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hmwoodward's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
What a truly delightful book. Ross Gay takes you on a journey across a year in his life as he reflects on all the things, both big and small, that bring him delight. Some are mundane and obscure, but they're all so relatable. Part of that relatability is due to human nature, but it is also in large part due to his stream of consciousness writing style. You feel like you are in his head or having a casual conversation over beers on a patio as he shares his stories.
The essays don't hold back from discussing the less delightful things in life as it leads up to what delights him. He covers life and death, capitalism, racism, and more. He doesn't shy away from addressing the way these things can impact you and celebrates the delights in spite of them.
The format of this book was excellent. Each day is captured in a short essay and, since it is a book of delights, always has a happy ending. You don't need to rush through this to enjoy it and don't need to read front to back to enjoy it. The bite-sized nature allows you to come back for more whenever you are ready.
I would have given this 5 stars even if I had read it in a different period of my life, but I found such comfort in it during an especially hard time here lately.
The essays don't hold back from discussing the less delightful things in life as it leads up to what delights him. He covers life and death, capitalism, racism, and more. He doesn't shy away from addressing the way these things can impact you and celebrates the delights in spite of them.
The format of this book was excellent. Each day is captured in a short essay and, since it is a book of delights, always has a happy ending. You don't need to rush through this to enjoy it and don't need to read front to back to enjoy it. The bite-sized nature allows you to come back for more whenever you are ready.
I would have given this 5 stars even if I had read it in a different period of my life, but I found such comfort in it during an especially hard time here lately.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racism, Death of parent, Cancer, Cursing, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Minor: Alcohol
cnnr876's review
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
i'm not sure how i feel about this! i had very high expectations (again, my downfall), but i found gay's writing fairly obtuse and hard to flow with. it could be the time when i read it, as i'm in the middle of a hectic few weeks, but i wish i had connected more with it than i did. i like the format of essayettes about things that are delightful, and there are a few highlights through, but just not my favorite read.
mxunsmiley's review
3.0
His writing has the propensity both to uniquely appeal to me in how charming and whimsical it can sound, and to tread into incomprehensible territory with regard to its sometimes confusing syntax. He comes across as a real lovable goofball which, at times, can run the risk of cheesiness, but I think it's a good problem to have at the same time. I also truly relate to him in how he describes his garden and plant life in general.
jayisreading's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
As the title suggests, this book is nothing but a delight. I really welcomed Gay’s reflective words that called for hope and gratitude for all things big and small that we so often overlook. A handful of these very short lyric essays—many only being a page long—celebrated the wonders of nature, but I was most taken to the essays that dealt with human connection. Perhaps I felt this way due to all the man-made tension that exists in the world at the time of reading this book. Whatever the reason may be, it was a heartwarming reminder that humans make so much meaning out of our interactions with one another.
While I appreciated the nature of what this book tackles, I found that Gay’s writing style didn’t always work for me. His particular flow was a little difficult for me to follow, not so much because the writing was dense (though the run-on sentences did get to me a few times). Instead, it was more a reminder that we all have different thought processes that make sense to some, while others might struggle a bit more with them.
If you’re looking for short and uplifting essays to read, though, The Book of Delights is absolutely one to pick up. What I also appreciate about this collection of lyric essays is that you could read one a day in the morning, should you want some food for thought to start your day, or you just want to be reminded of the ordinary joys that exist in our lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death, Homophobia, and Murder
klgoodrich98's review
I love the concept of this book but stream of consciousness style just isn’t doing it for me…
boyfouronetwo's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful start to my morning!
I was gifted this book by my wife and it sat on my “to read” shelf for a while. I finally got around to reading it and it’s been a wonderful way to start my day. I can read three or four essays and then get on with the many morning chores...and be in a much better mood than I would have without my morning quiet time with this book. Thank you Ross!
I was gifted this book by my wife and it sat on my “to read” shelf for a while. I finally got around to reading it and it’s been a wonderful way to start my day. I can read three or four essays and then get on with the many morning chores...and be in a much better mood than I would have without my morning quiet time with this book. Thank you Ross!