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haelenhaagen 's review for:
Wave
by Sonali Deraniyagala
I started with five stars for almost half of the memoir. Oddly, I found myself growing impatient with the descriptions of events. The writing is excellent, immersing you completely in the moment through vivid detail.
However, I couldn’t help but ask myself—what’s the point in continuing to read? Maybe I had certain expectations, shaped by past experiences with other memoirs. But I realize it’s unfair to judge someone’s personal experience; instead, I should focus on the book itself.
I came across some very unkind reviews, and I’m struck by the audacity of people who judge her experience—especially when so few know what it’s like to lose their entire family in a matter of minutes. It doesn’t matter whether they passed away in a tsunami or a car accident—that’s irrelevant. The real shock is that they were all gone at once.
Obviously, I’m not here to "understand"—because I can’t. I won’t, unless life forces me into a situation that shakes me to my core the way she was shaken. And, needless to say, I don’t wish for that.
What drew me to this book was the desire to witness an example of human resilience—to see how someone survives after their very existence is shattered. I read this book to grasp what life really is, distancing myself from the fairy tales and illusions about what human life is supposed to be.
I have nothing to criticize about her experience. And, at the risk of repeating myself, I can’t understand why so many reviews debate her experience rather than the book itself. This is a book review. Even if you had been in that jeep with her, you still wouldn’t have the right to judge or compare suffering.
However, I couldn’t help but ask myself—what’s the point in continuing to read? Maybe I had certain expectations, shaped by past experiences with other memoirs. But I realize it’s unfair to judge someone’s personal experience; instead, I should focus on the book itself.
I came across some very unkind reviews, and I’m struck by the audacity of people who judge her experience—especially when so few know what it’s like to lose their entire family in a matter of minutes. It doesn’t matter whether they passed away in a tsunami or a car accident—that’s irrelevant. The real shock is that they were all gone at once.
Obviously, I’m not here to "understand"—because I can’t. I won’t, unless life forces me into a situation that shakes me to my core the way she was shaken. And, needless to say, I don’t wish for that.
What drew me to this book was the desire to witness an example of human resilience—to see how someone survives after their very existence is shattered. I read this book to grasp what life really is, distancing myself from the fairy tales and illusions about what human life is supposed to be.
I have nothing to criticize about her experience. And, at the risk of repeating myself, I can’t understand why so many reviews debate her experience rather than the book itself. This is a book review. Even if you had been in that jeep with her, you still wouldn’t have the right to judge or compare suffering.