Reviews

The Object Stares Back: On the Nature of Seeing by James Elkins

mayhap's review against another edition

5.0

A superb piece of interdisciplinary writing, wide-ranging and intimate. Would make good reading in a Gallatin class.

12roxy's review against another edition

4.0

Lovely looping travels through art history, psychology, philosophy, and a bit of science. Interesting to stop to think about the seen and the seer. By happenstance I read it concurrently with a New Yorker article about facial recognition and machine learning, which enhanced both writings. The author writes ploddingly at times for this non-philosopher, seems overly squeamish about sex and death, and often is oddly redundant within sections, but it’s an enlightening read.

12roxy's review

4.0

Lovely looping travels through art history, psychology, philosophy, and a bit of science. Interesting to stop to think about the seen and the seer. By happenstance I read it concurrently with a New Yorker article about facial recognition and machine learning, which enhanced both writings. The author writes ploddingly at times for this non-philosopher, seems overly squeamish about sex and death, and often is oddly redundant within sections, but it’s an enlightening read.