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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
challenging
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
3+
Touching reflections on this strangest of years and what she has learned from it. I generally quite enjoyed Smith's reflections on her personal experience of covid lockdown, which were intimate and thought-provoking. Her more political reflections were convincing, or at least sincere, but didn't reach me so much. Perhaps this is due to general fatigue at the current debacle of a political climate though...
Overall an enjoyable and very learned set of small essays for an evening read in the midst of the pandemic... I do wonder if they will live up to re-reading in the future. I suppose that depends greatly on how the current set of situations are play out.
Touching reflections on this strangest of years and what she has learned from it. I generally quite enjoyed Smith's reflections on her personal experience of covid lockdown, which were intimate and thought-provoking. Her more political reflections were convincing, or at least sincere, but didn't reach me so much. Perhaps this is due to general fatigue at the current debacle of a political climate though...
Overall an enjoyable and very learned set of small essays for an evening read in the midst of the pandemic... I do wonder if they will live up to re-reading in the future. I suppose that depends greatly on how the current set of situations are play out.
Best random pick of the year — maybe even the best pick of the year so far. I especially loved the earlier section of the book and in particular, the part where she talks about why she writes and that it is simply put, a way to fill the seemingly endless but in actuality limited, time we are given. The earlier parts would encourage more reflection from the general reader’s pov bc they’re about society as in the midst of Covid, whereas the latter parts are focalized on the author’s own experience.
Short, simple, and unpretentious and jam-packed with excellent, deliberated writing. Would recommend.
Short, simple, and unpretentious and jam-packed with excellent, deliberated writing. Would recommend.
very observational - i think its going to be an exceptional demonstration of our present zeitgeist in a few years and beyond. I mean - especially the chapter equating the virus to the contempt of racism, explicitly calling forth George Floyd. Very topical, but still nuanced and introspective even.
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
These essays were a deeply personal account of the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic as seen from the perspective of Zadie Smith. I felt as if I was reading bits of Smith's journal and appreciated being inside her brain in these essays.
By far, my favorite essay was the one titled 'Postscript: Contempt as a Virus'. The essay centers on a metaphor comparing contempt and racism to viruses which was beautifully written - the infectious disease epidemiologist in me loved it.
This essay collection is like a time capsule giving readers a snapshot in time from mid-2020, and one that I will return to.
By far, my favorite essay was the one titled 'Postscript: Contempt as a Virus'. The essay centers on a metaphor comparing contempt and racism to viruses which was beautifully written - the infectious disease epidemiologist in me loved it.
This essay collection is like a time capsule giving readers a snapshot in time from mid-2020, and one that I will return to.
reflective
medium-paced
reflective
medium-paced
Read this for class, and have to do a discussion response about it tonight so I'm not giving this a proper review. This book was very solid, and often funny. The essays in this book were genuinely transfixing.