Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
devoured on a long flight. obsessed is an understatement.
One of the major themes explored in this book is that Anna hates men, which I’m all about exploring. However, she did no work in her life to decentralize men, spending her entire life financially reliant on whatever man she was dating. It felt like a really stark disconnect that made it hard to relate to any of the content in the book
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
This is a fascinating, deeply personal book, and personally my first jump into memoirs. Tonally, I am drawn to the author, but only because of the familiarity of her interests and mental health issues.
Anna reminds me of who I am now, but the difference in that comparison is especially interesting. The rage she expresses, especially towards the overall group that is men, is what I feel now. Yet this rage comes to me as a 23-year-old, while the author was 38(? my math may be off) when she wrote the final reflective chapters of this book. Does this suggest that this rage is a never-ending battle?
I originally wrote the word "maturity" in my comparison. Does the acceptance of societal systems make you complacent in their destructiveness, even with the reward of the numbing of that rage? Or are we both missing some hopeful other option, one that acknowledges all people and respects their emotions and insight while dismantling discriminatory patriarchal and other oppressive systems?
On another note, I especially appreciate Anna's noting of medical systems' faults. Did they even listen to me? she asks, and I know with full confidence that the answer is no. Many times I have been a victim of medical malpractice, and several of those times were because the practitioners simply did not observe - or at least record - my questions, concerns, protests, general body language, or altered state of mind.
There is hope - last week I cried when a doctor walked in and the first question she asked me was "are you okay?" Genuinely concerned. Not all doctors have malicious or neglectful intent. Not all men have malicious or neglectful intent. But it is special to me that a woman wrote her account of it in a non-clinical format, as it's a comfortable read in a way that's accessible to a wide range of readers.
Anna reminds me of who I am now, but the difference in that comparison is especially interesting. The rage she expresses, especially towards the overall group that is men, is what I feel now. Yet this rage comes to me as a 23-year-old, while the author was 38(? my math may be off) when she wrote the final reflective chapters of this book. Does this suggest that this rage is a never-ending battle?
I originally wrote the word "maturity" in my comparison. Does the acceptance of societal systems make you complacent in their destructiveness, even with the reward of the numbing of that rage? Or are we both missing some hopeful other option, one that acknowledges all people and respects their emotions and insight while dismantling discriminatory patriarchal and other oppressive systems?
On another note, I especially appreciate Anna's noting of medical systems' faults. Did they even listen to me? she asks, and I know with full confidence that the answer is no. Many times I have been a victim of medical malpractice, and several of those times were because the practitioners simply did not observe - or at least record - my questions, concerns, protests, general body language, or altered state of mind.
There is hope - last week I cried when a doctor walked in and the first question she asked me was "are you okay?" Genuinely concerned. Not all doctors have malicious or neglectful intent. Not all men have malicious or neglectful intent. But it is special to me that a woman wrote her account of it in a non-clinical format, as it's a comfortable read in a way that's accessible to a wide range of readers.
This surprised me by how much I liked it. As she admits, she does have some extreme feelings towards men that may come across as fairly off-putting, but this is her story - if that's how she feels, that's how she feels. Overall, her story sparks a good conversation about the influences in our lives and how we respond to them. Getting help is important.
I really liked how she structured the book; it gave context as needed and kept me engaged in her story. The final chapters felt a bit drawn out, like she was trying to figure out how to end the book, but it didn't really bother me.
There were some experiences she lived through that I very heavily related to, so for me, a lot of her journey resonated personally.
This one definitely isn't going to be for everyone, but it was a really good one for me at this current point in my life.
I really liked how she structured the book; it gave context as needed and kept me engaged in her story. The final chapters felt a bit drawn out, like she was trying to figure out how to end the book, but it didn't really bother me.
There were some experiences she lived through that I very heavily related to, so for me, a lot of her journey resonated personally.
This one definitely isn't going to be for everyone, but it was a really good one for me at this current point in my life.
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
I enjoyed this, especially hearing about her experiences in healthcare spaces, but there was a little too much about her dog Petunia for my taste
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced