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extraextrareadallaboutit's review against another edition
3.0
I made the mistake of trying to plow through this book on two seperate occasions. The first, when I started it and the second, when I finished it. Benjamin's prose are so poetic and well thought out, they demand thinking time. I'd recommend reading this book alongside another so you don't force it.
Now, when I flick through and look at the words that grabbed me, I'm still as moved as I was when I first read the same sentences.
Luckily for me, insomnia has never really been an ailment of mine - although I do fear it. I've had a few occasions when I've woken in the middle of night and fought to get back to sleep. Afraid that otherwise I'll be in this limbo land that will leave me fatigued on the day coming, where inevitably, as always, I have scheduled a lot for myself to do.
When I started reading, a whole book that pondered sleep and lack there of, kind of seemed excessive and I don't know, perhaps unnecessary? Then Benjamin talks at the end about the power of collages and it resonates beautifully because you realise that's exactly what this book is. It isn't just about sleep but about life, and feelings, subconscious and conscious. It's a collection of thoughts that should be ingested and appreciated slowly.
Now, when I flick through and look at the words that grabbed me, I'm still as moved as I was when I first read the same sentences.
Luckily for me, insomnia has never really been an ailment of mine - although I do fear it. I've had a few occasions when I've woken in the middle of night and fought to get back to sleep. Afraid that otherwise I'll be in this limbo land that will leave me fatigued on the day coming, where inevitably, as always, I have scheduled a lot for myself to do.
When I started reading, a whole book that pondered sleep and lack there of, kind of seemed excessive and I don't know, perhaps unnecessary? Then Benjamin talks at the end about the power of collages and it resonates beautifully because you realise that's exactly what this book is. It isn't just about sleep but about life, and feelings, subconscious and conscious. It's a collection of thoughts that should be ingested and appreciated slowly.
elnechnntt's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars.
A very small number of little gold nuggets in this but nothing that particularly stood out for me.
The writer is .. well, a writer. It definitely reads as ‘I am a professional writer and I am going to write about my insomnia’. I can’t help but feel this would have felt more meaningful if written by someone less experienced with writing. That we may have gotten more to the heart of the individuals experience rather than an endless plod of fractured paragraphs that didn’t really provide a lot of depth for me.
Benjamin ascertains this is how her mind works when she cannot sleep but to be honest, this endless trudge from one thought to next is how my mind works throughout my entire waking life so I couldn’t see how this was unique to insomnia.
For me, her writing failed to take the subject matter into a new space.
A very small number of little gold nuggets in this but nothing that particularly stood out for me.
The writer is .. well, a writer. It definitely reads as ‘I am a professional writer and I am going to write about my insomnia’. I can’t help but feel this would have felt more meaningful if written by someone less experienced with writing. That we may have gotten more to the heart of the individuals experience rather than an endless plod of fractured paragraphs that didn’t really provide a lot of depth for me.
Benjamin ascertains this is how her mind works when she cannot sleep but to be honest, this endless trudge from one thought to next is how my mind works throughout my entire waking life so I couldn’t see how this was unique to insomnia.
For me, her writing failed to take the subject matter into a new space.
simlish's review against another edition
3.0
This is another book where I really needed to read the blurb more thoroughly -- I thought this was going to be a book about the research into insomnia, written by someone who suffers from it and thus tied in her personal experiences. Instead it's... a memoir about insomnia? I'm not sure how to define it -- it's very floaty, very personal, covers a lot of musings and references and thoughts about sleep and sleeplessness. It's pretty enough and pithy and often poetic, but not hugely interesting to me.
I picked this up as one of the shorter books on my tbr list, trying to finish my reading challenge by the end of the year and it was certainly a very quick, easy read.
I picked this up as one of the shorter books on my tbr list, trying to finish my reading challenge by the end of the year and it was certainly a very quick, easy read.
lola425's review against another edition
3.0
Beautifully written. If you are an insomniac you can take some solace in knowing that someone has written about the affliction with such grace and insight.
katarinabee's review against another edition
This book made me a bit narcoleptic - it was well written, but it couldn't hold my attention. I think pay off the problem was that I listened to it on audiobook - I think this is a book that would be better in print.
mallaeuswastaken's review against another edition
3.0
One woman's journey through insomnia, mediated through literature, culture and memoir.
I really enjoyed the form of this — no chapters, just a single experience divided up into related sections which meander through various trains of thought, occasionally doubling and tripling back to revisit the same points.
There was a point in the middle where it became "a well-off (financially) woman describes how nice her house(s) is/are" but it didn't last long.
I really enjoyed the form of this — no chapters, just a single experience divided up into related sections which meander through various trains of thought, occasionally doubling and tripling back to revisit the same points.
There was a point in the middle where it became "a well-off (financially) woman describes how nice her house(s) is/are" but it didn't last long.
littlepiscesreading's review against another edition
DNF
i do appreciate what this is doing. it's really interesting. however, drawing on various subjects and relating it to one's own insomnia can be
i do appreciate what this is doing. it's really interesting. however, drawing on various subjects and relating it to one's own insomnia can be
wallf10wer's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
celestehurst's review against another edition
4.0
This book is exactly what creative nonfiction should be: an intelligent mind finding connections and making observations that feel foreign and natural at the same time. All the topics in this book flow together, sometimes (ironically) in a dreamlike fashion. It's easy to follow and the transitions are seamless. It goes from discussing Robinson Crusoe to Penelope to Sleeping Beauty and back again without feeling forced.
It's a well-researched look at what insomnia is braided together with the author's personal experiences. As someone who sometimes suffers from insomnia, it was a fascinating look at what a sleepless night can become or at least appear to become in the mind.
My only complaint is that the ending felt rushed. Instead of coming to a natural conclusion, it felt like the author just couldn't think of anything else to say or wasn't quite sure how to end it.
It's a well-researched look at what insomnia is braided together with the author's personal experiences. As someone who sometimes suffers from insomnia, it was a fascinating look at what a sleepless night can become or at least appear to become in the mind.
My only complaint is that the ending felt rushed. Instead of coming to a natural conclusion, it felt like the author just couldn't think of anything else to say or wasn't quite sure how to end it.