Words and Worlds

by Alison Lurie

In this candid and bluntly humorous collection of essays on a wide range of topics, Lurie begins with a candid portrait of her life at Radcliffe during World War II when the smartest women in the country were treated like second-class citizens, the most scholarly among them expected to work in factories to support the war effort. She moves on to her unheralded, clumsy attempts and near failure to be a writer, and finally having reached a level of recognition, the great good fortune of forming close relationships with other writers and editors and great thinkers, including Robert Silver of the New York Review of Books, the poet James Merrill and the illustrator, Edward Gorey. On this fascinating journey, we are amused by her insightful, often delightfully funny meditations on topics like “deconstruction” and beloved children’s literature series such as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Harry Potter, and Barbar. A crowning reminiscence from a much beloved and celebrated writer.

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction, Memoir

225 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2019

About the author

Alison Stewart Lurie was an American novelist and academic. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her 1984 novel Foreign Affairs. Although better known as a novelist, she wrote many non-fiction books and articles, particularly on children's literature and the semiotics of dress.

Reviews

[Don Gerstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This turned out to be an interesting book, one that I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy. In fact, I had set it down and wasn’t looking forward to picking it back up. The writing was superb, but the initial articles were not concerning areas I had an interest in learning.

That is, until the author began to talk about authors and books. Suddenly, I was hooked, and the previously mentioned quality of writing took on a different tone. Diving to a deeper level of knowledge of a person’s life can be extremely fascinating, especially if you only know about that writer through his or her work.

Articles on children’s books followed, bringing a different perspective to well-known characters such as Pinocchio and Babar. Even though there have been countless words written about Harry Potter, the visit in this book was captivating because it focused her editorial spotlight from a different angle than most. In fact, all of author Alison Lurie’s entries contain an aspect that sets her articles on a level separate from many other writers. This can easily be recognized in a humorous take on feminism, marriage, and last names (My Name or Yours). Another article on witchcraft contained a myriad of interesting facts, many that I had never seen before.

Because it is collection of previously published work, one can easily finish an article and set the book aside until later. For myself, once I got past the initial couple of articles, I found myself not wanting to stop, or finding ways to return as soon as possible. Recommended. Five stars.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow I had never heard of Alison Lurie before—surprising since she has been publishing her work for well over half a century. So happy, then, that with the collection “Words and Worlds,” I finally have the opportunity to experience her sharp wit and intelligent writing. I’m fairly sure that all of these pieces have been published before—in many cases quite a long time ago—so this isn’t the book to turn to for discussions of contemporary issues (although Lurie’s profile of her friend Edward Gorey feels particularly current given the publicity surrounding the recent publication of Mark Dery’s Gorey biography “Born to Be Posthumous”). But if you love great writing about a variety of subjects that normally wouldn’t sound enticing (knitting or zippers, anyone?) but that are fascinating in Lurie’s capable hands, then “Words and Worlds” is a perfect choice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delphinium Books for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review. Recommended.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable. My favorites were on knitting, Edward Gorey, Barbar, and last names.

[Bandit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book I’ve realized that it might be the first book of essays I’ve ever read. I was surprised. I read extensively and widely. How can this be? But then again, I never really was too into the idea of someone’s random tangents in a book form. Apparently I might have been missing out, because this was a very enjoyable read, random and tangential as it might have been. I wasn’t familiar with Lurie’s work prior to reading this book, it was a completely random and uncharacteristic Netgalley selection for me, but she’s an accomplished Pulitzer winning author of both fiction and nonfiction, so I did well for my introduction to the world of essays. In this collection Lurie covers a range of subjects from some autobiographical sketches to biographical ones to critical theory (the slowest, densest one, in fact read aloud it proved a perfect sleeping aid to my fiancé) to witches to children’s book to fashion. But the thing is all of these essays were very clever and very interesting and very informative. Without exception. That’s a great statistic for any collection of any sort. My favorites were probably the ones about the classic works of children’s literature. I’m normally not a fan of literary criticism, but these were presented in such a way that they genuinely shed new light on old well known and loved stories and I very much enjoyed the comparisons between different versions i.e original properly disturbing and much darker European ones and the cutified Disney ones. But all of these were such great reads, Lurie has a terrific gift for observational writing. Even the stories on fashion, something of almost no interest to me, fascinated, providing clever historical perspectives on everyday objects. Old people, provided they’ve had interesting, intellectually stimulating lives and have managed to retain their facilities, really are the absolutely best conversationalists and storytellers. (Not that this wouldn't have been equally enjoyable had the author been young, I don't want to seem ageist, though I kind of am, especially considering how tedious the millennial generation has turned out to be). So this was in a way like conversations (albeit format restrictingly one sided) with a fascinating, highly intelligent and well spoken 92 year old. Awesome. I’m a fan, Might even be a convert or at least certainly no longer a person who stays away from essay collections. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words and Worlds

From Autobiography to Zippers

by Alison Lurie

Delphinium


Biographies & Memoirs , Nonfiction (Adult)

Pub Date 14 May 2019





I am reviewing a copy of Words and World’s through Delphinium and Netgalley:



In this engaging collection of newly published essays. In this book of essays the novelist gathers reflections on the writing life as well as sharing fond recollections of inspiring friends as well as perceptive, playful commentary, ranging from Children’s Litt, to fashion and feminism. In this book she cites her husbands comment to her that “No one asked you to write a novel,” Lurie uses this book to explain why there was never another choice for her, she was meant to write.



Alison Lurie looks back to her life as a college student at Radcliffe in the 1940’s, a time when the world was at war, there was rations and a wall of sexism was up, a well that said Harvard was only for men. In this book Lurie offer a gleeful glimpse into Jonathan Miller’s production of Hamlet, as well as a place for memorializing mentors and close friends like the poet James Merrill, Illustrator Edward Gorey and New York Review Of Books Co-editor Barbara Epstein! In Words and World’s Lurie celebrates the creative artists who both encouraged as well as inspired her!



Alison Lurie is a lifelong devotee Of Children’s Literature who suggests saying no to Narnia, encourages us to revisit The Harry Potter series, she also tells the truth about Pinocchio.





In this book Lurie returns to a favorite subject of hers, that being fashion, she goes on to discuss the symbolism and meaning of Aprons, talks about how the invention of the zipper made dressing both faster as well as sexier and tells of how being abandoned by Vogue at the age of sixty gave her true freedom in fashion.





I found Words and World’s to be an entertaining, well written book, and though I cannot say I agree with every aspect of this book, I do believe it is worthy of five out of five stars!





Happy Reading!

[Cathryn Wellner · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a lifetime of literary success to draw from, Alison Lurie has created a collection of essays that reminisce, engage, observe, and prod. The pieces vary from a handful of pages to more the length of a novella. Some feel a bit like period pieces. Things have evolved in what were earlier considered women's domains, such as fashion rules, aprons, and knitting, but Lurie's observations are always clever and fascinating.

Lurie takes us behind the scene with such significant figures as New York Times Book Review editor Barbara Epstein, illustrator Edward Gorley, and poet James Merrill. To read about them through the eyes of a friend brings them to full, colourful life.

The piece on Jonathan Miller's production of Hamlet, in 1974, is one of my favourites. She introduces us to the quirks of the actors, the pressures of mounting such a production, the superstitions that pass from one generation of actors to the next, and the gritty financial realities that accompany a career in the arts.

Anyone who reads Words and Worlds will see Pinocchio, Harry Potter, and the world of Narnia with new eyes and will come away with the sense of being led on a literary and cultural journey by a canny guide. 

The lack of transitions makes the collection feel random rather than cohesive, with content that sometimes carries the dust of age without a bridge to today. Still,  Lurie's wit and keen observations are delightful reading, with enough gems scattered along the path to make the book engaging. 

[Prathap · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't familiar with Alison Lurie's writing going into this book but it didn't serve to be a deterrent to enjoy her lucid style. This book, with its varied collection of essays, starts off in somewhat memoir style with chapters from Lurie's early writing life. However, it becomes progressively interesting when Lurie jumps headfirst into topics such as feminism and its roots, the Disneyfication of fairy tales that are often grim otherwise, CS Lewis and his deep-rooted beliefs in Christianity that percolated into the tales of Narnia, Rowling's portrayal of rebellious children in Harry Potter that drew ire from the gatekeepers of Christian and loops the book together with a fabulous few chapters on insights and brief history of fashion (hence the title reference) chapter how fashion shaped our sartorial senses throughout the centuries. It's an easy enough read (I read it on a train) that offers new insights and throws lights on everyday topics. I'm now intrigued by Lurie's writing and this book has prompted me to want to pick up her other books in the days to come.
(PS: Received a review copy from Netgalley).

[Jamie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wide Range of Essays

Before this book, I had never heard of the author. Even though it is rather late in the game, I am delighted to have found her. You can tell by her writing style that she has been doing this for decades, as the words seemed to effortlessly flow, conveying humor and deep insight at turns. I found it immersive in a way that rarely happens for me in nonfiction—I usually reserve that word for my fiction reading—and a genuine pleasure to read. The book is a collection of essays that seem to have been written over the course of her long writing career. She discusses a wide range of topics, from fashion to book reviews to art to feminism. I think her writing was the strongest when discussing children's books, though I enjoyed the other essays as well. Because they are essays, if you are not enjoying your current one, you can easily skip to the next. All in all, I found this to be a great read as the author has a thoughtful mind that has contemplated the world she lives in; she has then eloquently written about her insights.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Delphinium and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alison Lurie has always been a favorite of mine, but it wasn't until I started this book of essays that I realized how very widely she has written. With no fear of appearing dated, she goes back to her time at Radcliffe, talks about her early days and how she started writing, gives fascinating insight into well-known fairy/folk tales - all beautifully written (of course) and engaging. Although not all the essays will strike everyone's interests, all of them are worth reading just to hear her voice talking about her life experience. Highly recommended!

[Fer Benavides · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

Este libro me sorprendió para bien, lo encontré de pura casualidad y lo empecé de la misma forma. Fue como sí me estuviese llamando y esperando.

Me encantó la ligereza en la forma de escribir que tiene Alison y sus reflexiones me hicieron darle vuelta a muchos temas diversos. Aunque no siempre estuve 100% de acuerdo con sus planteamientos, sí me sentí muy identificada con su perspectiva de la vida y sentí como sí estuviésemos en una conversación de sobremesa, cuando una se permite explorar temas que vienen dandole vueltas en la cabeza.

Muchas gracias Alison.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have admired Alison Lurie's writing style for long, being a fan of her Pulitzer winning novel Foreign Affairs. The erudite spirit of Lurie makes this collection of essays truly shine. In the preface, Lurie confesses that all the pieces have been fun for her to write and you can definitely feel this while reading her thoughts on the habit of women taking on the husband's name after marriage, the "boy's" Harvard of the 1940s to children's books such as Pinocchio or Babar

[John Fredrickson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Though there were a couple of essays in this book that I did enjoy, the bulk of this did not carry my interest. This felt like a book wherein the author was talking to herself about things that interested her, but there was little cohesion to the essays other than her own interest in (presumably) sharing these thoughts.

[E.C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Alison Lurie’s novels. This was a great overview of her nonfiction voice. The collection of pieces is uneven, with the shorter, more personal pieces far surpassing the longer academic ones, but overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Rita Ciresi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I had read many of these pieces before, I still found pleasure revisiting Alison Lurie's recollections of her Radcliffe education and her thoughts on Pinocchio and other classics of children's literature.

[Kelli Reddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insightful and interesting read of essays on anything the strikes the authors fancy. From people who have passed away to the lessons learned from fairytales, this was a fascinating collection of stories about the things that matter (and don’t) to the author.

[Olga Vannucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eclectic mix
Of reading picks.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lurie, who won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel Foreign Affairs, is an English professor Cornell University. Here she collects reflections on being a writer, feminism (her essay on women at Radcliffe in the 1940s is especially eye-opening), and fashion. Her love of words comes through it all.

I particularly loved her reflections of people, especially her words on Barbara Epstein, co-editor of the New York Review of Books, and Ted Gorey, of whom she writes, "We began talking and discovered we liked the same books; the only difference was that Ted had already read almost all my favorites, and I hadn’t heard of many of his."

"Our professors were larger-than-life, even heroic figures, who provided not only interpretations of books and events, but dramatic examples of different worldviews and intellectual styles. From among them we and our Harvard contemporaries formed our own views and styles. Clumsily but eagerly we adopted the opinions and imitated the manners of our favorite lecturers."

[BookTrib.com]

If you were already a fan of Pulitzer Prize winner Alison Lurie, this collection of her essays will make you want to be her new best friend. In Words and Worlds: From Autobiography to Zippers (Delphinium Books), she writes about her time at Radcliffe when it was still an all-girls companion college to the all-male Harvard; she writes about theater and deconstructing literature, Edward Gorey, Babar the elephant, Narnia, aprons, and, yup, zippers.

But through it all, she is writing about herself because we readers see her elbow her way through a male-centric world without complaining, whining, or tipping over any metaphorical furniture.

The essays in this book were written over a period of more than 70 years. They begin by introducing the reader to Lurie as a skinny, plain, odd-looking little girl with a crooked smile, deaf in one ear and, by her own admittance, not especially charming. Where do we go from here?

All over the place, apparently.

For a Pulitzer Prize winner (in 1985, for her novel Foreign Affairs), Lurie didn’t have much purchase as a young writer. However, uncowed by lack of encouragement, she wrote. She said it was like a bad habit that she tried sometimes to quit. When she did, though, the boredom was unbearable.

The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/05/295104/