she was writing something unintelligible that could have used another editing pass. But, this very slim volume will spark a million things to think about, so I think I have to recommend it. I feel the only fair way to do this is to do a round up of the essays:
1- Peonies - ✩✩
I feel this did not resonate with me at all and it scared me that the first essay was not for me. But, my mom liked it and had much to say about it.
2 - The American Exception - ✩✩✩✩
Felt very illuminating, often throughout covid, I have been enraged by people's return to 'normal'. I don't think life will ever be as it was before all this. And it shouldn't be. But Zadie Smith's different perspective allows me to be more aware of the fact that the horror of death and lack of control over your own movement has been ever-present for groups I am not a part of.
3 - Something to Do - ✩✩✩
This begins so strong to me, but then lost me in the middle. I feel like this is a good example of a trend in these essays. She starts with the small point and moves to the global implication. The thing is, they don't feel strongly tied together for me?
4 - Suffering Like Mel Gibson - ✩✩✩✩
At the start of this essay, I felt dead set against its message; maybe I still am. Throughout Covid, I've gotten pretty mad about folks who believe their particular lot was insufferable. And who used it as an excuse to behave in risky ways. I feel like she is trying to grow empathy here, but it's not working on me. However, that last section fucking...I felt in my bones, heart and spleen. Ugh.
5 - Screengrabs - I refuse to rate because I don't fucking know.
I could talk about any one of these snapshots for hours. The first one really ripped me open. Her writing quality is so stunning there. She makes you feel like you fucking know every person in her nail salon and just want them to win at life. But then, in other essays, I'd be ready to rage against her. A Provocation in the Park gave me the most confused reaction to a piece of writing I have had all year. Please, someone read just this and call me to talk about it. I am both angry at and moved by Smith here.
6 - Postscript: Contempt as a Virus - ✩✩✩✩✩
This was so good, it makes me want to die.
1- Peonies - ✩✩
I feel this did not resonate with me at all and it scared me that the first essay was not for me. But, my mom liked it and had much to say about it.
2 - The American Exception - ✩✩✩✩
Felt very illuminating, often throughout covid, I have been enraged by people's return to 'normal'. I don't think life will ever be as it was before all this. And it shouldn't be. But Zadie Smith's different perspective allows me to be more aware of the fact that the horror of death and lack of control over your own movement has been ever-present for groups I am not a part of.
3 - Something to Do - ✩✩✩
This begins so strong to me, but then lost me in the middle. I feel like this is a good example of a trend in these essays. She starts with the small point and moves to the global implication. The thing is, they don't feel strongly tied together for me?
4 - Suffering Like Mel Gibson - ✩✩✩✩
At the start of this essay, I felt dead set against its message; maybe I still am. Throughout Covid, I've gotten pretty mad about folks who believe their particular lot was insufferable. And who used it as an excuse to behave in risky ways. I feel like she is trying to grow empathy here, but it's not working on me. However, that last section fucking...I felt in my bones, heart and spleen. Ugh.
5 - Screengrabs - I refuse to rate because I don't fucking know.
I could talk about any one of these snapshots for hours. The first one really ripped me open. Her writing quality is so stunning there. She makes you feel like you fucking know every person in her nail salon and just want them to win at life. But then, in other essays, I'd be ready to rage against her. A Provocation in the Park gave me the most confused reaction to a piece of writing I have had all year. Please, someone read just this and call me to talk about it. I am both angry at and moved by Smith here.
6 - Postscript: Contempt as a Virus - ✩✩✩✩✩
This was so good, it makes me want to die.
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Written by a New Yorker writer for New Yorker readers--which is to say, clever and incisive (and surprisingly fresh for essays that are so grounded in a specific time), but without much to say those who aren't upper middle class. To her credit, Smith is deeply aware of this and openly struggles with it in her essays. My favorites are "Suffering like Mel Gibson," "Screengrabs," and "Intimations."
reflective
fast-paced
reflective
fast-paced
fast-paced
reflective
medium-paced