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tildahlia's review
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
3.5
Deeply uneven! Some excellent personal essays, while other pieces felt like repurposed PhD cast-offs.
kschilke's review
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.
I listened as an audiobook, but would probably be a more satisfying physical read. It’s definitely not a mindless listen.
ewhitneym's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
itsolivia's review
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+
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+
half_book_and_co's review against another edition
3.0
A few years ago when Empathy Exams, Leslie Jamison’s debut essay collection, was published I absolutely loved it. Now having read Jamison’s most recent essay I wonder if I have changed or Jamison’s approach but I think it’s rather the former.
But let me get into Make It Scream Make It Burn: First of all, this is not a bad book. Jamison most certainly can tell stories and write. When she dives into the complexities of human relationships, dreams, desires – just the messiness that is human life – there are plenty of gold nuggets to gather throughout the collection.
Though the more essays I read the more I became unsatisfied with Jamison’s approach – always quit(ly/e) emotional, following her protagonists’ motivations, on the one hand (self)reflective but rarely about the aspects I wished for more reflection on. There are beautiful turns-of-phrases and thoughts which made me sit and think – then more often than not I asked myself if the idea seemed deep only on a surface level but the moment you step in to examine it you realize these are pretty shallow waters. While compellingly written a lot of the essays left me with the feeling that they are way less substantial and profound than they want me to believe.
That said I did find interesting moments in many of the essays and I did want to know more about some of the subject matters touched upon for example the whale 52 Blue (and the narratives around him) or the layers of Second Life. The last part of the collection consists of more autobiographical essays which I found least interesting – until I came to read “Daughter of a Ghost”, the essay in which Jamison writes about the relationship with her stepdaughter and the (fairytale but also societal) trope of the “horrific stepmother”: This is a beautiful, touching, intelligent piece of writing.
But let me get into Make It Scream Make It Burn: First of all, this is not a bad book. Jamison most certainly can tell stories and write. When she dives into the complexities of human relationships, dreams, desires – just the messiness that is human life – there are plenty of gold nuggets to gather throughout the collection.
Though the more essays I read the more I became unsatisfied with Jamison’s approach – always quit(ly/e) emotional, following her protagonists’ motivations, on the one hand (self)reflective but rarely about the aspects I wished for more reflection on. There are beautiful turns-of-phrases and thoughts which made me sit and think – then more often than not I asked myself if the idea seemed deep only on a surface level but the moment you step in to examine it you realize these are pretty shallow waters. While compellingly written a lot of the essays left me with the feeling that they are way less substantial and profound than they want me to believe.
That said I did find interesting moments in many of the essays and I did want to know more about some of the subject matters touched upon for example the whale 52 Blue (and the narratives around him) or the layers of Second Life. The last part of the collection consists of more autobiographical essays which I found least interesting – until I came to read “Daughter of a Ghost”, the essay in which Jamison writes about the relationship with her stepdaughter and the (fairytale but also societal) trope of the “horrific stepmother”: This is a beautiful, touching, intelligent piece of writing.
redreadstuff's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0