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A review by allegraanne
The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone by Olivia Laing
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
Enjoyed the concept and content. This book gave me new lenses to view artists I knew, like Warhol and Hopper, and introduced me to artists I didn’t, like Henry Darger. The ways the author explores the concept and experience of loneliness were also invaluable in giving me a new vocabulary to describe that place.
However—I found myself asking where in the world the editor was on many, many occasions. Most paragraphs in this book are 1-2 sentences, and that’s a reflection of sentence complexity, not paragraph brevity. This is interspersed with sometimes jarring affectations of writing like “What I am trying to say is…[restatement of something that was just said]”.
Ultimately I did enjoy The Lonely City but limiting to 3 stars because I found it hard to get past the clunky writing.
However—I found myself asking where in the world the editor was on many, many occasions. Most paragraphs in this book are 1-2 sentences, and that’s a reflection of sentence complexity, not paragraph brevity. This is interspersed with sometimes jarring affectations of writing like “What I am trying to say is…[restatement of something that was just said]”.
Ultimately I did enjoy The Lonely City but limiting to 3 stars because I found it hard to get past the clunky writing.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape