Reviews

Make It Scream, Make It Burn: Essays by Leslie Jamison

kkastrup2's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

laikeneliza's review against another edition

Just not my style of essays, felt the author was rambling and didn’t give good context or explanation to some of the historical pieces. Also felt like this author was just talking to herself most the time 

neenthefiend's review against another edition

3.0

I think all of the critiques lobbed at this work are valid. Jamison comes to basic conclusions through metaphors and stories that utilize exposition for far too long to get to the meat of her arguments. Even then, her arguments lack nuance and flirt with the political but seemingly shy away once she is faced with comprehensively confronting what she continually hints at or briefly mentions. It’s a book that centers the narrative and opinions of a liberal, not necessarily leftist, white cis heterosexual woman. The potentiality for her to scrutinize the contours of discomfort in her narratives and experiences comes close but no cigar. I think she has intentions to engage and deconstruct humanity and their role in narratives, both in a literary and informal context, but waxes poetics about other individuals works rather than her own conclusions. Even then, her conclusions cut to the quick with a blunt blade; it attempts to reveal a raw, poignant, and uniquely loud musing, but ultimately feels like basic revelations. However, in the midst of burnout this book was a quick and fun bite in a quest for consumption serving escapism. Its conclusions were sometimes trite and redundant, but I barely have time to parse through my own feelings, so having a middle man synthesize basic emotions sated me. I honestly was more continually captivated by this work than Tolentino’s “Trick Mirror.” I think Tolentino does embark on dissecting political topics with a critical lens towards the issue itself and her own biases, but the language is inaccessible and almost feels self aggrandizing. This is all said with the proximity of 5 years post the publishing of both works. “Make it scream, make it burn,” felt a bit more authentic even if it was steeped in a dominant, problematic, limiting paradigms. However, I say this as a white individual who attended an all girls Catholic highschool and then proceeded to come out as trans and queer, so maybe I have a tendency for self flagellation and find comfort in the lukewarm “radical” takes she puts forward despite the fact I know they are tone deaf. Either way, I’m keeping my copy on my bookshelf and will probably read it again.

kimberlyf's review against another edition

5.0

Musings on longing, loneliness, obsession, and how our own lives can haunt us.

I’m not sure anything can top [b:The Empathy Exams|17934655|The Empathy Exams|Leslie Jamison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405924561l/17934655._SX50_.jpg|25142547] for me but these were still classic Jamison: exquisitely written and undeniably original.

tildahlia's review against another edition

5.0

When I imagine myself as a writer (dream on) I imagine myself writing essays like this. With a perfect balance of being information-rich but also personal and observational, they are a joy to read. The topics span loneliness, love, self-delusion, art, charity, relationships and parenting in such complex and intersecting ways. The essay 'Maximum Exposure' on a decades-long photography project was particularly thought-provoking and moving, exploring the connection between artist and subject the limits of observation when it comes to trauma and poverty. A wonderful collection.

chloj_805's review against another edition

3.5

Deeply uneven! Some excellent personal essays, while other pieces felt like repurposed PhD cast-offs.

kschilke's review against another edition

4.0

I love the multiple genres this collection crosses over. Sometimes reads as academic writing, or reporting, sometimes reads as prose and memoir.
I listened as an audiobook, but would probably be a more satisfying physical read. It’s definitely not a mindless listen.

ewhitneym's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

gertrude_hornswoggle's review against another edition

informative reflective

4.0

itsolivia's review against another edition

5.0

The deal: A collection of Jamison’s signature blend of essay-memoir-criticism-reporting-etc, largely about obsession and longing.

Is it worth it?: If you’re into Leslie Jamison, you already know. If not, I think I’d probably start with The Empathy Exams. Either way, her literary career is bangers front-to-back — at least in my opinion, which uses “degree of jealousy” as its most honest (albeit fucked) barometer.

Pairs well with: People have compared Leslie Jamison to Joan Didion (RIP), and I don’t disagree. Also, there’s a kind of kindred here with certain episodes of How To With John Wilson, specifically S1E3, “How to Improve Your Memory,” among others.

B+