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ramonamead's review
4.0
This is the second of these collections that I've read. This one felt a bit academic, as most of the essays included research and/or were reportage style. I prefer more personal essays, which is what I write and I read these collections for research and inspiration. While this collection didn't resonate with me much personally, I recognize the writing is excellent overall.
verumsolum's review
4.0
I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this volume when I got it: but I am now quite glad I did.
These essays cover so much ground: from deeply personal memoir to the authorship of Shakespeare's plays, and I think that's what I like most about them: they prompt reflection and thought without imposing much of what I should think. I will definitely want to buy the 2021 edition this fall!
These essays cover so much ground: from deeply personal memoir to the authorship of Shakespeare's plays, and I think that's what I like most about them: they prompt reflection and thought without imposing much of what I should think. I will definitely want to buy the 2021 edition this fall!
kevinsmokler's review
3.0
A lot of this depends on if you want the editor of the anthology to have one essay in many different categories or to chose a themes pick a theme that interests them and curate a collection based on a theme. Andre Aciman has done the latter which is a fine approach but he seems to be really into writing about illness and people whose children died unexpectedly. Which is as good a subject as any and he's chosen good work here. Mostly. Mostly I don't care for his choice of topic and his preferred essay style seems to be a ton of abstraction and intellectualizing and then, surprise!, we're talking about a dead kid!
Yeah, no thanks. I guess I prefer a "best of" to be a survey rather than an extension of the editor's tase.
Yeah, no thanks. I guess I prefer a "best of" to be a survey rather than an extension of the editor's tase.
hobbitony's review
3.0
This is my first reading of this compilation series. I've heard of this series from Roxanne Gay who mentioned it in a Essay Workshop course. I'm glad I picked this up.
The essays in this ranged from incredible to banal. The following were my favorite:
How to Bartend - Rabih Alameddine
Driving as a Metaphor - Rachel Cusk
Cosmic Latte - Ron Huett
Body Language - Alex Lesnevich
Was Shakespeare a Women - Elizabeth Winkler
After the Three-Moon Era - Gary Fincke
Letter to Robinson Crusoe - Jamaica Kinkaid
I've found myself thinking about How to Bartend for days after I've read it. If I could rate just these essays alone I'd give them 5/5. As far as the entire compilation, it's average with the rest of the additional essays holding them back.
Driving as a Metaphor's entire structure is also perfect. The pace, prose and stream of thoughts cements it as one of my favorite essays so far.
I'm glad I picked this up.
The essays in this ranged from incredible to banal. The following were my favorite:
How to Bartend - Rabih Alameddine
Driving as a Metaphor - Rachel Cusk
Cosmic Latte - Ron Huett
Body Language - Alex Lesnevich
Was Shakespeare a Women - Elizabeth Winkler
After the Three-Moon Era - Gary Fincke
Letter to Robinson Crusoe - Jamaica Kinkaid
I've found myself thinking about How to Bartend for days after I've read it. If I could rate just these essays alone I'd give them 5/5. As far as the entire compilation, it's average with the rest of the additional essays holding them back.
Driving as a Metaphor's entire structure is also perfect. The pace, prose and stream of thoughts cements it as one of my favorite essays so far.
I'm glad I picked this up.
yooperann's review
5.0
I always get the best food writing, the best travel writing, and the best essays. This year the food writing was disappointing, the travel writing good, and the essays terrific. The first essay alone, "How to Bartend" by Rabih Alameddine (an author I'd never heard of and originally published in Freeman's, a magazine I'd never heard of) was worth the price of the book. And that's another good point. Some years most of the essays are from magazines I read anyway--The New Yorker, or The Atlantic--but this is a much broader collection. Even the introduction was good: "an essay is like a story, only with the difference that the author may have no idea where he is headed."
caseyot's review
3.0
Skipped four of the 20+ because I do what I please. Really enjoyed a handful of them but nothing came close to matching the absolute belter of an opener by rabih alameddine
madelinezart's review
3.0
The essays from this I loved:
How to Bartend
Cosmic Latte
After the Three-Moon Era
A Street Full of Splendid Strangers
To Grieve is to Carry Another Time
Under the Sign of Susan
Ode al Vento Occidentale
Was Shakespeare a Woman?
How to Bartend
Cosmic Latte
After the Three-Moon Era
A Street Full of Splendid Strangers
To Grieve is to Carry Another Time
Under the Sign of Susan
Ode al Vento Occidentale
Was Shakespeare a Woman?
nathanshuherk's review
4.0
Some absolute stand-out essays (that arguably make it worth reading - especially the first one), and quite a few essays that simply shouldn‰ЫЄt have been selected. I think that somewhat the trend of this series.
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