Any Person Is the Only Self by Elisa Gabbert is a collection of essays about reading and art. This had a lot of thoughtful statements that were very interesting. I appreciated this idea, "Nothing I will say will change your opinion. You are right from your own point of view." Everyone has their own perspective on things. It's very hard to change people's opinions. This book has numerous reflective viewpoints. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

The book contains essays on books, movies, music, and their relevance to everyday life. It was an enjoyable read. I find her views/opinions to be relatable, especially when it comes to writing and books. But I also feel confused because I am not familiar with the literature mentioned, so sometimes the connection in the title loses its meaning for me.

My favorite ones were happened to be the first and the last titles. The first title, On Recently Returned Books, is a fascinating exploration of how the recently returned shelf in the library confined our choices, with a presentation of all removable parts of the library. It also addresses the importance of randomness in our lives to achieve happiness. Other titles talk about unique things from ordinary life, such as the fascinating fact that people with hyperthymesia (excessive remembering), also known as HSAM (highly superior autobiographical memory), or the one that talks about journaling and how writing is a chance to immortality. The last title, Same River, Same Man, explores the concept of rereading a book, the anxiety it brings, and the possibility of changing one's opinion after rereading it. Her talk about the theory that everyone is either a squid or an eel is something I truly enjoy. The explanation is logical, and it was intriguing.

There are certain sections that are uninteresting, such as the writing regarding music and the movie Point Break. Overall, this book is enjoyable for me.

Elisa Gabbert writes so beautifully and thoughtfully, I was engaged and eager to learn about topics I'd never heard of. A true talent.

I was so eager to read ANY PERSON IS THE ONLY SELF by Elisa Gabbert since I loved her poetry book Normal Distance. I loved these essays! Gabbert has such a creative and intellectual mind and I love her humour and wit in this book. I loved the references to books and reading again and again. As a reader it’s so relatable to read another reader’s thoughts. I loved this line: “short books don’t make me think of death”. I too feel that existential dread of a big book. It was interesting to read about her “Stupid Classics Book Club” and her thoughts on Frankenstein, reading poetry and rereading. I’d love to read more by this author! Turns out I love nonfiction written by poets too!

This took me painfully long to get through. I am a big fan of Gabbert's essays and will pick up another collection of hers, but reader beware that half of this collection is pandemic writing, which was not for me at this time.

Any Person Is the Only Self by Elisa Gabbert is a captivating collection of essays that invites readers to reflect on their identities through the lens of literature and personal experience. With her trademark wit and insight, Gabbert explores the nuances of reading, journaling, and the influence of time on our connections to art, all while delving into the works of authors like Plath and Proust. She deftly weaves together themes of nostalgia, ambition, and the myriad ways literature shapes our lives, taking readers on a journey through the edges of culture, from hair metal to party fiction. This collection will resonate with anyone who loves to ponder their relationship with books and the world around them, making it a delightful read for those seeking a deeper understanding of themselves and the art they cherish.

I enjoyed this book of literary essays. Many of which are about the reading done during the pandemic. As with all essay collections, some I enjoyed more than others. “The Stupid Classics Book Club” was my favorite.

Any Person is the Only Self was an excellent collection of essays. I would read more from Gabbert- essays were relatable and insightful.

A masterpiece. Here's one for the academic journaling girls & boys out there.

It's a half star away from perfection simply because it's in the form of anthology—which bounds to have its hit and miss, inevitably; though it's mostly a hit for me.

A book and practically a series of love letters for reading, for culture and art: there's chapters on books, authors, reading, bands, but also loneliness and depression and friendship, humanity. There's everything for everyone kinda and if you don't connect with a chapter you can just skip to the next one and see it might resonate with you better: the joy of essays collection.

Would love to hear this author yap about anything really, such a brilliant & geek research. I enjoyed "A Complicating Energy" & "Somethingness" best while "Nostalgia For A Less Innocent Time" spoke the least to me. Probably because I wasn't living through that era!

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for providing me the e ARC of this title in exchange for this honest review of mine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This essay collection hooked me from the first essay, "On Recently Returned Books." I immediately felt a kinship with the author. "A Complicating Energy" accurately described many of my own feelings about loneliness and the COVID pandemic. The eerie nostalgia of childhood met with the understanding (or lack thereof) of who we are as adults was a fascinating foil in "Same River, Same Man". These three essays were my absolute favorite and are found at the start, middle and end of the collection. However, many of the essays in-between struggled to keep my attention.

Gabbert constantly references scenes and quotes from literature. Readers who are not familiar with the mentioned pieces can easily find themselves lost in the message Gabbert is trying to get across. It feels overwhelmed with direct quotes and pretentious at times. I felt really disappointed when I couldn't grasp the point, as I had initially enjoyed the style and content of the first essay.

While this wasn't quite for me, I think writers and classic literature buffs will really like this collection. I encourage you to still give it a try, and I look forward to connecting with more select essays from Gabbert in the future.

3 stars / 6 out of 10

It's really simple: if Elisa Gabbert writes it, I'm going to read it. She is an auto-buy writer for me and an absolute delight to read, no matter the topic. She recently posted on Twitter/X: "If I read a whole essay collection it's because I love your voice/mind, not because I even care what you're talking about 😇" and I wholeheartedly agree, although I do also care about the topics at hand. Gabbert publishes a series annually of everything she's read that year and the essays in this collection reflect the breadth of material she's devoured over the past few years. The essay "On Recently Returned Books" starts this collection off strongly on that very topic. Other standout essays are "Proust and the Joy of Suffering" - on reading Proust during the pandemic, which is something I did as well and highly recommend. There are also several essays that touch on the complicated life (On Jealousy) and troubled legacy of Sylvia Plath ("The Intolerable, I Guess Against Completism") about posthumous author releases, a hot topic this year with the new novel from Gabriel García Márquez'. My favourite essay of the bunch was "A Complicating Energy," which covered everything from people watching during the pandemic to the more serious topic of loneliness and what we lost. Instead of being depressing it reflects upon the recent past in a way that's inspiring and energizing to the reader. There are also more lighthearted reflections on pop culture, everything from Phil Collins to Point Break. I rushed to buy this on release day and relish spending more time in the trusted hands of Elisa Gabbert. Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the advance copy of this wonderful collection.

I found myself struggling with this body of work. There is no doubt that Gabbert is talented. The essays included are a reflection of that. However, I feel that as a whole, the body of work just didn’t feel cohesive. It’s also been awhile since I’ve finished this and I feel almost as if I can’t remember what any of the essays are about. By no means do I think this was a bad collection of essays— just slightly unremarkable. This will be something that I will likely have to revisit. I do look forward to reading other work by her in the future.

Elisa Gabbert is one of my favorite essayists. This book of essays are well-written, interesting, and I like the range of subject matter. I'll definitely recommend to anyone who is interested in the genre.

A perfect read for anyone interested in literature, writing, memory, and an exploration of the self. Gabbert writes with an accessible, familiar prose that keeps her readers turning pages.

As someone who currently works in a library and is pursuing a library science degree I knew this book would be right up my alley. From the first page that I read until the very end, Gabbert completely captivated me with her views on the world. When reading her words I felt myself begin to view the world differently, which is something I'm always looking for while reading a book. I felt like I was connecting with her on a deeper level and also connecting with myself in new and unexpected ways. As I think is typical with collections of essays some work better for me than others, but I genuinely enjoyed each and every one of them for what they are. I highly recommend this book!

I was so into these essays!! the lil synopsis definitely got me, sounded incredibly up my alley, and the read did not disappoint. while some essays had me more gripped than others (naturally), I devoured this one quick and found myself wanting more even still. I immediately fell in love with the way Gabbert analyzes so much of the human condition that goes unexplored and I loved how she related all of it back to books (v meta).

thank you FSG and net galley for the wonderful arc!

I hope that someday I can come near to writing as beautifully and thoughtfully as Elisa Gabbart. Her writing is such that it is a conversation she is having with us. Yet filled with fascinating research. Each essay is about books. One is about going to the library and the spaces she adores. In one she tells us about joining the Stupid Classics Bookclub with her husband and friends and how they chose the books to read and her opinion of them. The last essay, one I particularly loved, is about rereading books you loved as a teenager. Should you or shouldn't you. Inspired by a friend telling her not to reread Catcher in the Rye. Which she then did and tells us she still likes it but for different reasons. She moved on to Rabbit. Run which I haven't read and don't think I will based on her describing of it. But she herself was not disappointed.
I really recommend this book. I will now read a lot more of Ms. Gabbert's writing.

Gabbert has written a book of essays that seems to be targeted at those who loves books.

Like most essay books, there were some essays that I absolutely adored, and some that were neither here nor there for me. I'm sure each reader would have a different perspective on theirs.

One thing that didn't really work for me was the amount that was quoted from other sources, in those sections, I found myself kind of disconnecting from the writing, more so eager to hear Gabbert's thoughts, rather than her thoughts told by others.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed reading this each night before sleeping.

Essays on reading, checking out books from the library, Frankenstein, Sylvia Plath, Catcher in the Rye, writing — what’s a better combination than that? Reading this essay collection felt a bit like indulging in a guilty pleasure, it was just so on par with what a former English major (me) would generally be interested in. Sometimes it did feel a bit — pretentious? That might be a strong word, but you get what I mean. On the whole, though, Gabbert is vulnerable, open, and seemingly honest in these pages, discussing the impacts of the pandemic on her life, reading, and ability to focus on work.

Definitely worth a read. I’m looking forward to checking out more of her writing.

Right book, right time!

If you enjoy reading about writers and books, I highly recommend picking up this book. It covers a wide selection and held my interest. I barely put it down.