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A review by extramedium
Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
A bit disjointed & apparently also a series of articles for the New Yorker which may explain the lack of flow between each part. It also felt a bit melodramatic at points as the author delved into personal political beliefs (the gun violence part most notably). The end of the chapter on loneliness and gun violence really just “jumps the shark” & has the author lamenting her husband’s ownership of two hand guns (purchased before they were even dating & not in his possession at the time of writing the book) which is enough to put some “invisible strain” on their relationship (her words). After that, she sloppily tries to tie it back into the loneliness with a quick line about gun ownership as a symbol of loneliness.
I think the aspect of critically thinking about loneliness as a human condition is an interesting topic to discuss & this book will likely give readers a chance to do that. The title is a bit misleading as the topics discussed are done from an American perspective, but are by no means specific to US Americans. Be aware that it does spend quite a bit of time talking about the unethical Henry Harlow loneliness/child rearing studies on Rhesus monkeys.
The book is probably more autobiographical than a serious/scholarly foray into the topic of American loneliness, and doesn’t really posit potential solutions for bridging the gap between other people other than a general call-to-action. Interesting book that may give you some things to think about, but likely won’t change your worldview
I think the aspect of critically thinking about loneliness as a human condition is an interesting topic to discuss & this book will likely give readers a chance to do that. The title is a bit misleading as the topics discussed are done from an American perspective, but are by no means specific to US Americans. Be aware that it does spend quite a bit of time talking about the unethical Henry Harlow loneliness/child rearing studies on Rhesus monkeys.
The book is probably more autobiographical than a serious/scholarly foray into the topic of American loneliness, and doesn’t really posit potential solutions for bridging the gap between other people other than a general call-to-action. Interesting book that may give you some things to think about, but likely won’t change your worldview
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty