It Chooses You Summary & Key Insights

Miranda July's "It Chooses You," a hybrid of fiction and personal essay illustrated by Brigitte Sire's whimsical and often unsettling artwork, isn't a straightforward narrative but rather a collection of interconnected vignettes exploring themes of chance, desire, and the strange power of inanimate objects. The book doesn't have a central protagonist in the traditional sense, but rather centers around the author's own experiences and observations, interwoven with fictional elements and imagined scenarios.

The core concept revolves around the idea of objects "choosing" their owners, a seemingly random yet deeply personal selection process. This isn't a passive choice; these objects actively seek out individuals, often with surprising and unpredictable results. July uses this concept as a lens to explore themes of acquisition, attachment, and the often illogical nature of human desire.

Several recurring motifs appear throughout. One prominent thread involves the protagonist's intense relationship with the objects in her life. A broken vending machine, a strange collection of found objects, and even the discarded remnants of others' possessions become significant, imbued with a strange personality and agency. These objects aren't merely things; they embody feelings, memories, and even a kind of uncanny sentience. July's own anxieties and eccentricities are woven into these narratives, making the reader complicit in her unsettling yet charmingly relatable obsession with the peculiar and the discarded.

The book frequently jumps between seemingly unrelated anecdotes. A story about a woman finding a lost dog might abruptly transition to a reflection on the author's own childhood or a fictional tale about a character's obsessive cleaning rituals. This fragmented structure mirrors the chaotic, often irrational nature of the "choosing" process itself. It's not a linear journey but a meandering exploration of the emotional landscape surrounding possessions and their impact on our lives.

Sire's illustrations are integral to the book's impact, visually echoing the unsettling yet strangely beautiful nature of the narratives. Her drawings capture the quirky charm and subtle unease of July's prose, often depicting bizarre scenarios and objects with a delicate line and a muted palette. The artwork doesn't simply illustrate the text; it contributes to the overall feeling of the book, adding another layer of ambiguity and intrigue.

Ultimately, "It Chooses You" is less about a singular plot and more about a collection of evocative moments, quirky observations, and philosophical musings on the unpredictable nature of life and the profound significance we often assign to seemingly insignificant objects. The book's power lies in its ability to capture the strange beauty of the everyday, the unsettling power of the unseen, and the ways in which inanimate objects can become imbued with profound personal meaning.