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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
reflective
medium-paced
I didn’t particularly want to pick it up once I’d put it down, but it is beautifully written and really made me think about choices/life/time marching on.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Lil transphobic…
Reviewing memoirs makes me feel like a bad person!! Pluses: the writing was very engaging, and Levy definitely has a way with words. I’d never considered the consequences of my (and many other women’s) desire to balanced motherhood with having a career, and the possible consequences of delaying that choice.
Deltas: It was almost as if Levy expected me to feel bad from her automatically based on her circumstances (which I definitely do!) alone, and wasn’t able to reflect or develop the story past this. I walked away going “damn that sucks” more so than having learned anything new. I’m not entirely sure Levy has even learned anything from writing this, preferring to stick to general ideas like she’s not a good person and her misfortune struck when she was older in age, while struggling to fully take accountability for what’s happened in her life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Miscarriage
Moderate: Addiction, Suicide attempt
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
A high five stars. I've read this twice now, once alongside friends, and it made for the greatest discussion. Ariel Levy is such an introspective writer. I like someone who is willing to take a good, hard look at themselves and consider they might suck so bad.
Her life has a huge theme of cheating. She found her partner through cheating and then later turned aroung to cheat on her, too. She says this about it:
"I wanted what we all want: everything. We want a mate who feels like family and a lover who is exotic, surprising. We want to be youthful adventurers and middle-aged mothers. We want intimacy and authonomy, safety and stimulation, reassurance and novelty, coziness and thrills. But we can't have it all."
And also:
"the thought of leaving Lucy made me feel physically ill. . . . Even if one life is manifest and the other is mostly hypothetical, the inability to occupy your own reality is torment, is torture. It is sin and punishment all in one."
Interesting perspective--someone who has cheated multiple times but repeatedly finds that it isn't the answer.
And of course she's just an amazing writer. Like how's THIS for a kiss:
"I drifted off down the hill feeling molten and golden and saved."
Her life has a huge theme of cheating. She found her partner through cheating and then later turned aroung to cheat on her, too. She says this about it:
"I wanted what we all want: everything. We want a mate who feels like family and a lover who is exotic, surprising. We want to be youthful adventurers and middle-aged mothers. We want intimacy and authonomy, safety and stimulation, reassurance and novelty, coziness and thrills. But we can't have it all."
And also:
"the thought of leaving Lucy made me feel physically ill. . . . Even if one life is manifest and the other is mostly hypothetical, the inability to occupy your own reality is torment, is torture. It is sin and punishment all in one."
Interesting perspective--someone who has cheated multiple times but repeatedly finds that it isn't the answer.
And of course she's just an amazing writer. Like how's THIS for a kiss:
"I drifted off down the hill feeling molten and golden and saved."
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
It’s hard for me to say how I feel about this book. It was interesting and depressing. I kept hoping for a happier ending. Ariel Levy talks about her partner’s alcoholism and her miscarriage while trying to figure out what will make herself happy and figure out who she is. I found Ariel very likable. An interesting book! I appreciate her sharing so openly.