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skmiles's review against another edition
4.0
A provocative book that connects and dissects a thousand different surprising and related points, starting from the premise that to talk about freedom, we have to talk about care and the ways in which our care - for ourselves, for others, for society and the earth - can limit or liberate us. Certainly not easily accessible, it's nonetheless well written and worth reading. I was surprised by how much I learned and how much Nelson's ideas intersected with how I'm inhabiting and thinking about my world right now.
agraceh13's review against another edition
3.0
I think this is a good intro to a lot of ideas/theory, especially if you’re just dipping into queer theory or art criticism or thinking about abolition. I actually appreciated what she wrote in the afterword—this was a process of thinking aloud. That feels correct, it feels like watching someone put pieces together and connect other writers. I also think the writing itself is mostly just fine. I wanted it to be prettier and more relevant—it’s a loooot of theory and criticism and very little practice. I also think I hated the drug fugue chapter?
Overall, I think it’s worth reading, but if I wish I had had people reading it with me to discuss and debate. I took a lot from the endnotes and want to read a bunch of the works cited.
Overall, I think it’s worth reading, but if I wish I had had people reading it with me to discuss and debate. I took a lot from the endnotes and want to read a bunch of the works cited.
z_johnson_'s review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
"Thinking aloud" as a "practice of freedom" is exactly what I needed.
lottie1803's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
ameliawarren's review against another edition
2.5
mid book. kind of interesting i guess to hear about the authors opinions and the academic opinions brought in by others, but it sort of just felt like her yapping. i couldn’t really focus on the book which made it hard to understand. would not recommend
abbylawr's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
My first Maggie Nelson book and surely not my last. I think Nelson is quite brilliant and that made me want more from this at times. I really enjoyed the first two “songs” (though the irony of calling each chapter a song vs their very academic tone isn’t lost on me) but the second two felt a little bit more meandering to me; the connection to freedom was a bit more loose, as were her arguments. I didn’t always agree with Nelson, but I appreciate that for making me reflect more.