PositiveAustralian Book Review (AUS)The most compelling contribution is the titular essay ... She is brilliant at elucidating the reasons for [her parents\'] behaviour ... Not every essay contains Cusk’s trademark tautness and perception, and sometimes her postulations seem rather weak ... The final section, entitled rather prosaically ‘Classics and Bestsellers’, is also underwhelming until Cusk tackles Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love (2006) fame ... These paragraphs are razor sharp, beautifully written, and among the best in the book ... Cusk’s prose is most effective when she is combining social commentary with confession, uniting her personal story with her meticulous, almost scientific, appraisal of the world.