Reviews

100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write: On Umbrellas and Sword Fights, Parades and Dogs, Fire Alarms, Children, and Theater by Sarah Ruhl

paperpilot's review against another edition

3.0

I expected the essays to be more varied, but nearly all were about theatre, which isn't really my thing. Sarah Ruhl is clearly knowledgeable and passionate, as well as a talented writer; so if you like theatre, I strongly recommend this.

nicolec417's review against another edition

2.0

These little essays are all thought-provoking and insightful, but catered so specifically to live theater that it was hard to relate or get excited about. I will seek her plays though.

_dunno_'s review against another edition

4.0

Don't let the title get you. This book is first and foremost about theatre and everything connected to it. With a touch of parenting. And yeah, she mentions umbrellas and dogs at some point.

servemethesky's review against another edition

3.0

This was an interesting read, but I feel the title and marketing for the book were misleading. It's entirely about theater, and very little about sword fights, umbrellas, or anything else mentioned. The essays are extremely thoughtful and at times pretentious. It gave me some interesting concepts to mull over, but wasn't exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up.

I grabbed this book from the library because Jonny Sun mentioned it inspired an essay collection he's working on. I can't wait to read his when it comes out!

deadpoetsfilm's review against another edition

informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

katymul's review against another edition

challenging funny informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

4.0

I loved the idea of this book but felt a little skeptical of what the quality would be. At first glance, a lot of the un-essays felt like the fun hook without the meat of the essay analysis. However, the stories and ideas build on one another and come at much bigger and more nuanced ideas in subtle ways, from multiple angles, in a way that allows the reader to explore the ideas for themselves. It is a deeply intriguing way to write about theatre, audiences, and other ephemeral arts. The book felt almost democratic in its approach, inviting the reader to draw the connections that aren't even directly acknowledged in the text.

sydthekid2001's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.75

For anyone who is a theatre artist, this book is a must-read! Sarah Ruhl's insight, biting commentary, and heartfelt anecdotes paint a beautiful and complex picture of what it's like to be an artist, a mother, and someone dedicated to theatre-making. Her book proves that brevity is the soul of wit.

buer's review against another edition

4.0

In typical Sarah Ruhl fashion, this entire collection of essays takes a whimsical (sorry, Ms Ruhl) approach to a variety of subjects that are all somehow related to theater.

From animals to children to writing to Shakespeare to inspiration to craft to how awful the word whimsical is, Ruhl seems to cover it all. The essays range widely in length, some being only a few words long, others a mere paragraph, and still others more conventional in length.

Ruhl is laugh out loud funny, relatable, and insightful. This book is a pleasure to read.

sllimika's review against another edition

3.0

I enjoyed these

purduerx's review against another edition

3.0

While there were plenty of essays in this collection that went completely over my head because of theater 'jargon', they were nearly balanced out by the ones that spoke to me. More often than not, these were the ones where the author included excerpts of her life as a mother, such as "On lice", "On motherhood and stools (the furniture kind)" and "On interruptions." There were also some moments of laugh-out-loud humor ("Chimpanzees and audiences") and some rather thought-provoking ones ("The age of commentary" and "Writing and waiting").