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tanyamariereads's reviews
130 reviews
The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone by Olivia Laing
4.0
I received this as a gift from a friend and was excited to dive into the first non-fiction book that I've read in a while. I knew from the general summary of the book that it would talk about various artists' and how they dealt with loneliness. I suppose I wasn't expecting the overall theme to be as dark and heavy as it was, so it took me some time to read through it all. I did struggle through the passages that covered sexual assault, physical and emotional abuse, pedophilia, and suicide and how that tied in with some very well known pieces of art.
Despite those heavy topics, I truly enjoyed Laing's ability to connect the artist's work and what the artist was experiencing during the creation of their art. I found it interesting that Laing herself was experiencing loneliness while writing this book and weaved that experience into this story as well.
I think this is a great read for anyone wanting to know more about the concept of loneliness in general and the stories behind many famous works of art.
Despite those heavy topics, I truly enjoyed Laing's ability to connect the artist's work and what the artist was experiencing during the creation of their art. I found it interesting that Laing herself was experiencing loneliness while writing this book and weaved that experience into this story as well.
I think this is a great read for anyone wanting to know more about the concept of loneliness in general and the stories behind many famous works of art.