Reviews
The Book of My Lives is written with the full force of humanity. It will make you think, laugh, cry, and remember yourself. If you've never read Aleksandar Hemon, prepare to have your worldview deepened., Aleksandar Hemon is, quite frankly, the greatest writer of our generation. His literature is deep, agile, funny, graceful, searing, angry, raw, questioning. The Book of My Lives is worth it simply for the dedication: 'For Isabel, forever breathing on my chest.' He writes it, and so she breathes on ours too. Such is the function of storytelling: to get to the essence of that which might eventually break our hearts. This is a book--like all of Aleksandar Hemon's books--that is an aria for our times. I will cherish it., "An extraordinary story."- The New Yorker "As crowded as the pool of contemporary writers wrestling with the American experience has become... no discussion is complete without Aleksandar Hemon."- Chicago Tribune "There's a tendency to look askance at essay collections... as if they had no urgency of their own. I defy anyone to make such an argument after reading Aleksandar Hemon's The Book of My Lives ."- Los Angeles Times, "An extraordinary story."- The New Yorker "As crowded as the pool of contemporary writers wrestling with the American experience has become_ no discussion is complete without Aleksandar Hemon."- Chicago Tribune "There's a tendency to look askance at essay collections_ as if they had no urgency of their own. I defy anyone to make such an argument after reading Aleksandar Hemon's The Book of My Lives ."- Los Angeles Times, Aleksandar Hemon's work crackles with so much humor and irony, so much compassion and humanity, that The Book of My Lives 's true calling almost goes by unnoticed: it is, without doubt, the most necessary, intimate, and heartbreaking portrait of a world lost to one of history's darkest conflicts., " The Book of My Lives is written with the full force of humanity. It will make you think, laugh, cry, and remember yourself. If you've never read Aleksandar Hemon, prepare to have your worldview deepened."Jonathan Safran Foer "Incandescent. When your eyes close, the power of Aleksandar Hemon's colossal talent remains."Junot Díaz "Aleksandar Hemon is, quite frankly, the greatest writer of our generation. His literature is deep, agile, funny, graceful, searing, angry, raw, questioning. The Book of My Lives is worth it simply for the dedication: 'For Isabel, forever breathing on my chest.' He writes it, and so she breathes on ours too. Such is the function of storytelling: to get to the essence of that which might eventually break our hearts. This is a booklike all of Aleksandar Hemon's booksthat is an aria for our times. I will cherish it."Colum McCann "Aleksandar Hemon's work crackles with so much humor and irony, so much compassion and humanity, that The Book of My Lives 's true calling almost goes by unnoticed: it is, without doubt, the most necessary, intimate, and heartbreaking portrait of a world lost to one of history's darkest conflicts."Téa Obreht "I'm not quite sure Aleksandar Hemon counts as an American writer, but he is one of my favorite American writers. Before The Book of My Lives , I never really thought of him as a nonfiction person, but this new booka memoir in essayshas some of his best writing. When Hemon's work is funny, it can make you laugh in spite of everything, and when it is sad, it's hard to stand up afterward."John Jeremiah Sullivan "At once unimaginable and unforgettable." Time "An extraordinary story." The New Yorker "As crowded as the pool of contemporary writers wrestling with the American experience has become...no discussion is complete without Aleksandar Hemon." Chicago Tribune, " The Book of My Lives is written with the full force of humanity. It will make you think, laugh, cry, and remember yourself. If you've never read Aleksandar Hemon, prepare to have your worldview deepened."-Jonathan Safran Foer "Incandescent. When your eyes close, the power of Aleksandar Hemon's colossal talent remains."-Junot Díaz "Aleksandar Hemon is, quite frankly, the greatest writer of our generation. His literature is deep, agile, funny, graceful, searing, angry, raw, questioning. The Book of My Lives is worth it simply for the dedication: 'For Isabel, forever breathing on my chest.' He writes it, and so she breathes on ours too. Such is the function of storytelling: to get to the essence of that which might eventually break our hearts. This is a book-like all of Aleksandar Hemon's books-that is an aria for our times. I will cherish it."-Colum McCann "Aleksandar Hemon's work crackles with so much humor and irony, so much compassion and humanity, that The Book of My Lives 's true calling almost goes by unnoticed: it is, without doubt, the most necessary, intimate, and heartbreaking portrait of a world lost to one of history's darkest conflicts."-Téa Obreht "I'm not quite sure Aleksandar Hemon counts as an American writer, but he is one of my favorite American writers. Before The Book of My Lives , I never really thought of him as a nonfiction person, but this new book-a memoir in essays-has some of his best writing. When Hemon's work is funny, it can make you laugh in spite of everything, and when it is sad, it's hard to stand up afterward."-John Jeremiah Sullivan "At once unimaginable and unforgettable."- Time "An extraordinary story."- The New Yorker "As crowded as the pool of contemporary writers wrestling with the American experience has become...no discussion is complete without Aleksandar Hemon."- Chicago Tribune, " The Book of My Lives is written with the full force of humanity. It will make you think, laugh, cry, and remember yourself. If you've never read Aleksandar Hemon, prepare to have your worldview deepened." -- Jonathan Safran Foer "Incandescent. When your eyes close, the power of Aleksandar Hemon's colossal talent remains." -- Junot Daz "Aleksandar Hemon is, quite frankly, the greatest writer of our generation. His literature is deep, agile, funny, graceful, searing, angry, raw, questioning. The Book of My Lives is worth it simply for the dedication: 'For Isabel, forever breathing on my chest.' He writes it, and so she breathes on ours too. Such is the function of storytelling: to get to the essence of that which might eventually break our hearts. This is a book--like all of Aleksandar Hemon's books--that is an aria for our times. I will cherish it." -- Colum McCann "Aleksandar Hemon's work crackles with so much humor and irony, so much compassion and humanity, that The Book of My Lives 's true calling almost goes by unnoticed: it is, without doubt, the most necessary, intimate, and heartbreaking portrait of a world lost to one of history's darkest conflicts." -- Ta Obreht "I'm not quite sure Aleksandar Hemon counts as an American writer, but he is one of my favorite American writers. Before The Book of My Lives , I never really thought of him as a nonfiction person, but this new book--a memoir in essays--has some of his best writing. When Hemon's work is funny, it can make you laugh in spite of everything, and when it is sad, it's hard to stand up afterward." -- John Jeremiah Sullivan "At once unimaginable and unforgettable." -- Time "An extraordinary story." -- The New Yorker "As crowded as the pool of contemporary writers wrestling with the American experience has become...no discussion is complete without Aleksandar Hemon." -- Chicago Tribune, I'm not quite sure Aleksandar Hemon counts as an American writer, but he is one of my favorite American writers. Before The Book of My Lives , I never really thought of him as a nonfiction person, but this new book--a memoir in essays--has some of his best writing. When Hemon's work is funny, it can make you laugh in spite of everything, and when it is sad, it's hard to stand up afterward., As crowded as the pool of contemporary writers wrestling with the American experience has become...no discussion is complete without Aleksandar Hemon., " The Book of My Lives is written with the full force of humanity. It will make you think, laugh, cry, and remember yourself. If you've never read Aleksandar Hemon, prepare to have your worldview deepened." -- Jonathan Safran Foer "Incandescent. When your eyes close, the power of Aleksandar Hemon's colossal talent remains." -- Junot Díaz "Aleksandar Hemon is, quite frankly, the greatest writer of our generation. His literature is deep, agile, funny, graceful, searing, angry, raw, questioning. The Book of My Lives is worth it simply for the dedication: 'For Isabel, forever breathing on my chest.' He writes it, and so she breathes on ours too. Such is the function of storytelling: to get to the essence of that which might eventually break our hearts. This is a book--like all of Aleksandar Hemon's books--that is an aria for our times. I will cherish it." -- Colum McCann "Aleksandar Hemon's work crackles with so much humor and irony, so much compassion and humanity, that The Book of My Lives 's true calling almost goes by unnoticed: it is, without doubt, the most necessary, intimate, and heartbreaking portrait of a world lost to one of history's darkest conflicts." -- Téa Obreht "I'm not quite sure Aleksandar Hemon counts as an American writer, but he is one of my favorite American writers. Before The Book of My Lives , I never really thought of him as a nonfiction person, but this new book--a memoir in essays--has some of his best writing. When Hemon's work is funny, it can make you laugh in spite of everything, and when it is sad, it's hard to stand up afterward." -- John Jeremiah Sullivan "At once unimaginable and unforgettable." -- Time "An extraordinary story." -- The New Yorker "As crowded as the pool of contemporary writers wrestling with the American experience has become...no discussion is complete without Aleksandar Hemon." -- Chicago Tribune
