hollydunndesign's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Mass/school shootings, and Miscarriage
jola_g's review
4.0
Most probably your heart will not start missing a beat when I tell you the premise of No. 91/92: notes on a Parisian commute (2021) by Lauren Elkin: an American teacher jots down some impressions on her mobile while commuting to work on public transport in Paris. Poetics of the city as viewed through the bus, as the author put it.
It is not hard to guess that Lauren Elkin's favourite observation object is other passengers: I lose myself in other people's plot lines, I watch people who exist pretend to be people who don't exist. A bus turns out to be as good a way to view the city as another. Better, even. You're on the move. Taking it all in. Slightly above all the congestion it clears our sight like menthol clears our sinuses.
Although Lauren Elkin is a fan of the Oulipo — with no reciprocity though, as she sardonically stated — you will not find any extravagances in this book. The only unusual thing is the original spelling, with some typos preserved. Maybe it was an attempt to make the notes look more natural, more realistic.
After some time a parallel between the woman and the city becomes more and more visible: they both have to grapple with anxiety, grief and loss. For Lauren Elkin it is the loss of her baby, for Paris terrorist attacks. Deceivingly plain entries gradually turn into a moving account of coming to terms with trauma and efforts to go on against all odds. The simple, raw writing style works perfectly here. Emotional honesty always resonates better with me than pathos.
The impact of this book is inversely proportional to its size. Speaking of which, what is wrong with slight? How are we asking books to be when we dismiss them for being slight, what isn’t in them that “should” be there? (Lauren Elkin interviewed in The Paris Review).
It is really hard to explain what makes No. 91/92: notes on a Parisian commute so readable. The author's personality might be one of the answers. Lauren Elkin we get to know from her diary is a witty and sensitive person who loves literature. And, as usual, Paris besotted me tout de suite.
Photo by Nick Turpin.
It is not hard to guess that Lauren Elkin's favourite observation object is other passengers: I lose myself in other people's plot lines, I watch people who exist pretend to be people who don't exist. A bus turns out to be as good a way to view the city as another. Better, even. You're on the move. Taking it all in. Slightly above all the congestion it clears our sight like menthol clears our sinuses.
Although Lauren Elkin is a fan of the Oulipo — with no reciprocity though, as she sardonically stated — you will not find any extravagances in this book. The only unusual thing is the original spelling, with some typos preserved. Maybe it was an attempt to make the notes look more natural, more realistic.
After some time a parallel between the woman and the city becomes more and more visible: they both have to grapple with anxiety, grief and loss. For Lauren Elkin it is the loss of her baby, for Paris terrorist attacks. Deceivingly plain entries gradually turn into a moving account of coming to terms with trauma and efforts to go on against all odds. The simple, raw writing style works perfectly here. Emotional honesty always resonates better with me than pathos.
The impact of this book is inversely proportional to its size. Speaking of which, what is wrong with slight? How are we asking books to be when we dismiss them for being slight, what isn’t in them that “should” be there? (Lauren Elkin interviewed in The Paris Review).
It is really hard to explain what makes No. 91/92: notes on a Parisian commute so readable. The author's personality might be one of the answers. Lauren Elkin we get to know from her diary is a witty and sensitive person who loves literature. And, as usual, Paris besotted me tout de suite.
Photo by Nick Turpin.
kingslam's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
hanlov's review against another edition
4.0
I took a public writing course my senior year of undergrad, so this honestly fascinated me. how people experience and interact with the world around them is so cool. this was refreshing and heartbreaking at the same time. some of my favorite snippets:
▫️“the moments of history which shatter our everyday are moments to redefine our togetherness.”
▫️“other people are an immense mystery. we cannot right-click on them and download their history. we do not know where they have been or where they’re going. but that they are going together, while companionably ignoring one another, seems of paramount importance.
I believe this is called community.”
a really unique read! definitely enjoyed it.
▫️“the moments of history which shatter our everyday are moments to redefine our togetherness.”
▫️“other people are an immense mystery. we cannot right-click on them and download their history. we do not know where they have been or where they’re going. but that they are going together, while companionably ignoring one another, seems of paramount importance.
I believe this is called community.”
a really unique read! definitely enjoyed it.
anna20's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
chramies's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Lauren Elkin reflects on Parisian life from her commute on the No. 91/92 bus across town. She makes notes on her phone (a piece of advice I have taken from her. People don't like you writing in notebooks). She laments that everyone looks at their phone these days. Quite clearly inspired by the Surrealists who wanted to find an entire universe in Paris, she reflects on a troubled time - two terrorist attacks upset the outside world, while she undergoes the loss of two pregnancies. She tells someone off for manspreading while admitting to womanspreading herself (this is also a real thing; involving using a whole seat for your bag). After this Lauren moved to London where she also used the bus, and then Liverpool where people don't (they drive instead. Even in Sheffield, where they have a Supertram - and take the long way home - they drive.). Back to London.