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A review by booklandish
The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting: The Tragedy and The Glory of Growing Up by Evanna Lynch
5.0
Oh gosh...I don't think I have the words to articulate how I feel about this book, but let me start by saying I had a nice cathartic snotty cry last night and that was needed. It was probably written in the stars, or in the paratext, because the book begins with a quote by my favorite author of all time: Amélie Nothomb. And it went uphill from there!
Bullet review:
- Brilliant writing
- Excellent points
- Creative thoughts
- Great structure
- Brutally honest
While I never struggled with ED myself, I have and have had my share of MH problems. And the reason this book resonates so much with me (and will probably hit hard for others too) is this: whether ED or other, those are just the symptoms. Lynch brilliantly highlights how the roots of these struggles are actually the overwhelming sense of worthlessness and the existential dread of not knowing, to paraphrase Radiohead, WTH we are doing here. Those feelings are explored in depth in this book and I love and admire how the author went about this.
I also strongly empathize with the author's cruelty towards herself. She explores this topic in such a transparent and honest way, that I just felt seen. The struggle of being your own bully, cruel and judgemental at all times, and the very difficult and all-consuming journey toward self-love and acceptance resonated so much with me!
Moreover, Lynch's experience with ED and the way she explains it is enlightening. She fundamentally challenges how both the illness and the recovery process are thought of and perceived, both in society and in the health care system. It is quite clear that things need to change. I will definitely recommend this to my colleagues in the medical and mental health fields!
I'm not a big memoir reader (yet), but I can tell this book is excellent. The project is clear, and everything Lynch set out to accomplish with this book, she did. I absolutely recommend it if you are in a mentally safe space to process it. With the caveat that I don't think anyone currently struggling with ED should read it until they are medically safe because I believe it could be triggering (although Lynch does a great job by not mentioning numbers!). The same goes for people who, like me, suffer from body dysmorphic disorder.
PS: I read this via audiobook and believe that Evanna Lynch's narration is immaculate and adds dimension to this narrative. But I am SO happy I own a signed first edition too!
TW: ED, Anorexia, Fatphobia, Abuse...
Bullet review:
- Brilliant writing
- Excellent points
- Creative thoughts
- Great structure
- Brutally honest
While I never struggled with ED myself, I have and have had my share of MH problems. And the reason this book resonates so much with me (and will probably hit hard for others too) is this: whether ED or other, those are just the symptoms. Lynch brilliantly highlights how the roots of these struggles are actually the overwhelming sense of worthlessness and the existential dread of not knowing, to paraphrase Radiohead, WTH we are doing here. Those feelings are explored in depth in this book and I love and admire how the author went about this.
I also strongly empathize with the author's cruelty towards herself. She explores this topic in such a transparent and honest way, that I just felt seen. The struggle of being your own bully, cruel and judgemental at all times, and the very difficult and all-consuming journey toward self-love and acceptance resonated so much with me!
Moreover, Lynch's experience with ED and the way she explains it is enlightening. She fundamentally challenges how both the illness and the recovery process are thought of and perceived, both in society and in the health care system. It is quite clear that things need to change. I will definitely recommend this to my colleagues in the medical and mental health fields!
I'm not a big memoir reader (yet), but I can tell this book is excellent. The project is clear, and everything Lynch set out to accomplish with this book, she did. I absolutely recommend it if you are in a mentally safe space to process it. With the caveat that I don't think anyone currently struggling with ED should read it until they are medically safe because I believe it could be triggering (although Lynch does a great job by not mentioning numbers!). The same goes for people who, like me, suffer from body dysmorphic disorder.
PS: I read this via audiobook and believe that Evanna Lynch's narration is immaculate and adds dimension to this narrative. But I am SO happy I own a signed first edition too!
TW: ED, Anorexia, Fatphobia, Abuse...