| Title | : | The Paris Review, Issue 247, Spring 2024 |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 247 |
| Publication | : | Published March 1, 2024 |
The Paris Review, Issue 247, Spring 2024 Reviews
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I enjoyed both the interviews - one with Jhumpa Lahiri and one with Alice Notley. Was excited to experience something by Joy Williams for the first time but remain unsure of how I feel about her haha. I LOVED all the art in this issue, especially Farah Al Qasimi's "Miracle Garden". The short stories were okay but I particularly disliked "Derrida in Lahore".
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A great issue to experience the strengths of the Paris Review. It contains prose from around the world, unconventional poetry, and interviews with two authors from different backgrounds.
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Made me renew my subscription, great issue. loved the art of fiction and art of poetry interviews simply for the insight into such interesting lives. and the joy williams piece has me wanting buy her book that it was an excerpt from.
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felt like a good, hearty meal.
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Loved the interview with Jhumpa Lahiri - especially hearing about her love of Italy and her thoughts on living there as a non-Italian.
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These are always five stars
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An ultimately okay edition of the Paris Review. Stand outs for me where the interviews and the Eliot Weinberger piece tucked away at the end. See below for my breakdown. (I don't rate the poetry, just isn't my wheel house.) Ultimate Score: 2.6
The Beautiful Salmon - Joanna Kavenna : 3/5. I found this story not very memorable but very fun to read. I thought Kavenna did an outstanding job of capturing that fear that lives within anybody at a party where you're worried "am I more drunk/high than anybody else here??"
Art of Fiction No. 262 - Jhumpa Lahiri: 4/5. I've read some interviews here where the interviewer and the artist have zero chemistry, this was FAR from the case. The playful banter between Lahiri and Pacifico was a nice touch of the human, though you can tell Pacifico was really shooting for the moon with the Taylor Swift reference that, disappointedly, fell flat. Banter aside, Lahiri tells a wonderful story of her life and how she, now famously, moved to Italy while at the top of the literary world.
Concerning the Future of Souls - Joy Williams: 1/5. This really fell flat for me. I understand (I think) what Williams was going for here but it's a crime that this piece is featured in the same issue as Weinburger (more on that later) who, in my opinion, does this type of writing much better.
An Eye in the Throat - Samanta Schweblin: 2/5. A sad story that lacked any real sense of anything beyond that sadness at the heart of it. It felt like there was so much going on here, none of which really seemed to pan out.
Derrida in Lahore - Julien Columeau: 2/5. This suffers from a similar illness as An Eye in the Throat. It's not really sad, but it does definitely just build and build until eventually petering out. Real King of Comedy energy.
The Art of Poetry No. 116 - Alice Notley: 4/5. This has by far the funniest ending I've ever read to any of these interviews. Overall a very engaging interview and recounting of a life as a poet, following around one man to their death after another. I can't imagine the repeated heartbreak.
Social Promotion - Elijah Bailey: 1/5. I really just have a bias towards any story written from a child/young teen's point of view. This is very likely informed by having taught middle schoolers for a year in Queens.
The Ceaseless Murmuring of Innumerable Bees - Eliot Weinberger: 4/5. Eliot Weinberger cannot keep getting away with it. But in all seriousness, while the ultimate landing was pretty eh for this piece, it was such a damn pleasure to read. With Weinberger I am at least always impressed at what he's assembled in every piece. -
No misses in this one
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After picking up random issues through the years, this is my first time finally subscribing to The Paris Review. This spring issue was a lovely time to do so. Samantha Schweblin’s “An Eye in the Throat” was incredibly captivating, unsettling, and unique. Likely, my very favorite thing about the issue. This was an overall wonderful collection of stories, art, and interviews. I look forward to many future issues of The Paris Review landing on my doorstep.
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"The Beautiful Salmon," leading off this issue, was my favorite of the prose pieces. The interviews were enjoyable as well, in part by the stark contrast in personalities between the two subjects, though I feel like I've read something similar from Lahiri in the past.
Lots of decent and varied (if unremarkable) work otherwise. -
I think this is a very great representative issue for the Review, it’s themed well and every single piece of writing packs a punch. My favourite poems were Tourmaline and Life Poem 1, and I ended up enjoying all of the prose pieces. I loved Derrida in Lahore! Lahiri’s interview also touched on themes of belonging and translation to tie it altogether. It’s a very cohesive issue.
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Jhumpa describing how when she’s writes in Italian the pervasive societal norms attached to life in the states is not there made me see how special language is and how much of a release it can be. One can take on different forms by simply learning another language. Very inspiring.
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The first edition I received through my subscription. I enjoyed "An Eye in the Throat" and the interview with Jhumpa Lahiri, which makes me very satisfied.
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Interviews were great, the art was great, poetry was okay the last piece and the last story just weren't for me.
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Ok I only read the Jhumpa Lahiri interview.
But I liked it a lot. -
Generally all good: The Beautiful Salmon/Derrida in Lahore were favourites but the Ceaseless Murmuring of Bees surprised me. Lahiri interview was great.
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I especially liked the pieces by Joy Williams, Samantha Schweblin, and Eliot Weinberger.
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Highlights: Jhumpa Lahiri, Samanta Schweblin, Alice Notley, Eliot Weinberger
