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I really love when memoirs are written in a candid, no bullshit way that really teaches you something new about a completely different way of living. I didn’t really know anything about Rosie prior to reading this but my what an interesting/colourful upbringing
I went to uni with Rosie many years ago and it's great to see her flourishing as a writer now. This book was an easy, entertaining read that covered some pretty heavy topics. I did feel it was TMI at times and possibly a little self-indulgent, but I enjoyed it for the most part.
Her stories are like watching a car crash over and over again. Awful moments. Truly, she has made an impressive triumph over adversity.
Rosie makes some truly harrowing subject material both entertaining and poignant in this book. It's not hyperbole to say this memoir made me laugh and cry, sometimes within the same chapter. She has a great way with words and a knack for drawing the darkly funny side out of each little vignette, and then punching you in the gut with moments of horror and pathos.
The only segment I disliked was the chapter about her weight gain and subsequent weight loss surgery. She is very definite about the fact that fat women deserve to live their lives and feel comfortable in their own bodies, and admits that going through weight loss surgery recovery was pretty awful, particularly with a history of disordered eating. But it's still very much presented as a positive thing she had to do. I believe in bodily autonomy and think anyone should do whatever they want with their own body, but I also think WLS is at odds with the message of body positivity in the rest of the chapter. Memoirs are about real lives, though, so they can be ideologically messy. I mention this chapter to warn those who, like me, might find a pro-WLS message a little unexpected and uncomfortable.
I'm also much fatter than Rosie Waterland and have never had trouble "wiping my own arse", so that reasoning for going through with the surgery perplexed me a little. On the one hand Rosie's body is not my body and I certainly don't want to claim better knowledge of her experience than she has herself. On the other hand, the message that it's impossible to be hygienic once one reaches a certain size is a problematic one.
The only segment I disliked was the chapter about her weight gain and subsequent weight loss surgery. She is very definite about the fact that fat women deserve to live their lives and feel comfortable in their own bodies, and admits that going through weight loss surgery recovery was pretty awful, particularly with a history of disordered eating. But it's still very much presented as a positive thing she had to do. I believe in bodily autonomy and think anyone should do whatever they want with their own body, but I also think WLS is at odds with the message of body positivity in the rest of the chapter. Memoirs are about real lives, though, so they can be ideologically messy. I mention this chapter to warn those who, like me, might find a pro-WLS message a little unexpected and uncomfortable.
I'm also much fatter than Rosie Waterland and have never had trouble "wiping my own arse", so that reasoning for going through with the surgery perplexed me a little. On the one hand Rosie's body is not my body and I certainly don't want to claim better knowledge of her experience than she has herself. On the other hand, the message that it's impossible to be hygienic once one reaches a certain size is a problematic one.
A very engaging biography and very funny (despite much of the context). I really liked this!
cw: everything under the sun basically
cw: everything under the sun basically