Book, read on May 11, 2026

Author: Maggie Nelson

Rating: ★★★★½

Thoughts: Heard about this from a friend who enjoyed it and I ended up loving it a lot more than I expected (with some caveats). This book is a series of short passages focused on the colour blue, each one numbered. These contain research, quotes, and thoughts from a wide variety of sources. Nelson's writing for each of them is snappy and direct, and I was impressed by how she built off of them, cross referencing them despite the wide range of subject matter that she covered. She examines the colour blue through the lenses of history, science, literature, art, music, and personal anecdotes, but connects them in a manner that's very poetic for lack of a better term. While the subject matter is used in the traditional way as a metaphor for sadness, the book goes over other associations too. There's a lot of depth despite the deceptively simple theme.

Two personal topics that feature prominently alongside the research about blue are Nelson's heartbreak over a former relationship and her friendship with someone who became a quadriplegic after an accident. The only reason this book didn't get the full ★★★★★ rating was because I hated the passages involving the ex. These get a lot more personal and graphic re: sex/the lack thereof. The wit and rhythmic quality featured in all the other passages were absent anytime the word "fucking" was used as a verb and not to be callous, but I just did not care about this man! Sorry!

Thankfully, the aforementioned issue I had was only problem in the first half. The passage of time lessens of the sting of heartbreak, and as the book progresses, the personal entries focus more on the friend. The secondhand accounts of the friend's accident are harrowing, but Nelson expresses so much love for this person through her writing that I couldn't helped but be moved.

Overall, I enjoyed this greatly. Nelson displays such mastery over her craft, and I already have a few passages saved. I'm sure I'll reread it again and save even more as a fellow blue-hearted gal.

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