A review by helenhulsey
The Odd Woman and the City by Vivian Gornick
4.0
I’m still making my mind up about this one. I try not to judge memoirs too harshly, given that they’re the author’s perspective on their own life. I just found it harder than usual to develop an attachment to the author. Her grievances with her own life often translate into harsh judgment of others, and she describes some questionable interactions (ex. calling the cops on a black man for talking too loudly on a bus? she writes about this with some self deprecation but I still wasn’t able to sympathize with her.)
But with loneliness and the author’s struggle to connect with others being a leading theme in the book, maybe this makes sense. After all, she isn’t trying to be likable - simply laying out her experience in all its (sometimes graphic) detail, and I admire the boldness in which she does so. Her prose is elegant, her observations sharp, and the insights on humanity she is able to pull from ordinary interactions are often really beautiful.
Many passages in this book resonated with me, as a fellow creative trying to find the art in life and waiting for the world to validate their personhood. I hope to read more of Gornick’s work to try and get a better understanding of her as an author and human being.
But with loneliness and the author’s struggle to connect with others being a leading theme in the book, maybe this makes sense. After all, she isn’t trying to be likable - simply laying out her experience in all its (sometimes graphic) detail, and I admire the boldness in which she does so. Her prose is elegant, her observations sharp, and the insights on humanity she is able to pull from ordinary interactions are often really beautiful.
Many passages in this book resonated with me, as a fellow creative trying to find the art in life and waiting for the world to validate their personhood. I hope to read more of Gornick’s work to try and get a better understanding of her as an author and human being.