Hi reader,
Some updates on reading I won't feature in a full "review". Or is it "full" review? Who knows, who cares.
Gold Boy, Emerald Girl by Yiyun Li (September 2021)
In an unusual departure from my standard reaction to short story collections, I actually enjoyed this work as a whole more so than I did any single story; I didn't bother marking a single story for a repeat read. The few notes I took from the book speak to a handful of bleak tales, with the characters and their decisions almost always influenced but never entirely defeated by the weight of experience. The stories shared a blend of resignation and distance that created an unexpected effect for me - rather than inhabiting the perspective of any one character, I found myself placed as an observer within these scenes, more often accepting rather than understanding the compromises that make us capable of moving on in a world too inflexible to accommodate our specific circumstances.
Don't Let Me Be Lonely by Claudia Rankine (August 2021)
I suspect I picked up this book because I came across either Citizen or Just Us (maybe both) and decided that it would be wise to read this book first given its earlier publication date. I enjoyed Don't Let Me Be Lonely, but it didn't have the same effect on me as it seemed to have for the many other readers who were compelled to post gushing reviews. I suppose one explanation for my indifference is that Rankine's referencing the numbing effect of television had no impact on me, having used the concept myself as the centerpiece for several (hundred? thousand?) TOA posts (1). The numbing achieved through television's sensory overload is necessary to fully witness the pain, suffering, or sadness in the world without becoming incapacitated by it, but for me seeing the message put across in this work didn't help me see anything new in the idea. I'd say there is the strong likelihood that this is one of those times when I just need to hold up my hands and admit that the book didn't happen for me, and that this experience will not temper my enthusiasm for reading either of those aforementioned books.
The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas (April 2021)
I followed up with this one after enjoying The Medusa and the Snail, but I didn't like this book of short essays quite so much as the last one. That said, I did come across a few interesting ideas in this read, though perhaps the sense was more that I was being reminded rather than educated by these pieces. The theme that we often overstate our knowledge was once again present, with perhaps the most amusing note being that, historically, the most important service provided by doctors was being present at the time of death; Thomas adds elsewhere that a source of waste in medical spending lies in forgetting that most illnesses get better without intervention. The insight that growth tends to make people lose their innate sense for living humanely was a fascinating concept, with his specific example highlighting the failures of large cities to protect the vulnerable.
Footnotes
1) Don't think, don't worry, everything is just fine...
Or, possibly, I should just blame the Zoo TV tour. Anyway, readers will be delighted to know that several upcoming posts, including the one this Sunday, will once again place TV in TOA's crosshairs.
