annabelledejesus's review against another edition
3.0
Has some of the strongest short stories I’ve read in a long time, but a majority truly weren’t written for me. Would still check out if you enjoy Cusk!
glucksi's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
anna1882's review against another edition
3.75
Kind of roasted eat, pray, love which I was into. Some of these are better than others, ofc. Favored the lit criticism over personal anecdotes.
It must be imagined that people are pleased to be relieved of their individuality
In ‘best friend’ language, humour is a culturally approved manifestation of ambivalence, in which the love of life asserts itself over the admission of destructive desires.
Her actual powerlessness gives rise to fantasies of power, and these thoughts cause her to oscillate between hatred and terrible guilt.
the student who comes to the workshop lonely will leave it, one hopes, ready to be alone.
The danger, surely, is that she will ‘become’ – violently
It must be imagined that people are pleased to be relieved of their individuality
In ‘best friend’ language, humour is a culturally approved manifestation of ambivalence, in which the love of life asserts itself over the admission of destructive desires.
Her actual powerlessness gives rise to fantasies of power, and these thoughts cause her to oscillate between hatred and terrible guilt.
the student who comes to the workshop lonely will leave it, one hopes, ready to be alone.
The danger, surely, is that she will ‘become’ – violently
steve97886's review against another edition
2.0
Maybe her fiction is better, but it’s a lot of very middle class musings about quite, sort of, minor details in her life that I just can’t really relate to in any shape or form. I can sort of see why older, more privileged people (ie all book reviewers) might find a hook into it but I dunno, not for me. Gave two stars rather than one because it’s not egregiously shit, but I’m not the target audience maybe?
swakefield978867's review against another edition
2.0
Maybe her fiction is better, but it’s a lot of very middle class musings about quite, sort of, minor details in her life that I just can’t really relate to in any shape or form. I can sort of see why older, more privileged people (ie all book reviewers) might find a hook into it but I dunno, not for me. Gave two stars rather than one because it’s not egregiously shit, but I’m not the target audience maybe?
bethw's review against another edition
3.5
I really some of the essays - especially the third part, which was about books
bexreid's review against another edition
4.0
I lingered over the pages of Rachel Cusk's subtle essays - a blend of memoir, social commentary, and literary criticism. Her writing is absorbing... monsters inside of cars, being sent to Coventry, rudeness welcomed as a false god. The title essay, Coventry, was the finest in my opinion.