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tamarabee's review against another edition
3.5
I’ve never read a collection of essays quite like this, and I enjoyed the framework of combining art critique with personal anecdotes. Larissa’s writing is really lovely, and there are several stunning sentences.
With that said, the emotional depth of the piece felt short to me. Pham acknowledges that she relies on other works of art to convey her emotions, which felt dissatisfying to me. Her description of the artwork revealed how she herself felt looking at the work, but it did nothing to elicit any emotion within myself reading it. The academic approach of art critique created distance between the emotional impact of her work, even when she was sharing extremely personal information. I felt saddened when I read that her goal in writing was to make people feel, as I don’t feel like this was achieved in this piece.
With that said, the emotional depth of the piece felt short to me. Pham acknowledges that she relies on other works of art to convey her emotions, which felt dissatisfying to me. Her description of the artwork revealed how she herself felt looking at the work, but it did nothing to elicit any emotion within myself reading it. The academic approach of art critique created distance between the emotional impact of her work, even when she was sharing extremely personal information. I felt saddened when I read that her goal in writing was to make people feel, as I don’t feel like this was achieved in this piece.
marlamorris's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
3.75
this was a nice read ! but it took me a while,,, but a v enjoyable experience and v thoughtfully paced !
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
4.0
I read this for a book club. I listened to it; the narrator good. I was a little weirded out in the first part by her obsession with bruises; and I'm not into art, so I didn't get as much out of her thoughts on various artists and artworks as someone who knows art and artists. I liked hearing about her dating life and her heartbreak. She addresses these essays to her ex. (There is the 2nd-person you at times).
During the second half, this went from a 3-star to a 4-star read for me. I admired her somewhat glamorous lifestlye so I really liked the part where she goes to Shanghai on the company's dime to attend an art festival.
During the second half, this went from a 3-star to a 4-star read for me. I admired her somewhat glamorous lifestlye so I really liked the part where she goes to Shanghai on the company's dime to attend an art festival.
furbae's review against another edition
5.0
Reading this while anticipating a breakup-esque emotion in my own life feels like a sign somehow.
prosenotbros's review against another edition
3.0
I was so looking forward to this but it unfortunately didn't meet expectations. I arrived at the book anticipating a Maggie Nelson/Anne Carson sort of vibe (fragments, experimental form, autofiction, theory, the usual buzz factors). Yet Larissa's prose and storytelling failed to capture my attention and I ended up skimming chunks of the book. Out of everything, I enjoyed her insights about art and creative production. Occasionally she'd have a pithy statement that struck me as unique.
Blending memoir, theory, and cultural critique is a tall order and requires a fine balance to ensure one doesn't outweigh the others while still allowing space for original insights. The result, here, is a work that relied on theoretical frameworks and art references to do the thematic and emotional legwork: this referential mode of self-interrogation resisted true emotional depth, instead creating distance through the intellectualization of experiences and feelings. It lacked intimacy. Goes to show that saturating a text with discussions of sex and love doesn't always translate to a reading experience where one understands the significance the author seems to place upon both.
Blending memoir, theory, and cultural critique is a tall order and requires a fine balance to ensure one doesn't outweigh the others while still allowing space for original insights. The result, here, is a work that relied on theoretical frameworks and art references to do the thematic and emotional legwork: this referential mode of self-interrogation resisted true emotional depth, instead creating distance through the intellectualization of experiences and feelings. It lacked intimacy. Goes to show that saturating a text with discussions of sex and love doesn't always translate to a reading experience where one understands the significance the author seems to place upon both.
salomeconstancis's review against another edition
3.5
I love Pham's take on love and life so much. There's something so relatable to me in her work. I cannot wait to read what she writes next :)