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A review by amyradak
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
medium-paced
3.25
It pains me to give anything associated with J.D. Vance a good rating, but I did find this memoir compelling. Vance's childhood was riddled with tragedy, neglect, and abuse, and I appreciated his insightful reflections. He described the things he went through so matter-of-factly, but my heart truly ached for him at multiple points. I'm not sure if he had a ghostwriter, but I thought the book was actually quite well-written and I found myself highlighting numerous clever turns of phrase.
There were enough things that surprised me in this book that I began bookmarking them with a different color tab so I could come back to them. Some examples: I'm surprised he wasn't always the religious zealot he has turned into. I'm surprised that he acknowledges numerous times that not everyone can just bootstrap their way to success. I'm surprised that he acknowledges privilege. I'm surprised there's acknowledgement of racism and classism. I'm surprised he doesn't seem to have a strong bent toward conservative right-wing philosophies. Some things he says in this book stand in stark contrast to the values and policies he now upholds as our VP. It seems that in recent years JD has lost touch with the empathy and humility he shows in this book and has begun to hold more rigid attitudes about the 'right' way to be an American. It was interesting to have a peek into his past and compare that to what we see from Vance today.
There were enough things that surprised me in this book that I began bookmarking them with a different color tab so I could come back to them. Some examples: I'm surprised he wasn't always the religious zealot he has turned into. I'm surprised that he acknowledges numerous times that not everyone can just bootstrap their way to success. I'm surprised that he acknowledges privilege. I'm surprised there's acknowledgement of racism and classism. I'm surprised he doesn't seem to have a strong bent toward conservative right-wing philosophies. Some things he says in this book stand in stark contrast to the values and policies he now upholds as our VP. It seems that in recent years JD has lost touch with the empathy and humility he shows in this book and has begun to hold more rigid attitudes about the 'right' way to be an American. It was interesting to have a peek into his past and compare that to what we see from Vance today.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Classism
Minor: Cursing