I find it incredibly difficult to review an essay collection, much like a memoir because there's so much in them.
Some essays (e.g., Weird Time in Frankenstein), I learnt a lot from. Others (e.g., On Jealousy) gave me loads of interesting new perspective about things I'm rather familiar with.
All that said, I'm always in awe of people who know so much about so many different things. And this author has written essays about so many different things, it's incredible!

I was in a reading rut, and altogether a strange mood, when I encountered these essays. They fixed me right up, helping me see the world anew. Elisa Gabbert is a one in a lifetime talent.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley.

This book was a unique, fresh nugget of all kinds of different things. The author delved deep into personal experiences, but also things as random as the 80's, bands, books, philosophy, libraries, and more. It's not like anything I've ever read before, which is a compliment. It was like a beautiful, fascinating mish-mash of fascinating thoughts on many things.

A lovely collection of thought-provoking essays that explore memory, reading, writing, and identity.

A great read if you are in the mood to learn and to contemplate. I especially enjoyed "Same River, Same Man" and "The Intolerable, I Guess".

Thank you very much to FSG and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Phenomenal. Gabbert's The Unreality of Memory was among my favorite reads of 2020, so when I learned that she was publishing a new collection of essays, I was ecstatic--and all the moreso to receive an eARC from the publisher and Netgalley. Much gratitude. Any Person Is the Only Self is at least as excellent as The Unreality of Memory, if not moreso. Gabbert takes up so many critical concerns of our age and weaves them into literary analyses, reflections on the COVID pandemic, and ruminations on the deep value of reading in a time of profound upheaval. Gabbert tackles so many seemingly disparate topics but manages to form insightful connections among them in ways I found surprising and delightful. I enjoyed the reading experience on its own terms, but glimpsing the ways in which Gabbert's mind works also felt like learning new tools for perceiving the world and writing about it in ways that will long outlast my time within the pages of this book. I do think this may be a "niche" collection, with too many cultural and literary references and other threads to attract readers universally. As the kids say, though, "those who get it, [will] get it." This collection is also suffused with humor, and unlike many critics Gabbart does not appear to take herself too seriously. Just a delightful read that I would--and will--recommend to all lovers of literature.

- this was an enjoyable essay collection to read before bed, but it did leave me wanting just a little bit more of gabbert’s own experience and personality to shine through. while i appreciated her ability to weave together so many different sources in these essays on reading and writing, at times i felt overwhelmed by all the back to back quotations of other work. i really enjoyed and related to the passages where gabbert was expounding on her personal experiences with books throughout her life and especially throughout the pandemic, but her opinions felt overshadowed by the bibliography at times. my favorite pieces were the handful centering sylvia plath, and “second selves” which talked about people with highly superior autobiographical memory. overall a fun ride but not an all time favorite. 3.5 stars! thank you to FSG and netgalley for the digital galley of this!

The essays in this collection were so thought-provoking and insightful, touching on topics that resonate deeply with the human experience. Elisa explores life's complexities with clarity and honesty, offering readers moments of reflection and understanding. If you're looking for a collection that will challenge your perspective and spark contemplation, this book is a must-read!

After a few of these essays, I found the authorial voice a bit too pretentious. I liked the idea for the Bad Classics book club ... and learned about why Fahrenheit 451 really can be considered a "bad classic."

"I love when a piece of fiction insists that it's true. Inside itself, it always is."

This is a stunning collection of essays about books - literature about literature. I essentially see this as a collection of love letters from Elisa Gabbert to literature, both reading and writing. There was some critical analysis of classic works, including Frankenstein which is my personal favourite, as well as some of Sylvia Plath's works, a new author to me.

I felt so connected to these essays while reading as I felt like I was seeing some of my own inner thoughts opinions and feelings being laid out on paper before me. It felt as though I was having a conversation with a friend over coffee. While I am not usually a huge nonfiction reader, I did thoroughly enjoy this and would recommend it to any lover of literature.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

These essays were made for readers and writers. There were some beautiful thoughts and some about classic lit or culture that went over my head. I loved the thematic thread of a ‘self’— interpreted in various and original ways. From Proust to Plath to journaling to why people write… definitely diverse and interesting topics covered.

My favorites were “Second Selves”, “A Complicating Energy” and “Somethingness (or, Why Write?)”.

Sometimes I felt that the book went too heavily into plots or biographies of people. It was nice for context but then I wish they were accompanied by more of the authors original ideas.

I appreciate essays about books, reading, and leading a literary life. But these essays felt exclusive if the reader has not read the subject matter, namely Sylvia Plath, Proust, Frankenstein, and more. I was also not in the mood to read about COVID, which this certainly feels like a pandemic collection.

I like how the author expresses her inner thoughts and vulnerable, tender feelings so beautifully in her essays. Even though it contains a lot of post-pandemic sentiments, I don't think this feel repetitive, or at least it doesn't remind me of any other essays I've read of late. Glad to have read the entire collection, and grateful for the advance copy. While I didn't find much resonance with the writing, it brought me a quiet, gentle sort of joy and satisfaction to know that even in troubled times, the act of writing brought so much comfort to someone, even if it's one person in the world, it's just such a lovely after-thought. Lots of the stuff explored by the author in her own personal and unique voice, I found so endearing, and I hope readers will find a lot of comfort in reading the essays.

A gorgeous compilation of essays for those of us surrounded by our beloved books and wandering in their scenery. The author takes care to peel back the surface of some must-read classics to shed light on their timeless themes of humanity — and critique the aspects that maybe aren’t. The author draws from her lived experience and asks how we relate to our books, to their themes, and to their characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and FSG for providing an eARC. These essays will definitely be gracing their counterparts on my bookshelves in the future.

The essay about the Denver Library stole my heart as I remember the first time I stood in front of it. I was not charmed by it as with the Carnegie libraries in the South but I became less intimidated by it over time as I would occasionally chose it over the iconic Lodo Tattered Cover..oh the days of living near incredible TC like bookstores vs the mold infested carpet and horrible fiction section in Chaucer’s Santa Barbara which makes me buy books from Amazon rather than pick them up from the floor of my less than lovely local bookstore,
In any case five stars for a book of true lit criticism being published in 2024 when books seem truly less than ever even if some chapters were erudite and difficult.

A collection of essays on an array of topics, mostly related to books, reading, writing, films, and selfhood. I have been following Elisa Gabbert's work for a while now and I always aim to pick up her new releases as soon as they're out. I was particularly impressed with her essay collection The Unreality of Memory. This collection, in contrast, is less serious and more aimed towards book lovers to read and enjoy. The essays were relatable, a little meandering sometimes to a fault, but they provide great food for thought and inspiration. As an avid reader, I took a lot of pleasure reading Gabbert's thoughts on books like Frankenstein, Fahrenheit 451, and The Catcher in the Rye. Overall, a solid and fun collection to read although I suspect it won't stay with me for long.

“I remember which side, verso or recto, my favorite parts appeared on, how deep in the book, how far down the page. A book always feels like a place I’ve been to.”

I love literature about literature and these essays are just that; essays that center around the love of reading and writing. However, these weren’t quite what I was expecting. Many of the first essays in this collection turned out to be a literary analysis of classic works of fiction such as Frankenstein, Fahrenheit 451, the work of Proust, and a lot about Plath’s work. While I found some interesting, I mostly found myself drifting—forcing my way through—during the writing about classical works that I either didn’t care about or haven’t read so couldn’t relate. The back 2/3 of this collection are what really made it for me. The essays were reflective, personal, and bright. The essay on journaling, <i>Second Selves</i>, and the one on loneliness and isolation, <i>Complicated Energy</i>, were my most favorites here.

An additional, wonderful perk was the variety of books listed through the essays which helped me expand my “want to read” list.

While at their core these essays are about reading and writing, they also include musings on libraries, the pandemic, having autonomy over the art you consume, memory, dreams, isolation, feeling one’s own specialness (or lack of), a loss of childhood, and more. Overall, 3.5

I couldn’t really tell you what I’ve read here.

From the description I thought there would be more of a purpose to these ‘essays’, but these read more like the authors stream of consciousness. With no goal in mind, or much achieved.

If I could say anything I’ve taken from this, an reminder to check out Plath’s work and to browse the recently returned section at libraries.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

Elisa Gabbert finds a way to achieve what many writers try to, whether in fiction or nonfiction: talking about a love of something that feels organic while also endearing. Gabbert's essays are both insightful and funny while also leaving room for caution of the self: how do we define who we are by participating in experiences or allowing experiences to shape us? While the majority of these perspectives are projected through books Gabbert has read, her ability to transform the power of reading into something more macro and philosophical is breezy, cool, and inviting. Rarely has a book ignited in me a call to action to gladly inform myself of how to be excited about the future--and more importantly--what future books I'll be gobbling like Gabbert's.

I don’t often reach for nonfiction, but after hearing praise for Gabbert I thought I would give it a go. I had a lovely time reading through both her personal experience and her research into the self through media - especially enjoying the essays around Sylvia Plath. Gabbert’s humour is a great punctuator in between quite a philosophical topic

I love an good, strong essay collection and I love learning about how other people read, so this book was a great combination of those things! I enjoy Gabbert's writing style that introduces many other texts and quote but without alienating a reader who isn't as familiar with them. I found the individual essays insightful and the overall arc of the collection revealing of the many different approaches we take to reading and how our relation to it as a practice changes over the course of a lifetime. Thank you to FSG and NetGalley for the advanced copy. I can't wait to buy the physical book and transcribe all my notes and highlights to it.