Reveals, gloriously, the companionship, intimacy, and insight that can come from obsession with the written word * LA Review of Books *
Literature, the clash of public and private, human nature itself-these subjects and more are explored with remarkable subtlety and rare, limpid mental beauty. A must-read for anyone trying to stay sane in a world that might be perceived as insane -- Mary Gaitskill, author of The Mare
Weaving sharp literary criticism with a perceptive narrative about her life as an immigrant in America * The Millions *
An intimate memoir of darkest despair... A potent journey of depression that effectively testifies to unbearable pain and the consolation of literature * Kirkus *
Quietly forceful, unrelenting... She unfolds an argument with the self, suspicious of the very concept , but not, ultimately, refuse its possibilities -- Eula Biss
Novelistic scenes, limpid prose, subtly moving emotion... Personal reminiscences [and] literary meditations... Li explores ruptures in time, the difficulty of writing autobiographical fiction, the pleasures of melodrama * Publisher's Weekly *
Publisher's description. A luminous memoir from the award-winning author of The Vagrants and A Thousand Years of Good Prayers. Startlingly original and shining with quiet wisdom, this is the record of a life lived with books and a richly affirming examination of what makes any life worth living. * Penguin *
Beautiful and profound... This book is a terribly beautiful gift to the reader -- Neel Mukherjee * New Statesman *
A remarkable account of literary life [from] an important and gifted writer... Her new book is a meditation on the fact that literature itself lives and gives life -- Marilynne Robinson
Extraordinary. A storyteller of the first order -- Junot Diaz
Exceptional... one of our major novelists -- Salman Rushdie
Yiyun has the talent, the vision and the respect for life's insoluble mysteries... [she] is the real deal -- Michel Faber
A work of arresting revelations...A writer of meticulous reasoning, probing sensitivity, candor, and poise, Li parses mental states with psychological and philosophical precision in a beautifully measured and structured style born of both her scientific and literary backgrounds. * Booklist *
Li celebrates the authors who make reading a joyous pursuit, and the details that've made her own life worth living. * Huffington Post *
