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A review by coronata
Don't Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
4.0
The first half of this book is absolutely phenomenal. It cuts to the heart of the post-9/11 American psyche, but what I find so extraordinary about it is that, while it is very clearly dated, it is still emotionally resonant with the current moment as well. This is especially true of its discussions of death and loneliness. (The first half convinced me to take a social media break for at least a month, without mentioning social media!)
Once the book begins to explicitly discuss 9/11, it weakens because it reads as very dated. After all, it's been more than 20 years since 9/11. It feels very similar to how, for example, the movie The Bubble (2022) feels very weird to watch now that the COVID-19 pandemic is "over."
Once the book begins to explicitly discuss 9/11, it weakens because it reads as very dated. After all, it's been more than 20 years since 9/11. It feels very similar to how, for example, the movie The Bubble (2022) feels very weird to watch now that the COVID-19 pandemic is "over."