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The Book of Delights: Essays

The Book of Delights: Essays

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  • Create Date：2022-09-06 05:19:39
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Ross Gay
  • ISBN：1643753282
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Summary

The New York Times bestselling book of essays celebrating ordinary delights in the world around us by one America's most original and observant writers， award-winning poet Ross Gay。

As Heard on NPR's This American Life

“Ross Gay’s eye lands upon wonder at every turn， bolstering my belief in the countless small miracles that surround us。” —Tracy K。 Smith， Pulitzer Prize winner and U。S。 Poet Laureate

The winner of the NBCC Award for Poetry offers up a spirited collection of short lyrical essays， written daily over a tumultuous year， reminding us of the purpose and pleasure of praising， extolling， and celebrating ordinary wonders。

In The Book of Delights， one of today’s most original literary voices offers up a genre-defying volume of lyric essays written over one tumultuous year。 The first nonfiction book from award-winning poet Ross Gay is a record of the small joys we often overlook in our busy lives。 Among Gay’s funny， poetic， philosophical delights: a friend’s unabashed use of air quotes， cradling a tomato seedling aboard an airplane， the silent nod of acknowledgment between the only two black people in a room。 But Gay never dismisses the complexities， even the terrors， of living in America as a black man or the ecological and psychic violence of our consumer culture or the loss of those he loves。 More than anything else， though， Gay celebrates the beauty of the natural world–his garden， the flowers peeking out of the sidewalk， the hypnotic movements of a praying mantis。

The Book of Delights is about our shared bonds， and the rewards that come from a life closely observed。 These remarkable pieces serve as a powerful and necessary reminder that we can， and should， stake out a space in our lives for delight。

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Reviews

Luke Hillier ，

“So today I am recalling the utility， the need， of my own essayettes to emerge from such dailiness， and in that way to be a practice of witnessing ones delight， of being in and with one’s delight， daily， which actually requires vigilance。 It also requires faith that delight will be with you daily， thar you needn’t hoard it。 No scarcity of delight。” — Ross Gay （“35。 Stacking Delights” from The Book of Delights）For a variety of reasons， this past summer opened itself up onto many paths towards del “So today I am recalling the utility， the need， of my own essayettes to emerge from such dailiness， and in that way to be a practice of witnessing ones delight， of being in and with one’s delight， daily， which actually requires vigilance。 It also requires faith that delight will be with you daily， thar you needn’t hoard it。 No scarcity of delight。” — Ross Gay （“35。 Stacking Delights” from The Book of Delights）For a variety of reasons， this past summer opened itself up onto many paths towards delight in my own life， so it felt like the time had arrived to welcome this book's companionship。 Gay has cemented himself as one of my all-time favorite poets in recent years， and I've been saving this for the right time with anticipation that I'd love his prose as much as his poetry。 He didn't let me down！ I'll name up front that not every entry worked -for me- but that I actually think that added to the beauty of the project。 It is necessarily so personal and intimate to Gay's own distinct life， with all of his own particularities， contexts， communities， and experiences。 In that way， he's modeling his premise and his practice， and I adored those two things so much that it easily made the entire book easy to treasure as a whole even if there were a number of essayettes I breezed through。 Because， ultimately， I believe the gift of this book is not （just） that it invites readers to consider what delighted Ross Gay each day， but that it helps to give each of us eyes to see and ears to hear delight in our own lives in similar fashion。 And that kind of generativity is pretty special， I'd say。 While the endeavor may lead some into a cloying， Pollyanna-optimism， Gay refuses to shy away from all the hardships of life’s undertow here， showing how the hard and heavy is always entangled up with the soft and light。 His attention is almost always towards the magic found in the midst of the seemingly ordinary and everyday —a blooming plant， a kind interaction with a stranger， a stray comment overheard in passing— and the memories and feelings they conjure up for him。 This book is a true celebration of tenderness， delight， & life itself; an amazing companion to me this summer and sure to be revisited in years to come。 Some of the real stand-out gems for me were: --entry 14 （"Joy Is Such a Human Madness"）， reflecting on the intertwined nature of joy and sorrow –functioning as a sort of thesis for the book， really– and the notion of "joining our wildernesses together。"--entry 22 （"Lily on the Pants"） in which spotting a flower embroidered on a passing pair of pants brings to mind the ability of Gay's garden of lilies to annihilate and resurrect with delight those who breathe it in--entry 35 （"Stacking Delights"）， where my opening quote comes from， which details Gay's rejection of scarcity-thinking and rapid relinquishment of delights he'd been hoarding in early anticipation of needing to save for later--entry 47 （"The Sanctity of Trains"） which is maybe the pinnacle of Gay's frequent adoration for simple， sweet interactions with strangers and includes my favorite quote of the book: “The point is that in almost every instance of our lives， our social lives， we are， if we pay attention， in the midst of an almost constant， if subtle， caretaking。 Holding open doors。 Offering elbows at crosswalks。 Letting someone else go first。 Helping with the heavy bags。 Reaching what’s too high， or what’s been dropped。 Pulling someone back to their feet。 Stopping at the car wreck， at the struck dog。 The alternating merge， also known as the zipper。 This caretaking is our default mode and it’s always a lie that convinces us to act or believe otherwise。 Always。”--entry 94 （"Judith Irene Gay， Aged Seventy-six） because， as someone perhaps as self-berating as Gay says his mother is， it made me tear up with hope that I may someday join her in "accepting， it seems， what she is: one of the varieties of light。"--and the exquisitely tender， moving final three entries， 100-102 （"Grown，" "Coco-baby，" and "My Birthday"） which celebrate the small wonders of life， including that of persisting in being alive and occupying a body at all， as only Gay can。 。。。more

Christine ，

Some thought-provoking essays， some quite short， some quite insubstantial， not all full of delight， but worth reading

Sherri ，

A read worth taking slow， reflective and delightful。

hannah ，

3。5。 a very sweet， meandering book。 it didn’t really have a direction， was more a collection of musings， which is fine， just not my favorite type of book。 very wholesome though！ i think i’d enjoy ross gay’s poetry more than i enjoyed this one， so i definitely want to check that out。

Joy Becker ，

This was the perfect book for my "keep in the car" read。 I love short essay books for this purpose。 I can easily pick them up and read for a few minutes whenever my errands allow for it， and even if it takes me months to get through， I have a good book at the ready。 This book wasn't what I was expected when I read summary of year-long delights， but I enjoyed many of the essays， and Gay's unique voice was witty and refreshing。 This was the perfect book for my "keep in the car" read。 I love short essay books for this purpose。 I can easily pick them up and read for a few minutes whenever my errands allow for it， and even if it takes me months to get through， I have a good book at the ready。 This book wasn't what I was expected when I read summary of year-long delights， but I enjoyed many of the essays， and Gay's unique voice was witty and refreshing。 。。。more

Sofia ，

this was required reading for the freshmen this year （delight）。 i love when i am forced to discover things i love。

Kristin Turner ，

This was a cute and enriching book。 It felt like a conversation with a friend at a coffee shop。 Sometimes with serious pearls of wisdom regarding real human issues such as racism， homelessness， or death。 And the “delights” that help people go on despite these unpleasant themes。 And sometimes just silly observations and banter。 The length was just right for me。

ben ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I’m already happy， I don’t need to know thay you wanna fuck ur mom babe

max ，

it was quite boring 😭😭

Tammy ，

A book of essays regaling you in what one person may observe in daily life。 Some reflections were a little TMI。 I had no idea that people would use their own urine in gardening。 I am thankful that I wash every fruit and vegetable before I eat it。

Bibliomama ，

Quite a few are wonderful。 I’m sorry to say quite a few aren’t。

Natalie Park ，

I loved these essays that read like journal entries sharing every day occurrences， delights to the author。 It shows that perspective and noticing the “small” things in life can make everything so much better。

Mary Staplin ，

This was the first book I read for college！ Hooray！ Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me。 It wasn’t bad- and I think that a lot of the things I didn’t like about it were an intentional writing style that just didn’t appeal to me。 Anyways， there were good aspects of the book nevertheless。 There were some very good and interesting lines- and it was cool how sometimes he turned small aspects of his day into overarching and important themes of life。 The thing that did irritate me about this bo This was the first book I read for college！ Hooray！ Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me。 It wasn’t bad- and I think that a lot of the things I didn’t like about it were an intentional writing style that just didn’t appeal to me。 Anyways， there were good aspects of the book nevertheless。 There were some very good and interesting lines- and it was cool how sometimes he turned small aspects of his day into overarching and important themes of life。 The thing that did irritate me about this book was random stories and details and tangents that （to me at least） had no connection to the delight or the message of the passage if there was one。 If felt occasionally like I was just reading random unnecessary stuff that my English teacher would have automatically nixed。 It just confused and frustrated me sometimes- and occasionally made the point of the passage harder to find。 I’m guessing that these choices were intentional， I just didn’t enjoy it， I’m also not a huge fan of poetry and the author is a poet， so I’m guessing our tastes just aren’t the same。 I did enjoy the book more as it went on though。 Anyways， my point is， it wasn’t for me， but I wouldn’t diverge others from reading it， and it did have some interesting moments and passages。 。。。more

Otone ，

I might have enjoyed this more if I had read the author's poetry beforehand， but alas， this was the first time I had come across Ross Gay's work。 As the book is comprised of very short snippets on things he notices every day as a delight， it was clearly not meant to flow as a book to be read in one sitting， so I struggled to make it through and felt rather disengaged by the end。 I might have enjoyed this more if I had read the author's poetry beforehand， but alas， this was the first time I had come across Ross Gay's work。 As the book is comprised of very short snippets on things he notices every day as a delight， it was clearly not meant to flow as a book to be read in one sitting， so I struggled to make it through and felt rather disengaged by the end。 。。。more

Andrew Metadrouid ，

Joyous and mindful

Ana WJ ，

thoughts on the TUBE later today

Wendy Hadley ，

This book made me very happy。 I listened to the audio book， read by the author， and loved hearing him read his writings。 So many of his delights resonated with me and he has me thinking of my own delights in life。 I will read this again in print。 I highly recommend this book。

Mel Levy ，

V delighted

Lucas Gelfond ，

this book greatly improved the tone of my inner monologue

Laura Hancock ，

Some of these essays/essayettes had me laugh-crying out loud。 These were delightful to listen to。 Ross Gay shows us how to see the optimism and delight in everyday life as well as the inequalities in our lives。

Nancy ，

Communication is often fraught with misunderstanding。 Sometimes it is disastrous， and sometimes hilarious。 Ross Gay relates the story of going through an airport security check and chatting with the man patting him down。 “I told him I was going to read poems in Syracuse，” Ross writes， noting the quizzical look on the man’s face。 The man said his mother took him to have his poems read once。 “I never believed in it myself，” the man concluded。 As Gay left he heard the man tell a coworker， “that guy Communication is often fraught with misunderstanding。 Sometimes it is disastrous， and sometimes hilarious。 Ross Gay relates the story of going through an airport security check and chatting with the man patting him down。 “I told him I was going to read poems in Syracuse，” Ross writes， noting the quizzical look on the man’s face。 The man said his mother took him to have his poems read once。 “I never believed in it myself，” the man concluded。 As Gay left he heard the man tell a coworker， “that guy’s being flown to Syracuse to read palms！”What a delight to read。 It lifted my spirits。Ross Gay committed to writing an essay a day， a book of delights about the day’s experiences， the people he encountered， the insights he gleaned。 The loveliness of getting a high-five from a stranger， a waitress who puts her hand on his shoulder。 Mistaking a man on a plane for his late great-uncle。 The joy and terror of being a parent。 The brevity of life。 The pleasure of remembering one’s dreams。 The awareness that each of us lives with some profound sorrow， yet that is also a kind of joy。The biracial Gay grew up in Levittown， PA， a planned， segregated， community。 （For three years in the early 70s I lived up the pike from that community and had visited its homes。） Some days relate darker stories of racism。He talks about music and how a song can transport you back in time。 （His song was by DeBarge， a group I was not familiar with， but discovered the mother of the group was from Royal Oak， MI， where I lived during my teenage years！ That was a delight。）The best way to read this book is day by day， allowing you to enjoy each essay。The book is now available in paperback 。I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more

Taylor （TaysInfiniteThoughts） ，

This book is full of wonderful essays of the delights Ross Gay has decided to record daily in his life。 The author stays optimistic while not being blind to not so great world in each of his essays。 He uses brilliant and lovely language throughout the book that just makes you want to smile while reading。 The Book of Delights by Ross Gay is a heartwarming take on a way to better see the world and yourself in it。 I highly recommend reading it

3 Things About This Book ，

Little book of delights makes you start your own little book of delights。 There must be something that makes us feel delighted， laugh， and stop on our tracks。 This is not a serious memoir in a sense that Ross Gay says “look at my life” but it’s sometimes hilarious， sometimes sad accounts of his days between two birthdays。“I dreamed a few years back that I was in a supermarket checking out when I had the stark and luminous and devastating realization-in that clear way， not that oh yeah way-that m Little book of delights makes you start your own little book of delights。 There must be something that makes us feel delighted， laugh， and stop on our tracks。 This is not a serious memoir in a sense that Ross Gay says “look at my life” but it’s sometimes hilarious， sometimes sad accounts of his days between two birthdays。“I dreamed a few years back that I was in a supermarket checking out when I had the stark and luminous and devastating realization-in that clear way， not that oh yeah way-that my life would end。 I wept in line watching people go by with their carts， watching the cashier move items over the scanner， feeling such an absolute love for this life。 And the mundane fact of buying groceries with other people whom I do not know， like all the banalities， would be no more so soon， or now。 Good as now。”“I suspect it is simply a feature of being an adult， what I will call being grown， or a grown person， to have endured some variety of thorough emotional turmoil， to have made your way to the brink， and， if you're lucky， to have stepped back from it-if not permanently， then for some time， or time to time。 Then it is， too， a kind of grownness by which I see three squares of light on my wall， the shadow of a tree trembling in two of them， and hear the train going by and feel no panic or despair， feel no sense of condemnation or doom or horrible alignment， but simply observe the signs--light and song-for what they are light and song。 And， knowing what I have felt before， and might feel again， feel a sense of relief， which is cousin to， or rather， water to， delight。” 。。。more

Macy Reed ，

This book helped revaluate my mentality of the way I look at the world。 From looking at all the uncompleted items in my life and events that don’t go my way I give my time to the small beautiful moments。 I found this book during a difficult time where I had to find myself again and what made me happy。 While it didn’t solve the issues it aided in me solving my issues。 If you’re looking for a good short daily read to keep you going throughout the day this book is like a shot of espresso for the em This book helped revaluate my mentality of the way I look at the world。 From looking at all the uncompleted items in my life and events that don’t go my way I give my time to the small beautiful moments。 I found this book during a difficult time where I had to find myself again and what made me happy。 While it didn’t solve the issues it aided in me solving my issues。 If you’re looking for a good short daily read to keep you going throughout the day this book is like a shot of espresso for the emotions。 。。。more

Phyllis Searles ，

Some of it I just didn’t get。 Maybe I’m being too literal about it…when it was a delight， I could identify with his writing and point。 When it wasn’t a delight， it felt more like a slog。 I enjoyed it…I think。

Simon Bauer ，

It seems that it's the books that catch me by surprise that stick with me the most。 Both This Is How You Lose the Time War and now The Book of Delights resonate this way。 They're of a genre I hadn't considered I might like and struck with the clarity of a cold shower reminding me there's pleasure in wistfulness， and though the simplicity of living in an apathetic fog is covetous， it surely isn't the reverie I want。Ross Gay's prose is remarkable （as one might expect from a professional poet）， lil It seems that it's the books that catch me by surprise that stick with me the most。 Both This Is How You Lose the Time War and now The Book of Delights resonate this way。 They're of a genre I hadn't considered I might like and struck with the clarity of a cold shower reminding me there's pleasure in wistfulness， and though the simplicity of living in an apathetic fog is covetous， it surely isn't the reverie I want。Ross Gay's prose is remarkable （as one might expect from a professional poet）， lilting word play flowing from phrase to phrase until you reach the end of a sentence and realize it was a paragraph all along。 Sometimes when he's referencing unfamiliar movies or public figures it's hard to follow。 But this is a book about his delights， not mine， & if I've lived this long without knowing who Patrick Swayze is then I'm certainly capable of powering through a tangent about the murderer in a movie he was in。 （Personal delight: Billie Eilish unabashedly not recognizing 80s rock stars）。I have a bad habit of not reading chapter titles， which this book punishes by occasionally using the chapter title as the start of the first sentence， leading to a fun game where I try to keep my eyes from flicking higher on the page while I figure out what the hell he's talking about。I went to see Andrea Gibson in June and came away with a similar feeling。 It's good to breathe and beat， and if these poets keep making me feel a way with their words then at what point do I admit that maybe I like poetry？ 。。。more

Cassie ，

This book made me see things around me in new ways。 I read it after a very difficult season in my life， and it truly aided me in getting grounded again in goodness and simple beauty。 He is so good！ So funny！ So insightful！

Elizabeth ，

A lovely little book of essayettes and meditations on the nature of being。 Ross Gay makes it known that he is a poet， and sometimes he wanders into thoughts with a lyricism that I cannot follow。Favorite essays were:60。 "Joy Is Such Human Madness": The Duff Between Us85。 "My Scythe Jack" A lovely little book of essayettes and meditations on the nature of being。 Ross Gay makes it known that he is a poet， and sometimes he wanders into thoughts with a lyricism that I cannot follow。Favorite essays were:60。 "Joy Is Such Human Madness": The Duff Between Us85。 "My Scythe Jack" 。。。more

Denver Public Library ，

Ross Gay and his book of delights are a bright light in this world， a real gem of an essay collection。 He collects daily delights in the world， but it’s not all joyful revelries， Gay critiques American values and racism， gender norms， and other issues as part of his exploration of delight。 Delight can be a way of addressing social and political problems in our world。 I found myself using the word ‘delightful’ a lot more after reading this。 It’s sweet and varied， full of micro-essays and poetic m Ross Gay and his book of delights are a bright light in this world， a real gem of an essay collection。 He collects daily delights in the world， but it’s not all joyful revelries， Gay critiques American values and racism， gender norms， and other issues as part of his exploration of delight。 Delight can be a way of addressing social and political problems in our world。 I found myself using the word ‘delightful’ a lot more after reading this。 It’s sweet and varied， full of micro-essays and poetic musings。 。。。more

Natalia Mendez ，

A perfect book。 Small bites of joy， it's one I intentionally took a long time to read because I didn't want it to end A perfect book。 Small bites of joy， it's one I intentionally took a long time to read because I didn't want it to end 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Book of Delights: Essays

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Book of Delights: Essays&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Book of Delights: Essays&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0