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dinsdale 's review for:
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
by Jeanette Winterson
The book's title, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal refers to the words spoken by Jeanette Winterson's adoptive mother as Jeanette was being kicked out of the house at the age of sixteen for being a lesbian. Earlier in Jeanette's life, when her mother discovered her first girlfriend, she was the subject of an exorcism in front of their entire Pentecostal congregation (seriously!). Needless to say, life was difficult growing up with a fanatical born-again mother who was obsessed with the apocalypse and suffering. Some of Mrs. Winterson's (as Jeanette called her mother) actions were horrific and some were rather amusing in a sad way. Some of my favorite lines from the book were:
- About Christmas: "Most kids grow up leaving something for Santa at Christmas time, when he comes down the chimney. I used to make presents for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."
- While on vacation: "My mother sat in a deck chair most of the day reading sensationalist literature about Hell."
- When a friend slept over: "Vicky was struggling. Just before Christmas she went up to bed and found that her pillowcase had no pillow in it. It was stuffed with religious tracts about the apocalypse."
Jeanette's mother heaped psychological abuse on her constantly. But our formative lives shape us in to what we are and during this time Jeanette developed a love for literature, and when her mother disallowed this Jeanette decided to write her own literature and she eventually became the acclaimed author she is now.
The latter portion of the book recounts Jeanette's search for her birth mother. This was a difficult process due to the secrecy of her adoptive family and difficulty obtaining records through the system at the time. The process was very interesting but difficult emotionally.
I listened to the audiobook read by the author. Her wit and emotions really come through on the recording and this added a lot to the experience. I would highly recommend this even if you are not yet a fan of Jeanette Winterson.
While listening to this audiobook I was reading the paper book of Alan Cumming's memoir Not My Father's Son which was also about growing up with an irrational, abusive parent. It was quite a one-two punch of gloominess.
- About Christmas: "Most kids grow up leaving something for Santa at Christmas time, when he comes down the chimney. I used to make presents for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."
- While on vacation: "My mother sat in a deck chair most of the day reading sensationalist literature about Hell."
- When a friend slept over: "Vicky was struggling. Just before Christmas she went up to bed and found that her pillowcase had no pillow in it. It was stuffed with religious tracts about the apocalypse."
Jeanette's mother heaped psychological abuse on her constantly. But our formative lives shape us in to what we are and during this time Jeanette developed a love for literature, and when her mother disallowed this Jeanette decided to write her own literature and she eventually became the acclaimed author she is now.
The latter portion of the book recounts Jeanette's search for her birth mother. This was a difficult process due to the secrecy of her adoptive family and difficulty obtaining records through the system at the time. The process was very interesting but difficult emotionally.
I listened to the audiobook read by the author. Her wit and emotions really come through on the recording and this added a lot to the experience. I would highly recommend this even if you are not yet a fan of Jeanette Winterson.
While listening to this audiobook I was reading the paper book of Alan Cumming's memoir Not My Father's Son which was also about growing up with an irrational, abusive parent. It was quite a one-two punch of gloominess.