Maria Teresa Hart

Doll by Maria Teresa Hart is an excellent addition to the Object Lessons series. Taking the doll as a starting point, we get an insightful look at what it is, was, and may become.

I am a fan of this series, taking a common item and having someone give their own nuanced view of it, from a personal as well as a cultural perspective. This volume was especially effective, I think, mainly because Hart seems more willing to accept that almost any item that has any meaning at all will likely be show more problematic. It isn't simply taking one singular stand that increases understanding but in acknowledging the various ways of looking at it and coming to terms with them. Hart does this very well.

In some ways this is both a love letter to dolls and a critique of some of the negative aspects of dolls, particularly children's (read girls') dolls. While I can't relate to a lot of the personal aspects in relation to dolls specifically, I found a way into her thoughts through things that, for me, are both a part of who I am but also a part of a cultural world I find less than positive. Most of us have these things. Maybe songs from our youth, perhaps a fondness for a genre of film that consistently presents negative stereotypes even while it is entertaining.

I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in cultural critique through everyday objects as well as those who simply enjoy learning about something they might know little about. I learned quite a bit about the history of dolls that I didn't know even though much of the more recent critique was familiar.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. show less

The ideas, general information, and lists of places of interest (hotels, restaurants, museums, shops, etc.) were extremely helpful. However, the maps of locations of places of interest were not very accurate, sometimes off by a few blocks or more. Also, the prices for many restaurants, hotels, and museums were quite inaccurate (fortunately they tended to be less expensive than the book said).