Why Didn’t You Just Do What You Were Told?
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- Create Date：2021-04-29 00:52:30
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jenny Diski
- ISBN：1526621908
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Summary
A collection of the best of the indomitable Jenny Diski's essays， selected London Review of Books editor Mary-Kay Wilmers。
Jenny Diski was a fearless writer， for whom no subject was too difficult， even her own cancer diagnosis。 Her columns in the London Review of Books selected here by her editor and friend Mary-Kay Wilmers， on subjects as various as death， motherhood， sexual politics and the joys of solitude have been described as "virtuoso performances，" and "small masterpieces。"
From Highgate Cemetery to the interior of a psychiatric hospital， from Tottenham Court Road to the icebergs of Antarctica， Why Didn't You Just Do What You Were Told？ is a collective interrogation of the universal experience from a very particular psyche: original， opinionated and mordantly funny。
Jenny Diski was a fearless writer， for whom no subject was too difficult， even her own cancer diagnosis。 Her columns in the London Review of Books selected here by her editor and friend Mary-Kay Wilmers， on subjects as various as death， motherhood， sexual politics and the joys of solitude have been described as "virtuoso performances，" and "small masterpieces。"
From Highgate Cemetery to the interior of a psychiatric hospital， from Tottenham Court Road to the icebergs of Antarctica， Why Didn't You Just Do What You Were Told？ is a collective interrogation of the universal experience from a very particular psyche: original， opinionated and mordantly funny。
Reviews
Alice Cowley
，
* A collection of essays on various topics/books written by the late and rather fantastic Jenny Diski。* What an absolute joy to read。 Jenny’s writing is full of humour， wit and intrigue。 I have learnt so much from this book and the diverse range of topics， from the titanic to arachnophobia and her own cancer diagnosis。 I did have to google quite a few of the people mentioned but that just added to my knowledge！ * A lovely and refreshing change from my usual fiction。 I recommend this book to anyo * A collection of essays on various topics/books written by the late and rather fantastic Jenny Diski。* What an absolute joy to read。 Jenny’s writing is full of humour， wit and intrigue。 I have learnt so much from this book and the diverse range of topics， from the titanic to arachnophobia and her own cancer diagnosis。 I did have to google quite a few of the people mentioned but that just added to my knowledge！ * A lovely and refreshing change from my usual fiction。 I recommend this book to anyone and everyone！ 。。。more
J Earl
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Why Didn't You Just Do What You Were Told？ is a wonderful collection of Jenny Diski's short form writing。 They are essays in the form of book reviews， or book reviews in the form of essays。 However one wants to categorize them， they are both delightful to read on a surface level while also providing much food for thought at the many underlying levels。 These run from the personal （constant throughout） to the cultural， societal， and political。 Yet rarely in a way that is beating the reader over th Why Didn't You Just Do What You Were Told？ is a wonderful collection of Jenny Diski's short form writing。 They are essays in the form of book reviews， or book reviews in the form of essays。 However one wants to categorize them， they are both delightful to read on a surface level while also providing much food for thought at the many underlying levels。 These run from the personal （constant throughout） to the cultural， societal， and political。 Yet rarely in a way that is beating the reader over the head （unless， of course， we deserve it）。I am mostly familiar with Diski's writing from her books and the periodic clippings friends used to send me of her pieces they thought I would appreciate。 I came to realize that her writing did not have to be "about" a topic I was already interested in， she seemed to always find， if not a universality， a common path into any topic。 From there we were free to let her offer some guidance on further musings。 This collection offers very few， if any， essays that didn't cause me to consider ideas and situations far removed （so I thought） from the main theme of the piece。While I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy personal essays/book reviews， I would also make a suggestion for those who don't usually read such books。 These essays are ideal for those moments when we have a short time to read but want something with both substance and entertainment value。 Perhaps an essay before bed， or if you want something besides news feeds to read at lunch or a work break。 While the reading time is short for each they will help keep your mind engaged and active in processing what she says。Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more
Beth M。
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Looking for a new essay collection to add to your TBR pile？ Then check out my review for Jenny Diski’s WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST DO WHAT YOU WERE TOLD？ over at www。thenerddaily。com。See below for a snippet。 Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for gifting me a review copy。 You can pick up a copy of Diski’s collection today from your favorite bookseller！“ 。。。 There is a little something for everyone here in Why Didn’t You Just Do What You Were Told？ Diski’s essays range from topics like life and death， Looking for a new essay collection to add to your TBR pile？ Then check out my review for Jenny Diski’s WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST DO WHAT YOU WERE TOLD？ over at www。thenerddaily。com。See below for a snippet。 Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for gifting me a review copy。 You can pick up a copy of Diski’s collection today from your favorite bookseller！“ 。。。 There is a little something for everyone here in Why Didn’t You Just Do What You Were Told？ Diski’s essays range from topics like life and death， love and children， to the peace of solitude and the hardship of her struggles with mental health。 A great number of the included essays are book reviews and critical explorations into the lives of well-known public figures ranging from writers and musicians to serial killers and wealthy entrepreneurs。 The common thread throughout these pieces， however， is the connection between her subject， her own lived experience， and the larger human condition。 Diski is simply brilliant at drawing out the commonalities， as well as the particular oddities， of our lives。。。。 Diski’s work is phenomenal， a master class in not just writing essays with substance and style， but in the human matters of vulnerability and self-exploration。 Perceptive and humorous， often darkly so， Diski’s writing begs to be read， thoughtfully chewed upon， and revisited as we each work our way through the beautiful and bewildering chaos we call life。” 。。。more
Caroline
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This was my introduction to Diski and her warm and captivating voice。 These essays unfurl with ease， moving in unexpected directions as in the opening essay， which follows the end of a love affair intertwined with the purpose of art， the mortality of pets， the solitude necessary for writing。 Diski is truly a master of the literary essay and reading her is like listening to your most brilliant friend hold court at a dinner party。 Diski’s endless curiosity is the driving force behind these essays; This was my introduction to Diski and her warm and captivating voice。 These essays unfurl with ease， moving in unexpected directions as in the opening essay， which follows the end of a love affair intertwined with the purpose of art， the mortality of pets， the solitude necessary for writing。 Diski is truly a master of the literary essay and reading her is like listening to your most brilliant friend hold court at a dinner party。 Diski’s endless curiosity is the driving force behind these essays; she doesn’t stay in one place for too long， moving from the writing life to the daily routine of orangutans at the zoo， and teasing out their similarities。 Other essays tackle ethical and aesthetic questions， the benefits of looking at horrors such as those inflicted by Jeffery Dahmer versus looking away; biographies of figures such as Howard Hughes， Anne Frank and Roald Dahl。 “A Feeling for Ice” may be the standout piece; this essay moves from the comforting whiteness of oblivion and Diski’s desire to visit Antarctica to the death of her father and disappearance of her mother following a childhood wracked with abuse。 It’s mesmerizing how Diski moves from anecdotal stories and conversations to the larger cultural milieu。 This is a collection to be treasured and its author will be sorely missed。 。。。more
Vincent Scarpa
，
“I write fiction and non-fiction， but it’s almost always personal。 I start with me， and often enough end with me。 I’ve never been apologetic about that nor had a sense that my writing is ‘confessional。' What else am I going to write about but how I know and don’t know the world？ I may not make things up in fiction， or tell the truth in non-fiction， but documentary or invented， it’s always been me at the centre of the will to put descriptions out into the world。 I lie， like all writers， but I use “I write fiction and non-fiction， but it’s almost always personal。 I start with me， and often enough end with me。 I’ve never been apologetic about that nor had a sense that my writing is ‘confessional。' What else am I going to write about but how I know and don’t know the world？ I may not make things up in fiction， or tell the truth in non-fiction， but documentary or invented， it’s always been me at the centre of the will to put descriptions out into the world。 I lie， like all writers， but I use my truths as I know them in order to do so。” — "A Diagnosis" 。。。more
Laura Spira
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Reading this book felt very poignant， knowing there would be no more from Jenny Diiski。 Her writing draws the reader into even those topics of no apparent interest: there is always a nugget of new knowledge to be marvelled over and preserved。 Her book reviews are masterly; unstinting admiration where it is due， bedecked with new intellectual insights tempting a reader to seek out the book; and entertainingly acid critiques when she has subjected herself to the pain of reading and thus protected Reading this book felt very poignant， knowing there would be no more from Jenny Diiski。 Her writing draws the reader into even those topics of no apparent interest: there is always a nugget of new knowledge to be marvelled over and preserved。 Her book reviews are masterly; unstinting admiration where it is due， bedecked with new intellectual insights tempting a reader to seek out the book; and entertainingly acid critiques when she has subjected herself to the pain of reading and thus protected us from wasting hours。 I especially liked her luxurious description of the stationery cupboard in "Post-Its， Push Pins， Pencils"。 Highly recommended as fine examples from a skilled essayist， a literary form which can often disappoint in less able hands。 。。。more
Kit
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Read this after enjoying Stranger on a Train so much。 Some of the essays in this collection are among the best I've ever read。 A Feeling For Ice might be the best。 Beautiful， yet hits really hard。 Its commonplace to praise authors who can draw from the reader interest in a subject where there might have been little - Diski does this with ease。 However， she does this while lacing in ample personal detail and history - we come out knowing her just as well as the book/biscuit/trip to the zoo being Read this after enjoying Stranger on a Train so much。 Some of the essays in this collection are among the best I've ever read。 A Feeling For Ice might be the best。 Beautiful， yet hits really hard。 Its commonplace to praise authors who can draw from the reader interest in a subject where there might have been little - Diski does this with ease。 However， she does this while lacing in ample personal detail and history - we come out knowing her just as well as the book/biscuit/trip to the zoo being reviewed。 。。。more
Andy
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Beautiful writing I love Jenny Diski。
Charliecat
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I was tempted by this not only by the good reviews， but also because I greatly enjoyed an earlier book of her essays， 'What I Don't Know About Animals。'Diski's favoured form is the long essay， the 33 here first appearing in the London Review of Books。 All are worthwhile， whilst some of them are excellent。 She is honest， learned， acerbic and often very funny。 The essay 'A Feeling for Ice'， bringing together a trip to Antarctica and her very troubled upbringing （including being 'adopted' by Doris I was tempted by this not only by the good reviews， but also because I greatly enjoyed an earlier book of her essays， 'What I Don't Know About Animals。'Diski's favoured form is the long essay， the 33 here first appearing in the London Review of Books。 All are worthwhile， whilst some of them are excellent。 She is honest， learned， acerbic and often very funny。 The essay 'A Feeling for Ice'， bringing together a trip to Antarctica and her very troubled upbringing （including being 'adopted' by Doris Lessing for four years） is both heart rending and amusing。 Her book reviews ooze straightforward sense and her essay on Martha Freud （Sigmund's wife） puts the 'great man' firmly in his place。She admits that all of her writing is in some way about herself and this is what makes it so engaging and human。 If you enjoy understated irony and an idiosyncratic view of the world and are not content with platitudes， you should enjoy this book。She died in 2016 of inoperable lung cancer。 A great loss。 。。。more
Jan
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