nuhafariha's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Thank you to WW Norton and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available.

A legend in literary fiction, Claire Messud's Kant's Little Prussian Head is a series of musings on the author's international childhood, her own career and writing and critiques on other literary works. While I certainly appreciated getting a closer look at Messud's own family life - the way she mimicked her mother's reading preferences for Dostoevsky as a young teenager was both adorable and melancholic - it was Messud's literary critiques that truly captivated me. For example, her analysis of Italo Sveno's "Zeno", one of my favorite books, changed the way I conceptualized the work earlier. Whether it's a deeply personal story about her father's struggles with alcoholism or a stroll through an art gallery, Messud has a way of drawing a reader in with a knowing nod and maternal wink. Definitely recommend whether you are a long term Messud fan or a newcomer to her work.

kckirkley's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

marciag's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging reflective slow-paced

5.0

happy_stomach's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

I give five stars to the autobiographical essays that make up the first part of this volume. I could have read a thousand more pages of Messud’s personal stories spanning generations, countries, and all sorts of privileged, worldly experience. And more stories about her dogs! It was the autobiographical essays that made me curious to learn which books Messud loves and that’s what I took from the second part of the book—I took the “which” but, surprising to me, couldn’t bring myself to care at all about the “whys” she presents in her criticism. Same with with art criticism—I found very little convincing, even for artists like Sally Mann about whom I know a passing amount.

ameliag's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

3.65

oohhsusannah's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

3.5, though admittedly I skipped some of the art/lit crit essays.

sarahc3319's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Interesting and inspiring, the best praise I can think of for an autobiography. Messud's family history is nothing short of fascinating: her grandparents and parents were educated, opinionated, well-traveled and there's clearly so much love and admiration between the generations. Her literary and art criticism inspired me to revisit Teju Cole, Kazuo Ishiguro, Sally Mann and learn more about Magda Szabo, Alice Neel and probably others. A treat of a book.

hartereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

More...