Staff Reviews

I picked this as the nonfiction book group and it was so impressive that I had to make it a staff pick. The book deserves a better class of attention and I'm gonna give it to it.

This is the book that was written for you, your friend, relative, former professor, anyone who mourns the continuous decline of literature's cultural prominence. Because Ugresic trusts the reader, she uses tools like irony and hyperbole throughout this essay collection. I was truly shocked that these essays were close to 30 years old yet were relevant today to any writer and reader who has ever felt demoralized in writing, reading, or publishing literature. That being said, Ugresic's voice is witty and astute. These essays touch on the socialism, finding an agent, the Might of the Free Market, and the bleak landscape that is contemporary writing with even a gesture toward intellect.