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jacqueline_chyphenm's review against another edition
2.75
not sure why I did not DNF after reading Smiths deeply disappointing and harmful 2024 New Yorker essay. curiosity and clinging on to hope probably. well…it did disappoint. Apart from postscript and debts & lessons, I found myself lost in philosophical queries and self-deprecating narration (and perhaps just soured from reading the aforementioned essay—it feels particularly perverse for her to have written that post-script and then proceed to two-side the genocide of Palestinians). As much as I had wanted to, I won’t be picking up any more of Smith’s texts.
auntiedd's review against another edition
5.0
when she’s like “i don’t think writing is creative. writing is about controlling experience. planting tulips is creative” I FELT THAT LMAO. this is a perfect work of writing and if you experienced the months of march and april 2020 you gotta read this
j___sayer's review against another edition
3.0
Chapter on privilege vs suffering as well as other insights throughout
zoereadsnrambles's review against another edition
4.0
ever since quarantine began in march 2020, i’ve been mentally bracing myself for the inevitable flood of memoirs and essays and think pieces that were going to come out of it. everyone reflecting on “what’s really important now”. and due to that, i didn’t read any of them. now 4 years later, i am reading first quarantine/pandemic essay collection — and let me just say, i am glad it was this one. zadie smith is just so incredible. smith tells us how she feels and what she is thinking in such a mesmerizing way. she talks about life under covid, of course, as well as privilege and contempt. i was in awe of how smith compared the epidemic of contempt to the covid pandemic, and tying those themes into other social justice and political issues — such as george floyds murder, police brutality, and class issues.
as with most essay collections, there were some that weren’t as compelling as others, but overall this is a solid essay collection. i found maybe 2 or 3 of the essays to need some tighter editing, but overall it wasn’t anything too dire. these essays are short, full of understanding, to the point where what smith is saying is easy to grasp, while also being incredibly thought provoking. this is a quick read, some reflection, some polemic, very personal and thoughtful. overall very insightful and great read.
as with most essay collections, there were some that weren’t as compelling as others, but overall this is a solid essay collection. i found maybe 2 or 3 of the essays to need some tighter editing, but overall it wasn’t anything too dire. these essays are short, full of understanding, to the point where what smith is saying is easy to grasp, while also being incredibly thought provoking. this is a quick read, some reflection, some polemic, very personal and thoughtful. overall very insightful and great read.
lilalia's review against another edition
5.0
Welcomed insights into the life of author during this historic time.