My Rating: 5 stars
Happy New Year!
I can't think of a better way to start off the new year than with a 5 star read, especially one written by one of my favorite authors, Ann Patchett. I actually started Patchett's newest essay collection (published in November last year) on Christmas Eve and even though I technically could've finished it in one sitting, I decided instead to savor it over the New Year's holiday. Going into this book, I already knew it would be one I'd love and now after finishing, I can say with certainty that Patchett definitely did not disappoint — reading her essays evoked in me a roller coaster of emotions, but more importantly, the experience made me reflect on aspects of my own life and gave me food for thought on a few things.
Even though some of the essays I had actually read already back when they had been originally published in magazines and papers such as The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, etc., I still re-read every word, and in so doing, picked up one some things I had missed the first time. The ones I hadn't read before, I learned things that I would not have known otherwise, which is the beauty of a collection such as this one where the essays run the gamut from funny to poignant and every emotion in between.
Even though some of the essays I had actually read already back when they had been originally published in magazines and papers such as The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, etc., I still re-read every word, and in so doing, picked up one some things I had missed the first time. The ones I hadn't read before, I learned things that I would not have known otherwise, which is the beauty of a collection such as this one where the essays run the gamut from funny to poignant and every emotion in between.
This is also a book where the cover (or, in this case, two covers) added tremendous meaning to the content — to this point, it was fascinating to read about how the cover came about and the significance of it to this particular collection of essays. Content-wise, I also loved the additional insights into Patchett's previous novels and story collections, which made me want to go read (and in some cases re-read) her other works.
Overall, I loved all the essays in this collection, but if I really had to choose my favorites, they would be as follows:
"Three Fathers" — This essay, in which Patchett wrote about her relationship with her father and two stepfathers, was actually published in The New Yorker last year and I had already it at that time, but I still enjoyed reading it again.
"My Year of No Shopping" — This was a short essay, only a few pages long, yet there was a profound lesson about learning how to value the things we have.
"How to Practice" — This was another essay I had already read when it was published in The New Yorker and I remember at that time, how fascinated I was with it, mainly because I also have a lot of stuff that I don't realize I have because a lot of it is hidden (out of sight, out of mind). Reading it a second time now was actually more meaningful because I've been in "decluttering mode" lately so the timing was perfect.
"To the Doghouse" — Omg, this was one of my favorite essays! I love Snoopy and to learn how big a role the world's most beloved beagle had on Patchett becoming a writer, I was absolutely there for it!
"Flight Plan" — In this essay, Patchett writes about her husband Karl's love for flying planes, but it also reveals why their relationship works so well. So sweet!
"There Are No Children Here" — This essay especially resonated with me, as I've had many of the same encounters with people about the decision to not have children. I love how Patchett handled the various scenarios she found herself in — it definitely made me admire her even more!
"The Nightstand" — In this essay, an unexpected chance encounter opens the floodgates for Patchett to go through some old papers that help her rediscover parts of herself that she didn't realize meant so much and how much her family inadvertently helped her come to this realization.
"Cover Stories" — I loved learning the behind-the-scenes stories about how the covers for her books came to be!
"These Precious Days" — This essay, about how Patchett came to form a close friendship with Tom Hanks' assistant Sooki Raphael, was essentially the backbone of the book. I had actually read this one previously as well, yet on second reading, it felt so much more poignant (especially after reading the Epilogue to the book).
"What the American Academy of Arts and Letters Taught Me About Death" — This essay was absolutely fascinating and so learned so much about the literary world that I had no clue about. And of course, as an avid reader, seeing so many great authors mentioned here whose works I admire was especially meaningful.
"A Day at the Beach" — The last essay in the book and also a follow up to Sooki's story — poignant, heartfelt, and one of the most touching pieces in the book!
"These Precious Days" — This essay, about how Patchett came to form a close friendship with Tom Hanks' assistant Sooki Raphael, was essentially the backbone of the book. I had actually read this one previously as well, yet on second reading, it felt so much more poignant (especially after reading the Epilogue to the book).
"What the American Academy of Arts and Letters Taught Me About Death" — This essay was absolutely fascinating and so learned so much about the literary world that I had no clue about. And of course, as an avid reader, seeing so many great authors mentioned here whose works I admire was especially meaningful.
"A Day at the Beach" — The last essay in the book and also a follow up to Sooki's story — poignant, heartfelt, and one of the most touching pieces in the book!
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