pnwlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book so much more than I thought I would. I checked it out from the library, but kept putting off reading it because I wanted it to be a collection of short stories (I'd really enjoyed her last book). With a day off work and nothing to do, I wound up reading it in one sitting. Rather than a traditional narrative, the book is part conceptual art project (if you don't like July's work, you'll probably have no interest in this book), and part personal essay. It was more cohesive and linear than I expected--in between visiting people she contacts in the PennySaver, July weaves together her own personal experiences with those of the people she meets. She is honest and thoughtful, and her willingness to attempt a connection (however tenuous) will people from all walks of life is admirable and comes across as genuine.
I'm going to attempt a longer review of this book for work, but wanted to share a nice quote:
"We had to winnow life down so we knew where to put our tenderness and attention; and that was a good, sweet thing. But together or alone, we were still embedded in a kaleidoscope, ruthlessly varied and continuous, until the end of the end."
PS - This book made me cry like a baby.
I'm going to attempt a longer review of this book for work, but wanted to share a nice quote:
"We had to winnow life down so we knew where to put our tenderness and attention; and that was a good, sweet thing. But together or alone, we were still embedded in a kaleidoscope, ruthlessly varied and continuous, until the end of the end."
PS - This book made me cry like a baby.
stacialithub's review
2.0
The overall concept of the book was interesting -- contacting people advertising random items in the PennySaver & then meeting with them to see the item or items they were selling, as well as interview them a bit in general. She definitely met some interesting people, but the overall whole seems... lacking, somehow. The photography was neat & definitely needed alongside the individual sections.
But, she didn't seem to ask very interesting questions of her interviewees, I think. It was all pretty free-form, yet seemed somewhat shallow too, even though she was being brave (in a way), putting herself out there to meet & chat with various people (including one creepy-ish guy wearing an ankle monitor). Interspersed between the interviews, she had sections about her frustrations writing her screenplay, variations on it, etc. Those parts were boring; she never pulled me in enough to care about those sections at all. Then again, I had never heard of her or seen her movies, so maybe those sections would have been more interesting if I had some knowledge of her wider body of work.
So, the concept of the interviews was interesting, but the overall whole just didn't pull it together for me. Meh. It was like a piece of performance art that just didn't quite succeed. 2 to 2.5 stars.
But, she didn't seem to ask very interesting questions of her interviewees, I think. It was all pretty free-form, yet seemed somewhat shallow too, even though she was being brave (in a way), putting herself out there to meet & chat with various people (including one creepy-ish guy wearing an ankle monitor). Interspersed between the interviews, she had sections about her frustrations writing her screenplay, variations on it, etc. Those parts were boring; she never pulled me in enough to care about those sections at all. Then again, I had never heard of her or seen her movies, so maybe those sections would have been more interesting if I had some knowledge of her wider body of work.
So, the concept of the interviews was interesting, but the overall whole just didn't pull it together for me. Meh. It was like a piece of performance art that just didn't quite succeed. 2 to 2.5 stars.
scf2ke's review against another edition
5.0
amazing, gripping, honest and heartbreaking all at the same time...miranda july is a true artist and you can tell through her profound yet blunt writing style
sbaunsgard's review against another edition
4.0
Miranda July interviews people who place ads in the Penny Saver to avoid working on her screenplay. Photographs by Brigitte Sire. Overall, real people's lives are very interesting to me (this is most of the book.) Writers writing about writing... that is never interesting.
melanierichards's review against another edition
3.0
I think there was something July was trying to communicate that wasn't exactly clear, or on the whole she was speaking to herself, but she made me tear up and I blazed through this book, so, a good one.
mhall's review against another edition
5.0
Namaste can be translated in a lot of ways; most recently my yoga teacher gave its meaning as, "The divine mystery in me greets the divine mystery in you." And that's what Miranda July is doing in this book. By answering classified ads from the Pennysaver and interviewing the people who placed them. "All I ever really want to know is how other people are making it through life - where do they put their body, hour by hour, and how do they cope inside of it."
pimimi's review against another edition
5.0
If you didn’t cry with Andrew or Domingo you are cold.
But if you didn’t cry with Joe... are you alive? Do you have a heart?
But if you didn’t cry with Joe... are you alive? Do you have a heart?