The Art of the Wasted Day is not the book I expected based on the title, it is not creative worksheets to combat busyness. The volume is, however, a lovely meandering ode to solitude and daydreaming. I first began this title long before the world turned upside down; at that time it wasn't the right book for me and it was set aside. Now that priorities have shifted and time has a different meaning, it was delightful to read. Hampl has crafted a book best enjoyed on a bench under leaf dappled sunlight or curled up in a chair as rain splatters outside. This is not a book to be rushed. It is a lovesong, not to the art of a wasted day and negative connotations, but to a day beholden to no one but one's self. Her meandering prose captures a moment and savors it, then flits off to a different gem of leisure, returning again to a common motif, Montaigne. The Art of a Wasted Day is not a how-to manual, but a travel guide of leisurely memories.

This is a beautifully written book that takes many rich threads together to weave into a lovely tapestry of ideas. For those already appreciative of solitude, the book adds that touch of enchantment by showing how we might enjoy it even more. For those who think solitude or aloneness simply means loneliness, you're in for a pleasant surprise. There are so many stories here about how to artfully waste a day. Hampl's personal vignettes are also told so vividly and insightfully that I'm still haunted by some of them. Stunning book. Well worth diving into.

This book didn't appeal to me, although I can see how it would polarize readers. It is meant to be meandering and it is. The ending does have somewhat of a payoff, but getting there wasn't, for me, worth wading through all the disconnected (or loosely connected) thoughts that came before.

What can I say about this book?! I love it! I've ordered a print copy to keep on my shelf to read again. and again . . . It's a magical book

A lovely book about the beauty of daydreaming and wasting time. This meditative book is best read slowly on a lazy Sunday or after work as the perfect antidote to a stressful day.