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A review by pixiebix
The Book of Disquiet: The Complete Edition by Fernando Pessoa
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
This is my year of DNFs, apparently. It needs to STOP.
The Book of Disquiet is an autobiography (of sorts) without any facts; it is philosophical reflections on life and existence that are immaculately written and perhaps the most relatable and ‘on point’ I’ve ever read, yet it is, fundamentally, very, very nihilistic and… well, depressing. It is perhaps the best body of work I’ve ever read for putting into words those almost-impossible-to-capture feelings about ennui and monotony and the general tedium of life, but it’s also a bit… much?
If this were 50 pages long, it could easily be a five-star read. At this length, though, it just feels like wallowing—beautiful, artistic, reflective wallowing, but wallowing nonetheless. I’m feeling quite low while reading it, and even if everything it says is technically true, it still feels unproductive in the fact that I feel like I’m just ruminating in a stew of sadness.
This may be one I revisit in the future, as it is a stunning body of work. For now, I think I prefer mental stability to finishing it.
The Book of Disquiet is an autobiography (of sorts) without any facts; it is philosophical reflections on life and existence that are immaculately written and perhaps the most relatable and ‘on point’ I’ve ever read, yet it is, fundamentally, very, very nihilistic and… well, depressing. It is perhaps the best body of work I’ve ever read for putting into words those almost-impossible-to-capture feelings about ennui and monotony and the general tedium of life, but it’s also a bit… much?
If this were 50 pages long, it could easily be a five-star read. At this length, though, it just feels like wallowing—beautiful, artistic, reflective wallowing, but wallowing nonetheless. I’m feeling quite low while reading it, and even if everything it says is technically true, it still feels unproductive in the fact that I feel like I’m just ruminating in a stew of sadness.
This may be one I revisit in the future, as it is a stunning body of work. For now, I think I prefer mental stability to finishing it.