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A review by samarakroeger
Alphabetical Diaries by Sheila Heti
reflective
3.75
I’m shocked that I actually read this book bc my track record with Heti is middling at best. I first encountered her writing through excerpts from this project that were serialized in the New York Times in early 2022, though, which I remember liking. I then read Motherhood (eh) and Pure Colour (nope) in 2022.
This is a really cool concept for an experimental book, and it is exactly what it claims to be. I’d highly recommend listening to the audiobook in one sitting — the entries naturally become more cohesive in that format. It’s almost like looking at a shuffled photo album of someone’s life: there’s some recurring characters, though it’s unclear what their relationship looks like as a whole, and only a selection of life is actually documented. We don’t get to truly know the narrator or the characters, but some intimacy is achieved through small glimpses into private thoughts and feelings.
Anyways, this book certainly isn’t for everyone, but I’m glad I gave Sheila Heti another shot. Maybe it’s all the Annie Ernaux I read last year.
This is a really cool concept for an experimental book, and it is exactly what it claims to be. I’d highly recommend listening to the audiobook in one sitting — the entries naturally become more cohesive in that format. It’s almost like looking at a shuffled photo album of someone’s life: there’s some recurring characters, though it’s unclear what their relationship looks like as a whole, and only a selection of life is actually documented. We don’t get to truly know the narrator or the characters, but some intimacy is achieved through small glimpses into private thoughts and feelings.
Anyways, this book certainly isn’t for everyone, but I’m glad I gave Sheila Heti another shot. Maybe it’s all the Annie Ernaux I read last year.