Lauren Oyler’s No Judgment is the kind of book that comes with certain quality assurances that read like wine-tasting notes. The essays contained therein will “bring to mind” the oaky aromas of Sontag, the citrusy tang of Kael, and the sharp chocolate hints of Terry Castle. And like real tasting notes, the promised sensations may or may not actually be there. But why question the vintage? Oyler does share the traits of her elders: graceful and rigorous in style, erudite and illuminating in substance, and dramatically savage when the moment calls for it (which, at least in this volume, is not as often as her “swashbuckling” reputation suggests). With the ability to extract fresh insights like no other of her generation, evidently, no topic — Gossip! Travel! Anxiety! Vulnerability! — is too rote.
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