Sleepless Nights
Sleepless Nights
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1979
Book Brief
144
Novel • Fiction
New York City • 1970s
1979
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Sleepless Nights by Elizabeth Hardwick follows a woman named Elizabeth in late middle age as she reflects on her life and relationships, spanning from her chaotic childhood in Kentucky, to her experiences in Amsterdam and New York, and finally to her quieter, more introspective present in New England, where she contemplates love, memory, and the passage of time. The book includes events involving accidents and loss of family members.
Contemplative
Melancholic
Mysterious
Nostalgic
Bittersweet
Reviews & Readership
4,129 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Elizabeth Hardwick's Sleepless Nights is celebrated for its lyrical prose and introspective depth, navigating themes of memory and identity with precision. Critics commend its fragmented, essayistic structure, though some find this approach disjointed and challenging to follow. Overall, its intellectual and emotional resonance garners praise, despite its unconventional narrative style.
Who Should Read Sleepless Nights?
Readers who enjoy Sleepless Nights by Elizabeth Hardwick are often drawn to introspective, fragmented narratives that weave between memoir and fiction. Comparable to Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse and Joan Didion's The White Album, this book appeals to fans of lyrical prose and profound reflections on memory, identity, and womanhood.
4,129 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
144
Novel • Fiction
New York City • 1970s
1979
Adult
18+ years
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