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41 reviews for:
How to Hold a Grudge: From Resentment to Contentment—The Power of Grudges to Transform Your Life
Sophie Hannah
3.35 AVERAGE
41 reviews for:
How to Hold a Grudge: From Resentment to Contentment—The Power of Grudges to Transform Your Life
Sophie Hannah
3.35 AVERAGE
At first I thought this was a cheeky reverse-psychology title—because WHO has ever supported / encouraged the holding of grudges without wanting some evil cathartic revenge on the perpetrator? I am fully converted to the Grudge-Fold Path. Sophie Hannah has shown that not only can she craft brilliant crime / mystery fiction, but also deftly and with just the right amount of humor also write nonfiction (as well as POETRY as it turns out—can't wait to get my hands on some of that!).
slow-paced
Well, this was interesting, and while I find her argument for a particular way to think about and "process" grudges to be intriguing, I can't say that I'm gonna jump on board immediately. But, it was food for thought, and with sparks of humor throughout, this was an entertaining read.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Only on Ch 2 but already it’s a bit tedious. She’s really defining keeping a grudge as “remembering to learn a lesson from a negative experience”. Maybe there is more to learn but I don’t think I need 10 more chapters and lessons on rating and categorizing grudges. Or at least it’s not a high priority given how much else there is on my To Read list. Humorous tone which I did enjoy.
I have never read one of Sophie Hannah's books before, but I definitely will now that I know she is a kindred spirit in grudge-holding. I was told by a classmate that I "know how to hold a grudge" because I still resented being mistreated by my grade four teacher (this comment was made probably in grade seven or eight). My classmate meant to insult me, but I completely agree with Sophie Hannah's stance in this book that grudges can be a positive force in one's life. That grudge against Terrible Grade Four Teacher taught me a valuable lesson about the kind of treatment I will not tolerate anymore. I'm not angry, I've just learned from that experience and that has value for me.
A lot of other readers take umbrage with the fact that Sophie Hannah is neither a psychologist nor a psychiatrist and has no expertise in this subject. That's a valid critique, but I thought this was still a really fun and charming exploration of how grudges can be a force for good. Also, her grudge stories were often very funny and I found her endearing.
Hannah did go a bit overboard with all of her classification systems and quizzes though. I had to do some skimming to get through all of the classification.
3 1/2 stars
A lot of other readers take umbrage with the fact that Sophie Hannah is neither a psychologist nor a psychiatrist and has no expertise in this subject. That's a valid critique, but I thought this was still a really fun and charming exploration of how grudges can be a force for good. Also, her grudge stories were often very funny and I found her endearing.
Hannah did go a bit overboard with all of her classification systems and quizzes though. I had to do some skimming to get through all of the classification.
3 1/2 stars
Interesting read that's really about boundaries and honoring ones own needs and emotions. I love that she talks about how grudges need to be reframed.
I'm a grudge keeper from way back so this book spoke to me.
It all makes sense - not in the way that you think though, these are not hate filled grudges with silence and death stares. These grudges are lessons learned and fool-me-once type things. a "good" grudge is one that teaches you something and reminds you to not let yourself be treated badly again or at the very least, remind you that that is the likely outcome of continued interaction with the grudgee (grudger?). A good grudge allows you to forgive, move forward and past while not forgetting.
And that's my kind of grudge.
It all makes sense - not in the way that you think though, these are not hate filled grudges with silence and death stares. These grudges are lessons learned and fool-me-once type things. a "good" grudge is one that teaches you something and reminds you to not let yourself be treated badly again or at the very least, remind you that that is the likely outcome of continued interaction with the grudgee (grudger?). A good grudge allows you to forgive, move forward and past while not forgetting.
And that's my kind of grudge.
The topic of this book was interesting and thought provoking. This and this alone kept me reading. The writing style left much to be desired, as it resembled more of a ranting millennial on a blog than something coming from a published self help book.