The Anthropocene Reviewed

I've never read a John Green book before nor watched his YouTube videos. This wasn't even on my radar and even when it won the GR award, I didn't think that I would pick it up. But I have this habit of needing to listen to an audiobook every night while trying to sleep, so I'm always looking for whichever is available in my library. And when I found this one without a waitlist, I thought why not.

And this wasn't at all what I expected. I know the blurb says it's like an essay collection but because he narrates it himself, it felt like he was having a conversation with us, talking to us about all the random topics and tidbits he could think of, while also giving some unexpectedly profound thoughts on them. I can't even pick the ones I thought were best because they were all so mixed up but enjoyable and funny but also insightful at the same time. I probably did like the chapters about dinosaurs, the Internet, the notes app, and even the plague (thought that was equally heartbreaking). And his whole idea of rating these random things was definitely amazing. I don't know if I would have liked the book as much if I had read it because I feel the narration brings it to life.

And in this third year of the pandemic, this felt like the perfect book for our circumstances. In these times when we sometimes feel lost and don't know what to do or can't concentrate on anything, you can pick any chapter in this book at random and listen to it to just maybe take your mind off of things.

Songs, sporting events
lovingly remembered balls
quotes on quotes on quotes.

“I've been tricking myself, thinking there was some reason for all of it, thinking that consciousness was a miracle when it's really a burden, thinking that to be alive was wondrous when it's really a terror.”

I like JG's prose and the topics were varied and enjoyable. I think the Sycamore trees may have been my favorite review. I appreciate the way he weaves his struggles with mental illness through the book; sometimes they're central, even all-encompassing, and sometimes they're absent or just sort of quietly following along. It felt relatable.

(I was originally giving this a 3, but upgraded to 4, because I think it's a 4 for content, 3 for format.)

This is a collection of short essays. I knew that going in, yet I think I still expected some sort of arc, which there was really not. I enjoyed each essay individually but thought reading straight through was a bit of a slog. This would be a great book to keep somewhere you're only going to be able to read an essay or two at a time (bathroom? car?). (Also, every time I write a review I'm a little afraid the author is going to read it and then I'm going to become, say, the person who just recommended their book as a bathroom book to their proverbial face, and that makes me so uncomfortable. My review of reviews: two stars.)

I found this book so very compelling and comforting. Though very honest about the intense dread and anxiety that being alive means- I found it to be the most hopeful novel I've read all year.