You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
sarakomo 's review for:
Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion
by Jia Tolentino
2020: This is a super well researched book of essays that cover a wide range of millennial topics, while simultaneously doing many of the things Tolentino criticizes in her essays. Perhaps that's why the title is so apt then?
The essays are so stream-of-consciousness that often I wasn't aware when one was ending and a new one beginning - a downfall to an otherwise beautifully presented audiobook. I would sometimes pause in the middle of an essay, and could not remember the opening theme of the piece that I had only heard minutes earlier.
The book is full of sentences such as, "Today, we mostly consume news that corresponds with our ideological alignment, which has been carefully fine tuned to make us feel both self righteous and also, mad." "This framework which centers the self in an expression of support for others is not ideal." "Beauty work is labeled self care to make it sound progressive." The essays are full of cultural criticism that somehow feels like words I've all heard before.
It was also super strange to listen to this book during quarantine, especially the essay titled ALWAYS BE OPTIMIZING, which picks apart the never-ending treadmill of capitalism and the goal of constant upward mobility in our lives. Melania, Kellyanne, Hope, & Sarah all get partially redeemed in THE CULT OF THE DIFFICULT WOMAN, which I had absolutely no patience for in this time of turmoil and terrible leadership from the government.
My favorite essay was PURE HEROINES (nice Lorde reference!) which covered the fates of nearly every lead female character I had ever heard of. The essay that should be a standalone article and makes this book worth reading is the punishing WE COME FROM OLD VIRGINIA and should be made required reading for all men (and any women who plan on potentially raising men).
I can't say that I really enjoyed this book? But maybe that's because it reminds me so much of the ways in which I benefit from the scam we call capitalism. Tolentino is a powerful, if sometimes rambling, writer and I will keep an eye out for her New Yorker articles from now on.
The essays are so stream-of-consciousness that often I wasn't aware when one was ending and a new one beginning - a downfall to an otherwise beautifully presented audiobook. I would sometimes pause in the middle of an essay, and could not remember the opening theme of the piece that I had only heard minutes earlier.
The book is full of sentences such as, "Today, we mostly consume news that corresponds with our ideological alignment, which has been carefully fine tuned to make us feel both self righteous and also, mad." "This framework which centers the self in an expression of support for others is not ideal." "Beauty work is labeled self care to make it sound progressive." The essays are full of cultural criticism that somehow feels like words I've all heard before.
It was also super strange to listen to this book during quarantine, especially the essay titled ALWAYS BE OPTIMIZING, which picks apart the never-ending treadmill of capitalism and the goal of constant upward mobility in our lives. Melania, Kellyanne, Hope, & Sarah all get partially redeemed in THE CULT OF THE DIFFICULT WOMAN, which I had absolutely no patience for in this time of turmoil and terrible leadership from the government.
My favorite essay was PURE HEROINES (nice Lorde reference!) which covered the fates of nearly every lead female character I had ever heard of. The essay that should be a standalone article and makes this book worth reading is the punishing WE COME FROM OLD VIRGINIA and should be made required reading for all men (and any women who plan on potentially raising men).
I can't say that I really enjoyed this book? But maybe that's because it reminds me so much of the ways in which I benefit from the scam we call capitalism. Tolentino is a powerful, if sometimes rambling, writer and I will keep an eye out for her New Yorker articles from now on.