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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.
gray_05_sea's review against another edition
5.0
Poetic. Contemplative. Very clever memoir and biography.
libbydibbles's review against another edition
I found this super interesting and insightful, well written, it was a quick read that scratched my Carson itch, and much more.
jonapelson's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars - QBC September Book
Abandoning at 76% because my hold list and next month's book club pick are calling (not to mention that it's due tomorrow and there's a waitlist!). My abandoning should not be taken as a sign that I did not enjoy this book - I thoroughly did. I was a bit skeptical at the hybrid autobiography/biography approach but it works really well in this case. I also loved Shapland's exploration of 'proof' of queerness in historical figures and the discussion of language (is it fair to use a word to describe a figure that means something different than it did when they were alive?).
Abandoning at 76% because my hold list and next month's book club pick are calling (not to mention that it's due tomorrow and there's a waitlist!). My abandoning should not be taken as a sign that I did not enjoy this book - I thoroughly did. I was a bit skeptical at the hybrid autobiography/biography approach but it works really well in this case. I also loved Shapland's exploration of 'proof' of queerness in historical figures and the discussion of language (is it fair to use a word to describe a figure that means something different than it did when they were alive?).
booksaremyfavorite's review against another edition
5.0
My mom gave me The Heart is a Lonely Hunter for Christmas one year in my 20s, maybe when I was in college, I have no idea why. I've been mildly obsessed with Carson Mccullers ever since. I taught Ballad of the Sad Cafe in my ESL College Reading class. I had a ratty old edition of The Member of the Wedding on my shelf for years, salvaged from Alachua County's amazing Friends of the Library book sale. It was lovely to read about her by someone who admires her as much as I do, especially with such a refreshing take on a biography. I loved the way Shapland interplayed doubt and certainty, and Carson's life and her own. It was masterful.
Favorite book I've read recently.
Favorite book I've read recently.