I just finished At Large And At Small: Familiar Essays by Anne Fadiman. Familiar essays were made popular by British gentlemen as they expounded on widely divergent areas of interest but have largely fallen out of favor in recent years. Since I have tended to favor essays by authors writing on a "theme" I was a bit unsure of how much I would like this book. The first essay did not give me much hope. The author talked about her early childhood obsession with butterfly collecting. In spite of a favorite uncle being an enthusiast, this has never been a topic near and dear to my heart so I finished this essay with a bit of dismay since I was really hoping for something a bit less grisly. Three essays in, my patience was rewarded. Yes, she talked about a subject that is an ongoing obsession in my life....ICE CREAM! What could be better? After that, her essays became much more relevant to my life, subjects such as being a night owl in a world of early birds, etc...
I highly enjoyed most of the essays in this small book and would recommend it for others who like to ponder...well, everything.
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