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The Sensualist: Adventures in Pure Pleasure
Not yet published
Expected 17 Nov 26The first collection of personal essays, each a delightfully hilarious pursuit of the sublime and the absurd, from the New York Times bestselling author of Super Sad True Love Story and Vera, or Faith
“Shteyngart is one of the best comedians in literature today.”—BookPage
“The abiding miracle of Shteyngart’s work is that it seems just as timely as a Shouts & Murmurs gag in this week’s New Yorker while staying fixed to the timeless absurdity of human life. That dexterity speaks to the range of his sympathy and the depth of his attention.”—Ron Charles, The Washington Post
A frequent contributor to The New Yorker and The Atlantic, Gary Shteyngart is one of the most beloved and viral-y essayists of our day, with nine of his essays appearing in The Best American anthologies. The Sensualist collects his most electric pieces, showcasing why The New York Times describes Gary as "one of his generation's most exhilarating writers."
In The Sensualist, Gary chases capybaras, the world's largest (and cutest) rodent. He joins 7500 fellow passengers on earth's biggest cruise ship. He schleps around New York City in search of the best martini. He visits wool merchants and tailors in pursuit of the perfect blue suit. He travels to Mexico City, Rome, Naples, Bombay, and Dubai. He sits on his porch in upstate New York. He puts down his phone and looks up at the stars.
To Gary, a sensualist believes the details of one's life are always worth savoring and happiness can be found from looking around. A sensualist isn't a glutton or an aesthete (and certainly not a snob), but someone who embraces the sublime—and the absurd. In The Sensualist Gary takes us across town and across the world, showing us how to appreciate the joys of life, no matter what.
“Shteyngart is one of the best comedians in literature today.”—BookPage
“The abiding miracle of Shteyngart’s work is that it seems just as timely as a Shouts & Murmurs gag in this week’s New Yorker while staying fixed to the timeless absurdity of human life. That dexterity speaks to the range of his sympathy and the depth of his attention.”—Ron Charles, The Washington Post
A frequent contributor to The New Yorker and The Atlantic, Gary Shteyngart is one of the most beloved and viral-y essayists of our day, with nine of his essays appearing in The Best American anthologies. The Sensualist collects his most electric pieces, showcasing why The New York Times describes Gary as "one of his generation's most exhilarating writers."
In The Sensualist, Gary chases capybaras, the world's largest (and cutest) rodent. He joins 7500 fellow passengers on earth's biggest cruise ship. He schleps around New York City in search of the best martini. He visits wool merchants and tailors in pursuit of the perfect blue suit. He travels to Mexico City, Rome, Naples, Bombay, and Dubai. He sits on his porch in upstate New York. He puts down his phone and looks up at the stars.
To Gary, a sensualist believes the details of one's life are always worth savoring and happiness can be found from looking around. A sensualist isn't a glutton or an aesthete (and certainly not a snob), but someone who embraces the sublime—and the absurd. In The Sensualist Gary takes us across town and across the world, showing us how to appreciate the joys of life, no matter what.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication November 17, 2026
About the author
Gary Shteyngart
28 books2,393 followersGary Shteyngart is an American writer born in Leningrad, USSR (he alternately calls it "St. Leningrad" or "St. Leninsburg"). Much of his work is satirical and relies on the invention of elaborately fictitious yet somehow familiar places and times.
His first novel, The Russian Debutante's Handbook (2002), received the Stephen Crane Award for First Fiction and the National Jewish Book Award.
His first novel, The Russian Debutante's Handbook (2002), received the Stephen Crane Award for First Fiction and the National Jewish Book Award.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 14, 2026
Russian David Sedaris, I was not familiar with your game
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is one book where I wish it were possible to award more than five stars. Having read Shteyngart's fiction from day one and his contributions to some of my favorite magazines, I am very aware of his style and his work. Still it was exhilarating to see h0w his personal life was reflected, such as, for instance Lake Success. Here he admits to having a watch fetish and to performing "research" by "riding the Hound" across America. But it was fascinating reading about his search for the perfect martini, the purchase not only of a bespoke suit but an entire bespoke outfit, and his affinity for the capybara. Not to mention his immersion into Russian Soviet broadcasting undertaken at the Four Seasons (with room service). And his presence on the Icon of the Seas, the world's largest (at least so far) cruise ship.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
So, how interested are you in reading about a well-to-do, middle-age white man's pursuit of pleasure? The answer surprised me. Apparently, quite.
Though I like contemporary literature and satire, I've somehow never read Shteyngart until now. But going by these essays, I might have to. Clever, erudite, funny, charmingly self-deprecating, mostly self-aware, and all around entertaining - those adjectives go for both the author and his writing and we hops topics from watches to bespoke tailoring to luxury cruises to politics to families. Nothing seems to be off limits, including his genitalia. You may very well learn a thing or two reading this book, including much too much about its author. And yet it works.
For me, as a reader, the quality of writing is crucial, more so than the subject matter. And here, it was very good indeed. Enough to make me think, I'd read this guy writing about all kinds of things. That's rare these days, and much appreciated.
Thanks Netgalley.
Though I like contemporary literature and satire, I've somehow never read Shteyngart until now. But going by these essays, I might have to. Clever, erudite, funny, charmingly self-deprecating, mostly self-aware, and all around entertaining - those adjectives go for both the author and his writing and we hops topics from watches to bespoke tailoring to luxury cruises to politics to families. Nothing seems to be off limits, including his genitalia. You may very well learn a thing or two reading this book, including much too much about its author. And yet it works.
For me, as a reader, the quality of writing is crucial, more so than the subject matter. And here, it was very good indeed. Enough to make me think, I'd read this guy writing about all kinds of things. That's rare these days, and much appreciated.
Thanks Netgalley.
August 14, 2026
I have been a fan of Shteyngart’s fiction for years, and it was a pleasure to delve into his essays. This is a collection of essays broken into three parts and tied together with an introduction on what it means to be a sensualist. I will say that there are times that I found the theme to be a stretch. The first section, about material pleasures, was my least favorite (a little dry, much like the martinis he enjoys). I’m glad I pushed through, though, because the second two parts on travel and overcoming suffering were much more poignant.
August 4, 2026
The Sensualist just wasn't my cup of tea. The first half, especially, focused on topics that felt a little too mundane to really hold my attention. In a way, I found it endearing how passionate the author was about these seemingly ordinary subjects, but I often found myself checking out before the end of a chapter.
The tone reminded me a bit of reading David Sedaris, but without the humor that keeps me turning the pages. I did enjoy the author's writing style, but I think this book would have benefited from a more heavy-handed edit.
That said, I'm glad I stuck with it because I found the second half much more engaging. The subject matter became more interesting, and I connected with it far more than I did in the beginning. Overall, there were pieces I appreciated, but this one never fully came together for me.
The tone reminded me a bit of reading David Sedaris, but without the humor that keeps me turning the pages. I did enjoy the author's writing style, but I think this book would have benefited from a more heavy-handed edit.
That said, I'm glad I stuck with it because I found the second half much more engaging. The subject matter became more interesting, and I connected with it far more than I did in the beginning. Overall, there were pieces I appreciated, but this one never fully came together for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
After loving Gary Shteyngart’s novel Vera, or Faith, I was really curious to see what he would do with nonfiction, and The Sensualist was such a fun introduction to another side of his writing.
This is Shteyngart’s first collection of personal essays, but it almost reads like a memoir assembled in pieces. The essays span travel, family, politics, food, watches, clothes, his childhood, his experiences as a Russian Jewish immigrant, and all sorts of other observations about modern life. It feels a little like getting the greatest hits from an extremely funny blog he’s been secretly writing for the last decade.
And Shteyngart is really funny. More than anything, I love what he can do with the English language. His sentences regularly caught me completely off guard.
At one point, after a parrot tells him not to conduct business on Saturday, he writes:
“I am stunned by [the parrot’s] ability to identify my ethnicity. Do I really look that Jewish?”
Then there is possibly the greatest opening to a discussion of a botched circumcision:
“My penis was shaped by the Cold War and God’s covenant with Abraham.”
And in an essay titled “How to Love Your Parents Even If You Hate Their Politics,” he writes:
“Many people I know have parents who are suffering from early Fox News dementia, ranting about the perfidy of Anthony Fauci and the possibility of catching critical race theory from an open jar of mayonnaise.”
That pretty much tells you whether Shteyngart’s particular brand of humor is going to work for you. It definitely works for me.
There are moments when he can come across as a little snobby—this is, after all, a man capable of devoting serious attention to very expensive watches, the perfect suit, and the perfect martini. But then an essay will circle back to his childhood, his parents, immigration, Jewish identity, or what it meant to arrive in the United States from the Soviet Union as a young child. Those experiences give the more indulgent parts of the collection an interesting counterweight. His fascination with beautiful and expensive things feels different when placed alongside memories of having once had very little.
I also think that tension is part of what makes the title work. These essays are ultimately about paying attention to pleasure: food, travel, clothes, family, beautiful objects, ridiculous experiences, and those small moments in life that are worth savoring. Shteyngart is ridiculous. Sometimes touching. Frequently he manages to be both in the same paragraph.
If you enjoy smart, irreverent personal essays and writers who can turn an ordinary observation into something completely unexpected, I definitely recommend this one. I already knew I enjoyed Shteyngart as a novelist after Vera, or Faith. Now I know I enjoy simply spending time inside his brain, too.
The Sensualist: Adventures in Pure Pleasure will be published November 17, 2026.
Thank you to Random House for providing me with an electronic advanced reading copy.
After loving Gary Shteyngart’s novel Vera, or Faith, I was really curious to see what he would do with nonfiction, and The Sensualist was such a fun introduction to another side of his writing.
This is Shteyngart’s first collection of personal essays, but it almost reads like a memoir assembled in pieces. The essays span travel, family, politics, food, watches, clothes, his childhood, his experiences as a Russian Jewish immigrant, and all sorts of other observations about modern life. It feels a little like getting the greatest hits from an extremely funny blog he’s been secretly writing for the last decade.
And Shteyngart is really funny. More than anything, I love what he can do with the English language. His sentences regularly caught me completely off guard.
At one point, after a parrot tells him not to conduct business on Saturday, he writes:
“I am stunned by [the parrot’s] ability to identify my ethnicity. Do I really look that Jewish?”
Then there is possibly the greatest opening to a discussion of a botched circumcision:
“My penis was shaped by the Cold War and God’s covenant with Abraham.”
And in an essay titled “How to Love Your Parents Even If You Hate Their Politics,” he writes:
“Many people I know have parents who are suffering from early Fox News dementia, ranting about the perfidy of Anthony Fauci and the possibility of catching critical race theory from an open jar of mayonnaise.”
That pretty much tells you whether Shteyngart’s particular brand of humor is going to work for you. It definitely works for me.
There are moments when he can come across as a little snobby—this is, after all, a man capable of devoting serious attention to very expensive watches, the perfect suit, and the perfect martini. But then an essay will circle back to his childhood, his parents, immigration, Jewish identity, or what it meant to arrive in the United States from the Soviet Union as a young child. Those experiences give the more indulgent parts of the collection an interesting counterweight. His fascination with beautiful and expensive things feels different when placed alongside memories of having once had very little.
I also think that tension is part of what makes the title work. These essays are ultimately about paying attention to pleasure: food, travel, clothes, family, beautiful objects, ridiculous experiences, and those small moments in life that are worth savoring. Shteyngart is ridiculous. Sometimes touching. Frequently he manages to be both in the same paragraph.
If you enjoy smart, irreverent personal essays and writers who can turn an ordinary observation into something completely unexpected, I definitely recommend this one. I already knew I enjoyed Shteyngart as a novelist after Vera, or Faith. Now I know I enjoy simply spending time inside his brain, too.
The Sensualist: Adventures in Pure Pleasure will be published November 17, 2026.
Thank you to Random House for providing me with an electronic advanced reading copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Random House (Sarah Johnson) and NetGalley for the egalley of this book.
The Sensualist is an enjoyable collection of essays by Gary Shteyngart that truly range in subject matter, from bespoke suits to sea cruising to extreme genital pain. As readers, we are visitors to Shteyngart's "strange mansions" of his consciousness as he tells us about the travails of whatever adventure he happens to find himself in.
The essays are grouped into three sections, and for me the essays increased in interest as the discomfort level rose for Shteyngart. The final section, which include the essays on a botched circumcision and a cruise from hell, is the most powerful because in these essays the focus is on pain, frailty, parenting, and other concerns that most people can relate to. Shteyngart is a self-lacerating writer, and his prose is very humorous and always entertaining despite the rather grim subjects he writes about.
The Sensualist ends up being a portrait of a man who despite some pretty horrible events and terrible times tries to find something worthwhile, something to enjoy in those situations. You can sense that Shteyngart is a man who loves family and friends, and the good times that can be had with them. And you can also sense that he is a writer who loves his readers, entertaining and enlightening them, as he shows in this collection.
The Sensualist is an enjoyable collection of essays by Gary Shteyngart that truly range in subject matter, from bespoke suits to sea cruising to extreme genital pain. As readers, we are visitors to Shteyngart's "strange mansions" of his consciousness as he tells us about the travails of whatever adventure he happens to find himself in.
The essays are grouped into three sections, and for me the essays increased in interest as the discomfort level rose for Shteyngart. The final section, which include the essays on a botched circumcision and a cruise from hell, is the most powerful because in these essays the focus is on pain, frailty, parenting, and other concerns that most people can relate to. Shteyngart is a self-lacerating writer, and his prose is very humorous and always entertaining despite the rather grim subjects he writes about.
The Sensualist ends up being a portrait of a man who despite some pretty horrible events and terrible times tries to find something worthwhile, something to enjoy in those situations. You can sense that Shteyngart is a man who loves family and friends, and the good times that can be had with them. And you can also sense that he is a writer who loves his readers, entertaining and enlightening them, as he shows in this collection.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a mixed bag for me. I'd read one previous novel by author, which I enjoyed. This was a little different. Essentially this is a compilation of unconnected essays which I'm assuming have all been published previously. I was a little mffed almost immediately by the comment that he'd lived in two failed superpowers. Hmmm. That just hit me wrong. The "pure pleasure" part of the book revolved around a "bespoke" (the term was used maybe 20 times in the essay) suit, the search for martini excellence around the world, his fascination with expensive watches. First world problems...
The author can write, has a dry sense and a keen eye, and it's clear why his work has been accepted so well.
I did enjoy this, althoughI was tremendously annoyed n the essay about the differing political views between him and his parents, particularly by feeling that he had to respond to them with the sorrow they so richly deserve. Really? What a surprise. Someone has a different political and worldview than their parents. Disagree, accept it, and move on.
There is clearly an audience for this, and I did enjoy his style. Will I read more from the author? Sure.
I received a complimentary e-copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.
The author can write, has a dry sense and a keen eye, and it's clear why his work has been accepted so well.
I did enjoy this, althoughI was tremendously annoyed n the essay about the differing political views between him and his parents, particularly by feeling that he had to respond to them with the sorrow they so richly deserve. Really? What a surprise. Someone has a different political and worldview than their parents. Disagree, accept it, and move on.
There is clearly an audience for this, and I did enjoy his style. Will I read more from the author? Sure.
I received a complimentary e-copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a collection of essays that Shteyngart has written over the years. He has an obsession with capybaras, that's why there is one on the cover in an expensive suit drinking a martini on the cover. There's also an essay on where to find the best martinis in New York. He is, or maybe used to be, a travel writer and he writes about places that he's traveled to. Brazil has a city he calls the capybara capital of the world, he found it through a YouTube influencer's channel. He took a cruise on the Icon of the Seas maiden voyage, but he didn't like it very much. He spends a lot of money on expensive suits and watches, and that's where the book gets its title, a Sensualist enjoys the finer things in life and he's teaching the rest of us how to be a Sensualist. If only we had all the money that's needed! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Sensualist is a collection of essays from writer Gary Shteyngart. If you're a follower of Shteyngart, many if not all of them, will be familiar. If you're not, this is a great way to get to know him. The essays are a collection the author's travels and experiences, everything from deciphering menswear in Japan, botched circumcisions, to his notorious experience with a Royal Caribbean inaugural sailing. These are funny and insightful essays. It makes for fast reading too. Thank you to #netgalley and #randomhouse for the opportunity to preview this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a pure delight! Or should I say pleasure? I have never read Shteyngart's fiction before, but I came across his essay about his time on a cruise last year, and I knew I wanted to read more of his essays. This collection does not disappoint. It is funny and absurd, and serious at times, and always with so much heart. I was thoroughly entertained!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This collection is perfect for fans of David Sedaris. It is hard to come by truly humorous essays that aren’t by comedians these days. I really appreciated the insights into the experiences of being a middle aged man. This book was so good that I will be seeking out the author’s fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a collection of essays, many if which were written ten or more years ago. I had read a few of them when they were originally published. Shteyngart is a talented writer and many of his observations are both clever and funny. But the collection was uneven and I wish more of it was original instead of recycled for today
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy. A delightful group of essays. I only wish the author had written updates to the ones from ten years ago and more about other countries to reflect the current situation. He successfully convinced me that circumcision is not necessary. Just read his essay.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews