Health and Safety: A Breakdown
Haunting ... Witt...writes with such cool precision that it’s hard to imagine her fully losing herself in sentimental projects, even with chemical assistance ... As important as Andrew was for her, exactly what it was that made him such an enthralling presence is never quite conveyed ... It’s a testament to Witt’s skills as a writer that this book is enhanced, and not diminished, by her refusal to reconcile such contradictions.
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Her journey of self-discovery dovetailed with an existential crisis about her career in journalism, which earned her increasing stability and prestige but fell far short of changing the world. Undergirding this professional dilemma, though, was a more relatable concern, which she renders in exacting and mournful prose: the evergreen search for a satisfying life in an unfeeling, chaotic country ... Witt’s directness and sincerity are disarming.
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Arresting ... n the end, readers who prefer a tidy memoir that culminates in a single awakening may find Health and Safety wanting; it’s more like a spider web glistening with many realizations that branch out in connecting threads. This sharp, deeply personal work is all the better for it.
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