Reviews

The Waterfront Journals by David Wojnarowicz

erthxy's review against another edition

5.0

Have had a recent obsession with Wojnarowicz and got my hands on a copy of this. Made me sob in the saddest but most beautiful of ways. Raw and tender and heartbreaking and lovely monologues that are crafted with such intense depth and care. This might have changed my life. I’m crying while writing this review, honestly.

evie5120's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

hantasy95's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mcorinaguerra's review against another edition

adventurous funny reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

erthx's review against another edition

5.0

Have had a recent obsession with Wojnarowicz and got my hands on a copy of this. Made me sob in the saddest but most beautiful of ways. Raw and tender and heartbreaking and lovely monologues that are crafted with such intense depth and care. This might have changed my life. I’m crying while writing this review, honestly.

callymac's review against another edition

3.0

This consists of 1-page to 5-page monologues from different characters, identified only by their rough description and where they are encountered -- and the best thing about them is I don't know if they're fictional, or how fictional they are.

Wojnarowicz's fiction and essays harness a bit of the stylistic choices of the Beat Gen but with better politics, more of a sense of radicalism, and a more direct challenge to the reader.

writtenontheflyleaves's review

4.0

I believe everybody should read Wojnarowicz for a lesson in empathy and beauty, and The Waterfront Journals is no exception. Especially reading it from lockdown, the stream of different voices was welcome and beautifully rendered, and Olivia Laing’s afterword about the poignancy and importance of the real and the physical - a chance conversation with a stranger in the street, a “magic box” of artefacts assembled by an artist - was heartbreaking. I love Wojnarowicz’s voice, his eye, and maybe that’s why I didn’t give this the full five stars - I prefer his memoir writing, where you see more of both, more directly. But definitely definitely read this book.