Scan barcode
A review by nickscoby
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
4.0
Not the greatest book I've ever read, but a damn good one. To be honest, Hillbilly Elegy benefits from its time period, i.e., people want to know what kind of people would vote for Donald Trump? To be honest, I don't think the author answers the question, but to fair, I don't think it was his intention, either. It's important to know that this is a MEMOIR and the author is sorting through all kinds of demons to better understand his life and simply to sleep at night. He details abandonment and the instability in his life, but not in a way that is indulgent. Vance describes the complexities of his working-class life but he points out repeatedly that not everything he learned or experienced was negative.
In this regard, Mamaw is key. Indeed, she is the hero of the text, for she instills in her grandson a tough work ethic and an appreciation for education. She is complex and very, very funny. And then there is her foil, Vance's mother, a troubled narcissistic drug addict whom the author desperately loves but needs to get away from. Ugh. There were times when I wanted to throw the book across the room because of her. But those feelings are what makes the book so compelling. Not just the Insider's Guide to Hillbilly Folk, but the expose of the working class/working poor. At one point, Vance refers to himself as a "cultural emigrant" and spends the last third of the book detailing the challenges of straddling two worlds as he becomes upwardly mobile. This is best revealed in the chapters about law school. I have read many narratives about first-generation students and this is simply one of the best at capturing imposter syndrome and survivor's guilt. The feeling of being pulled back into family drama hits close to home. Ouch.
I do think that Vance does not dig too deeply about race. For instance, he sounds downright naive when he says that race does not play a major factor in hillbillies' distrust of Obama. (for real, bro?)
And again, a fair warning to anyone wanting this book to explain the 2016 election. I think it's a stretch and probably not sound research. But I do highly recommend this book to anyone who liked The Glass Castle or Hollowing Out the Middle or the experiences of contemporary white working class people.
(My true rating is a 4 and a half)
In this regard, Mamaw is key. Indeed, she is the hero of the text, for she instills in her grandson a tough work ethic and an appreciation for education. She is complex and very, very funny. And then there is her foil, Vance's mother, a troubled narcissistic drug addict whom the author desperately loves but needs to get away from. Ugh. There were times when I wanted to throw the book across the room because of her. But those feelings are what makes the book so compelling. Not just the Insider's Guide to Hillbilly Folk, but the expose of the working class/working poor. At one point, Vance refers to himself as a "cultural emigrant" and spends the last third of the book detailing the challenges of straddling two worlds as he becomes upwardly mobile. This is best revealed in the chapters about law school. I have read many narratives about first-generation students and this is simply one of the best at capturing imposter syndrome and survivor's guilt. The feeling of being pulled back into family drama hits close to home. Ouch.
I do think that Vance does not dig too deeply about race. For instance, he sounds downright naive when he says that race does not play a major factor in hillbillies' distrust of Obama. (for real, bro?)
And again, a fair warning to anyone wanting this book to explain the 2016 election. I think it's a stretch and probably not sound research. But I do highly recommend this book to anyone who liked The Glass Castle or Hollowing Out the Middle or the experiences of contemporary white working class people.
(My true rating is a 4 and a half)