tambopowell's review against another edition
5.0
This book would have been 4 stars if a different version of me read it but it is just what the current version of muse needed. What I would DO for Maira’s talent. Plus Handler and the curators, but...Maira!
courtney_mcallister's review against another edition
3.0
Girls Standing on Lawns, the first byproduct of Kalman and Handler's collaboration with MOMA, was enchanting and quirky. The found photographs complemented Handler's prose beautifully, and Kalman's distinctive illustrations added a complementary layer of whimsy. Unfortunately, the second phase of this joint project is markedly less sprightly. The talent is still there, but the cohesion is missing. The organizational premise is less coherent, for one thing. Also, the use of famous/well known photographs diluted Handler/Kalman's style, in my opinion. I'm all for re-mixing and mashing up cultural artifacts, but in Hurry Up and Wait the excessive associations were distracting. The ensuing muddle of meanings and half-constructed relationships made me crave the crisp focus which characterized the first installment. Perhaps this is just a sophomore slump and the next phase will be resplendent? One can hope, at least.
juliahendrickson's review against another edition
5.0
Maria Kalman. Existential whimsy. Enough said.
mistyfoot19's review against another edition
3.0
Sort of a fun book, with a lot of neat photos to look at. It was not as good as its 'companion' book, Girls Standing on Lawns, but I still found them very similar. A good, quick, and easy read.
debnanceatreaderbuzz's review
3.0
I’ll read anything with Maira Kalman’s name on it, even this book with none of Kalman’s drawings (a bit disappointing) and little of her commentary (a bit disappointing). But, hey, I’ll take it, such as it is.
rhodered's review
5.0
The funny thing is, I waited to read this book. It sat patiently on my living room ottoman for weeks, months I suppose. And during this time it's been waiting for me, I have, among other things, spent a great deal of time selecting rose bushes for the best scent (should someone want to stop and smell them) and wondered what else I might do with my life now that I'm not hurrying, hurrying to make enough money to quit working, but have plopped out the other side into the next phase of life.
In this next phase, so long anticipated, I find myself at a bit of a loss. Hence the busy work, and the roses. And no time, no time at all to read a slender little book about the nature of time. And life and rushing and the end of life. And waiting. A poem of a book really, illustrated by photographs and paintings of photographs by famous artists. (Including my all time favorite, Yves Klein's leap into the void.)
If you love photography, poetry, quiet humor or anything by Maira Kalman, you will love this sweetheart of a little book. But don't make it wait for you like I did.
In this next phase, so long anticipated, I find myself at a bit of a loss. Hence the busy work, and the roses. And no time, no time at all to read a slender little book about the nature of time. And life and rushing and the end of life. And waiting. A poem of a book really, illustrated by photographs and paintings of photographs by famous artists. (Including my all time favorite, Yves Klein's leap into the void.)
If you love photography, poetry, quiet humor or anything by Maira Kalman, you will love this sweetheart of a little book. But don't make it wait for you like I did.
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