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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Portia de Rossi writes a gorgeous book about her struggles with her weight and personal image. At times, it's heartbreaking to read how awfully she is mistreating her body and mind.
Extremely well written book, an heartbreaking account of what an eating disorder does to a person.
Extremely well written book, an heartbreaking account of what an eating disorder does to a person.
As someone who suffered from critical anorexia and recently started having slips after 13 years of recovery, I've re-entered therapy and decided to read this book to help me move towards not being afraid to re-commit to full recovery/to gather courage to read the recovery book recommended to me by my doctor.
With that preface, this book is 95% about when Ms. de Rossi was very ill. It explicitly details her disordered thinking as she experienced it throughout the eating disorder. It was nice to know someone else had similar experiences and that, based on my previous knowledge, she ultimately got better, but it was also very difficult to read someone else's disordered thoughts and to remember that they are disordered when they so closely reflect ones I had and believed in 13 years ago and have recently started having again. To maintain awareness and not allow it to trigger unfortunate practices was tough. To remember that this book is intended to help and give hope, that it ultimately ends well, was difficult to hang on to at times.
The last bit of the book, though, was strengthening and uplifting, even more so for following the harrowing retelling of a critical illness. If you can safely get through the majority to reach the end, I think the memoir is very much worth reading. If you may not be able to safely read someone else's disordered thoughts without being triggered, though, I would recommend starting with another book in your recovery process (if that's what you're reading it for).
For those just interested in Ms. de Rossi or eating disorders, the memoir is an excellent portrayal of the distorted reality experienced when under the control of an eating disorder and I hope it will be taken seriously. I hope that there will be compassion and support for sufferers as knowledge and understanding is increased, especially understanding that people can and do recover fully from this disease.
With that preface, this book is 95% about when Ms. de Rossi was very ill. It explicitly details her disordered thinking as she experienced it throughout the eating disorder. It was nice to know someone else had similar experiences and that, based on my previous knowledge, she ultimately got better, but it was also very difficult to read someone else's disordered thoughts and to remember that they are disordered when they so closely reflect ones I had and believed in 13 years ago and have recently started having again. To maintain awareness and not allow it to trigger unfortunate practices was tough. To remember that this book is intended to help and give hope, that it ultimately ends well, was difficult to hang on to at times.
The last bit of the book, though, was strengthening and uplifting, even more so for following the harrowing retelling of a critical illness. If you can safely get through the majority to reach the end, I think the memoir is very much worth reading. If you may not be able to safely read someone else's disordered thoughts without being triggered, though, I would recommend starting with another book in your recovery process (if that's what you're reading it for).
For those just interested in Ms. de Rossi or eating disorders, the memoir is an excellent portrayal of the distorted reality experienced when under the control of an eating disorder and I hope it will be taken seriously. I hope that there will be compassion and support for sufferers as knowledge and understanding is increased, especially understanding that people can and do recover fully from this disease.
“There's a fine line between being private and being ashamed.” 🌒
Getting through this book was difficult and very emotional, I can only imagine Portia’s own journey with her eating disorder, recovery, and ability to share this in a book. Her pain and shame really stand out and make it that more powerful to see her find happiness in love and herself. The book truly reflects how tortured she was while making appearance a priority over health and happiness. It was quite beautiful hearing her acknowledge her own happiness and good health after hitting rock bottom. A vulnerable read, recommend giving it a listen.
Getting through this book was difficult and very emotional, I can only imagine Portia’s own journey with her eating disorder, recovery, and ability to share this in a book. Her pain and shame really stand out and make it that more powerful to see her find happiness in love and herself. The book truly reflects how tortured she was while making appearance a priority over health and happiness. It was quite beautiful hearing her acknowledge her own happiness and good health after hitting rock bottom. A vulnerable read, recommend giving it a listen.
This book was simply remarkable. Few books have touched my heart in such a way, her triumph over image inspired me to be more accepting of others. This is must read at some point in everyone's life.
This book was touching and heart breaking. It made me rethink the way I view myself and my relationship with food and exercise. While it was painfully raw at times, I'm glad I read it. I am better for reading it, and Portia is a courageous woman for writing it.
Beautiful, honest, and entirely relatable. The panic, worry, obsession that she discusses in this book is heartbreaking. I do wish she talked more about her recovery but this was an excellent read.
I think it was okay. I didnt like how there was actually mentioned many weights and they were all lower than the other. Other ways it was really good and i think it obviously showed ehat anorexia is like and was kinda relatable :)
I put this on my list after hearing about it from Outblush. I really liked her on Arrested Development and from my vague memories of watcing Ally McBeal. The few sentence review in no way prepared me for the incredible writing.
Portia's voice is raw and exposed, starkly honest even as it's becoming clear that she has stepped further and further from the gravity of her situation. The style is so detailed and nuanced, so real, that it's both difficult to believe this same woman enduring this period is the one writing about it and clear to see why the story needed to be told. Her insight is impeccable, the way she can explain the rationale that led her decision making, the connections between events that happened ten, fifteen years apart.
This is one of those books that makes saying you enjoyed reading it so, so hard. There's no right way to say you liked a book when the content matter is someone's personal hell. I have wanted to understand eating disorders for so long, but this story gave me so much more -- issues of control, self-created pressure and what a person might be willing to endure before realizing they need to self out a more purposeful life.
Portia's voice is raw and exposed, starkly honest even as it's becoming clear that she has stepped further and further from the gravity of her situation. The style is so detailed and nuanced, so real, that it's both difficult to believe this same woman enduring this period is the one writing about it and clear to see why the story needed to be told. Her insight is impeccable, the way she can explain the rationale that led her decision making, the connections between events that happened ten, fifteen years apart.
This is one of those books that makes saying you enjoyed reading it so, so hard. There's no right way to say you liked a book when the content matter is someone's personal hell. I have wanted to understand eating disorders for so long, but this story gave me so much more -- issues of control, self-created pressure and what a person might be willing to endure before realizing they need to self out a more purposeful life.