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A review by tony_from_work
The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness by Meghan O'Rourke
5.0
It's been a long time since I've been so affected by a memoir, partially due to "Invisible Kingdom's" connection to my own life and partially due to Meghan O'Rourke's mighty prose, which perfectly balances the emotional side of chronic illness with the scientific and historical. As a person with chronic illnesses myself, I don't think I've read another book that so precisely captures the frustration, isolation, tedium, grief, and desperation of trying to navigate normal life when you feel like shit all the time (though several of the books O'Rourke cites here will have to get on my to-read list). I've seen a few criticisms that the book is a little too repetitive in its slog through symptoms and tests, but that is the rhythm of unwellness, particularly before diagnosis. And to my taste, this book navigates that repetition with grace and passion.
The author's illness and experience don't map right onto mine, and I learned a lot where we differed, both on a factual and a personal level. She explores several diagnostic and treatment options I've scoffed at over the years, and while I wouldn't say I've done a full 180, I've reconsidered the ways my privilege has colored my view of illness and treatment. She asks the reader to interrogate what counts as sickness, wellness, medicine, and diagnosis, using a rich balance of data and introspection.
All that being said, this book isn't trying to make any sort of persuasive point. It's very explicit about that. It's about the feeling of not fully being yourself anymore, of being at war with your own body, of living with a massive, overwhelming problem that the people around you can't see, can't alleviate, and sometimes doubt entirely. It informs, but it does so through the lens of personal research. The only really political stance it takes is that the American healthcare system is a disaster, which everyone knows and agrees with.
Anyway, I loved this book. It asks questions that linger in your mind all day.
The author's illness and experience don't map right onto mine, and I learned a lot where we differed, both on a factual and a personal level. She explores several diagnostic and treatment options I've scoffed at over the years, and while I wouldn't say I've done a full 180, I've reconsidered the ways my privilege has colored my view of illness and treatment. She asks the reader to interrogate what counts as sickness, wellness, medicine, and diagnosis, using a rich balance of data and introspection.
All that being said, this book isn't trying to make any sort of persuasive point. It's very explicit about that. It's about the feeling of not fully being yourself anymore, of being at war with your own body, of living with a massive, overwhelming problem that the people around you can't see, can't alleviate, and sometimes doubt entirely. It informs, but it does so through the lens of personal research. The only really political stance it takes is that the American healthcare system is a disaster, which everyone knows and agrees with.
Anyway, I loved this book. It asks questions that linger in your mind all day.