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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
More accurate rating is 2.5, but because she is a good storyteller I brought it up to 3. I loved Matilda, I've also seen/heard Mara recently thanks to the Gilmore Guys podcast (lol), so I was very interested in this book.
I found some things compelling - her stories about her OCD, her general time on sets as a child actor, and her playwriting after college (and there's some humor here! which is great). But some things were just tedious - the choir chapter, for example. Did not need the extended Glee version of Mean Girls to understand the atmosphere. (Also...considering the book is called "Where Am I Now?" I feel like I got WAY too much of the where was she when, and not enough of the now.)
Overall, I'm left pretty depressed. It seemed as though every time something somewhat good happened, a huge horrible blow would happen right after. I guess that's life, but the way the book was organized really made it seem like a bunch of vignettes as opposed to one coherent story. No real theme, and she didn't seem super discriminatory about what she kept in/left out. I've recently read a lot of celebrity memoirs, and they all kind of have this problem of not being well organized or being all over the place. Most, however, at least have the benefit of being funny or slightly shocking. This was a little like reading about my own doubts, fears, and insecurities, which in a way is a great thing (it is honest, which I think is hard to do), but it is also just not well put together. I wish her editors had helped her with the structure a bit more.
I found some things compelling - her stories about her OCD, her general time on sets as a child actor, and her playwriting after college (and there's some humor here! which is great). But some things were just tedious - the choir chapter, for example. Did not need the extended Glee version of Mean Girls to understand the atmosphere. (Also...considering the book is called "Where Am I Now?" I feel like I got WAY too much of the where was she when, and not enough of the now.)
Overall, I'm left pretty depressed. It seemed as though every time something somewhat good happened, a huge horrible blow would happen right after. I guess that's life, but the way the book was organized really made it seem like a bunch of vignettes as opposed to one coherent story. No real theme, and she didn't seem super discriminatory about what she kept in/left out. I've recently read a lot of celebrity memoirs, and they all kind of have this problem of not being well organized or being all over the place. Most, however, at least have the benefit of being funny or slightly shocking. This was a little like reading about my own doubts, fears, and insecurities, which in a way is a great thing (it is honest, which I think is hard to do), but it is also just not well put together. I wish her editors had helped her with the structure a bit more.
She's a talented storyteller and the book was entertaining. I think if she had spent more time on some of the topics in her book I would have found it more interesting. I would probably read her work again.
“[A] person is a person first and a story second.” - Mara Wilson.
Once Mara started to narrate her personal journey, the emotions and vivid memories of my own journey began to froth and bubble to the surface in a way that has never been crisper or clearer. Like Mara it startled me into a state of feeling overwhelmed, but also like Mara I lived through the feelings and any fear they might wake up.
Each chapter, each question, each epiphany, and each breath echoed thoughts and meditations I thought only I accomplished. Her openness about herself made readers like me find their long lost sister, friend, and confidant. In her honesty and boldness, as she put it her 'bad ass' self, she offered others like me the truth they are not alone. If I ever met her I would want to hug her and thank her. Her book changed my view of singularity, and for once I feel a part of something based on my insecurities (past, present, or future).
In short, I will reread Mara again. If for anything, it will be for the chapter 'A Letter'.
“If you can affect someone when they're young, you are in their hearts forever.”
“There is a surprising amount of overlap between the storytelling and burlesque communities, maybe because they both, in a way, involve getting naked. People who choose to be vulnerable are rare. People who manage to do it well are even more so.”
“Depriving myself of joys is one of the great joys of my subconscious.”
I do not want to put myself in the focus of Mara's book, or her tale, but these observations mirror my own in such a way that I was speechless.
If there comes a day where I can share a cup of tea with her and Carrie Brownstein (author of the equally kindred, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl) I will not pass the opportunity up!
P.S. I will be adding more to this review as time passes on.
Once Mara started to narrate her personal journey, the emotions and vivid memories of my own journey began to froth and bubble to the surface in a way that has never been crisper or clearer. Like Mara it startled me into a state of feeling overwhelmed, but also like Mara I lived through the feelings and any fear they might wake up.
Each chapter, each question, each epiphany, and each breath echoed thoughts and meditations I thought only I accomplished. Her openness about herself made readers like me find their long lost sister, friend, and confidant. In her honesty and boldness, as she put it her 'bad ass' self, she offered others like me the truth they are not alone. If I ever met her I would want to hug her and thank her. Her book changed my view of singularity, and for once I feel a part of something based on my insecurities (past, present, or future).
In short, I will reread Mara again. If for anything, it will be for the chapter 'A Letter'.
“If you can affect someone when they're young, you are in their hearts forever.”
“There is a surprising amount of overlap between the storytelling and burlesque communities, maybe because they both, in a way, involve getting naked. People who choose to be vulnerable are rare. People who manage to do it well are even more so.”
“Depriving myself of joys is one of the great joys of my subconscious.”
I do not want to put myself in the focus of Mara's book, or her tale, but these observations mirror my own in such a way that I was speechless.
If there comes a day where I can share a cup of tea with her and Carrie Brownstein (author of the equally kindred, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl) I will not pass the opportunity up!
P.S. I will be adding more to this review as time passes on.
Originally reviewed at The Book Wheel.
At a young age, Mara Wilson became a Hollywood darling. She is perhaps best known for her role as Matilda, the movie that inspired book memes and gifs around the world, but she also rose to fame in Mrs. Doubtfire and Miracle on 34th Street. Unlike many child stars, Mara did not go down the path of self-destruction via drugs, sex, and alcohol, but her time as a child actress was not without its difficulties. Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame is Wilson’s own account of the struggles she endured, how she learned to cope, and what Matilda means to her.
Where Am I Now? is not a memoir so much as it is a book of essays. Rather than telling her story in chronological order, the book is broken down into essays by topic, some of which focus on a snapshot of time and others that span her entire life. It is both laugh-out-loud funny and heartbreaking, so if you pick this one up, expect to feel the full spectrum of emotions. In it, she opens about her mother’s death during post-production of Matilda, people who want to get drunk with Matilda, what Robin Williams meant to her, and her preoccupation with death.
(WARNING: From here on, there are discussions about content in the book. It's non-fiction, so they aren't quite spoilers, but if you don't know much about Mara, now's the time to hold back).
That said, anxiety and OCD, serves as a common theme throughout most of the essays. As someone who also suffers from both, I found her articulation of how they affect your everyday life and relationships to be spot-on. While I will never know how they played into her career as an actress, I do understand how they can impact everything you do and say and I’m glad that she, too, ultimately found a way to cope. There’s a heartbreaking story about how awful some of the girls were to her in middle school, something I can relate to, and I know that her anxiety only amplified that experience and my heart goes out to her.
She also spent a good bit of her life uncomfortable with sex. It was a bit weird to listen to Mara talk about this topic because I, like many, associate her with Matilda, but once the initial shock wore off it was quite interesting. She bluntly discusses how her time on Melrose Place affected how she viewed sex and, frankly, I can see why that show would warp her perspective. Considering she also had to wear a sports bra for Thomas and the Magic Railroad because she sprouted breasts, it’s not surprising that her relationship with her own sexual development was complicated.
As she got older, Mara began looking for a new path in life. Although she lost several roles to Kristen Stewart, she admits that her heart was no longer in acting. By middle and high school, she had moved onto other pursuits, including art classes, the school choir, and a brief stint as a cheerleader. She went on to NYU and found that New York was the place for her and has, from what I can tell, remained there ever since.
Perhaps most telling for Matilda fans is her essay written in the form of a letter to Matilda. In it, she shares funny stories about the filming of the movie, but also the pitfalls of being associated with one character forever. There were times when, as an adult, people wanted to hang out with her because she was Matilda, not because she was Mara, and breaking free of that association was, and is, difficult. While we all know that actors are real people with their own lives, I’m sure that many of us associate Mara with Matilda and this book serves as a reminder to separate the two. Mara’s struggles are very real and relatable and deserve as much, if not more, attention that the role she played as a child. Because the role we love so dearly exacted such a toll on Mara, we owe it to her to respect her independently of her character.
Today, Mara is in a great place. Her anxiety is under control but, more importantly, she’s made peace with how Matilda shaped her life. At no point in time did I think she regretted the role, but that doesn’t mean the difficulties weren’t real. A born storyteller with an active imagination, Mara now spends her time writing and working with the stage, both as an actress and a playwright. So although she grew up with a tooth fairy named Sally (for Sally Field in Mrs. Doubtfire) and has her childhood films copy written by 21st Century Fox, she’s just like us – a Lady Gaga fan who shops at Bed, Bath & Beyond (although I do take issue with her dismissal of Britney Spears).
At a young age, Mara Wilson became a Hollywood darling. She is perhaps best known for her role as Matilda, the movie that inspired book memes and gifs around the world, but she also rose to fame in Mrs. Doubtfire and Miracle on 34th Street. Unlike many child stars, Mara did not go down the path of self-destruction via drugs, sex, and alcohol, but her time as a child actress was not without its difficulties. Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame is Wilson’s own account of the struggles she endured, how she learned to cope, and what Matilda means to her.
Where Am I Now? is not a memoir so much as it is a book of essays. Rather than telling her story in chronological order, the book is broken down into essays by topic, some of which focus on a snapshot of time and others that span her entire life. It is both laugh-out-loud funny and heartbreaking, so if you pick this one up, expect to feel the full spectrum of emotions. In it, she opens about her mother’s death during post-production of Matilda, people who want to get drunk with Matilda, what Robin Williams meant to her, and her preoccupation with death.
(WARNING: From here on, there are discussions about content in the book. It's non-fiction, so they aren't quite spoilers, but if you don't know much about Mara, now's the time to hold back).
That said, anxiety and OCD, serves as a common theme throughout most of the essays. As someone who also suffers from both, I found her articulation of how they affect your everyday life and relationships to be spot-on. While I will never know how they played into her career as an actress, I do understand how they can impact everything you do and say and I’m glad that she, too, ultimately found a way to cope. There’s a heartbreaking story about how awful some of the girls were to her in middle school, something I can relate to, and I know that her anxiety only amplified that experience and my heart goes out to her.
She also spent a good bit of her life uncomfortable with sex. It was a bit weird to listen to Mara talk about this topic because I, like many, associate her with Matilda, but once the initial shock wore off it was quite interesting. She bluntly discusses how her time on Melrose Place affected how she viewed sex and, frankly, I can see why that show would warp her perspective. Considering she also had to wear a sports bra for Thomas and the Magic Railroad because she sprouted breasts, it’s not surprising that her relationship with her own sexual development was complicated.
As she got older, Mara began looking for a new path in life. Although she lost several roles to Kristen Stewart, she admits that her heart was no longer in acting. By middle and high school, she had moved onto other pursuits, including art classes, the school choir, and a brief stint as a cheerleader. She went on to NYU and found that New York was the place for her and has, from what I can tell, remained there ever since.
Perhaps most telling for Matilda fans is her essay written in the form of a letter to Matilda. In it, she shares funny stories about the filming of the movie, but also the pitfalls of being associated with one character forever. There were times when, as an adult, people wanted to hang out with her because she was Matilda, not because she was Mara, and breaking free of that association was, and is, difficult. While we all know that actors are real people with their own lives, I’m sure that many of us associate Mara with Matilda and this book serves as a reminder to separate the two. Mara’s struggles are very real and relatable and deserve as much, if not more, attention that the role she played as a child. Because the role we love so dearly exacted such a toll on Mara, we owe it to her to respect her independently of her character.
Today, Mara is in a great place. Her anxiety is under control but, more importantly, she’s made peace with how Matilda shaped her life. At no point in time did I think she regretted the role, but that doesn’t mean the difficulties weren’t real. A born storyteller with an active imagination, Mara now spends her time writing and working with the stage, both as an actress and a playwright. So although she grew up with a tooth fairy named Sally (for Sally Field in Mrs. Doubtfire) and has her childhood films copy written by 21st Century Fox, she’s just like us – a Lady Gaga fan who shops at Bed, Bath & Beyond (although I do take issue with her dismissal of Britney Spears).
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
funny
reflective
fast-paced
I laughed, I cried, I gasped in surprise and empathy - Mara talks about searching for "her people". Finding this book, I feel as though I've found my people.
A lot about Mara Wilson resonates with me. We were born one year apart, I grew up seeing her face on our home’s TV, and I have loved the Matilda book and movie to bits. Not to mention the awkwardness, the painful teenage realisation that you aren’t growing up beautiful, the prolonged search for a direction in life. The anxiety, the loneliness. Finally, relief in finding the right path.
I enjoyed the book. It’s a solid memoir and its little imperfections are physiological because I don’t believe there are ghostwriters involved. I didn’t mesh with the collection of essays format. Perhaps I needed to listen to the audiobook instead (I saw several people recommending it). Mara is a wonderful storyteller, one that understands that sharing intimate, sometimes painful, sometimes embarrassing details with your audience is the only way to truly connect. Vulnerability can mean freedom. I guess I didn’t feel that there was enough of an overarching narrative throughout or proper conclusion at the end. Considering she wrote this memoir when she wasn’t even 30, it’s possible an open ending was the only option for a conclusion.
I enjoyed the book. It’s a solid memoir and its little imperfections are physiological because I don’t believe there are ghostwriters involved. I didn’t mesh with the collection of essays format. Perhaps I needed to listen to the audiobook instead (I saw several people recommending it). Mara is a wonderful storyteller, one that understands that sharing intimate, sometimes painful, sometimes embarrassing details with your audience is the only way to truly connect. Vulnerability can mean freedom. I guess I didn’t feel that there was enough of an overarching narrative throughout or proper conclusion at the end. Considering she wrote this memoir when she wasn’t even 30, it’s possible an open ending was the only option for a conclusion.