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roosmarleen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Torture, Incest, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Body shaming, Child abuse, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Rape, Self harm, Addiction, and Pedophilia
cassiesnextchapter's review against another edition
4.0
A deeply moving and powerful account of abuse and betrayal at the hands of her father, Eve Ensler imagines the apology she'll never actually receive.
Full Book Review
"Our silence is our bond. The power of not telling, of not letting on, is the most ancient and powerful weapon in our arsenal."
My Thoughts...
What a TOUGH read. I'm so glad it's over, and I'm equally glad I read it.
There were so many times that I shut the book and had to physically walk away. I didn't want to finish it. I wanted to just return it and never look back. The metaphors felt burdensome and heavy, like a weight I was bearing for Ensler. I didn't want to hear about what she went through, and I certainly didn't want to talk about what I'd read.
But that's the point. That's the struggle of speaking your truth, and finding people brave enough to sit and listen. To it ALL.
I understand that I'm a witness for Eve Ensler. I showed up, and kept showing up even when it was hard and depressing and nearly unbearable. Because that's what Eve needs in her time of confession and vulnerability. We, as readers, can't judge what she's been through. We are here to witness her struggles and to acknowledge her truth. And to watch her get back up again.
Perhaps I don't think her abusive, narcissistic father would ever offer her that deep apology, but that's my judgement on him. She wrote to get it out and to survive it. To move on.
Thank you for your story, Eve. I showed up. I was a witness. May the life-telling bring you peace.
Full Book Review
"Our silence is our bond. The power of not telling, of not letting on, is the most ancient and powerful weapon in our arsenal."
My Thoughts...
What a TOUGH read. I'm so glad it's over, and I'm equally glad I read it.
There were so many times that I shut the book and had to physically walk away. I didn't want to finish it. I wanted to just return it and never look back. The metaphors felt burdensome and heavy, like a weight I was bearing for Ensler. I didn't want to hear about what she went through, and I certainly didn't want to talk about what I'd read.
But that's the point. That's the struggle of speaking your truth, and finding people brave enough to sit and listen. To it ALL.
I understand that I'm a witness for Eve Ensler. I showed up, and kept showing up even when it was hard and depressing and nearly unbearable. Because that's what Eve needs in her time of confession and vulnerability. We, as readers, can't judge what she's been through. We are here to witness her struggles and to acknowledge her truth. And to watch her get back up again.
Perhaps I don't think her abusive, narcissistic father would ever offer her that deep apology, but that's my judgement on him. She wrote to get it out and to survive it. To move on.
Thank you for your story, Eve. I showed up. I was a witness. May the life-telling bring you peace.
ellrab's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest and Sexual violence
freddie's review against another edition
4.0
This is a tough read. There is so much empathy shown by the author towards her abuser despite everything that happened. The writing is very personal and raw.
jess_pars's review against another edition
4.0
V, formerly Eve Ensler, is by far my favorite playwright and one of my favorite activists. This book is the perfect expansion of her previous work. The Apology is one of those books that beautifully lives in both realms of perfectly personal and unique to V’s experience and also perfectly universal and relatable to so many people throughout the world. While V in the past has shared so many of other women’s stories in The Apology she digs deep into her own in order to heal her inner child.