2022 Best Reads of November
Den rödaste rosen slår ut (I Feel Nothing) by Liv Strömquist
I read this in Spanish (No Siento Nada) and there isn’t a translation into English yet but hopefully there will be one soon because this is *chefs kiss* and so innovative and so funny.
What follows is an at times passionate declaration of support for spiritual, off-the-rails, predestined love and at others a brainy, insightful explanation of theories (featuring visits by Georges Bataille, Angela Y. Davis and Eva Illouz among others) case studies (like Kierkegaard's unfortunate experiences with courtship and (gasp) separation) and pop culture (there’s such a brilliant mix of ‘low and high’ culture ughhh!) to expose the evolution of love in the past couple hundred years. One chapter I particularly loved was one where Strömmquist uses the American poet H.D [Hilda Doolittle] and her infamous reputation for falling in love to express the otherworldly circumstances that take place when one falls in love, as a counterargument to the over-rationalisation that our era of scientific discovery loves to attribute to once-fantastical experiences. Her tone is always light and funny, grounding these at times heady ideas in a gritty language that is stripped back and pretty accessible. It is deceivingly complex for a picture book, defying stereotypes of the genre.
The framework Strömquist provides to look at current fads and trends is compelling and simply so funny. Notable mention to one of the final chapters, where through the lyrics of Beyoncé's hit "Irreplaceable" the author makes a nuanced analysis of what she christens our culture of "another you in a minute" and compares Beyoncé's plight to Saint-Exupéry's Little Prince's to reveal the value of caring for someone else and the necessity of placing your love on another in order to be loved in return.
One of the more delightfully surprising reads of the year. <3
Today we come to defend love at the hands of Liv Strömquist's comic. What is happening to love? Why doesn't Leonardo Di Caprio fall in love? In this late capitalist era where we consume couples and do not build desire, stop beating yourself up, look into the eyes, say cursilados, forget about the parties you are not invited to, sing to Barbra Streisand and love, love, love!!
