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Object Lessons
Exit
Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.
Exits are all around but rarely remarked upon. Every day, exit signs mark the difference between travelling and arriving at a destination and ever-present emergency routes out. Exits are at the core of contemporary cultural and political discussions (Brexit, independence referenda, polls), as well as personal liberations. But instead of a way out, do exits ever serve to constrict our choices?
To exit is to cross a boundary, swapping one reality for another, taking the option of being either in or out, here or there. Part investigation into what it really means to 'exit' and part city travelogue, Laura Waddell's Exit goes beyond the door to see what's on the other side.
Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in the The Atlantic.
Exits are all around but rarely remarked upon. Every day, exit signs mark the difference between travelling and arriving at a destination and ever-present emergency routes out. Exits are at the core of contemporary cultural and political discussions (Brexit, independence referenda, polls), as well as personal liberations. But instead of a way out, do exits ever serve to constrict our choices?
To exit is to cross a boundary, swapping one reality for another, taking the option of being either in or out, here or there. Part investigation into what it really means to 'exit' and part city travelogue, Laura Waddell's Exit goes beyond the door to see what's on the other side.
Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in the The Atlantic.
- GenresNonfiction
176 pages, Paperback
Published September 3, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 3, 2021
Good, but not at all what I expected. I was thinking this would be more grounded in the actual object and there was an interesting discussion of how how exit signs sprung from the Triangle Shirtwaist fire and the challenges of making exit signs visible in both our increasingly busy built landscape and in the (smoky, panicked) conditions where we really need them, but this section was quite brief. Most of the book was riffing and exploring the concept of exits through the lens of a lot of contemporary social and cultural issues and while a lot of it was quite good (especially the section on immigration), it just wasn't what I was hoping for.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2020
This is a book that knows it will be dated the minute it went to the publishers. It says exactly what date that was, tying into the awful deaths of Vietnamese immigrants in the UK in the back of a truck in Essex. And it does so with a wild abandon and glee, not realising that between submission and publication a massive EXIT will be crowbarred into public life, history will have happened. That's fine, Laura Waddell is writing for that moment, her survey - yet again massively broad as the wont in with Object Lessons - takes the concept of Exit on a broad journey from the obvious (the sign on the cover), via the cultural (lots of Sesame Street) and of course the metaphysical.
Of all the Object Lesson books I have read this is the most disjointed, the most prone to leap from idea to idea, to stress certain political conceptions of exit/entrance to a forensic level whilst leave other (where is the NO EXIT sign) to the wind. It is also probably the most enjoyable, Waddell is thinking out loud here and whilst she hits a couple of the core concepts (the history of the Fire Exit, New York Shirt Waist Fire), there are lots on non-obvious tangents The piece on Kowloon Walled City could easily be argued out of the book, but sits well in a set of thoughts about buildings which are malleable, exits become corridors, become entrances. Because once you get to the metaphysical level (and before you think about death) an exit is just a transition in state, and exodus a transition of state. She seems to be having the most fun of the Object Lesson authors I have read so far (it is most similar to Political Sign, which may not be surprising as they both tangentially concern themselves with signage).
Waddell leaves he coup de grace to her final chapter however, giving us thirty examples of exits, some frivolous, some aw inspiriting, some tragically sad. It was as if the previous idea fountain was the prologue to thirty short stories about exits, and I loved it.
[Netgallley ARC]
Of all the Object Lesson books I have read this is the most disjointed, the most prone to leap from idea to idea, to stress certain political conceptions of exit/entrance to a forensic level whilst leave other (where is the NO EXIT sign) to the wind. It is also probably the most enjoyable, Waddell is thinking out loud here and whilst she hits a couple of the core concepts (the history of the Fire Exit, New York Shirt Waist Fire), there are lots on non-obvious tangents The piece on Kowloon Walled City could easily be argued out of the book, but sits well in a set of thoughts about buildings which are malleable, exits become corridors, become entrances. Because once you get to the metaphysical level (and before you think about death) an exit is just a transition in state, and exodus a transition of state. She seems to be having the most fun of the Object Lesson authors I have read so far (it is most similar to Political Sign, which may not be surprising as they both tangentially concern themselves with signage).
Waddell leaves he coup de grace to her final chapter however, giving us thirty examples of exits, some frivolous, some aw inspiriting, some tragically sad. It was as if the previous idea fountain was the prologue to thirty short stories about exits, and I loved it.
[Netgallley ARC]
January 23, 2021
A really enjoyable and wide ranging collection of essays and thoughts on the meaning of 'Exits'. I learned a lot.
June 1, 2020
At one point this book alludes to presenting us with a history of exit signs and other health-and-safety paraphernalia. But no. We have chapter one, a pro-refugee diatribe; chapter two, that jumps from the Entartete Kunst issues of the Nazis to Stephan Zweig as an example of people forced to leave a place until he can enter none more; chapter three, an ungainly mix of questioning what it's like to write in Scottish when English is your lingua franca, how our author had to stop being on t**tter to get this written, and Anais Nin – oh, and how our author doesn't read books by white men who dare to earn a living writing, just because; and nearly my exit in obviously understandable exasperation.
But I did click down once more, and found something actually on topic. Get out of here! No, leave it out! Seriously, I did finally get what I called up for, inasmuch as I ended up reading about the same New York factory fire for the second time in my life, and the second weekend in a row. As a theatre worker I was interested in what this text finally had to say on the subject of exiting and exit signage – less so on the efforts to get wheelchair users included on the hotly-lit effigies, in case they're so thick they don't realise it applies to them as well.
After that a discussion on whether we could see an evolution of the exit sign beyond what we currently have is generally of interest, before the author decides one jibe against Brexit is not enough and that she needs more. And if you've read the "Political Sign" volume in this book series you'll know how spurious it is to reel out a bus emblazoned with a slogan, and pretend that everyone voting the same way as it both saw and believed it, when they patently didn't. This author calls Brexit "a degradation of our democracy" by dint of her being on the losing side. But still, she says, Sesame Street's endless fun with signs is preferable. I'm a cynic, get me out of here. After that, before the collapse into a mountain of waffle, we do see some very intriguing art works, concepts and projects looked at that do show a lot of reading around the subject, but all in all show the subject did not really manage to generate a full book. So for this frustrating series, with its attendant ups and downs (and boy aren't some downs downs?!), this did look like being one of the most reprehensible, but redeemed itself, almost. Please now exit via the gift shop, with no obligation to buy. A generous two stars.
But I did click down once more, and found something actually on topic. Get out of here! No, leave it out! Seriously, I did finally get what I called up for, inasmuch as I ended up reading about the same New York factory fire for the second time in my life, and the second weekend in a row. As a theatre worker I was interested in what this text finally had to say on the subject of exiting and exit signage – less so on the efforts to get wheelchair users included on the hotly-lit effigies, in case they're so thick they don't realise it applies to them as well.
After that a discussion on whether we could see an evolution of the exit sign beyond what we currently have is generally of interest, before the author decides one jibe against Brexit is not enough and that she needs more. And if you've read the "Political Sign" volume in this book series you'll know how spurious it is to reel out a bus emblazoned with a slogan, and pretend that everyone voting the same way as it both saw and believed it, when they patently didn't. This author calls Brexit "a degradation of our democracy" by dint of her being on the losing side. But still, she says, Sesame Street's endless fun with signs is preferable. I'm a cynic, get me out of here. After that, before the collapse into a mountain of waffle, we do see some very intriguing art works, concepts and projects looked at that do show a lot of reading around the subject, but all in all show the subject did not really manage to generate a full book. So for this frustrating series, with its attendant ups and downs (and boy aren't some downs downs?!), this did look like being one of the most reprehensible, but redeemed itself, almost. Please now exit via the gift shop, with no obligation to buy. A generous two stars.
September 9, 2020
Object Lessons is a non-fiction series of slim books singularly focused (though often digressively so if that makes sense) on common everyday objects or ideas. Exit, by Laura Waddell, moves back and forth between the concrete and the abstract as she muses on various tangents having to do with, well, “exits,” coming back repeatedly to the ground via close looks at actual exit signs — their history, their design, the way they might change in the future. In her spiraling outward and back again, she also covers a variety of topics, including but not limited to a recurring dream of hers, the Triangle Fire, Brexit, Sesame Street, immigration vs emigration, and the Kowloon Walled City.
As with any series, the books in Object Lessons vary in impact, and unfortunately Exit was for me one of the less successful ones. By their very nature and intent, the books in this series give their authors carte blanche to spin far afield, and I’ve certainly thoroughly enjoyed some of the books that have done just that. But here Waddell’s takes at times felt both too wide and too small. Too wide in that the connections seemed like a stretch on occasion, even given the series’ nature. Too small in that the insights didn’t see particularly, well, insightful. As when she notes for example that “exits are so often a class issue and home ownership makes for a big difference between forced eviction and the choice to leave,” or “eviction notices are often unwelcome, or at least mixed, exit signs,” or how modern life has led to “complex subjects reduced to headlines and clickbait.”
That isn’t to say Waddell’s doesn’t provide any insights or fresh takes; she does. But the balance wasn’t tipped enough in the right direction for me. Sometimes, if that’s the case when I’m reading essays, I can live with relatively mundane thoughts if the writing itself can sweep me away. But while Waddell’s is certainly adequate to the task, it never rose above that in my estimation, never (or rarely at least) had moments where I was startled by the originality of the phrasing, by the uniqueness of a metaphor or the vibrancy of an image. I can often tell how much I appreciated the style of a writer when I look through my notes on my Kindle for my highlights marked with a simple “nice” — places where I was struck by a particularly strong bit of writing. While I did have notes for Exit, I didn’t mark any such passages.
Exit definitely does have its moments; I did find myself at times fascinated or provoked into thinking further on a topic, did want to further research some references. But overall the book left me wanting more both in terms of content and style.
As with any series, the books in Object Lessons vary in impact, and unfortunately Exit was for me one of the less successful ones. By their very nature and intent, the books in this series give their authors carte blanche to spin far afield, and I’ve certainly thoroughly enjoyed some of the books that have done just that. But here Waddell’s takes at times felt both too wide and too small. Too wide in that the connections seemed like a stretch on occasion, even given the series’ nature. Too small in that the insights didn’t see particularly, well, insightful. As when she notes for example that “exits are so often a class issue and home ownership makes for a big difference between forced eviction and the choice to leave,” or “eviction notices are often unwelcome, or at least mixed, exit signs,” or how modern life has led to “complex subjects reduced to headlines and clickbait.”
That isn’t to say Waddell’s doesn’t provide any insights or fresh takes; she does. But the balance wasn’t tipped enough in the right direction for me. Sometimes, if that’s the case when I’m reading essays, I can live with relatively mundane thoughts if the writing itself can sweep me away. But while Waddell’s is certainly adequate to the task, it never rose above that in my estimation, never (or rarely at least) had moments where I was startled by the originality of the phrasing, by the uniqueness of a metaphor or the vibrancy of an image. I can often tell how much I appreciated the style of a writer when I look through my notes on my Kindle for my highlights marked with a simple “nice” — places where I was struck by a particularly strong bit of writing. While I did have notes for Exit, I didn’t mark any such passages.
Exit definitely does have its moments; I did find myself at times fascinated or provoked into thinking further on a topic, did want to further research some references. But overall the book left me wanting more both in terms of content and style.
January 22, 2025
“Fascist regimes depend on unity of thought, or submission to it. Art lifts the spirit too much for that. It teaches us about ourselves and takes us out of ourselves.” Laura Waddell’s recent book, Exit, part of Bloomsbury’s ‘Object Lessons’ series, is an astute and perfectly measured journey in and out of all things exit. Incorporating a history and poetics of exits, Waddell roams engagingly and entertainingly through something that never once feels niche, with word associations, world/cultural histories, and meditations on architecture, climate, cities, existentialism — to name a few of the stops on Waddell’s whirlwind tour. Personal highlights include the insightful, hilarious, bleak essay on Brexit, Sesame Street and garbage, and the totally perfect reference to everyone’s favourite bad, honking goose in Untitled Goose Game. Waddell is one of the best voices of socio-cultural exegesis right now, and holds her argument together with humour, wisdom, and an unmistakable personal touch.
September 27, 2020
Overall I love this Object Lessons series, but this one was less enjoyable than many of the others. It just didn’t gel for me, being too unfocussed and disjointed, and without any obvious thesis. The author’s random examples of exits, both real and metaphorical, didn’t hang together and felt too random. Some interesting points, to be sure, but in general the book only held my attention in snatches.
October 26, 2020
A collection of thoughts and ponderances on the meaning, relevance, and symbology of exits. This book is part of a collection of similar works reflecting on everyday objects or things which we take for granted, but which hold deeper meaning. This one in particular is well written and engaging. Now I want to read more of them.
July 18, 2020
Thoughtfully and beautifully written. A quick read, I really enjoyed this book. The author covers a wide variety of subjects, but it all comes together well. The vignettes at the end of the book were particularly good.
May 27, 2020
Absolutely fascinating engaging essays about class, climate change and privilege,
Highly recommend and I'll look for more books by Laura Waddell.
Highly recommend and I'll look for more books by Laura Waddell.
September 22, 2020
A wee bit chaotic, weirdly Americanised, this is a fun canter through metaphorical and tangible exits.
October 24, 2020
The essay as a portal into a world of specifics. The essay as a portal into a world where you might be able to see the big picture. The essay as a portal into a world.
July 22, 2020
Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons is a series of short monographs where up and coming writers give their takes on everyday objects and how they relate to the overall culture. There are two approaches. Some authors present a straightforward history of the item in question such as Jack Pendavis’ volume on cigarette lighters or Harry Brown’s book on golf balls.
The other approach is to use the object as a metaphor to riff on whatever bee is in the author's bonnet at the time. Jean-Michele Rabate’s Rust dealt mainly with 19th Century critic, John Ruskin’s, theories about color. Kara Thompson’s work, Blanket, spent many pages on the U.S. government’s policy toward Native American tribes.
Laura Waddell’s new book, Exit, takes this second approach. There is a short chapter on how the famous Triangle Shirtwaist fire led to the development of exit signs in public buildings. But much of the book is taken up with Waddell’s opinions on President Trump’s immigration policy. Brexit, the revival of the Scottish language, feminism and the author's personal life.
If you like well crafted, left-of-center editorials, then you should enjoy Exit. But those reading for information will find little of value in this volume.
The other approach is to use the object as a metaphor to riff on whatever bee is in the author's bonnet at the time. Jean-Michele Rabate’s Rust dealt mainly with 19th Century critic, John Ruskin’s, theories about color. Kara Thompson’s work, Blanket, spent many pages on the U.S. government’s policy toward Native American tribes.
Laura Waddell’s new book, Exit, takes this second approach. There is a short chapter on how the famous Triangle Shirtwaist fire led to the development of exit signs in public buildings. But much of the book is taken up with Waddell’s opinions on President Trump’s immigration policy. Brexit, the revival of the Scottish language, feminism and the author's personal life.
If you like well crafted, left-of-center editorials, then you should enjoy Exit. But those reading for information will find little of value in this volume.
December 31, 2020
I can't say I've ever read a book dedicated solely to the importance, in all its forms, of exits before I came across this. Exits, in all their shapes, sizes and guises, have led us all into and out of moments in our lives that shape not just our own world, but that of the population, and the future generations. It's that aspect that made me keep reading this book and although it's not one I'd read again or recommend, I must commend Laura for creating a read that's rather unique.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews