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bak8382's review against another edition
3.0
Nadja Spiegelman may be the daughter of [a:Art Spiegelman|5117|Art Spiegelman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1206557373p2/5117.jpg], but she focuses her attention here on her mother and grandmother. Interspersed with their stories are Nadja's own memories of growing up, often contradicted by her mother's memory, and a few stories of her great-grandmother. The book is at its strongest when Nadja moves to Paris and dives into her Grandmother's life. It's a fascinating look at mothers and daughters spanning several generations.
kellyroberson's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure what to think, but it was inventive and engrossing.
sanmeow's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
an excellent exploration of a mother daughter relationship. even more than the story itself, i liked the style. i thought so many sentences were beautiful and memorable. my only issue is the pacing and the fact that i felt bored at times. still, a big fan of the style, so i'll read something else from the author but not a memoir.
scarlettpeterson's review against another edition
3.0
TW The mention of abortion may be triggering to some readers, as could the abusive tendencies of some characters. There is also talk of rape and suicide in more than one section. Creepy grandfather groping is also, unfortunately, an element here.
First of all, I absolutely love Spiegelman’s writing. It's stunning, almost poetic. There's a general warmth with which she describes things, even in cases that weren't wholly pleasant.
I wasn't sure how I felt about Josée from the start; a Parisian woman who wore blackface and generally treated her daughter(s) in a way that I wouldn't necessarily consider warm. Her stories are certainly different than her daughters’ tellings, which made me question her character more, though I grew to love her throughout the book. I was glad that Françoise chose to move, and I loved seeing how her parenting techniques differed and reflected what her own mother had done.
I also wound up quite surprised with Françoise’s father as the story moved forward. I expected abuse from Josée, not from him. His many improper and frankly lewd acts were despicable.
Overall, it was a very dense read with many stories compacted within. It was beautifully written, and Spiegelman's parents must be proud of her for keeping up their craft. I picked up this book about mothers and motherhood and daughters and I was so, so excited, and it was well worth the excitement!
First of all, I absolutely love Spiegelman’s writing. It's stunning, almost poetic. There's a general warmth with which she describes things, even in cases that weren't wholly pleasant.
I wasn't sure how I felt about Josée from the start; a Parisian woman who wore blackface and generally treated her daughter(s) in a way that I wouldn't necessarily consider warm. Her stories are certainly different than her daughters’ tellings, which made me question her character more, though I grew to love her throughout the book. I was glad that Françoise chose to move, and I loved seeing how her parenting techniques differed and reflected what her own mother had done.
I also wound up quite surprised with Françoise’s father as the story moved forward. I expected abuse from Josée, not from him. His many improper and frankly lewd acts were despicable.
Overall, it was a very dense read with many stories compacted within. It was beautifully written, and Spiegelman's parents must be proud of her for keeping up their craft. I picked up this book about mothers and motherhood and daughters and I was so, so excited, and it was well worth the excitement!
mai_books_nature's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
k8iedid's review against another edition
5.0
Again, I have no idea how this book landed on my to-read list, given that I'm unfamiliar with Spiegelman or her parents. I opened this book with a blank slate. And I loved it.
In "The Red Tent," Anita Diamant writes, "If you want to understand any woman, you must first ask about her mother and listen carefully." Spiegelman's mom is a captivating figure, and I loved how she dove into their complicated dynamic. That alone made this a great story, but when we got to the last third where Spiegelman spent significant time with her grandmother, the book really took off for me. Aha, now we're seeing family traits played out and passed along. What a gift for female family members to spend time together getting to know each other as people, and not just their singular relationship to each other. I really enjoyed this memoir.
In "The Red Tent," Anita Diamant writes, "If you want to understand any woman, you must first ask about her mother and listen carefully." Spiegelman's mom is a captivating figure, and I loved how she dove into their complicated dynamic. That alone made this a great story, but when we got to the last third where Spiegelman spent significant time with her grandmother, the book really took off for me. Aha, now we're seeing family traits played out and passed along. What a gift for female family members to spend time together getting to know each other as people, and not just their singular relationship to each other. I really enjoyed this memoir.
textpublishing's review
5.0
‘Spiegelman’s narrative complicates, blurs, and questions the line between the self and the other—that basic fault-line of all autobiographical writing—as perhaps only a story about mothers can.’
Elif Batuman, author of The Possessed
‘Spiegelman’s sagely poetic “memoir” is maybe best described as the biography of a mother seen through the eyes of a daughter…[Her] intimate portrait of female identity and idolatry is intelligent, forthright and heartbreaking. Her sentences will haunt me forever.’
Heidi Julavits
‘Nadja Spiegelman’s I’m Supposed to Protect You from All This works like a series of Russian nesting dolls: in every mother, she finds a woman who was once a daughter. Her prose is luminous and precise; her portraits intricately tender but charged by the wild electricity of familial love. I felt myself moved and expanded as I read this thoughtful, probing book—and I called my own mother the moment I was done.’
Leslie Jamison, author of The Empathy Exams
‘Nadja Spiegelman has written a passionate, penetrating, swiftly paced memoir about her mother, her grandmother, and herself. In sharp contrast to many writers working in the genre, who naively assume they are in possession of the definitive, true version of their stories, Spiegelman nimbly interrogates the workings of memory itself—its shifting shape and unreliability, its fictional character. I am proud to play a bit part in this complex love story about three generations of women and what each of them remembers.’
Siri Hustvedt, author of The Blazing World
‘Spiegelman’s prose is witty, tender, assured and poetic, and her investigation progresses like memory itself, a realm in which nothing quite hangs together but everything makes sense. The unexpected symmetries between the generations, as well as the inevitable insults and pains, make this artful memoir feel like the story of every family.’
Sheila Heti, author of How Should a Person Be?
‘A fascinating, gracefully written glimpse into the complexities of family life.’
Kirkus Reviews
‘This stunning memoir of mothers and daughters blew me away with its beauty and honesty. At once unflinching in its exploration of maternal cruelty and unabashed about the wonders of a mother’s love, it manages to capture the complexity of that bond like nothing else I’ve ever read. An extraordinary achievement.’
J. Courtney Sullivan, author of The Engagements
‘Stunning and artistic…touching, surprising consideration of the unclear inheritances of family, and the certain fallibility of memory. Thanks to the literary time travel her exercise affords, Spiegelman sees her subjects, and herself, in a way she never otherwise could have. In the process, she learns and writes page-turning true stories of women, their work and love, which read like novels, and gains the rare sort of understanding that precludes the need for forgiveness.’
STARRED Review, Booklist
‘Spiegelman writes candidly and beautifully about the complex relationship between mothers and daughters.’
PureWow
‘Spiegelman takes on the onerous task of picking at the narrative threads of her mother’s adolescence and unravelling it to find the truth. The result is this memoir, which is a beautiful thing. A word to the wise: your inclination will be to read this as fast as possible, but take your time. The language and the story both deserve your patience.’
Frisky
‘Spiegelman deftly narrates her mother’s life, as well as her childhood, and explores the ways we idolize and finally come to understand the women who shape us. A beautiful, insightful read.’
Travel and Leisure
‘Passionate, penetrating.’
Siri Hustvedt
‘Nadja is excellent at remembering, with a brilliant eye for the hilarious, disquieting and uncanny… The book is as affectionate as it is detailed, and the affection is deepened by this attention to detail, Nadja’s willingness to explore her subjects’ difficult sides.’
Saturday Paper
‘With this fiercely female chain of stories, Spiegelman has decided to plunge right into the most intimate and radioactive psychic material most women have on hand…Spiegelman is masterful at loading up her language with more meaning than is at first apparent.’
Slate
‘This is a special read that refuses to simplify or soften the pain and pleasure of the mother-daughter relationship.’
Elle
‘Captivating.’
Weekly Review
‘Much like her father [Art Spiegelman] in Maus, Spiegelman braids the past with the present…At the core of these culled recollections is less a tally of pain and grievances than a testament to survival.’
Guardian
‘Nadja traces back four generations of her family and writes sensitively, beautifully and honestly about the women in her mother, Francoise’s family and she and Francoise’s own compelling, conflicted relationship. A really thoughtful book that won’t fail to resonate.’
Red Online
‘Any suspicions one might harbour of Spiegelman resting on the laurels of such an illustrious literary inheritance are immediately swept aside as you read her work. She proves herself more than worthy of comparison with her father, fully grasping the risks and the rewards of her chosen genre…I haven’t read a better memoir all year.’
National
Nadja Spiegelman’s I’m Supposed to Protect You From All This shimmers with elegance, mystery, and danger. It is a memoir of mothers and daughters, traced through four generations, as well as a study of memory and the stories we tell to create (and preserve) our sense of self.’
Lifted Brow
‘A thoughtful, poignant and powerful memoir about four generations of women and their relationships with each other, this book was at once an exploration of the complexities of family and a sharp look at the fallibility of memory. Smart, tender and beautifully crafted.’
Feminist Reading Picks of 2016, Age
Elif Batuman, author of The Possessed
‘Spiegelman’s sagely poetic “memoir” is maybe best described as the biography of a mother seen through the eyes of a daughter…[Her] intimate portrait of female identity and idolatry is intelligent, forthright and heartbreaking. Her sentences will haunt me forever.’
Heidi Julavits
‘Nadja Spiegelman’s I’m Supposed to Protect You from All This works like a series of Russian nesting dolls: in every mother, she finds a woman who was once a daughter. Her prose is luminous and precise; her portraits intricately tender but charged by the wild electricity of familial love. I felt myself moved and expanded as I read this thoughtful, probing book—and I called my own mother the moment I was done.’
Leslie Jamison, author of The Empathy Exams
‘Nadja Spiegelman has written a passionate, penetrating, swiftly paced memoir about her mother, her grandmother, and herself. In sharp contrast to many writers working in the genre, who naively assume they are in possession of the definitive, true version of their stories, Spiegelman nimbly interrogates the workings of memory itself—its shifting shape and unreliability, its fictional character. I am proud to play a bit part in this complex love story about three generations of women and what each of them remembers.’
Siri Hustvedt, author of The Blazing World
‘Spiegelman’s prose is witty, tender, assured and poetic, and her investigation progresses like memory itself, a realm in which nothing quite hangs together but everything makes sense. The unexpected symmetries between the generations, as well as the inevitable insults and pains, make this artful memoir feel like the story of every family.’
Sheila Heti, author of How Should a Person Be?
‘A fascinating, gracefully written glimpse into the complexities of family life.’
Kirkus Reviews
‘This stunning memoir of mothers and daughters blew me away with its beauty and honesty. At once unflinching in its exploration of maternal cruelty and unabashed about the wonders of a mother’s love, it manages to capture the complexity of that bond like nothing else I’ve ever read. An extraordinary achievement.’
J. Courtney Sullivan, author of The Engagements
‘Stunning and artistic…touching, surprising consideration of the unclear inheritances of family, and the certain fallibility of memory. Thanks to the literary time travel her exercise affords, Spiegelman sees her subjects, and herself, in a way she never otherwise could have. In the process, she learns and writes page-turning true stories of women, their work and love, which read like novels, and gains the rare sort of understanding that precludes the need for forgiveness.’
STARRED Review, Booklist
‘Spiegelman writes candidly and beautifully about the complex relationship between mothers and daughters.’
PureWow
‘Spiegelman takes on the onerous task of picking at the narrative threads of her mother’s adolescence and unravelling it to find the truth. The result is this memoir, which is a beautiful thing. A word to the wise: your inclination will be to read this as fast as possible, but take your time. The language and the story both deserve your patience.’
Frisky
‘Spiegelman deftly narrates her mother’s life, as well as her childhood, and explores the ways we idolize and finally come to understand the women who shape us. A beautiful, insightful read.’
Travel and Leisure
‘Passionate, penetrating.’
Siri Hustvedt
‘Nadja is excellent at remembering, with a brilliant eye for the hilarious, disquieting and uncanny… The book is as affectionate as it is detailed, and the affection is deepened by this attention to detail, Nadja’s willingness to explore her subjects’ difficult sides.’
Saturday Paper
‘With this fiercely female chain of stories, Spiegelman has decided to plunge right into the most intimate and radioactive psychic material most women have on hand…Spiegelman is masterful at loading up her language with more meaning than is at first apparent.’
Slate
‘This is a special read that refuses to simplify or soften the pain and pleasure of the mother-daughter relationship.’
Elle
‘Captivating.’
Weekly Review
‘Much like her father [Art Spiegelman] in Maus, Spiegelman braids the past with the present…At the core of these culled recollections is less a tally of pain and grievances than a testament to survival.’
Guardian
‘Nadja traces back four generations of her family and writes sensitively, beautifully and honestly about the women in her mother, Francoise’s family and she and Francoise’s own compelling, conflicted relationship. A really thoughtful book that won’t fail to resonate.’
Red Online
‘Any suspicions one might harbour of Spiegelman resting on the laurels of such an illustrious literary inheritance are immediately swept aside as you read her work. She proves herself more than worthy of comparison with her father, fully grasping the risks and the rewards of her chosen genre…I haven’t read a better memoir all year.’
National
Nadja Spiegelman’s I’m Supposed to Protect You From All This shimmers with elegance, mystery, and danger. It is a memoir of mothers and daughters, traced through four generations, as well as a study of memory and the stories we tell to create (and preserve) our sense of self.’
Lifted Brow
‘A thoughtful, poignant and powerful memoir about four generations of women and their relationships with each other, this book was at once an exploration of the complexities of family and a sharp look at the fallibility of memory. Smart, tender and beautifully crafted.’
Feminist Reading Picks of 2016, Age