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larasbraga's review against another edition
4.0
the review for this was personal enough that I wrote in my journal but wow what a treat to have discovered Patti Smith in this way at this time
napfanclub's review
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
2.75
Since it is Patti Smith, I do give this overdrawn reflective essay more grace than I typically would. If I were a world famous, left leaning, old white lady, I too would probably be able to publish something this tactless and wildly out of touch. It is nearly endearing just how she sees the world from such a pinnacle of privileges. However, I do not know much about her personal life, and from what I gather, her personal life is not short of tragedies and difficult times. The bits about her son and his struggles with his inculpabilities do render something to be desired in me. Maybe a better life, maybe more context. How nice it must be to not have to go to work and be on the receiving end of what seems to be endless publishing opportunities that you can write about short and long days in nature writing with your son. It seems to me, too, that she has also taken this opportunity specifically to make up parts in this "reflection" which really goes against the foundation of what a reflection is, but if your years are really that bleak and missing the je ne sais quoi essence that makes writing worth it, then fine, Patti. You may make up some intertwined thread of a fictional narrative that essentially drives your book. All in all, it is with a not-so heavy heart that I give this book almost a star more than I really should. If you read "Just Kids" and are looking for something that gives you the same reading experience, I suggest looking away from the rest of Patti's collection
katyboo52's review
3.0
I loved Just Kids. I still love it. It remains an absolute icon of autobiographical writing. This however, I really struggled with. It's a kind of memoir, it's kind of a meditation, it's kind of poetic, it's kind of an exploration of grief and ageing and the state of the nation. It slithers and slides all over the place. It reminded me rather of the writing of the Beat poets. Times, places, people all crash into and off of each other. I found it interesting, but also difficult and I put it down more than I picked it up.
aleynadogan's review
fast-paced
4.5
Just Kids takes the reader to an emotional journey - one where the reader desperately wants to be a part of that time of New York, be with Patti and Robert. This one is very different, still Patti’s style of writing, but more a stream of consciousness over a period of time of reflection, written in the moment, rather than the past-reflection of Just Kids. It was a really quick read, you’ll like it if you enjoy reading Patti’s words or being in her world.
kglasgow001's review
Patti Smith Patti Smith how do I see the world like you do?????????? My really important friend Mark sent me in Patti's direction and this book gave me a lot to think about: what it means to notice the people you love, to give them energy on purpose, to let your imagination do the thing it's supposed to do and create. There were plenty of moments that I didn't fully understand, or couldn't decipher if it was real or a dream or maybe both. It's comforting to think I could read it again and find a new book with new lessons and new dreams.
"The grains pour and I find myself missing the dead more than usual. I notice that I cry more when watching television, triggered by romance, a retiring detective shot in the back while staring into the sea, a weary father lifting his infant from a crib. I notice that my own tears burn my eyes, that I am no longer a fast runner and that my sense of time seems to be accelerating.
I do what I can to augment this recurring image in my favor, even replacing the egg timer with a crystal hourglass passing the dust of ground marble, such as the type found in the small wooden study of St. Jerome or the workshop of Albrecht Dürer. Even as there is most likely some finite principle concerning the rate that sand passes through the hourglass, no advantage in having a stately glass or more perfect grains."
Page 79
I love you Mark
"The grains pour and I find myself missing the dead more than usual. I notice that I cry more when watching television, triggered by romance, a retiring detective shot in the back while staring into the sea, a weary father lifting his infant from a crib. I notice that my own tears burn my eyes, that I am no longer a fast runner and that my sense of time seems to be accelerating.
I do what I can to augment this recurring image in my favor, even replacing the egg timer with a crystal hourglass passing the dust of ground marble, such as the type found in the small wooden study of St. Jerome or the workshop of Albrecht Dürer. Even as there is most likely some finite principle concerning the rate that sand passes through the hourglass, no advantage in having a stately glass or more perfect grains."
Page 79
I love you Mark
_ali_lacey44's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ⭐️ a year told between reality and a dream. Excerpts from Patti Smith from 2016 - 2020 and how life balances on the way an individual perceives the world. Surrealistic ideas on getting older and the future ahead.