Scan barcode
iliopsoas's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I liked the first three essays and then it kind of went downhill for a bit. I was probably too excited to read the Sally Rooney critique and found it to be such a lame ~analysis and very obvious. The Rooney essay and the sex essay, when she was going through one book I hated (Acts of Service) and one I liked (Little Rabbit), felt so opinion-based and because I went into this book after reading her article about how there are objective facts or whatever. It was like okay. This is what you find boring. But I don't think she really offered an explanation that went past what she personally finds interesting or not. I wanted more of an explanation and I think Brandon Taylor's and probably Oyler's essays on Rooney did more that way. I think it is a very...odd thing that so many women are so defensive about being into men and wanting men to spank them or whatnot. Like you do you! I do not personally care, but it had the same tone as Acts of Service, which makes sense, where it reads to me as very...unfair to lesbians. But overall, she's an excellent writer and I enjoyed a lot of these essays. Anyway, I am still very concussed and maybe that's scrambling my thoughts, but here we are.
lilyaugust's review
2.0
I was planning on writing a long, thoughtful review of this book but now that I’ve reached the end I’m just too tired
bookstapug's review
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Becca Rothfeld is one of the rare brilliant thinkers who can get their ideas across in an engaging way without dumbing down the important things they want to say. These essays are some of the best I’ve read and her range is remarkable. Whether it’s the body horror of David Cronenberg or the mindfulness movement, Rothfeld will challenge you to see the deeper things at play, while also delighting you with her gorgeous, humorous prose. A must-read!