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lsparrow's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book - part biography part memoir - an exploration of ourselves and what parts of us are untold/hidden/explained. About how in particular queer relationships and identity and chronic illness are retold. I am always interested in queer histories that get lost. And like all books I love - I ended this book with so many more books to read.
libcolleen's review against another edition
2.0
I do appreciate how this narrative is meaningful to many readers, but I find it difficult to enjoy as I have professional concerns. I don't know the state laws there governing access to these confidential documents but even if it is legally allowed, it feels ethically fraught with how notes from McCuller's private therapy sessions are used in service of the author's story, ultimately to gain prestige and profit. Memoir and research both would have been better served by separating the two.
dhaydon95's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
There is something simple but delicious about Shapland's writing, the way a strawberry tastes fresh from the field. Her reverence and curiosity for/about McCullers creates a heartfelt but intense memoir and biography. A book I will return to many times.
eawunder's review against another edition
5.0
Queer representation in nonfiction literature!!!!!! Need I say more?
readingissosexy's review against another edition
2.0
Happy Pride!
I selected this book at random in a NYC bookstore (i love doing that) & read it on vacation through Germany & Austria. Now, the book is done & only 2 days remain of my #eurosummer. rip.
As for my review... 2.5 stars. I appreciated 3 things greatly:
1. The idea of telling your story through the story of another. I hadn't seen that done before. Perfect. We're all connected & i believe that.
2. Shepland's obsession. It was a bit much at times, but also I can relate to long hours spent down the rabbit holes of strangers, the sudden NEED to know things I'll never know. I too read between the lines & draw conclusions that satisfy my brain & make it make sense. (I once dedicated hours to an investigation of a random advertising mogul's divorce. I found his ex's 2011 blog, I scrolled all the way to the bottom of his instagram, I concocted theories.) I get it. What I chase on social media, Shapland chased in literary archives.
3. (This is niche but...) I feel satisfied when things connect. When reading, this usually means that something I've read in a previous book comes to play in my current one. It's satisfactory. It's a reminder that we all inhibit the same world. It happened 3 times here: McCullers lived in Feb. House which I just read about in "When Brooklyn was Queer", then Shepland quotes Maggie Nelson, another recently read author, AND THEN against all odds Shepland referenced "Edie"... the obscure 1982 biography I literally just finished.
Moments like that make a book feel like fate, like maybe all other books paved my way to this one.
(Not me writing an entire book report lmao, almost done)
I did find the read a bit intense overall. To be fair, it's basically "outing" a dead woman. At times I felt Shepland reached a bit far, desperate to find queerness in every small detail of McCullers's life, leaving on no space for mystery or nuance. But Shepland admits to this, so that's chill.
In conclusion: This book as a telling of Shepland's personal story and experiences? Awesome. As a telling of McCullers's story and experiences? Possibly awesome as well, I only wish McCullers could tell us.
I selected this book at random in a NYC bookstore (i love doing that) & read it on vacation through Germany & Austria. Now, the book is done & only 2 days remain of my #eurosummer. rip.
As for my review... 2.5 stars. I appreciated 3 things greatly:
1. The idea of telling your story through the story of another. I hadn't seen that done before. Perfect. We're all connected & i believe that.
2. Shepland's obsession. It was a bit much at times, but also I can relate to long hours spent down the rabbit holes of strangers, the sudden NEED to know things I'll never know. I too read between the lines & draw conclusions that satisfy my brain & make it make sense. (I once dedicated hours to an investigation of a random advertising mogul's divorce. I found his ex's 2011 blog, I scrolled all the way to the bottom of his instagram, I concocted theories.) I get it. What I chase on social media, Shapland chased in literary archives.
3. (This is niche but...) I feel satisfied when things connect. When reading, this usually means that something I've read in a previous book comes to play in my current one. It's satisfactory. It's a reminder that we all inhibit the same world. It happened 3 times here: McCullers lived in Feb. House which I just read about in "When Brooklyn was Queer", then Shepland quotes Maggie Nelson, another recently read author, AND THEN against all odds Shepland referenced "Edie"... the obscure 1982 biography I literally just finished.
Moments like that make a book feel like fate, like maybe all other books paved my way to this one.
(Not me writing an entire book report lmao, almost done)
I did find the read a bit intense overall. To be fair, it's basically "outing" a dead woman. At times I felt Shepland reached a bit far, desperate to find queerness in every small detail of McCullers's life, leaving on no space for mystery or nuance. But Shepland admits to this, so that's chill.
In conclusion: This book as a telling of Shepland's personal story and experiences? Awesome. As a telling of McCullers's story and experiences? Possibly awesome as well, I only wish McCullers could tell us.
sarabkeller's review against another edition
5.0
Jenn Shapland had a great quote near the beginning of this book, about how feeling understood by someone does not equate to understanding that person. And how can we, when so many details of our lives are constantly being written out of the narratives by those around us? This was not as much biography (although I learned a lot about Carson McCuller’s life) nor was it exactly memoir (but I also learned a bit about Jenn Shapland’s life) - but more of something in between: Jenn constantly is questioning how her personal experiences, desires, and need to connect with her subjects interfere with her ability to effectively tell their story. Anyway I guess I should read something by Carson McCullers.
“...it is clear that empathy is a choice a person makes, moment to moment, in how they approach other people, on the page and off.”
“...it is clear that empathy is a choice a person makes, moment to moment, in how they approach other people, on the page and off.”
drew03's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
kphelps's review against another edition
5.0
“If this isn’t love I don’t know what is. Or care.”
I have tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. There’s so much here, but I think I need more time before I can say more.
I have tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. There’s so much here, but I think I need more time before I can say more.