Scan barcode
somanybookstoread's review
4.0
This was well done. The language was at times beautiful and Guest did a great job telling a difficult story without it feeling heavy-handed or sorrowful. I look forward to reading his poetry.
thebeardedpoet's review
This book falls in the category of "well written" but I can't recommend it. The first quarter of the book tells the horrific (and riveting) story of a bicycle accident that leaves Paul Guest paralyzed. What didn't appeal to me in the rest of the book was the way it seemed most people Paul encountered in his life come across (ultimately) as jerks. I have no doubt most people are in fact clueless about how to relate to someone who is wheelchair bound. I'd probably be one of those jerks. But I didn't see how these incidents made for a meaningful memoir. Does it seem honest? Yes. But I wondered what's the point? To show how the world is full of jerks?
jess_segraves's review
2.0
Guest is certainly a poet; he has a way with words that distinguishes his memoir from others. His discussion of his life-changing injury and his experiences as an adolescent, a college student, a graduate student, and a man are eloquently, delicately written. At the same time, they are laced with an edginess, a hardness from having written of his experiences and a hardness from living with the shadow of the past (his term).
I would recommend this to anyone interested in memoirs of profound life experiences and their effects on our future selves.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in memoirs of profound life experiences and their effects on our future selves.
onelitchick's review
4.0
Paul Guest is just 12 years old when a biking accident indelibly changes his life forever. Now 27, ONE MORE THEORY ABOUT HAPPINESS is Guest's account of the events that resulted in his broken neck and adjustment to life as a quadriplegic. In a word, this memoir is stunning. In a few more words, it's more than I expected--even in its mere 208 pages--and one that I think everyone should read.
It's easy to tell in the first few pages of ONE MORE THEORY ABOUT HAPPINESS that Guest is a bright, mindful and considerate person. Wrapping up his sixth grade year at a barbeque hosted by his teacher, Guest and his best friend take off on a pair of old bikes while the food is still being prepared. The bikes are dilapidated at best and leave Guest wondering if a ride is the best thing to do; but once the tires are filled with air, the two take to the hilly streets of the neighborhood. Guest couldn't have anticipated that the bike's brakes were out of commission, nor could he have seen the drainage ditch lying in hiding under overgrown foliage. But when his speed picked up and he hit the ditch, he "was thrown from the bike, over the handlebars, catapulted, tossed like a human dart into the earth."
What follows, in beautiful and lyrical prose, is Guest's journey to find himself in this new body and to connect with others in real and meaningful ways. Understandably, he struggled with the forced intimacy that must be shared with a caregiver that sees you at your most vulnerable, when in need of help with basic life skills like eating, bathing and using the bathroom. And yet, I wonder if this exposure helped him create such an intimate account of his life, one that I felt fully welcomed to enter.
Despite what may seem like a grim story, Guest's eloquence, insightfulness and humor convey a life that is not to be pitied. In fact, I found his story to be a reminder that, while life is fragile, we are all so very capable of greatness... whatever greatness is for us. Guest most certainly could have become embittered and resigned, yet he always worked through his therapies and sought his passion and is now not only a memoirist, but an award-winnng poet. I kind of wonder if he would have become a writer were it not for his accident. We may never know.
What I do know is that he has immense gifts and significant talent. I know that the words I write here don't do any justice to the words he placed on the page for us all to experience. I know, or was reminded, that happiness is a choice no matter what your circumstances. I also know that I wanted just a little bit more from this otherwise perfect book. He is still so young with such a promising career that is just beginning to unfold.
It's easy to tell in the first few pages of ONE MORE THEORY ABOUT HAPPINESS that Guest is a bright, mindful and considerate person. Wrapping up his sixth grade year at a barbeque hosted by his teacher, Guest and his best friend take off on a pair of old bikes while the food is still being prepared. The bikes are dilapidated at best and leave Guest wondering if a ride is the best thing to do; but once the tires are filled with air, the two take to the hilly streets of the neighborhood. Guest couldn't have anticipated that the bike's brakes were out of commission, nor could he have seen the drainage ditch lying in hiding under overgrown foliage. But when his speed picked up and he hit the ditch, he "was thrown from the bike, over the handlebars, catapulted, tossed like a human dart into the earth."
What follows, in beautiful and lyrical prose, is Guest's journey to find himself in this new body and to connect with others in real and meaningful ways. Understandably, he struggled with the forced intimacy that must be shared with a caregiver that sees you at your most vulnerable, when in need of help with basic life skills like eating, bathing and using the bathroom. And yet, I wonder if this exposure helped him create such an intimate account of his life, one that I felt fully welcomed to enter.
Despite what may seem like a grim story, Guest's eloquence, insightfulness and humor convey a life that is not to be pitied. In fact, I found his story to be a reminder that, while life is fragile, we are all so very capable of greatness... whatever greatness is for us. Guest most certainly could have become embittered and resigned, yet he always worked through his therapies and sought his passion and is now not only a memoirist, but an award-winnng poet. I kind of wonder if he would have become a writer were it not for his accident. We may never know.
What I do know is that he has immense gifts and significant talent. I know that the words I write here don't do any justice to the words he placed on the page for us all to experience. I know, or was reminded, that happiness is a choice no matter what your circumstances. I also know that I wanted just a little bit more from this otherwise perfect book. He is still so young with such a promising career that is just beginning to unfold.
timlockridge's review
5.0
Perfectly brief, stirring, poignant. I read it in one sitting--then immediately started again.
bibliophagic's review
2.0
Despite my intentions to produce a speedy review, I put this book aside for a couple of months, and didn't read it until a weeks ago.
As another reader wrote, this isn't so much a story as it is a list of events. Guest goes into excruciating details at some points and then jumps years without warning at others.
I hate to be a jerk, but Guest is clearly a poet (if that - I haven't read his poetry) rather than a writer of prose. He's fond of run-on sentences and his thesaurus. I could see how his writing style might work to create a clear distillation of imagery and experience when used in poems, but in this book it does nearly the opposite, lending it a distanced, near-robotic feel.
[Disclosure: I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.]
As another reader wrote, this isn't so much a story as it is a list of events. Guest goes into excruciating details at some points and then jumps years without warning at others.
I hate to be a jerk, but Guest is clearly a poet (if that - I haven't read his poetry) rather than a writer of prose. He's fond of run-on sentences and his thesaurus. I could see how his writing style might work to create a clear distillation of imagery and experience when used in poems, but in this book it does nearly the opposite, lending it a distanced, near-robotic feel.
[Disclosure: I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.]
mkneuman's review
3.0
Beautifully written. Begins with a painful and vivid account of the incident that left the author a quadriplegic - so much so that it took me a while to get through the first couple of chapters. Guest then recounts a series of events in his life, conveyed with realism and underlying hope. Often redemptive. Leaves some sizable questions unanswered. Overall a lovely memoir.
bludfellow's review
5.0
I received an uncorrected proof from a Goodreads giveaway a couple of years ago. I finally got around to reading it ... I can't believe I waited so long. Guest has a real way with words, choosing the right ones so carefully, and the result is beautiful. It was touching without being trite. I'll definitely be searching out his poetry in the future.
jennseeg's review
3.0
This is a quick read about the experiences of the author after he became paralyzed in a bicycle accident at the age of 12. It is fairly unemotional, but I liked it.
amberinbookland's review
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Excrement, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Suicidal thoughts