The Argonauts

by Maggie Nelson
The Argonauts cover
Good Books rating 4.23
Biography and Memoir
Technical:
  • ID: 621
  • Added: 2025-09-18
  • Updated: 2025-09-18
  • ISBN: 9781555973407
  • Publisher: Graywolf Press
  • Published: 2015-05-05
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3
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Waterstones
Paperback • £10.99

The Argonauts is a bold and unconventional memoir that blends personal narrative with theoretical exploration. Maggie Nelson chronicles her relationship with her partner and their journey through pregnancy, weaving in profound reflections on desire, gender, and the nature of family. The book challenges traditional notions of love and language, offering a fierce and timely examination of radical individual freedom and the value of caretaking. Nelson's writing is both deeply personal and intellectually stimulating, making it a unique and compelling read. This book is not just a story of personal experiences but also a rigorous exploration of contemporary issues. Nelson's use of 'autotheory'—combining autobiography and theory—creates a powerful narrative that resonates on multiple levels. The Argonauts is a testament to the complexities of human relationships and the ongoing quest for understanding and connection in a rapidly changing world.

Reviews
3AM Magazine · 2015-12-09
intriguing 4.00

The book is thrilling and jarring, offering a multifaceted exploration of sexual identity and more. It challenges readers to think beyond conventional narratives.

The reviewer describes the book as thrilling and jarring, offering a multifaceted exploration of sexual identity and more. They emphasize that summarizing the book as just about the fluidity of sexual identity would be to miss many of its other profound aspects. The reviewer appreciates the book's ability to challenge readers to think beyond conventional narratives and to engage with complex and often overlooked themes. They also highlight the author's unique writing style, which blends personal narrative with theoretical insights, making the book a compelling and thought-provoking read.

Quick quotes

    It's thrilling and jarring.

    To summarize that the book is about the fluidity of sexual identity would be to seize on only one part of the book; ...

    The book feels less like it is 'about' things, and more as though it does things: Things like breaking down binaries from the breakfast table ...

The New York Times · 2015-05-07
excellent 4.20

The book is a genre-bending memoir that offers fresh and fierce thinking about desire and identity. It is a deeply personal and intellectual journey.

The reviewer describes the book as a genre-bending memoir that offers fresh and fierce thinking about desire and identity. They appreciate the author's ability to blend personal narrative with theoretical insights, creating a deeply personal and intellectual journey. The reviewer also highlights the book's exploration of complex themes such as desire, identity, and the fluidity of gender, making it a compelling and thought-provoking read. They feel that the book's unique structure and style contribute to its overall impact, making it a standout work in contemporary literature.

Quick quotes

    Maggie Nelson's The Argonauts is a genre-bending memoir, a work of autotheory offering fresh, fierce, and timely thinking about desire, identity.

    In 'The Argonauts,' the poet and critic Maggie Nelson recalls an art history seminar she attended with the scholars Jane Gallop and Rosalind Krauss.

    The Argonauts is an urgent work, an intimate and fearless act of communication with the reader as Nelson describes moments of radical transformation.

The Guardian · Harry Dodge · 2015-04-23
brilliant 4.50

The book is generous and generative, perfect for anyone who desires deeply. It explores themes of identity and fluidity in a unique and compelling way.

The reviewer found the book to be incredibly generous and generative, perfect for anyone who desires deeply. They appreciate how the author explores themes of identity and fluidity in a unique and compelling way. The reviewer also highlights the book's ability to challenge traditional notions of love and relationships, making it a standout read. They were particularly impressed by the author's ability to blend personal narrative with broader social and political issues, creating a rich and thought-provoking experience. The reviewer feels that this book is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary literature and the exploration of identity.

Quick quotes

    Generative and generous, this is a book that belongs on the shelves of anyone who desires, especially if what they desire is nothing short of ...

    It's thrilling and jarring.

    A deeply poignant love story, a mothering saga, and well-researched academic conversations, with a scorching outline of the social and personal struggle to ...

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