Comments (16)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 16 of 16 items
Feb 16, 2022IndyPL_RachelNW rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Maggie Nelson's account of queer-family making and motherhood, told in her tell-tale kaleidoscopic style. As always, Nelson does an excellent job weaving her own experiences, queer theory, and historical facts together to create one…
Mar 18, 2021rclane rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Beautiful depictions, and very effective juxtaposition of different periods in her life. At times, a little fragmented for my liking as it impacted momentum into the story.
Mar 14, 2021elised26 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I didn't know what I was walking into, so I was confused for nearly half of the book. She weaves her personal memories and experiences with visual arts, academic and poetic quotes, as well as gender theory and professional memories. It…
Oct 18, 2018JCLHebahA rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I wish I could rate this book on multiple axes to better reflect that I loved the content and heart of this memoir (that of the formation of a queer family, what that means, whether it's radical or domestic) but really did not enjoy its…
Oct 06, 2018redtayres rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Entire paragraphs that I couldn't wrap my head around but somehow I enjoyed this book overall. It was word dense and scholarly with a sh*t-ton of name dropping of people I've never heard of. Somehow though, there was enough here that did…
May 03, 2018DBRL_ReginaF rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This book has been on my to-read list for so long now but a co-worker challenged me to put it to the top. I have to say that the first paragraph is a shocker but don't let that stop you from reading this wonderful book. it has so much to…
HMWLibrary2017
Jul 14, 2017HMWLibrary2017 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
So inventive and personal! And, yes, even the critical theory parts. Memoirs seldom work for me because I have to like the person narrating, and I'm pretty picky (don't get me going on "Eat, Pray, Love"). I really liked Maggie Nelson and…
Jan 13, 2017
I read 1-2 books a week. I thought this would be an interesting read, but I found it to be word dense and too "heavy" in vocabulary to enjoy. Too bad. I lost interest after the first 10 pages, and skipped ahead, hoping it would improve,…
Nov 03, 2016
I have never read anything quite like this, and boy was it good! Maggie Nelson blends together beautiful insights into motherhood, the power of language and writing, and her life with gender-bending husband, Harry Dodge. Her memoir is…
Sep 27, 2016PimaLib_RachelW rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Maggie Nelson was just announced as a 2016 MacArthur Foundation Genius Award winner! “While our communities, our nation, and our world face both historic and emerging challenges, these 23 extraordinary individuals give us ample reason…
Sep 01, 2016
A beautiful, thoughtful journey not easily categorized. I have been thinking about The Argonauts frequently since I read the entire book in one sitting. Nelson weaves academic ponderings on philosophy, feminism, and gender theory with…
Aug 11, 2016lukasevansherman rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
It's not often that I read a book that I can't easily classify or explain. Maggie Nelson's "The Argonauts" (It takes its name from Jason's crew, who were seeking the Golden Fleece.) is superficially an essay and it is intensely personal,…
Nov 27, 2015Frybyte rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Interested in Gender issues? Read this book. Interested in feminist theory? Read this book. Wondering who some of the major thinkers may be about sex, equality, feminism etc? Read the book. The integration of various people and their…
Nov 12, 2015Wordnerdthethird rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I loved it. This book delves deep into philosophy, art and love but never feels too abstract. It is grounded by Maggie Nelson herself. She gives a very personal account of her life and her relationships, and poses beautiful questions about…
Sep 08, 2015
Boring...maybe over my head too but after 10 pages if you cannot engage I move on...
Carool
Jul 07, 2015Carool rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I was quite disappointed in this. I liked the book when it was personal and with little academise; I found it tedious and somewhat perplexing when the author got too convoluted and abstruse. What can I say? Maybe it was just over my…