The twenty-two essays in this powerful collection -- perhaps the most diverse in the entire series -- come from a wide variety of periodicals, ranging from n + 1 and PMS to the New Republic and The New Yorker, and showcase a remarkable range of forms. Read on for narrative -- in first and third person -- opinion, memoir, argument, the essay-review, confession, reportage, even a dispatch from Iraq. The philosopher Peter Singer makes a case for philanthropy; the poet Molly Peacock constructs a mosaic tribute to a little-known but remarkable eighteenth-century woman artist; the novelist Marilynne Robinson explores what has happened to holiness in contemporary Christianity; the essayist Richard Rodriguez wonders if California has anything left to say to America; and the Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson attempts to find common ground with the evangelical community. In his introduction, David Foster Wallace makes the spirited case that "many of these essays are valuable simply as exhibits of what a first-rate artistic mind can make of particular fact-sets -- whether these involve the 17-kHz ring tones of some kids' cell phones, the language of movement as parsed by dogs, the near-infinity of ways to experience and describe an earthquake, the existential synecdoche of stagefright, or the revelation that most of what you've believed and revered turns out to be self-indulgent crap."
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Had to...:
I had to get this for an English class. I ordered it off Amazon because the University Book Store didn't have any. It is, however, pretty good considering it's required reading...
the voice of dissent:
I don't hate to be the voice of dissent in this case. I'm not a fan of Wallace, so I suppose I wasn't that surprised that his choice of essays was at best mediocre and at worst really, really (really) bad. Lately the Best American series has been disappointing. I'm hoping it will get better.
Like all anthologies, a mixed bag.:
A typical anthology in this series has about two dozen essays and merits a 3-star rating. This book is no exception. With essays by Ian Buruma, Malcolm Gladwell, Cynthia Ozick, Marilynne Robinson, Richard Rodriguez, Elaine Scarry, Louis Menand, John Lahr, Peter Singer, Edward O. Wilson, and an introduction by David Foster Wallace, there is no shortage of big-name contributors. Unfortunately, name recognition doesn't always guarantee quality and, for me, the gems in this collection came from authors I was... more info
Not Just for Essay Lovers:
The Best American Essays is an annual christmas gift to my husband. This year, I decided to read a few essays to see why he likes them. This really is a "best" selection of essays on various subjects edited by a different guest writer every year. The essays are always compelling reads and are ideal when you know there will be a wait, i.e. Dr's office, etc.
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