Hustvedt, Siri

Hustvedt is a warm and engaging companion, and essay lovers and fans of her work will relish this book.

An excellent and fearlessly wide-ranging collection that never stops at the easy answer but continually probes deeper. Not for casual, comfort, or fluff reading, this title demands attention and thought, but the effort is rewarded. [See Prepub Alert, 6/19/16.]

Intelligent and evidently knowledgeable about the world of modern art, theory, and philosophy, Hustvedt describes in detail the insular world of the New York City art scene. References to cultural exemplars from Hegel to Kierkegaard are included as footnotes and discussions among the characters, but the most meaningful connections for the reader are those between mothers and daughters. Despite the smart tone, the novel does not invest the matters at hand with a feeling of importance. [See Prepub Alert, 9/30/13.]

Although these essays are at times dense and academic as they probe the connections between what we think, what we see, and what we do, they contain enough personal experience to make them accessible and compelling. Part literary criticism, part philosophical and scientific investigation, part memoir, this book will appeal to serious readers who appreciate elegant prose and penetrating ideas.

While this tragicomic depiction of "women on the verge" sometimes veers off tangentially, in the end it proves to be insightful and thought-provoking. Readers may be reminded of the intelligent, evocative writing of Anita Shreve or Elizabeth Berg.