May 7, 2026

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Book Review: Go Gentle by Maria Semple

I found Stoicism a couple of years ago during a particularly trying time, and it’s helped ground me throughout life’s ups and downs. With that being said, I don’t often bring it up because it sounds, well, awful. Can you think of anything more aggressively pretentious than casually telling someone your hobbies include reading Marcus Aurelius and Seneca? I’ve wanted a ring that says "amor fati" forever, but I genuinely fear the moment someone asks what it says and I have to speak the answer out loud.

So, I felt like fate had smiled upon me when I learned that both Maria Semple and the protagonist of her new novel, Go Gentle, were fans of Stoic philosophy, too. (I also wonder if Oprah is part of the club, considering this was her Book Club pick for April.) In fact, when I first heard about Go Gentle, I gleefully texted a friend, “She wrote a book SPECIFICALLY FOR ME!!!” Now, that I’ve read it, I can gleefully write here that no, she didn’t write a book specifically for me—she wrote a book for all of us. I say this because, going in, I had a suspicion that if anyone could strip the stuffiness from Stoicism and show how deeply human it is, it would be Maria Semple. Reader, I was right!

Our protagonist, Adora Hazzard, is a Stoic philosopher and single mom (with a name fit for a RuPaul’s Drag Race-winning queen) who lives on the Upper West Side with her teenage daughter and “coven.” This is the first delicious detail of the novel: Adora and her friends—the aforementioned coven—are all single, older women who have decided to rely on each other instead of men. They live on the same floor of The Ansonia and share everything from cars to dog walkers to grocery expenses. Honestly, the rest of the novel could have just been about this dynamic, and I would have been pleased as punch.

But this is Maria Semple, people! The author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Today Will Be Different! Her zaniness knows no bounds. And boy, oh boy, does this book get zany. Where should I start? With the fact that Adora is employed by billionaires to tutor their sons in Stoicism? That, starting with a bomb that turns out to be a burrito, she gets caught up in black-market art deals and a dashing man named Digby who, at one point, asserts, “I am fate”? I want to say more, but I’m worried I’ll start spoiling the book, and I would never do that to you.

G.P. Putnam’s Sons

In his review of Go Gentle, Ron Charles calls it a “kitchen junk-drawer of a novel,” and I have to agree. There’s a lot crammed in here, including many moments that’ll make you ask, “Huh? How did this get in?” But that’s why the novel works. Contrary to popular belief, Stoicism is not about lacking emotions. Instead, it’s about accepting that we can only control ourselves and that, to minimize distress, we must primarily do two things: amor fati (love your fate exactly as it is) and memento mori (remember that you, too, will die). In a sense, it’s really about learning to roll with the punches. And if you’re going to write a book about rolling with the punches, why wouldn’t you take the biggest swings?

Go Gentle is a funny, charming, madcap romp, yes, but don’t worry—there’s a lot of heart here as well. There are also serious moments, like when we learn why Adora turned to Stoicism and how she ended up where she is at the novel’s start. And this is a book about Desire with a big ol’ capital D. What does it really mean to desire something (or someone else)? Is the risk that it will consume us worth it? Can we, as humans, ever be both philosophical and emotional?

Semple’s ability to capture how silly, weird, traumatic, and surprising life is—often simultaneously—has always been her greatest strength as a writer, and I’m glad she brought her A-game once again. And, you know what, maybe I’ll buy that “amor fati” ring after all.

My Three Favorite Books on Stoic Philosophy

The world of Stoic philosophy is wide and wonderful—it’s literally thousands of years old, after all. And from what I’ve learned, if you want to get into it, you should ideally engage with some Stoic text every day. For me, these are the three books that make that practice possible, and the ones I turn to when I need a reminder that no, I actually will not die from whatever yucky feeling has crept up on me once again.

Meditations

by Marcus Aurelius

I don’t know about you, but I find it extremely comforting to learn that, when you peel back the layers, a Roman emperor had the same anxieties and complaints that I do. (Like, what? He was the EMPEROR OF ROME, and I’m not even the ruler of my apartment—I rent!) Especially when I’m feeling lonely, I love being reminded that I’m living a shared human experience.

Learn more

On the Shortness of Life: Life Is Long if You Know How to Use It (Penguin Great Ideas)

by Seneca

Are you freaked out by death? Do you have existential dread about running out of time? Good news—the Romans did too, and it really irked Seneca! Thinking about the inevitability of death is a one-way ticket to a panic attack for me, and I love the perspective Seneca offers in these pages. Plus, my cat chewed on the cover, which makes me laugh whenever I look at it.

Learn more

The Daily Stoic

by Ryan Holiday

Ryan Holiday isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and some people see him as a philosopher for tech bros, but I don’t really care. I enjoy his content and appreciate just how much he manages to put out. I subscribe to his Daily Stoic newsletter, and I like how this specific book offers bite-sized lessons and reflections for each day of the year.

Learn more

Genevieve Nierman, Resident bookworm @ Pix Media

Genevieve Nierman is an editor, writer, and interviewer with over a decade of experience in books and publishing, including roles at Little, Brown and Company and Alfred A. Knopf. She is currently Senior Books Content Manager at Pix Media, where she runs the flagship newsletter Book Pix. She lives in New York City with her orange cat, Oscar, and an ever-growing stack of books.

Currently reading: Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer