Approaching Eye Level

By Vivian Gornick

Book Overview

Seminal essays on loneliness, living in New York, friendship, feminism, and writing from nonfiction master Vivian Gornick

Vivian Gornick's Approaching Eye Level is a brave collection of personal essays that finds a quintessentially contemporary woman (urban, single, feminist) trying to observe herself and the world without sentiment, cynicism, or nostalgia. Whether walking along the streets of New York or teaching writing at a university, Gornick is a woman exploring her need for conversation and connection--with men and women, colleagues and strangers. She recalls her stint as a waitress in the Catskills and a failed friendship with an older woman and mentor, and reconsiders her experiences in the feminist movement, while living alone, and in marriage.

Turning her trademark sharp eye on herself, Gornick works to see her part in things--how she has both welcomed and avoided contact, and how these attempts at connections have enlivened and, at times, defeated her. First published in 1996, Approaching Eye Level is an unrelentingly honest collection of essays that finds Gornick at her best, reminding us that we can come to know ourselves only by engaging fully with the world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374538255
• ISBN13: 9780374538255
• Release Date: March 2020
• Publisher: Picador Paper
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Nice set of essays/musings

I really enjoyed reading Vivian Gornick's Approaching Eye Level, and I don't even live alone. I didn't read too much into Ms. Gornick's essays; I pretty much took them at face value. Her writing style can be described as a bit rambling but also conversational. She probably write just like she thinks. My favorite essay was the first one, which discussed her first jobs as a student. I just found them really entertaining, and I guess the one I could relate to the best. The other essays centered a bit around living alone, relationships (both friendships and marriage), and feminism. Overall, this book is a quick and interesting read. I certainly wanted to pick it up throughout the day to read - it wasn't a chore. I'll certainly read more from Ms. Gornick.

As an aspiring writer, this book was a turning point for me

This book really connected with me. Gornick is a great storyteller and a thoughful observer. She has a fabulous style of writing. It is clear, but so deep. She writes the most amazing insights about ordinary life. It is eloquent, insightful, but not overly academic like I usually expect books of essays to be. I love reading memoirs that reveal a lot about the author's world. If you like the genre, don't pass up this book.