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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Levy is obviously an extremely talented writer, and parts of this book were great. But the last half or so seemed to fall prey to the phenomena of those who write memoirs too soon. A large chunk of the book was about the last 3-5 years of Levy's life, and it's clear that she simply doesn't have the nuanced perspective that comes with time. There are parts where she seems unspeakably selfish, expressing misplaced anger and entitlement. I think if she'd written this book 10 or more years later, she might have been able to see herself and her actions a bit more clearly and with greater depth and perspective.
Gosh, this was so good. Couldn't put it down, binged it in two days levels of good. Levy's story is engrossing, her writing is piercing. The end feels a bit abrupt, but that's probably just the natural inclination for resolution talking.
hopeful
reflective
sad
I read this really quickly. Levy writes beautifully and tells stories well!
Surprisingly easy read for such a heavy topic. I really enjoyed this and loved Ariel Levy’s voice. I found her completely relatable and though her memoir discusses very ordinary and common things, I found the story completely engaging.
I've heard so much about this book, but mostly along the lines of "It's so good, everyone should read it." I didn't have any spoilers ahead of time except "It's about a miscarriage."
Well, that is true that it's about a miscarriage, and it's true that it's good. More than "about a miscarriage," though, it's about that early-midlife point when even though the author has many wonderful things -- love, an amazing career, privilege growing up and a fine intellect -- she has to face a bunch of horrors that she could never have predicted. Levy's memoir tells a gripping story without making the details of her marriage, affair and fluid sexuality into something salacious or gratuitous. She doesn't linger in the pain and gore (both physical and emotional) of her miscarriage, but circles back around, as life does, to find new ways to gain insight into what happened, and sometimes to suffer from it. The words and pages fly by, but I think this book will linger with me.
Well, that is true that it's about a miscarriage, and it's true that it's good. More than "about a miscarriage," though, it's about that early-midlife point when even though the author has many wonderful things -- love, an amazing career, privilege growing up and a fine intellect -- she has to face a bunch of horrors that she could never have predicted. Levy's memoir tells a gripping story without making the details of her marriage, affair and fluid sexuality into something salacious or gratuitous. She doesn't linger in the pain and gore (both physical and emotional) of her miscarriage, but circles back around, as life does, to find new ways to gain insight into what happened, and sometimes to suffer from it. The words and pages fly by, but I think this book will linger with me.
This is an exceptional memoir by an exceptional writer. I was amazed by many of the comments here. People are so hateful. Apparently if you are white, financially comfortable and educated you are not allowed to feel pain. This woman lost a child and was left by her alcoholic spouse in the space of a week. Her grief is raw and fierce, and fully analyzed. That is what we do, smart women, we analyze. And Levy doesn't shift the blame to others. She doesn't ask for sympathy. She finds the humor when it is there. She takes full responsibility, more responsibility than rightly sits on her shoulders, for everyone's choices.
There is some beautiful work here about the biologically determined love that grows within us as a child grows, about the price of having it all, and about defining oneself as a professional, a hard charger, when maintaining that status takes precedence over the needs of our family. How do we define ourselves as women, what is biological and what has been scripted for us, and can we ever truly succeed as individuals if we don't push past those limits? In the end, I think Levy acknowledges that after a lifetime of believing that the rules did not apply to her, it turns out that in fact many of them do. That is a tough reality to come to peace with for women like Levy, smart, competitive, focused on doing great things.
I wavered between a 4 and a 5 star rating and went with the former for several reasons. Perhaps most troubling was the way Levy skips over parts that she is not willing to think about, reverting to third person, or broad generalizations about how "people" feel or what "they" do in certain circumstances. Those sections are almost shocking since many times they are sandwiched between brutal and specific confessions and deep and meaty personal growth. I still enjoyed the hell out of this book, but I could see clear as day how it could have been even better if she had been more consistent in her analysis, so a high 4 it is.
There is some beautiful work here about the biologically determined love that grows within us as a child grows, about the price of having it all, and about defining oneself as a professional, a hard charger, when maintaining that status takes precedence over the needs of our family. How do we define ourselves as women, what is biological and what has been scripted for us, and can we ever truly succeed as individuals if we don't push past those limits? In the end, I think Levy acknowledges that after a lifetime of believing that the rules did not apply to her, it turns out that in fact many of them do. That is a tough reality to come to peace with for women like Levy, smart, competitive, focused on doing great things.
I wavered between a 4 and a 5 star rating and went with the former for several reasons. Perhaps most troubling was the way Levy skips over parts that she is not willing to think about, reverting to third person, or broad generalizations about how "people" feel or what "they" do in certain circumstances. Those sections are almost shocking since many times they are sandwiched between brutal and specific confessions and deep and meaty personal growth. I still enjoyed the hell out of this book, but I could see clear as day how it could have been even better if she had been more consistent in her analysis, so a high 4 it is.
Ariel Levy brings beauty, through her words, to a horrible situation; miscarrying at 5 months, losing her marriage shortly after. I felt her excitement, her pain, her despair, her.....acceptance with how life has to flow.
dark
sad
medium-paced
The almost all of the book blurb is false marketing.
She did go to Mongolia in 2012 pregnant and married and financialy secure. She came back to the states not pregnant. Within months not really married but not exactly divorced. The thought of not being financialy secure flitted through her head.
But she isnt breaking norms or rebelling. In fact she pines for legal marriage and a baby.
About the CW transphobia. She is the one doing the transphobia.
I learned 2 things and i liked soms of the prose = 2.5 rating.
She did go to Mongolia in 2012 pregnant and married and financialy secure. She came back to the states not pregnant. Within months not really married but not exactly divorced. The thought of not being financialy secure flitted through her head.
But she isnt breaking norms or rebelling. In fact she pines for legal marriage and a baby.
About the CW transphobia. She is the one doing the transphobia.
I learned 2 things and i liked soms of the prose = 2.5 rating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
Moderate: Transphobia