Why people recommend it
World and Town by Gish Jen is a perceptive novel that explores community, cultural dislocation, and the intricate dynamics of human relationships in a changing American landscape. The book received high praise on The Ezra Klein Show during a best-of compilation episode titled This Is Your Brain on Deep Reading. It’s Pretty Magnificent. Educational researcher and cognitive neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf highlighted Gish Jen's fiction during a discussion on the deep cognitive and emotional benefits of reading. Wolf explicitly named World and Town as her personal favorite among the author's works, emphasizing that Jen possesses a rare and remarkable ability to help readers deeply understand human nature and social environments in ways few other writers can achieve. By focusing on the novel, Wolf illustrated how literary fiction serves as an indispensable tool for developing empathy and expanding our comprehension of complex community bonds. The recommendation highlighted the unique capacity of Jen's storytelling to illuminate the quiet struggles and profound connections that define everyday lives across different backgrounds.
Who recommended it
- Maryanne Wolf Recommended
Maryanne Wolf — 2 mentions
“but I would really actually want to say that my favorite was her book World in town in which like few other people she helps us understand”
“but I would really actually want to say that my favorite was her book World in town in which like few other people she helps us understand”