Scan barcode
sammichaan's review against another edition
4.0
The best parts of David Star Jordan’s life story are reminscinet of one of my favorite poems, “If”, and specifically the lines, “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
[…]
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:”
The worst parts of his life story, well, they’re pretty reprehensible to say the least.
This book has a lot of fluff. It reminds me of the essays I used to write in college, throwing in line after line of stylistic prose just to get to the 20-page count that it needed to be at before I could turn it in. But, I appreciate a good storyteller, and Miller is certainly that, so I will forgive the extra blubber. While I enjoyed the twists and turns of this tale, and the sobering moments of self reflection and heartache for the people featured in it, the lesson that Miller took from Jordan fell a bit flat to me. This does feel like a deeply personal story, and it is written in a way that makes it very accessible for others, but it just didn’t land in the way I hoped it would. That said, the journey that the author went on and the conclusion that she came to in the end is fantastic and it was nice to go along with her for that. It didn’t end up being as profound to me as I hoped it would, but an enjoyable read all the same!
I wish I could give it 3.5 stars, but I’ll round up to 4 for the aforementioned reasons :)
And treat those two impostors just the same;
[…]
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:”
The worst parts of his life story, well, they’re pretty reprehensible to say the least.
This book has a lot of fluff. It reminds me of the essays I used to write in college, throwing in line after line of stylistic prose just to get to the 20-page count that it needed to be at before I could turn it in. But, I appreciate a good storyteller, and Miller is certainly that, so I will forgive the extra blubber. While I enjoyed the twists and turns of this tale, and the sobering moments of self reflection and heartache for the people featured in it, the lesson that Miller took from Jordan fell a bit flat to me. This does feel like a deeply personal story, and it is written in a way that makes it very accessible for others, but it just didn’t land in the way I hoped it would. That said, the journey that the author went on and the conclusion that she came to in the end is fantastic and it was nice to go along with her for that. It didn’t end up being as profound to me as I hoped it would, but an enjoyable read all the same!
I wish I could give it 3.5 stars, but I’ll round up to 4 for the aforementioned reasons :)
filipamaria82's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
5.0
lynniekate's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, and Mental illness
caitlovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
it took me a bit to adjust to the writing style of this book. i couldn’t tell if it was wanting to be historical non-fiction or memoir or a personal thought piece. it was all of the above and tied itself up wonderfully at the end of the book which is why i’m giving it 4 stars. definitely a necessary and timely read. i closed the book “knowing” more than i believed i did before. and also fish absolutely do not exist
divreadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Fucking Brilliant! You think you know where this book is going, but you don't. An audio drama in print and a wonder of form and structure. This definitely takes the cake in the most surprising book of the year. Literally every chapter is a new layer of the onion and she's used the format of a book in a completely new way. The most satisfying last chapter of any nonfiction book - at this moment any book- I've read.
chloeanais's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0