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davidsteinsaltz's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not a great fan of personal memoirs, in general. But the personal is the political, after all, and Pollitt is one of our finest political writers. Pollitt is a representative of the generation of feminists who made the case that the personal was political. She's making the best case for it, by describing her own life with little reference to the ostensibly political, through a politically informed sensibility. I don't agree with some of her core beliefs -- particularly her essentialist view of gender (which is partly informed by her life experience, of a generation older than my own) -- but she puts it out in beautiful, intelligent, clear-headed prose. And the essays about her Communist parents, complete with extensive descriptions of their FBI files, are revelatory.
spiderfelt's review against another edition
2.0
Without knowing anything about the author, I made a note of this book when it was reviewed on NPR several years ago. Who knows what I heard in that description which piqued my interest. I almost selected it for my bookclub. Now I'm glad I didn't.
It was tiresome and not particularly thought provoking. I kept waiting for a moment of clarity, a sparkle of wit or brilliance to engage me. But it didn't come. If this was a hardcover I would put it down on the desk with a satisfying thud. Done.
It was tiresome and not particularly thought provoking. I kept waiting for a moment of clarity, a sparkle of wit or brilliance to engage me. But it didn't come. If this was a hardcover I would put it down on the desk with a satisfying thud. Done.
mrsthrift's review against another edition
3.0
I have only ever read Katha Pollitt in the Nation magazine, but I liked her enough to dive into this book based on a half-hearted recommendation from an acquaintance. Her musings on aging, parenting, love, and loss were appreciated. Learning to Drive is a quick read, as much as those dense feminist columnists are able, and entertaining enough to read out loud to a loved one as a bedtime story. For those of us looking to the aging of the second-wave as a to-do or not-to-do list for our own middle ages, it's an adequate text. I appreciate her ability to shit-talk past lovers without compromising her own dignity. Shit-talking is a fine art.
middle_name_joy's review against another edition
2.0
I am here because I have lost my man.
Whether Katha Pollitt agrees with me or not, I came to see the above line as the thesis statement of Learning to Drive, a collection of essays from the feminist critic on topics ranging from destruction of green space to Botox. Yes, Pollitt lost her adulterous, sneaky, egotistical husband, and what was her response?
"I'm going to be a little obsessed for awhile."
Obsessed, indeed. Webstalking, tracking down her ex's mistresses(????), and as the title promises, finally learning to drive a car. "Beautiful Screamer" was perhaps the most relevant essay, detailing the author's entrance into motherhood, yet that still upheld an elitist barrier.
Too often, critics feel that if they analyze the heck out of something--and show a little self-deprecation in the process--it gains worth. But analysis without revelation, or even enlightenment, is glorified internal monologue, the pages of a personal journal turned out on the world.
"Almost everything is evidence of something," the Supreme Court passed down in a case tried by Pollitt's father, a known communist lawyer. There was a lot of evidence in this memoir, a lot of pontificating and bleeding, but that 'something' to which the strife gives meaning is illusive.
It is that dearth of focus that derails the collection. In the title essay, Pollitt was accused by her driving instructor of lacking observation skills. Not an ideal deficiency for a literary critic! And ultimately her downfall in several walks of life.
If she had noticed her mother's alcoholism....
If she had noticed her husband's decades of affairs....
If she had noticed the goldmine in her parents' FBI files beyond two, frustratingly condensed essays...
Then again, what would she have had to write about if she had?
Whether Katha Pollitt agrees with me or not, I came to see the above line as the thesis statement of Learning to Drive, a collection of essays from the feminist critic on topics ranging from destruction of green space to Botox. Yes, Pollitt lost her adulterous, sneaky, egotistical husband, and what was her response?
"I'm going to be a little obsessed for awhile."
Obsessed, indeed. Webstalking, tracking down her ex's mistresses(????), and as the title promises, finally learning to drive a car. "Beautiful Screamer" was perhaps the most relevant essay, detailing the author's entrance into motherhood, yet that still upheld an elitist barrier.
Too often, critics feel that if they analyze the heck out of something--and show a little self-deprecation in the process--it gains worth. But analysis without revelation, or even enlightenment, is glorified internal monologue, the pages of a personal journal turned out on the world.
"Almost everything is evidence of something," the Supreme Court passed down in a case tried by Pollitt's father, a known communist lawyer. There was a lot of evidence in this memoir, a lot of pontificating and bleeding, but that 'something' to which the strife gives meaning is illusive.
It is that dearth of focus that derails the collection. In the title essay, Pollitt was accused by her driving instructor of lacking observation skills. Not an ideal deficiency for a literary critic! And ultimately her downfall in several walks of life.
If she had noticed her mother's alcoholism....
If she had noticed her husband's decades of affairs....
If she had noticed the goldmine in her parents' FBI files beyond two, frustratingly condensed essays...
Then again, what would she have had to write about if she had?
liloud0626's review against another edition
2.0
I'm in the middle of this, and I have to wonder if she will ever stop obsessing over her ex. Aren't we a little old for this?
Later ... she did stop - finally. I'd like to read some other essays she has written, as she is obviously very smart. There was just too much pining for Mr. Wrong for my taste.
Later ... she did stop - finally. I'd like to read some other essays she has written, as she is obviously very smart. There was just too much pining for Mr. Wrong for my taste.
davidsteinsaltz's review
4.0
I'm not a great fan of personal memoirs, in general. But the personal is the political, after all, and Pollitt is one of our finest political writers. Pollitt is a representative of the generation of feminists who made the case that the personal was political. She's making the best case for it, by describing her own life with little reference to the ostensibly political, through a politically informed sensibility. I don't agree with some of her core beliefs -- particularly her essentialist view of gender (which is partly informed by her life experience, of a generation older than my own) -- but she puts it out in beautiful, intelligent, clear-headed prose. And the essays about her Communist parents, complete with extensive descriptions of their FBI files, are revelatory.
sdoire's review
2.0
A surprisingly disappointing Katha Pollitt book. The essays about her communist, FBI-pursued parents were by far the most interesting. If I had to read one more word about her philandering ex-boyfriend, and all the women he slept with while they were together, I would have burned the book -- even though it's a library copy. She should stick to cultural and political criticism and stay away from memoirs as long as she lives.
hrhacissej's review
4.0
"Maybe what we think of as our self is just nature's way of making sure our cats have someone to open their cans." Really enjoyed this collection of essays from a feminist Marxist.
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