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joy108's review
5.0
I don't usually write reviews for books but this book is compelling. It's raw, sharp, brave, naked, dire and poignant. At times it leaves you shattered. One of the most amazing books I've ever read about looking into your mind and trying to assess who you are.
norababora's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this memoir. I felt as though I really grew up alongside Glen and saw the way he viewed his life and his current situations as they happened. Glen's past is one big roller coaster and his mother is at the epicenter of it all. Their relationship is a very confusing one. As a child, Glen needed his mother, even if he didn't want to admit it because he thought it made him weak. However, his mother didn't seem like she needed Glen much, she always thought he was fine on his own which is why she left him so much. But as they both got older, it seemed as if things switched. His mother was always looking for his approval and attention and Glen had become numb to the situations she put herself in.
I felt this was very well written. I've never read anything else by Glen Gold before but I definitely look forward to some of his novels.
I felt this was very well written. I've never read anything else by Glen Gold before but I definitely look forward to some of his novels.
fragilecapricorn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
lola425's review
4.0
I was reticent to read an almost 500 page memoir written by a straight man since I'm kind of done with straight white men at the moment, but once I picked it up, I just couldn't stop reading it, that's how compelling it was. You would think that Gold's very specific experience with his mother (being left alone at 11 whole his mother moved to NYC with a lover, being called upon throughout the years to bear witness to the state of her life after one failed scheme after another, etc.) would not be relatable, but Gold manages to get to the heart of any person's relationship with their parents, particularly if you struggle with their fallibility and humanness. To listen to someone give themsleves permission to not love a parent is heartbreaking and liberating, both.
p0tat0's review
4.0
Gold has certainly led an unusual life, but I think this memoir is really so engaging because of his storytelling and unflinching insights into himself and the people around him.
sopeaistired's review
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Rape
bent's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this memoir, particularly when he writes about his childhood. He gives the impression of not pulling any punches when he looks at his younger self. That, and the description of Daniel and his mother were probably the strongest, most interesting parts of the book for me, but I enjoyed the whole thing.