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kirajoy's review against another edition
5.0
A bit close to home
The book reads a bit close to home. My anxieties are the main characters anxieties. It’s perhaps not a good sign how much very very excellent literature about the end of the world is coming out now. This is not about the end of the world, but it is.
The book reads a bit close to home. My anxieties are the main characters anxieties. It’s perhaps not a good sign how much very very excellent literature about the end of the world is coming out now. This is not about the end of the world, but it is.
nikolai_k's review against another edition
5.0
This zen-prepper potpourri read in the style of Laurie Anderson circa "Big Science" manages to be a great American novel without really being any of those three things.
rsinclair6536's review against another edition
2.0
Stressed mom in Manhattan apartment that her family may not be able to afford, a cobbled-together professional life, a static marriage, a dysfunctional sibling, and worry about the future. Lynn Steger Strong did this much better in Want.
liebo84's review against another edition
3.0
Written in the same style as Dept of Speculation where Offill write in quick and sharp paragraphs that jump around in a semi-cohesive fashion but without approaching anything that could reasonably be construed as an overarching plot. Certainly not for everyone and sometimes the meandering got a bit too much for me, but the prose is fantastic in places and there are a bunch of great observations about modern life and our insecurities contained within these pages.
kcusack's review against another edition
funny
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I love a “flight of ideas” novel. Writing that matches my brain.
kschlottman's review against another edition
5.0
The most important writer of our time, in my humble opinion
meeksmidnightlibrary's review against another edition
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
fallohide's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved this for it's darkness and weight. The structure made it so quick to read through that it actually exacerbated the discomfort, like I was the girl with the phone only seconds behind, can't even slow down long enough to sit with a heavy book. This isn't a complaint, I love a book that feels both uncomfortable and compelling, and that's exactly where this hits. The note at the end is interesting, like a recognition that the climate politics here are not great at all, but I appreciate that that isn't the point here, or not exactly. Or not only. Or something else. Sitting with it still, I guess!
thebookhousegirl's review against another edition
The writing felt really stiff and pretentious, and the formatting was difficult to follow.