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wtb_michael's review against another edition
4.0
A big collection of Cole's essays, spanning criticism, politics, photography and everything else that takes his fancy. This would be better read in dribs and drabs I think - I binged it all down because it's due back at the library, but a bit more space between some of the essays would have given me more time to process them. As it was, some of the essays on art especially kind of ran into each other. He's a wonderful writer though - clear and engaging but super smart. The essay on the disappointments of Obama and the idea of literature as a humanising force will stick with me.
yvlie's review against another edition
5.0
This assembly of essays stretching from photography, literature, politics to film studies and art criticism is totally worth reading. I enjoyed all of them, even - or maybe especially - those dealing with topics that I have no paericular knowledge about. Teju Cole's thoughts are clear-structured and cleverly arranged, guiding you but still leaving enough space for your own evaluations. His essays made me rethink some of my everyday practices and allowed me to discover some beautiful new things (I do adore Michael Haneke now - thanks for that!). More of that please!
sabai's review against another edition
4.0
I don't always agree with his politics, but Cole's writing in this collection is rather wonderful to read.
lisagray68's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not much for short stories or essays -- a review of this book caught my eye and it is nice to pick up and read something short sometimes when you've got a lot of other stuff going on. Teju Cole is an intelligent writer and these are thoughtful essays on other writers and works of art and fiction, etc. But I'd always rather read longer works of fiction.
quintusmarcus's review against another edition
4.0
Since I loved Cole's novel Open City, I was eager to read these essays. I was amazed by the range of Cole's interests and subjects--he writes about everything from African-American literature, photography, politics, his native Nigeria, and film, among other topics. Cole is deeply and widely read, and though I was frequently sent to the dictionary, his essays are always clear and approachable.
That said, I can't say I appreciate his politics. His essay "The White Savior Industrial Complex" came off as hostile, and he shamed himself with his vicious criticism of Nicholas Kristof. Others, maybe: but to single out Kristof, who has done so much good in the world, for nasty attack, is deeply unfortunate.
That said, I can't say I appreciate his politics. His essay "The White Savior Industrial Complex" came off as hostile, and he shamed himself with his vicious criticism of Nicholas Kristof. Others, maybe: but to single out Kristof, who has done so much good in the world, for nasty attack, is deeply unfortunate.
ardinareads's review against another edition
3.0
In the introduction of Teju Cole's Known and Strange Things, he writes, “This book contains what I have loved and witnessed, what has seemed right and what has brought joy, what I have been troubled and encouraged by, and what has fostered my sense of possibility…” I thought this was a lovely sentence and an accurate synopses, so I am beginning my review with it. This is a book of 55 essays, split between three different sections. Most of the essays are short, averaging around five pages. I honestly enjoyed every single essay I read with the exception of a few. Cole writes with precision, and his observations on his subjects are detailed and thoughtful. Reading these essays gave me the ability to step into Cole's perspective, to experience the world more attentively. Cole is an incredibly talented writer, and these essays exhibit his diverse knowledge that stretches across the many topics he writes about. I was constantly impressed by the obscure connections he drew between history, art, and people throughout his essays. I learned a lot from them (though I admit quite a few references went right over my head). Yet, I disliked reading these essays as a book. Though there were themes throughout, the essays are still very separate from one another and finishing one did not launch me into the next one. I felt an obligation to read it all at once simply because it was a book, and it dragged. Most, if not all, of the essays have been published in some format prior to this book, so I was able to find many of them online. I kind of wish I had just read each of the essays on their own as they were published and really ruminated on each individually, but I guess ultimately I could have and did not and that is why a collection of essays is convenient; because it would take a long time to sort through the internet and find all of the articles Cole has ever written. I also have to admit that if I were a writer, I would love to see so many of my pieces fit snug within the inside of one book.
My favorite section of the book was the first one, dedicated to Cole's essays on literature. Despite how few of the works I had actually read, I took great joy from reading Cole's thoughts on them. The care with which Cole examines the texts he reads, connecting them with other authors, times in his life, characters he meets in a taxi, etc, is admirable and inspiring. He deconstructs specific words, tying in a Latin root to give the reader more context. It's the kind of reading that I wish I did more of, attentive and conscientious. Keenly reveling in specific lines, taking the time to genuinely understand the words on a page, if one can ever truly understand another person's language, that is. All in all, I got a lot out of this book, and it will be a memorable read that I hope I pick up again in the future, just to read an essay or two. I recorded my favorites in my journal and took notes on some others as well, so I do hope to reference these in particular in the future.
My favorite section of the book was the first one, dedicated to Cole's essays on literature. Despite how few of the works I had actually read, I took great joy from reading Cole's thoughts on them. The care with which Cole examines the texts he reads, connecting them with other authors, times in his life, characters he meets in a taxi, etc, is admirable and inspiring. He deconstructs specific words, tying in a Latin root to give the reader more context. It's the kind of reading that I wish I did more of, attentive and conscientious. Keenly reveling in specific lines, taking the time to genuinely understand the words on a page, if one can ever truly understand another person's language, that is. All in all, I got a lot out of this book, and it will be a memorable read that I hope I pick up again in the future, just to read an essay or two. I recorded my favorites in my journal and took notes on some others as well, so I do hope to reference these in particular in the future.
bukola's review against another edition
4.0
Teju Cole is master of his crafts. His extensive knowledge, deep understanding, and detailed explanation of them are startling. In this collection of essays, Cole discusses topics ranging from literature to photography to art, music, travel, the Black Lives Matter movement, world politics, social media, Boko Haram, mob lynchings, and so much more.
Reading this book felt like fine dining, or like a journey around the world. The places he takes you may be breathtaking or unexpectedly ramshackle, but rest assured that the view is worth the journey. The end result will be a sound education of the mind and an awakening (poking and proding at the least) of your conscience. This book had me deeply in thought, smiling, and sometimes even giggling.
Not everyone will enjoy it as much as I did, but I recommend that everyone at least pick it up and read, if only for the beautiful, beautiful writing.
Reading this book felt like fine dining, or like a journey around the world. The places he takes you may be breathtaking or unexpectedly ramshackle, but rest assured that the view is worth the journey. The end result will be a sound education of the mind and an awakening (poking and proding at the least) of your conscience. This book had me deeply in thought, smiling, and sometimes even giggling.
Not everyone will enjoy it as much as I did, but I recommend that everyone at least pick it up and read, if only for the beautiful, beautiful writing.
mousse's review against another edition
4.0
Teju Cole’s collection of essays runs the gamut from culture, politics, race, art and photography and our contemporary age, and in some pieces, all these themes intersect in fascinating ways. Photography, evidently a personal hobby of his, weaves in and out to form a running thread that emerges throughout, bridging topics as wide-ranging as travelling to Switzerland, cultural representation, the myth of bloodlessness of drone attacks, and the idea of concealing and revealing. Along the way, he brought attention to lesser-known photography masters such as Saul Leiter and Gueorgui Pinkhassov. His thoughts on photography will likely interest photography fans, even those without the inclination to pick up a camera themselves: he sheds light on the power of photography as a tool of storytelling - teasing, seducing, provoking, unearthing new revelations and asserting the perspectives of the long-invisible.
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