LITERATURE

Escape into Meaning: Essays on Superman, Public Benches, and Other Obsessions

by Evan Puschak
Atria. May 2022. 272p. ISBN 9781982163952. $27. LIT
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The Nerdwriter YouTube celebrity Puschak threads a theme of meaning through his sharp and sophisticated analysis of literature and entertainment in this eccentric collection. Comparing filmmaker Quentin Tarantino to William Butler Yeats and creating parallels between Bladerunner and Lord of the Rings, Puschak’s collection of essays comes full circle in his large-scale but simple assertion that we have no purpose and so must make our own meaning. Puschak’s debut is about lessons learned and a life built on discovering and absorbing the sparks of existence in an otherwise dark and pointless universe. There is belief and beauty in its pages, and something almost holy in its contents.
VERDICT Readers needn’t like John Oliver or cyberpunk to enjoy Puschak’s essays; they merely have to be receptive to refreshing, original, and unpretentious written words and, maybe most importantly, have an appreciation for escapism and public benches. As readers and humans, we can surely all lean into that.
Reviewed by Alana R. Quarles , Apr 01, 2022
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