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claireescott's review against another edition
5.0
so so incredible!
some questions I’ll be sitting with:
“Why does everybody think that women are debasing themselves when we expose the contradictions of our own debasement? Why do women always have to come off clean?”
“Why is female vulnerability still only acceptable when it’s neuroticized and personal; when it feeds back on itself? Why do people still not get it when we handle vulnerability like philosophy, at some remove?”
some questions I’ll be sitting with:
“Why does everybody think that women are debasing themselves when we expose the contradictions of our own debasement? Why do women always have to come off clean?”
“Why is female vulnerability still only acceptable when it’s neuroticized and personal; when it feeds back on itself? Why do people still not get it when we handle vulnerability like philosophy, at some remove?”
pkiwi's review against another edition
1.0
I must admit I didn't read the last 30pages or so because by then I had built up such antipathy to this book I just couldn't struggle any further. It rubbed me the wrong way, striking me as whiny and arrogant look-i-know-all-these-fancy-philosophers-and-im-an-artist-y. Not my type of book...
gretatimaite's review against another edition
4.0
My first exposure to this book: I saw a girl in the library reading this book and I was honestly puzzled about the title. Love dick or Dick?
Then weeks later I was scrolling through the books in another library and saw it. Read the synopsis. Picked it; made sure I hide the title even though I tried to convince myself that there's nothing to be embarrassed about. This contradiction accompanied me whenever I wanted to read it in public. I read a comment that this might be a reason people buy e-readers. Maybe. No judgment here.
Anyway, 'I Love Dick' is such an interesting and unique exploration of a woman's sexuality and desires. In my review of the 'Three Women' by Lisa Taddeo, I said I missed analysis. And here I've got it. It was interesting how Chris (the protagonist) reasoned her desire for Dick, how this new experience of sexuality made her rethink herself and her life. That love, desire, or be it infatuation is such a productive force I didn't know how to make sense of it myself. Did I feel envy? If so of what? Her productive yet destructive experience? Her assertive behavior in the face of such, seemingly, illegitimate passion?
I'd also like to discuss her writing style but I feel I wouldn't do much justice to it. It didn't seem to have a super coherent style but a mixture of letters and essays but life, in general, isn't coherent either so this approach works as an extra layer of meaning. That's all I can say; so maybe I'll read it again at some point and give an update.
P.S. there is this drama surrounding this book as it's drawn on Chris Kraus' lived experience and she, apparently, hasn't done a good job in anonymizing them. Haven't read much on it but she says it's a work of fiction not memoir so that's an interesting aspect too. After all, Kraus thinks in this book a lot about who and why gets to speak.
Then weeks later I was scrolling through the books in another library and saw it. Read the synopsis. Picked it; made sure I hide the title even though I tried to convince myself that there's nothing to be embarrassed about. This contradiction accompanied me whenever I wanted to read it in public. I read a comment that this might be a reason people buy e-readers. Maybe. No judgment here.
Anyway, 'I Love Dick' is such an interesting and unique exploration of a woman's sexuality and desires. In my review of the 'Three Women' by Lisa Taddeo, I said I missed analysis. And here I've got it. It was interesting how Chris (the protagonist) reasoned her desire for Dick, how this new experience of sexuality made her rethink herself and her life. That love, desire, or be it infatuation is such a productive force I didn't know how to make sense of it myself. Did I feel envy? If so of what? Her productive yet destructive experience? Her assertive behavior in the face of such, seemingly, illegitimate passion?
I'd also like to discuss her writing style but I feel I wouldn't do much justice to it. It didn't seem to have a super coherent style but a mixture of letters and essays but life, in general, isn't coherent either so this approach works as an extra layer of meaning. That's all I can say; so maybe I'll read it again at some point and give an update.
P.S. there is this drama surrounding this book as it's drawn on Chris Kraus' lived experience and she, apparently, hasn't done a good job in anonymizing them. Haven't read much on it but she says it's a work of fiction not memoir so that's an interesting aspect too. After all, Kraus thinks in this book a lot about who and why gets to speak.
beckydr's review against another edition
4.0
Picking this book up from the communal bookshelf in a friend's shared house to find it intensely annotated, with brightly coloured tabs on many pages, I was intrigued. I downloaded the audiobook for the drive home and found myself completely compelled by Chris and her journey, her honesty, her relationships and her tangents. As a filmmaker (though I make little of my own work, instead committing my time to assist others in making sunday night television and rap music videos) I like to think I have something in common with Chris, or at least we have a lot of shared interests. Her reflections on art and polite society were greatly entertaining, and her draw toward this mysterious academic man being so intertwined with revitalising her fading relationship with her husband made for a complex and fascinating story.
saomie's review against another edition
DNF. I just found this weirdly so boring…. I have BPD and always have a “favourite person” so I thought this would be relatable but I just didn’t enjoy it all and it just seemed like endless waffle
tinibini107's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ohisthatluke's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
lizawall's review against another edition
1.0
I just try, and try, and try, and try to love this book the way that every respectable person seems to, but the whole time I'm reading it I want so much for her to join a lesbian separatist commune. Like, I'm totally through with hearing about dick, you know? I know this is not a morally defensible position. Maybe one day I'll realize I actually secretly loved it all along, rom-com style, because otherwise I don't know how to explain how mad it makes me.
lottiemorton's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Interesting… I have a tendency for romantic obsession myself so I was excited to have the opportunity to observe someone else’s, there were thoughtful passages which I enjoyed but overall I really didn’t like how it was written. I find socialite art world name dropping so dull and off putting. Made the book seem vapid.
It gave me ‘red scare’ podcast vibes.
It gave me ‘red scare’ podcast vibes.