The Best American Essays 1996 (Best American Essays) @ richardeward.com

The Best American Essays 1996 (Best American Essays)
from Houghton Mifflin

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0

• 1998 best of essays
  I found this at a used book store bargain bin, it is my second "Best American Series" book and I really enjoyed it. The variety of writing that can fall under the classification of "essay" is so vast that the editor has somewhat of a hard job in choosing. In this case Ozick focuses on retrospections, older people looking back on their lives. I appreciate the thematic organization, but I am certain these are not the "best", rather ones that have a common theme. But then, what is "the best"? J.M. Coetzee... more info

• A first- rate volume
  Joyce Carol Oates essay , "They all just went away" tells of her childhood attraction for abandoned houses, and the story of one family whose house was set on fire by the outraged, drunken father. It is a masterful reflection on the fragility of human existence- and also provides an insight into her own rich and troubled imagination.
  Edward Hoagland's reflects on his own relation to Biblical religion after his recovery from two years of blindness. He has a deep appreciation of the Biblical text,... more info

• A collection of brilliance -- the best art form
  Being of a younger generation, my acquaintances are generally surprised to find me reading a collection of essays. This provides me with a golden opportunity to share the wealth I have found in this book. Not only have the essayists here provoked thought and surprising emotion from me, but this art has pushed me in a new direction. Witnessing all of the unexpected beauty pouring from this book has made me want to write essays. I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of this series. Fiction has been moved... more info

• A treasury for the reader's imagination
  I found this series a couple of years ago, and each issue is a treasure to enjoy. I often find myself reading about things outside my experience, outside what I expect to be interested in - and every time I learn and think and imagine and am given pleasure in the reading. The essay form, in the hands of these writers, is a grand and various opportunity for thought and exploration of grand themes and of the minutiae of human life.

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