A review by helenap
The Art of Cruelty: A Reckoning by Maggie Nelson

4.0

I was recommended this book by a teacher because she thought it would help my ext 2 research AND MY GOD WAS IT FANTASTIC. I was consistently impressed with the breadth of cultural and political knowledge that Nelson referred to, and blown away that she could incorporate such a wide range of sources into a concise piece of work. I especially appreciated her embrace of nuance, trying on a bunch of different perspectives and ideologies so as the reader could fully grasp the breadth of cruelty. Her writing was intelligent and provocative, but sometimes it became, for lack of a better word, wanky, and that’s why it’s only 4 stars.