40 review for Escape into Meaning: Essays on Superman, Public Benches, and Other Obsessions

1. 

   5 out of 5

   Aisling – Jun 12, 2022

   Honestly this is a book where the title and subtitle really promise what they deliver. This is a book on 11 separate (but really interconnected) essays which you can pick up and read and muse about for a while and feel like you've had a nice chat with a clever, interesting fellow. The chapters are full of intelligent references to Emerson, Camus, Woolf, John Stuart Mill, Erik Erikson, Yeats (my favorite) and so many more. And then also Superman, Batman, Pulp Fiction, and the dreadful Cats movie. T Honestly this is a book where the title and subtitle really promise what they deliver. This is a book on 11 separate (but really interconnected) essays which you can pick up and read and muse about for a while and feel like you've had a nice chat with a clever, interesting fellow. The chapters are full of intelligent references to Emerson, Camus, Woolf, John Stuart Mill, Erik Erikson, Yeats (my favorite) and so many more. And then also Superman, Batman, Pulp Fiction, and the dreadful Cats movie. The first chapter is arguably important because it explains the why of the book but at first it reads a bit like a college essay on Emerson. Stick with the book, I promise it improves and you do need that background and to understand the author's enthusiasm for Emerson to approach the remaining chapters. All in all a bit of a slow start but then I really enjoyed picking up this book and reading a chapter-- even when it was about something I have zero interest in (Superman)-- because the author is passionate about his subject and he writes well. Even about the struggle of writing. Aside from the writing on Yeats (and this book is worth reading just for that, really) I found the essay on public benches/public spaces incredibly interesting and I could never have dreamed I would be interested in urban planning.

2. 

   4 out of 5

   Michael Clancy – Jun 16, 2022

   I’ve never read a book of essays before this, and now I may never want to again. It doesn’t appeal to me. No story, no biography, no meaningful historical content, no depth. Nothing but a lot of rambling on. I guess I am not into commentary. Got as far as‘The Lord of the Rings’ section and had enough. Had to DNF it. Received it as a Goodreads Advance Reader Edition which I do appreciate, but it was a dud for me.

3. 

   4 out of 5

   Emily – Mar 01, 2022

   Reviewed for Booklist.

4. 

   5 out of 5

   Susan Walker –

5. 

   4 out of 5

   Montgomery Jones –

6. 

   5 out of 5

   G –

7. 

   4 out of 5

   Wa Kanda –

8. 

   4 out of 5

   Michael Onwe –

9. 

   5 out of 5

   Christina Stockard –

10. 

    5 out of 5

    Alana –

11. 

    4 out of 5

    Bram –

12. 

    5 out of 5

    Alan Castillo –

13. 

    5 out of 5

    Ben –

14. 

    4 out of 5

    Koray Atlay –

15. 

    5 out of 5

    Zach Feinberg –

16. 

    5 out of 5

    Eduardo Reis –

17. 

    5 out of 5

    Barış –

18. 

    4 out of 5

    Joel –

19. 

    4 out of 5

    leila –

20. 

    4 out of 5

    Kenny –

21. 

    5 out of 5

    Abby True –

22. 

    5 out of 5

    Jaclyn Brett Lewis –

23. 

    4 out of 5

    Serena –

24. 

    5 out of 5

    Thomas Cato –

25. 

    4 out of 5

    Michał Dzięcielski –

26. 

    4 out of 5

    Moira –

27. 

    5 out of 5

    Rohan Parikh –

28. 

    5 out of 5

    Katelyn –

29. 

    5 out of 5

    Yannis –

30. 

    4 out of 5

    Bogdan Vilimonović –

31. 

    4 out of 5

    Kendra –

32. 

    4 out of 5

    Georges Nahas –

33. 

    4 out of 5

    Maciek Klimowicz –

34. 

    5 out of 5

    Elmer van Hooijdonk –

35. 

    4 out of 5

    Sam Rees –

36. 

    5 out of 5

    Giovanni Casanova –

37. 

    4 out of 5

    Deepankar Dangwal –

38. 

    4 out of 5

    Kevin Haar –

39. 

    5 out of 5

    Saurav Shukla –

40. 

    4 out of 5

    Anders –