Reviews tagging 'Death'

I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O'Farrell

35 reviews

baruss666's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness and Medical trauma

Moderate: Miscarriage

Minor: Death

veposve's review against another edition

dark emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Blood, Death, Infertility, Medical content, and Miscarriage

Minor: Sexual harassment

skillwithaquill's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Moving. Emotional. Resonant. As someone with several chronic illnesses, this book was especially poignant and salient for me. 

None of the usual trappings of inspiration porn, healing through Jesus, or spiritual woowoo that many memoirs about illness and near-death experiences fall into. It’s thoughtful, but not preachy. Meaningful, but not maudlin. I’ll definitely revisit it in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Confinement, Medical content, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, and Sexism

Moderate: Misogyny and Death

Minor: Abortion, Blood, Excrement, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Vomit

Other content warnings & specifics: medical sexism, graphic discussions of childbirth & c-section, attempted assault & kidnapping, child in peril, graphic depiction of a near drowning, claustrophobia, abortion (in the context of a missed miscarriage requiring surgical intervention).

anintrovertrambles's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

lilawsahar's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

3.0

There are chapters that have you gripping the edge of your seat or bawling your eyes out and others where you are bored and ready for the next brush of death. And they get repetitive especially when you regret decisions made or thinking about how you can survive your situation. The author makes me want to go out and travel more. Live more. 

Note: It’s interesting to hear about the healthcare system in Europe. It is so different than Americas. But also similar especially when doctors brush off your needs and ignore your symptoms. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Infertility, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Grief, and Chronic illness

hjcomic's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.0

This is very well written but I felt like I was lurching from trauma to trauma. I was quite triggered by some of the sections.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Child death, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Sexual assault, Murder, and Violence

fionag's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

My first Maggie O’Farrell- and what an interesting way to start. A non-linear narrative memoir discussing the times she felt most alive, which was when death brushed far too close by. Each section packed such a punch, and I was left feeling reflective of times I myself had gotten a bit too close to my own mortality. O’Farrell’s writing is gorgeous, though sometimes I found her run-on sentences annoying, and her descriptions are exquisite. I found myself underlining many passages. Death is something I have had to face up to more recently in my life, and now I can see how precious a life can be. It is interesting to get a perspective throughout the years and how death differs from a child’s perspective to an adult one. One thing- Maggie should NOT be allowed near water!! Would like to experience her fiction after learning more about her . 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infertility, and Miscarriage

Minor: Rape

edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Medical content, Death, Infertility, Child death, Blood, Medical trauma, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Chronic illness

Minor: Abortion, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Violence, Physical abuse, Bullying, Car accident, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Rape, Sexual violence, Ableism, Murder, and Gaslighting

sirri_sivutiella's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Death, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Blood

emilylikesbread's review

emotional reflective fast-paced

3.75

This is a very unique way to share a life story. The first story in particular was quite chilling. Out of all of them, that will stay with me the longest. It’s insane how many times this woman almost died. Equally unlucky and lucky. I definitely found myself getting a little anxious at times. If you’re sensitive I would suggest reading tw before reading. Great read if you’re up for it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, and Medical content

Moderate: Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Ableism, and Infertility

Minor: Murder, Violence, Miscarriage, Rape, and Pedophilia