Fionnáin reviewed Handiwork by Sara Baume
Missing the craft of writing
1 star
This book wastes space. Baume is telling a story of her relationship to craft, and how (and sort-of why) she makes small sculptural birds. The sparse writing consists of only one or two paragraphs per page. These are sometimes interesting when they deal with personal moments of Baume's contemplative life, but more often they are just regurgitated facts about birds or weather that seem like they were recently read on Wikipedia, or scribbled half-thoughts that were not resolved. In the end the whole book feels self-indulgent, and is really unenjoyable to read.
