Our Shared Shelf discussion

Or anything else by Maggie Nelson?

Do you have any advice or strategies for first time readers who are new to this book/author?

I am new to this book also

Read Argonauts last year. Some parts disturbed me a little - but that's more about my own conservative attitudes to the body, which is good because it pushed me to consider my own pre-set ideas about certain issues. She also brings in some critical theories in her writings, which might be a little intimidating. Read slowly, take notes if you want, and mull over the ideas if you wish.

It's a rich, worthwhile read.

I thought I'd share this quote from an interview with Maggie Nelson from a year ago:

Does it matter to you how your audience reads the book? “Bluets” is the type of book you can read in a day, but then feel compelled to go back to and take your time with. “The Argonauts” makes a similar impact. Do you worry about a style that might encourage this fast reading (David Shields uses the complimentary word “velocity”)?

I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. If I write something with velocity that’s 50,000 words or under, I would think it would be a little weird if someone needed all summer to get through it. It’s not “In Search of Lost Time” or “War and Peace” or something. In fact, with books like “The Argonauts” or “Bluets,” the structure is probably going to be clearer to you if you can take it in all at once. But whatever floats your boat, you know — I’m not into being bossy with readers.

--
The interview is from Salon and it's short and worth the read! She talks a bit about the process of writing about someone with whom you are living, which was something I've been wondering about as I've started reading.
http://www.salon.com/2015/05/08/autho...

Both author and book are new to me.

Just finished it and I really can't wait to see what you all think :)

I'm about halfway through, now. I would have been able to finish it in one sitting but I've been re-reading a lot of the passages multiple times to really let the layers of meaning soak in. It's utterly fascinating, I can't wait for discussion to begin because I've never read a writing style like this, before.

I've never read it and I've never heard of the book or author! So excited to dive into this next week after my brothers wedding on Saturday!!!

Hi! I actually used this book as a primary text in my undergrad thesis - which I just presented this past Friday! The Argonauts made me fall in love with Maggie Nelson as a writer because this book is the first one that has ever reflected my reality/relationship so well, as a woman with a trans partner. I recommend reading it all straight through if possible - this was not my original intention the first time around, but I was hooked and there are no chapter breaks so it all felt like one long "flow" to me. You will catch on with Nelson's form, a wonderful blend of criticism and memoir, in no time.

Danielle wrote: "Hi! I actually used this book as a primary text in my undergrad thesis - which I just presented this past Friday! The Argonauts made me fall in love with Maggie Nelson as a writer because this book..."

Congrats on finishing your thesis! I wish I had realized the lack of chapter breaks before I dove in, as I didn't have time to read straight through when I first sat down with it. Once I started, I didn't want to stop, but I'm waiting for a time when I can read the rest in one sitting before I pick it up again. Hopefully in the next couple of days.

I read it last year, and in one sitting, the flow of it just kept me going through the whole thing. I did go back and reread some parts of it sometimes, as there are many meanings behind her words and a lot of thoughts worth going over again so it's good to take time to understand it properly. There's quite a bit of philosophy in it as well so it's also worth paying attention to it. Maggie is brilliant, it's a great read.
Funny how I didn't even notice there was no chapter breaks until I now read that here, guess I really was hooked.

I finished it a few weeks ago. The structure and flow of the writing took a while for me to get used to. Overall, I really enjoyed it and it made me think a lot! There were some parts I absolutely loved.

I listened to it as audio book narrated by the author and I thought it was awful. Not the book, the narration. So I definitely recommend getting the print book

Megan wrote: "I listened to it as audio book narrated by the author and I thought it was awful. Not the book, the narration. So I definitely recommend getting the print book"

Interesting! I've never listened to audiobooks so I wonder what makes one good or bad?

Does anyone know where to get or borrow this book cheap? My library does not have it...

I read The Argonauts earlier this year and absolutely loved it. I can't wait to see the discussion about this once more people finish it!

It's a short book, but her prose is so wonderful and poetic, I recommend taking your time with it. I enjoyed the fluidity of her writing--it's like an art form and meant to be savored, I think. There's also a lot of nuances to unpack and may take a while to digest.

Sam wrote: "Does anyone know where to get or borrow this book cheap? My library does not have it..."

Check out these threads:
Announcements > May book!! The Argonauts, by Maggie Nelson
Pay it forward! > May—The Argonauts, Maggie Nelson

Megan wrote: "I listened to it as audio book narrated by the author and I thought it was awful. Not the book, the narration. So I definitely recommend getting the print book"

i wouldn't say it was awful, but it certainly wasn't good. my bigger issue with the audiobook was it went much faster than my brain could process the theories and ideas. i have to get a print version and go back through it.

It isn't processing the ideas that slowed you down. It's trying to process the words that she uses to express the ideas. The ideas are lovely and insightful but the one must reread a sentence two or three times sometimes to figure outn what she's saying and then when you realize what she's saying, she could habe ssaid it so much clearer. I know of MANY friends who would not tackle this book because they are not intellectually up to the task of the language. I had a male chauvinist friend once who said that the problem with feminism is that we write for the intellectuals and for each other and aren't trying to reach the people who are new to it or who really want to understand it.

Sandy wrote: "It isn't processing the ideas that slowed you down. It's trying to process the words that she uses to express the ideas. The ideas are lovely and insightful but the one must reread a sentence two o..."

I think different books can accomplish different things, though. We can't expect every author to change their writing to appeal to the majority. I wouldn't expect someone who was new to feminism to start with this book. There are plenty of other books that are more equipped to set them up for the basics that are not targeted to an intellectual audience.

It also comes back to the idea that it is the job of the marginalized the educate those who are resistant to their ideas. I wouldn't expect Maggie Nelson or Harry Dodge to change the way they think, speak, and write, just so that others could understand. As others have expressed elsewhere: I'm not going to do your homework for you. You can learn more about these concepts yourself, and when you're ready to talk about the specifics of a complicated issue, we can do that. (btw, the "you" I'm referring to is not "you," Sandy, but perhaps your chauvinist friend or someone else who wants to be spoon fed the basics of feminism)

@Sandy You bring up an interesting point about language and feminism - in the 1990s particularly, writing incredibly difficult sentences about gender was the style for theorists (and Judith Butler, who has since simplified her style, was the master). I personally find Maggie Nelson's style to be a wonderfully updated version of such writing, but I suspect her writing is heavily influenced by the theorists she draws from!

But I do agree with @Katelyn's point as well - I happen to like her method of diving right in! Immersion in the theories/language worked for me and taught me lots, in the case of this book.

Side note for those of you interested in a much less dense, more poetic version of this style by Nelson - check out her book Bluets! It's a short book of prose poetry that can also be read straight through due to its lack of breaks.

I agree with everything being said here. This is a very interesting and challenging read and has taught me much. I was simply responding to Emma who thought it was her brain that was slowing her down...

I found the structure of this book fascinating. Both disjointed and a perfect flow at the same time. But I feel like this set up mimics how life is. The topics are all separate and overlay at the same time. Life, death, love, family, work, good times, trying times. My mind does not follow one aspect of my life all they way through to the end of the line. I constantly jump from mother, to lover, to student, to worker and find my self touching on all bases several times a day.

I did love this book, but I'm not entirely sure why yet - for such a short book it really packs a punch. I feel like I took so much in that was so poignant and I need some to marinate with everything that happened to decide how I feel about things she wrote or theories and philosophies she presented. I know I have made this sound like a chore, but I am actually excited by it and look forward to reading it again with some perspective.

New for me!

This is my first time reading Maggie Nelson-it was a challenge as I read mainly fiction and it's been many years since I've read any feminist theory-there have clearly been developments in the field!

I loved the flow of the text, the vocabulary was rich and there were many ideas that were new to me-lots to mull over as I go through some of the other posts and threads here.

My copy just came in at the library so should get to it this weekend.

We ADORED this book. Nelson is so vulnerable and raw. Our tip would be to just go into it with no expectations, and let it find the parts of you that it speaks to the most. <3

Having read Butler and Sedgwick before, I was a bit more familiar with the theories she was working with than some, but it was still a full-on mental workout - a fully worthy one though! I loved the way the theories were not there for their own sake but rather in relation to her own life and experience. I have to say the first few pages were demanding and a tiny bit exhausting I confess, but then it just flows into a wonderful journey. I particularly couldn't stop reading once we got to the double narrative of Iggy's birth and the death of Harry's mum. It was masterful!

Francine wrote: "I particularly couldn't stop reading once we got to the double narrative of Iggy's birth and the death of Harry's mum. It was masterful!"

Francine, I completely agree. That part of the book was written and put together so well! I re-read it a couple of times.

I just finished this book today (a little late I know!) but I can honestly say it was the first book I haven't liked at all! Yes there were some good morals about living life on your own terms but other than that, it was awful. I found it very crude and derogatory when it comes to language and confusing and horribly unstructured when it comes to the writing.