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tommooney's review against another edition
3.0
This is well produced, well written and well argued. The photography is understated and sombre and powerful. But it doesn't really offer much that's new and I'm not sure who it's made for. It's only gonna sell (at £25 - absolutely ludicrous price) to a home crowd who already agree.
sophronisba's review
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
I had high hopes for this one, but by the end it felt like beautifully written but familiar handwringing over the nation's obsession with guns. Checks all the boxes but offers little that is new or original.
hillarycopsey's review
4.0
Auster isn't breaking new ground, a fact he knows and mostly does a good job of pointing out by mentioning the work of others. But in a handful of compelling essays, paired with photos of mass-shooting sites and the casualty stats, Auster forces readers to look at a broad picture of gun violence in America. He also does a good job of laying out the places the majority of Americans agree on gun control.
Unfortunately, the title of the book will turn away most people who own guns and believe in their right to own guns. Additionally, in the first sentence of the first essay, Auster shares that he's never owned a gun, a fact that most gun owners I know -- ie most of my family -- will believe disqualifies him from having an opinion about gun control. This marketing/editing of the book does a major disservice to Auster's work as it will prevent him from bridging the divide over guns, which seems to be at least partially his aim in some of these essays.
Unfortunately, the title of the book will turn away most people who own guns and believe in their right to own guns. Additionally, in the first sentence of the first essay, Auster shares that he's never owned a gun, a fact that most gun owners I know -- ie most of my family -- will believe disqualifies him from having an opinion about gun control. This marketing/editing of the book does a major disservice to Auster's work as it will prevent him from bridging the divide over guns, which seems to be at least partially his aim in some of these essays.
tkiley's review against another edition
4.0
This part-memoir, part-history book, part-essay was a short, heart-breaking read. Paul Auster connects his own history with guns to America's storied past with guns to our modern crisis of mass shootings. Spencer Ostrander's photographs that separate the sections of Auster's essay are chilling reminders of what is left over after a tragedy, after the country moves onto the next pressing crisis. Auster's book is a fantastic summary of guns in America and an overview of recent mass shootings.
The essay was written in the summer of 2021, so some parts definitely felt out of date (we now know how little the protests last summer moved the political needle towards change, New York no longer has a specific gun law mentioned in the essay due to the Supreme Court, countless more mass shootings that would be included in Auster's lists and discussions have occurred). However, Auster presents a clear view of how we got to the current world and the numerous obstacles that will have to be overcome to create change. This book serves as a great refresher and reminder of the current state of guns in America.
Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The essay was written in the summer of 2021, so some parts definitely felt out of date (we now know how little the protests last summer moved the political needle towards change, New York no longer has a specific gun law mentioned in the essay due to the Supreme Court, countless more mass shootings that would be included in Auster's lists and discussions have occurred). However, Auster presents a clear view of how we got to the current world and the numerous obstacles that will have to be overcome to create change. This book serves as a great refresher and reminder of the current state of guns in America.
Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
evewithanapple's review
reflective
sad
4.0
Paul Auster is one of the rare authors who can expound on just about any subject and make his thoughts worth reading, even if he's not contributing any original ideas to the conversation. "Bloodbath Nation" is really more of a personal essay than a book - I would be surprised if it clocked in at any higher than fourty thousand words, and a not-insignificant amount of page space is taken by photos that don't add much to the overall effect. And Auster is not really offering any analysis of or suggestions about gun violence that have not been raised many times before. But he's eloquent enough that his reflections are still worth reading, even if all you get from them is a moment of quiet contemplation. I'm glad I read it.
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