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novabird's review against another edition
4.0
This is a veiled argument with the theme of, “Who deserves life.” An enraged Dahlia almost completely full of invectives is shown with a strong anti-optimistic outlook. This is a hard to read book of ‘reckoning,’ focused on an unsympathetic character struck by a terminal brain tumor. Dahlia is traumatically wounded by paper cuts of slightly adverse childhood experiences. She is nihilistic without the philosophical grounding. She is via negative without much range. She is consciously narcissistic and developmentally arrested naïve. Basically, she is not a very likeable person.
Albert provides Dahlia’s ‘reckoning,’ replete throughout with her bright, cynical, perspective, that rejects what the majority think of what is acceptable behaviour. Yet, she also gives us the barest threads of Dahlia’s connected humanity to bead the necklace of Dahlia’s life meaning together:
“And in light of recent developments, Dahlia wanted just this: to be treated with gruff benevolence by paper hatted old men who had valiantly held out against corporate, money-shilling mall makers, whose operation in the shadow of said huge mall was unchanging and could be counted on indefinitely. It was a small victory, a righteous mainstay in a world overtaken, block by block, inevitably, by malls.”
“She loved the thought of being a capable professional, of talking someone out of a heroin relapse, of being the only person who not flinch at the deepest, darkest reaches of others.”
“She’s had a nice run of things … genuine laughter.”
“She had nothing to do for a whole month but take a big, deep cosmic breath.”
“Pain held meaning.”
“Grief is the price we pay for love, it seems, and we’re all some mysterious payment plan.”
“Hanging out in the ether, brutally, deeply aware.”
“The Book of Dahlia,” almost stands in for an argument against the death penalty, if one were to extend the argument about who deserves life.
This hurt to read, more so than graphic violence or direct appeals to my empathic core, because it made me think about ‘values,’ and at first it put me in a down mood. Because of its power to get under my skin and question my biases, this almost gets a five. Not because, this was an uplifting work, but because it was an enlightening one.
Albert provides Dahlia’s ‘reckoning,’ replete throughout with her bright, cynical, perspective, that rejects what the majority think of what is acceptable behaviour. Yet, she also gives us the barest threads of Dahlia’s connected humanity to bead the necklace of Dahlia’s life meaning together:
“And in light of recent developments, Dahlia wanted just this: to be treated with gruff benevolence by paper hatted old men who had valiantly held out against corporate, money-shilling mall makers, whose operation in the shadow of said huge mall was unchanging and could be counted on indefinitely. It was a small victory, a righteous mainstay in a world overtaken, block by block, inevitably, by malls.”
“She loved the thought of being a capable professional, of talking someone out of a heroin relapse, of being the only person who not flinch at the deepest, darkest reaches of others.”
“She’s had a nice run of things … genuine laughter.”
“She had nothing to do for a whole month but take a big, deep cosmic breath.”
“Pain held meaning.”
“Grief is the price we pay for love, it seems, and we’re all some mysterious payment plan.”
“Hanging out in the ether, brutally, deeply aware.”
“The Book of Dahlia,” almost stands in for an argument against the death penalty, if one were to extend the argument about who deserves life.
“It doesn’t matter how vile or messy, or lazy or spoiled or fucked-up she was. Life is still Life. And either that’s meaningful all the time or it’s meaningful none of the time, schmuck; no qualifying. No picking, no choosing. It either matters or it doesn’t. Life has value or life does not have value: one or the other.
This hurt to read, more so than graphic violence or direct appeals to my empathic core, because it made me think about ‘values,’ and at first it put me in a down mood. Because of its power to get under my skin and question my biases, this almost gets a five. Not because, this was an uplifting work, but because it was an enlightening one.
sophiegemini's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
emjay24's review against another edition
1.0
My friend recomended this book to me and I really tried to read it. This is a novel about a woman in her late 20s named Dahlia. She is spoiled and lazy. Her dad pays for everything, she has no job, no hobbies, all she does is smoke pot and watch tv. She doesn't even really have friends. One day she has a seizure and discovers she has a brain tumor and is dying. It's sad. But even though i feel badly for Dahlia, she's annoying. She's grating and her family is grating and the story is boring. I only got to page 104, I kept trying to read this book, but i was pretty much forcing myself, waiting for it to get less annoying. It wasn't and i just gave up. Yup, I didn't finish it. I can't say that i'd have a good attitude if i found out i was dying of cancer and had a failed life like Dahlia, but i wouldn't write a book about it. This book is highly rated so it's obvious that many have the opposite opinion of me so maybe you'll like it, but I just really don't.
erinmp's review against another edition
1.0
This book blows. Seriously. Dahlia is an over-privileged 29-year-old who hates her life. Convenient because she's got a brain tumor and she's dying. So she sits around and reflects on her shitty life--pretty much what she's been doing for years already. She follows a guide to cancer, arguing in her head with the author along the way. I don't like the character. There's nothing to like about the character. She's self-absorbed, full of pity for herself and blocks everyone else out (which, is kind of fair because they're all assholes too; except for her dad). I am regretting the time I spent reading this book--I want it back and the only thing I learned from this book is that I should have quit 10 pages in to it. Life's too short for crappy books.
marie_gg's review against another edition
3.0
Dahlia Finger, a selfish, shallow, foul-mouthed, and stoner Jewish American princess who was conceived on a kibbutz, has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor at the young age of 29.
In search of answers, she finds a self-help guide in an effort to help her grapple with her cancer and impending demise. And she begins looking back on her shambles of a life.
Dahlia is not particularly likable, but as her childhood memories come forth, it's clear why she got to be the way she is. When her flaky Israeli mother and American father break up, her previously loving and adoring older brother Dan turns on her. He becomes her worst tormentor, treating her horribly and humiliating her constantly, while she only wants his approval and love. She feels abandoned and confused, and along with the absence of her mother during her formative years, this abandonment and cruelty shapes her life and personality.
There's no question where the story is headed, and if you're looking for an upbeat, happy story, this isn't it. I wouldn't even say it has much redemption in it. But it does make you think about your own life and where it's headed. Are you making the most of each hour you have?
In search of answers, she finds a self-help guide in an effort to help her grapple with her cancer and impending demise. And she begins looking back on her shambles of a life.
Dahlia is not particularly likable, but as her childhood memories come forth, it's clear why she got to be the way she is. When her flaky Israeli mother and American father break up, her previously loving and adoring older brother Dan turns on her. He becomes her worst tormentor, treating her horribly and humiliating her constantly, while she only wants his approval and love. She feels abandoned and confused, and along with the absence of her mother during her formative years, this abandonment and cruelty shapes her life and personality.
There's no question where the story is headed, and if you're looking for an upbeat, happy story, this isn't it. I wouldn't even say it has much redemption in it. But it does make you think about your own life and where it's headed. Are you making the most of each hour you have?
tifflovesbooks80's review against another edition
4.0
I started reading this book while I was on vacation at Disney World. Definitely not a read for the Happiest Place on Earth! Though it is not the type pf book I would have chosen myself (This was part of a Round Robin Reading Group), I was hooked from the start.
The story follows Dahila Finger as she goes from being a lazy couch potato, to a cancer patient who has been told she has an inoperable brain tumor. The book is told in a flashback/present day form so at times the switching back and forth was exhausting.
After finishing it I was glad that I stuck with it because it was such a different type of story for me and definitely took me out of my comfort zone. I do think that the themes from this book will stay with me for a long time and in my life experiences I will probably think back to this book.
The story follows Dahila Finger as she goes from being a lazy couch potato, to a cancer patient who has been told she has an inoperable brain tumor. The book is told in a flashback/present day form so at times the switching back and forth was exhausting.
After finishing it I was glad that I stuck with it because it was such a different type of story for me and definitely took me out of my comfort zone. I do think that the themes from this book will stay with me for a long time and in my life experiences I will probably think back to this book.
kricketa's review against another edition
4.0
29-year-old dahlia finger keeps meaning to get her life in order, but somehow always ends up floundering. then, a terminal brain tumor puts her life in order for her.
one might be surprised to see a book shelved as both "death & dying" and "hilarious." this sums up why i liked the book so much. albert strikes a perfect balance between gravity and bullshit and in the end everything rang so perfectly true. highly recommended for those who don't mind irreverence and profanity.
one might be surprised to see a book shelved as both "death & dying" and "hilarious." this sums up why i liked the book so much. albert strikes a perfect balance between gravity and bullshit and in the end everything rang so perfectly true. highly recommended for those who don't mind irreverence and profanity.
minvanwin's review against another edition
4.0
This book--about a 29-year-old ne'er-do-well cancer victim--is certainly not for everyone. But I loved it.
magdon's review against another edition
4.0
oh my gosh: sad and funny and depressing and lovely and wow. A great job of weaving the narratives, current and past. Dahlia is a fabulous "loser" heroine. The pain. But she is so herself. Loved it.
enbybooklove's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Mehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I really expected to love this book. Illness, bad family relationships, suicidal ideation - those themes are some of my absolute faves. But a book with no likable or intriguing characters? What’s the point?
I really expected to love this book. Illness, bad family relationships, suicidal ideation - those themes are some of my absolute faves. But a book with no likable or intriguing characters? What’s the point?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Suicidal thoughts