Reviews with content warning for Rape - I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death

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

11 reviews

hanz's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

3.0

Some of these stories are absolutely beautifully written and heartbreaking but the rest felt very disjointed.

In particular, loved (was appropriatel angered) by the stories about her childhood illness and pregnancy.

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gabilaras's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

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fionag's review against another edition

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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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edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

2.5

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emilylikesbread's review

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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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massivepizzacrust's review

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emotional fast-paced

4.0

I read this book over two days and I just couldn't put it down. It's a really fascinating idea, trying to tell the story of a life through close encounters with death. I found the writing really engrossing and approachable and I enjoyed how we got to understand the author's decisions in the initial anecdotes as the book progressed.

I'm not sure I really understand why the chapters were arranged the way they were. By the end of the book I didn't really have a sense that there was an overall arch to the book (past the connection between her childhood death experiences and her daughter's). I thought some of the stories brought more to the table than others - the stories centering on her pregnancies and her childhood were mostly beautiful, but the story with the mysterious man and the dog was confusing and weirdly half-confessional.

Reading about someone else's preoccupation with death was a relief to me. It's something that's been hard for me to deal with sometimes and this was a really different view on it. I don't think I'll be making any unprepared trips to remote countries any time soon though.

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