Reviews

A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt

xavz_'s review against another edition

5.0

you know when you read something and you get a little ways in and you're like "wow this feels like its probably gonna stick with me" and then you finish the book and you already feel haunted (in a beautiful way) by it and it hasn't even been 5 minutes yet

bimmbles's review against another edition

5.0

Absolutely as staggering and gorgeous as everyone says, and left me feeling cracked open in the best possible way.

madelindrew's review against another edition

challenging inspiring sad tense fast-paced

5.0

therkive's review against another edition

5.0

I have so rarely bought a book in the middle of my reading the ebook version because my online annotations were not enough. I needed to be able to pour myself into every line, every word Belcourt has written in this otherwise "short" essay collection. I think every non-Indigenous non-queer person, of all of the essay collections I have read thus far, should read this. Each line makes my lungs ache in expansion, ribs cracking with understanding of the loneliness Belcourt describes. The tragedies that befall Indigenous folk at the hands of heinous white people, especially the ideas passed down by colonization, are a noose that Belcourt so readily describes - the massacres in which governments dealt to expand their land for white people, a cage with which Indigenous people are still living within. I do not have anything save for praises for each passage in this book, so many that I will return to in the future as I existentially dwell upon my own loneliness and queerness and South Asian identity in a white-predominant society surrounded by those who colonized and murdered my own ancestors for centuries.

marywollstonecraftshelley's review against another edition

3.25

Would have probably liked this more if I read it rather than listened to it

oversherin's review against another edition

I struggled to understand this book at times. It is a blend of academic theory and personal poetry. I wanted to like it and I think I wasn’t in the right headspace to read it. I did enjoy the more narrative essays like “Robert.” I will try one of Billy Rae Belcourt’s novels. 

coffee_goblin's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

Perhaps the most beautiful memoir I have ever read, Billy-Ray Belcourt's writing style was complex and enthralling. I could not look away, hungry for every sentence. Essential reading. Poetic and deeply moving, I can not wait to read the rest of his works

cardansloml's review against another edition

emotional funny informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

1.5

darcyhendershott's review against another edition

2.0

I wanted desperately to like this book. Of my entire 2023 reading list, this was the first one I picked up based on my excitement for it.

There was something about the first half where the writing came off to me as ostentatious and performative. I appreciate the artistic and poetic writing and structure, but I think in accomplishing this, the narrative came off as very distant at times. I may someday give it another try because, based on the extremely positive reviews, it's very possible that I'm just not in a place to fully appreciate this work right now.

andymaxyyc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense slow-paced

4.25

This is a vulnerable exploration of Indigenous and queer identity in Canada. Many of the ideas are complicated and complex to unpack. I appreciate that it is rarely accusatory; I don't cringe at the feeling of a finger pointed in my direction. He is sharing his side of things- things that I have never considered from any POV beyond my own viewpoint of privilege. I have more to learn and explore, and I will revisit this book again someday. I feel as though it will know me better, and I too might know me better as well.