Teresa's Reviews > A Plea for Eros: Essays

I suppose I am drawn to Siri Hustvedt's writings, because I am interested in the same things she is: memory and place; the nature of art; Henry James; Our Mutual Friend; Dickens; and 19th-century English literature in general, all of which (and more) she addresses in this collection. I relate to her descriptions of her inner world, especially those from when she was a child and an adolescent. But Hustvedt is a lot smarter than I am, so I'm happy to have my outlook on these topics expanded by her.

When this book came out I was excited, because I love her earlier collection, Yonder: Essays. Upon opening this book, I was disappointed to see that the first three essays are repeats from the earlier book. I understand why her publisher reissued them, as the three 'reruns' are wonderful -- the essay titled "Yonder" is my favorite -- and I'm guessing the first collection is now officially out-of-print, plus she'd become more known since the publication of What I Loved.