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kellyncorrado's review
4.0
I'm still trying to sort my feelings on this one. I really appreciated Vanasco being completely vulnerable and letting us into her head. Despite the manic episodes, I found them completely relatable and felt the prose made it easy to fall into it with Vanasco. I think I'm also struggling to quantify my feelings on this because of my own experience losing a father at 14. I don't have a cohesive thought right now. Also very cool to know she lives a stone's throw away from me. Would be neat to see her do a local reading.
ohyeah_karyn's review
4.0
Disclosure: I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
In this unorthodox memoir, we get an intimate glimpse into the author's family life, complex grief, mental illness, and her creative process. Jeannie Vanasco takes us on the journey with her as she researches her father's life and so much more in her attempt to fulfill her promise to write him a book. The Glass Eye: A Memoir is a unique read.
In this unorthodox memoir, we get an intimate glimpse into the author's family life, complex grief, mental illness, and her creative process. Jeannie Vanasco takes us on the journey with her as she researches her father's life and so much more in her attempt to fulfill her promise to write him a book. The Glass Eye: A Memoir is a unique read.
abbykwiverton's review
4.0
I found this book incredibly engaging and heartbreaking. I found the prose, while fragment and often jarring, was an overwhelming reflection of the author’s shifting state of mind throughout her experience with grief and mental health. Some of the metaphors, whole at first may seem try-hard, prove to be powerful literary tools that drive her exploration of self with the audience as her witness.
kjboldon's review
5.0
Blew me away. I read parts aloud to my husband. Such a complex story, told in a fascinating way, alternating among topics. Funny, scary, sad, and enthralling.
rachelmac476's review
5.0
I've fallen into a bit of a reading slump as of late. Since I was in a slump, I tried to stop buying books. However, I also wanted to get out of the reading slump, so I indulged in this book - where the cover and premise caught my attention. It took me longer than it typically would to get through it - which made the purchase seem a little counterintuitive - but, eventually, I made it through.
I think the reason this story worked so well is that author did not hold anything back or shy away from any details - no matter how personal or how vulnerable this required her to be. Some of the writing is quite experimental and, at times, stream of consciousness - but not without purpose. Vanasco takes you on a tour of her mind and allows you to experience her own suffering: her grief, which is so thoroughly intertwined with her mental illness. I don't think I could criticize this book, even if I wanted to because of how open the author is.
Speaking of mental illness, we also witness the author's journey as she navigates the world of psychiatry, therapy, psychology, and hospitalizations. We see the difficulties that low income individuals without health insurance are faced with - as they seek to find the care they need at an affordable cost. Some of Vanasco's experiences made me cringe to see how bad, and even dangerous, some of her experiences were.
Vanasco also incorporates her continued education in writing into this story. During her memoir courses, she receives a lot of advice from her professor and her peers - some of this advice is incorporated, other offerings of advice are contrary to what Vanasco actually ends up doing. There's a moment at the end of the story where her professor says that this memoir must end in a way that lets the readers know that she is okay. One could argue that the author does this. However, I think her approach was more appropriate - she ends the memoir on a note of relative normalcy that allows the reader to see that, while she may not be okay, she is taking the steps necessary to work towards it. For those of us struggling with mental illnesses, we may never be completely "okay" or "normal" - all we can really do is keep trying.
I think the reason this story worked so well is that author did not hold anything back or shy away from any details - no matter how personal or how vulnerable this required her to be. Some of the writing is quite experimental and, at times, stream of consciousness - but not without purpose. Vanasco takes you on a tour of her mind and allows you to experience her own suffering: her grief, which is so thoroughly intertwined with her mental illness. I don't think I could criticize this book, even if I wanted to because of how open the author is.
Speaking of mental illness, we also witness the author's journey as she navigates the world of psychiatry, therapy, psychology, and hospitalizations. We see the difficulties that low income individuals without health insurance are faced with - as they seek to find the care they need at an affordable cost. Some of Vanasco's experiences made me cringe to see how bad, and even dangerous, some of her experiences were.
Vanasco also incorporates her continued education in writing into this story. During her memoir courses, she receives a lot of advice from her professor and her peers - some of this advice is incorporated, other offerings of advice are contrary to what Vanasco actually ends up doing. There's a moment at the end of the story where her professor says that this memoir must end in a way that lets the readers know that she is okay. One could argue that the author does this. However, I think her approach was more appropriate - she ends the memoir on a note of relative normalcy that allows the reader to see that, while she may not be okay, she is taking the steps necessary to work towards it. For those of us struggling with mental illnesses, we may never be completely "okay" or "normal" - all we can really do is keep trying.
_bxllxe_'s review
4.0
When I tell you I couldn’t put this down….
The only reason I picked up this memoir was to see if, through it, I could feel a connection to my own mental health issues. Jeannie Valasco touched on things in this memoir that set little wings fluttering inside my chest. An uncomfortable recognition. She lives with far more serious symptoms than me, and still. I raced through the pages, feeling some semblance of sameness.
When I tell you I laughed out loud…
Jeannie’s Racing Thoughts should be acknowledged as a leading character. I give you this passage as tribute:
“I proceeded to explain that my parents had planned to name me Jeanne after a dead half sister.
‘Without an i’, I said.
I began to tell my treatment team about my recent visit to Jeanne’s hometown.
‘I stayed with a woman named Genie. G-E-N-I-E.’
‘You’re manic,” the psychiatrist alleged in a calm, impersonal tone.
‘But my father died ten years ago. And he named me—‘
‘Your speech is pressured,’ he said.
‘Of course my speech is pressured. I’m trying to condense my life into ten minutes.’
I tried to tell him about my recent visit to my dad and Jeanne’s hometown. I tried to explain why the trip overwhelmed me.
‘Can you hear yourself?’ he asked.
I thought: I here’d myself, I can leave.”
When I tell you I cried…
None of us want to face the things that aren’t right with us. Jeannie’s struggle to appear normal, or to even perceive exactly what isn’t normal within herself, hit very close to home.
This is a love letter to Jeannie’s father, and it is an act of self-love. It is a naming of things and acceptance of them. It might not make sense to some, but it’s a damn good representation of how the bipolar mind works.
The only reason I picked up this memoir was to see if, through it, I could feel a connection to my own mental health issues. Jeannie Valasco touched on things in this memoir that set little wings fluttering inside my chest. An uncomfortable recognition. She lives with far more serious symptoms than me, and still. I raced through the pages, feeling some semblance of sameness.
When I tell you I laughed out loud…
Jeannie’s Racing Thoughts should be acknowledged as a leading character. I give you this passage as tribute:
“I proceeded to explain that my parents had planned to name me Jeanne after a dead half sister.
‘Without an i’, I said.
I began to tell my treatment team about my recent visit to Jeanne’s hometown.
‘I stayed with a woman named Genie. G-E-N-I-E.’
‘You’re manic,” the psychiatrist alleged in a calm, impersonal tone.
‘But my father died ten years ago. And he named me—‘
‘Your speech is pressured,’ he said.
‘Of course my speech is pressured. I’m trying to condense my life into ten minutes.’
I tried to tell him about my recent visit to my dad and Jeanne’s hometown. I tried to explain why the trip overwhelmed me.
‘Can you hear yourself?’ he asked.
I thought: I here’d myself, I can leave.”
When I tell you I cried…
None of us want to face the things that aren’t right with us. Jeannie’s struggle to appear normal, or to even perceive exactly what isn’t normal within herself, hit very close to home.
This is a love letter to Jeannie’s father, and it is an act of self-love. It is a naming of things and acceptance of them. It might not make sense to some, but it’s a damn good representation of how the bipolar mind works.
literatihottie's review
5.0
This honestly is exactly the kind of book I would give 5 stars to. Poetic memoir? Family history? A touch of mystery? Deep dive into mental illness? Check check check check. Jeannie Vanasco is a smart cookie and it shows. This book was wonderfully written and beautifully unique!