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THE LONGING FOR LESS

Name: THE LONGING FOR LESS
Author: Kyle Chayka
ISBN: 978-1-63557-210-0

LIVING WITH MINIMALISM

by Kyle Chayka ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 21, 2020

A superb outing from a gifted young critic that will spark joy for many readers.

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From the delights of decluttering to the stillness of Kyoto’s rock gardens—an intriguing deep dive into the many manifestations of minimalism.

In this lively debut, freelance writer Chayka (New York Times Magazine, n+1, Paris Review, etc.) explores the universal desire for a “different, simpler…more authentic world” as evinced in the austerity of minimalism. Feeling overwhelmed by materialism, many of us believe “less could be better than more—in possessions, in aesthetics, in sensory perception, and in the philosophy with which we approach our lives.” The author’s book draws on examples from throughout history, as seen through the lens of four common qualities: reduction (seeking simplicity through getting rid of things), emptiness (including the minimalism of architect Philip Johnson), silence (exemplified by composer John Cage’s 4’33”), and shadow (reflecting the ambiguity of Japanese Buddhism). In Chayka’s view, the trendy lifestyle minimalism made popular by Marie Kondo and celebrated on SoHo storefronts (“Fewer, better”) is the least of it. Sorting through your house will not bring “happiness, satisfaction, and peace of mind.” The author’s main interest is in the deeper minimalism of visual art, music, and philosophy that works “against” strict rules, offering no advice or solutions but confronting “existential questions on how to live in the modern world.” The best of minimalism, argues Chayka, is found in “the fundamental miracle of our moment-to-moment encounter with reality” in the “quietly meditative” paintings of Agnes Martin, the metal boxes (“just there, without content”) of artist Donald Judd, and Japanese philosopher Shuzo Kuki’s (1888-1941) writing on “iki,” the acceptance of uncertainty. Chayka discusses the lives and works of these and other minimalists, and he chronicles his visits to museums, Zen gardens, art installations, and a sensory deprivation spa, where he discovered the pleasantness of nothingness. The book is so thoughtful and absorbing it is quibbling to wish there were more photos and some consideration of literary minimalism.

A superb outing from a gifted young critic that will spark joy for many readers.

Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-63557-210-0

Page Count: 272

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.