No Judgment: Essays

Two megaphones blare at each other on the cover of Oyler’s latest; one wonders if a mirror was left out on purpose. Author and critic Oyler spends much of her essay collection defending the lack of acclaim for her debut novel, Fake Accounts. Her wearying sense of self-importance is not improved by her rushed, somewhat expressionless narration. While her focus on the perils of platforms such as Gawker and Goodreads is entertaining, even here, her discussion seems more diatribe than substantive critical engagement. In her essay on autofiction, she dissects its relevance while defending her own right to write it. Her sharpest essay examines the practice of criticism in a world where both artists and critics can react immediately and publicly on social media. Despite occasional moments of wit and insight, much of this listening experience feels like a long conversation with an indignantly smart person who won’t allow anyone to get a word in edgewise.