Book Review — On Photography by Susan Sontag

Last night, I finished On Photography by Susan Sontag. Sontag, who died in 2004, was an American philosopher and political activist whose works have caused her to be described as one of the most influential critics of her generation. The book was written in 1977.

I have to say that this is the most boring book I have read this year so far. The book is a collection of essays that aim to examine how photographs, often captured by travelers or tourists, can represent a collection of the world and influence our perception and interaction with it. Because her views were set in the 1970s, she took a holistic view of photography in the age of capitalism in America.

One of the more curious things is her insistence that even at that time, there was widespread use of modern photography to the extent that it had created an oversaturation of visual material. According to her, “just about everything has been photographed,” and this excess of imagery has changed our expectations of what we should or can view. This was a period when, if I remember correctly, less than half of all American homes had a camera. Compare that to today when more than 85% of all American adults have a smartphone.

Through photographs, we have greater access to knowledge and experiences of history and distant lands. However, this also means that photographs…