The Life of the Mind
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david &
The Life of the Mind by Christine Smallwood

Edition
ISBN 9781787703469

Reviews

Photo of Elisavet Rozaki
Elisavet Rozaki @elisav3t
1 star
May 20, 2024

I made it halfway through and that's a lot considering how utterly plot-less and repetitive this book is. Christine Smallwood's writing made me question my literacy.

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Jan@smute
4 stars
Jan 25, 2023

At first I was surprised to see so many negative reviews for this book, but having read it now I can see why some people might be put off by it. Firstly, it doesn't offer much in terms of plot. In fact, most of the action takes place outside of the narrated time. We begin post rem, learn a lot about past events, are even encouraged to anticipate future events, but the few weeks covered in the story are remarkably uneventful. Secondly, and not coincidentally, the text is deeply introspective, emotional, and it paints a gloomy picture of our (pre-)apocalyptic world. It made me laugh out loud more than once but much of its humor stems from the absurd contrast between the protagonist's resigned levity and her lostness in an indifferent world. But that's also where the story's magic lies. Smallwood manages to turn familiar mundane moments into relevant, poignant observations on life in the 21st century—on fear, privilege, guilt, resignation, powerlessness, acceptance, and even hope. What the story lacks in amusement it more than makes up for in hyper-examined introspection. Yes, there are a lot of stories about academics with low self-esteem, but rarely do they hit as close to home as this one. If that's your jam, you're gonna love it. 



+3
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Stacey Rainey @staceytoday
3 stars
Aug 28, 2022

** spoiler alert ** Really not my favorite. Ancillary characters and so much discussion about periods, miscarriages, blood, abortion that also felt unconnected. Dorothy was reasonably likeable, but what really happened? I don't think spending more time in my mind is the answer...

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Katie Chua@kchua
4 stars
Aug 13, 2022

i have very strong feelings from this book; namely because it's exposing all the worst things about choosing "a life of the mind" aka entering grad school and becoming an academic. felt called out when they talked about lauren berlant's "cruel optimism" or basically the ridiculousness and extreme specificity that comes with academic papers and research in general. also a lot about motherhood which always makes me feel some type of way. i thought this book was smart but annoying, but like it was meant to be annoying, so i guess that makes it smart.

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Jenna@jenna
3 stars
Jun 8, 2022

Thanks to @hogarthbooks for sending me The Life of the Mind. Unfortunately I did not love it. I honestly don’t know why I finished it. I think because I’ve been picking up and then never picking back up lots of books recently, and I just wanted to finish a book. This book follows Dorothy after she has a miscarriage, as she goes about her days as an adjunct professor of English. What didn’t work for me is that the life of Dorothy’s mind seemed to constantly be trying to hard to make quippy little funny observations, that just filled the pages, but then nothing really happened in the book. I’m down with a book where nothing happens but give me SOME small modicum of plot or character growth or an epiphany or even just something interesting to say... this book kind of felt... pointless? This book got a great review in the New York Times this morning, so maybe I just don’t get it. The review says that Smallwood is a shrewd cultural critic. I mean, maybe? I felt like Dorothy’s character was bitter that she was stuck as an adjunct professor and jealous of her more successful peers. I don’t mind a character like this, but it didn’t work for me here. I think because... I was bored the whole time? I don’t know. I’m rambling. The NYT review also says this book has great prose. My feeling the whole time was “this book is trying too hard to have something interesting to say.” I thought the prose was nothing special. The NYT review compared Smallwood to Elif Batuman but to me this book feels like imitation Batuman, never living up to actual Batuman. (I love Elif Batuman.) I’m being harsh but I’m trying to explain why I didn’t like it, and I’m doing a bad job! It’s hard to pinpoint. Just wasn’t for me. But might be for you!

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Linn @moonriver
3 stars
Sep 3, 2021

(3.5/5)

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Nicholas Barnard@coldfruits
4 stars
Jan 7, 2024
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Jemima Scott@readwithmims
3.5 stars
Apr 23, 2022
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kate@katelucia
4 stars
Jan 21, 2023
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Connie@cludecoeur
4 stars
Dec 29, 2022
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Allison Blakeley@allisonreadsbooks
4 stars
Apr 26, 2022