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ameliasbooks's review against another edition
fast-paced
2.75
The topic was interesting and I usually like a fragmented style once in a while, but this was a bit too jumpy and all over the place. Also Manguso describes that the disease made her a more awful person, which is totally relatable, because there's no time for nonsense, if you are trying to survive or struggling to accept your situation.
So I can't judge if the disease was responsible for that, but I found her attitude towards other people quite judgemental and some of her descriptions left me feeling really uncomfortable. For example, the way she describes hitting a van full of kids, left me a bit speechless. I would have expected her to be more reflective on that situation, not while she was in that situation, because of the state she was in, but in hindsight.
So I can't judge if the disease was responsible for that, but I found her attitude towards other people quite judgemental and some of her descriptions left me feeling really uncomfortable. For example, the way she describes hitting a van full of kids, left me a bit speechless. I would have expected her to be more reflective on that situation, not while she was in that situation, because of the state she was in, but in hindsight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Blood, Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Body shaming, Sexual content, Car accident, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, and Fatphobia
Minor: Eating disorder, Cancer, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Dementia
readinglibraesq's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Medical content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Blood
Minor: Vomit
courtneyfalling's review against another edition
fast-paced
3.0
I did eventually un-DNF this (obviously), and it is interesting to think about the extent to which CIDP as an absolutely wild condition to flare idiopathically fragmented Sarah Manguso's life, and how the writing reflects that lack of consistency and narrative. I still maintain that the quote below never felt truly situated and this COULD have dwelled on autoimmunity and recurrence in a much more nuanced way, but it was a good and fast read.
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OG: I'm shelving this as DNF at only page 34. The fragmented, jumpy style is difficult to access, but it also fails to complicate really problematic narratives about chronic illness and diagnosis: "Was the CIDP a physical manifestation of a spiritual illness?... Isn't frailty often a choice? And if frailty is a choice, then isn't an autoimmune disease a semi-intentional suicide?" (21). Yikes, absolutely not a narrative I want to see reinforced.
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OG: I'm shelving this as DNF at only page 34. The fragmented, jumpy style is difficult to access, but it also fails to complicate really problematic narratives about chronic illness and diagnosis: "Was the CIDP a physical manifestation of a spiritual illness?... Isn't frailty often a choice? And if frailty is a choice, then isn't an autoimmune disease a semi-intentional suicide?" (21). Yikes, absolutely not a narrative I want to see reinforced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Chronic illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
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