Books 2013: Living, thinking, looking

The last book of the year was this essay collection by Siri Hustvedt, an author I like very much. Halfway through the book I was ready to pronounce this my favourite book of the year, but I changed my mind during the last part, not because it wasn't any good, but because it turned out to be more demanding than I wanted. The first part, Living, is, as the title says, about life in general. It is Hustvedts thoughts on different aspects of life. She writes in such a clear and illuminating manner, that I frequently find myself thinking 'Yes, i agree! She writes what I'm thinking too!' The second part is Thinking, and here we moves heavily into the area of neuroscience and psychology. I can follow her writings to a certain degree, but must admit that some of it was a bit boring for someone who has absolutely no background in this field. The last part, Looking, is more or less about art, about artists, paintings and our perception of art. Interesting to read, especially if you are an art student, but I found myself wanting more Living and less Looking.  

Still - Hustvedt is a brilliant writer, and can never really go wrong. (The only exception is when she writes about Motherhood. Her apotheosis of Motherhood (why not Fatherhood or Parenthood) makes me a bit queasy.)

Funnily enough, I saw the book advertised as a 'self-help' book in one of these horrible women's magazines. I can't really see how any of her essays could be classified in this category, but I'm sure there are a handful of disappointed females out there that expected something quite different from the book.

Maybe this wasn't the ideal reading-in-bed book. Tonight, I'm ready for pure fiction! 

Hustvedt, Siri (2012). Living, thinking, looking. London: Sceptre.