Review by oceanwriter - I Haven't Been Entirely Honest with You

oceanwriter 's review for:

I Haven't Been Entirely Honest with You by Miranda Hart

5.0

emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

Several years ago, I watched Miranda Hart’s sitcom from beginning to end and enjoyed it so much, but this is actually the first of her books that I’ve read. Like many, I’m sure, I was intrigued by the title and curious to know what she’s been up to in the last several years.

I wouldn’t consider this to be a celebrity tell-all (and I’m glad it isn’t), but rather a memoir about Miranda’s battle with chronic illness and ways she’s learned to cope and recover. There are tidbits about her life and career as well, but it’s mostly focused on her approach to day-to-day living, self-improvement, and recovery.

Reading through some of the other reviews, I see that a lot of people appear to be opposed to and even affronted by the outlook she’s developed for herself and encourages her readers to try for themselves. While I agree that positive thoughts are not going to cure an illness that requires a certain level of medical intervention (and that a lot of people are not in a place where they’re able or even safe to speak freely and not worry about judgment), I don’t think it was meant to all be taken so literally. There are some situations where attitude modifications can be beneficial, and there is a level at which the thoughts we feed ourselves can be positive or detrimental to our mental/physical health. She’s certainly not claiming that envisioning yourself taking a walk and doing things that bring you joy will cure every ailment. But for someone (such as myself) facing certain chronic conditions, it can be beneficial to hear an encouraging voice say that it’s okay to set your limit and not push yourself to the point of collapse.

Do I think that all my problems will be solved by copying her methods? Absolutely not. Nor does she. It's a balance. Certain things might work for some people, and other things might work for other people. But I don't think anyone can dispute that doing something small that brings them joy is going to ruin them. And we all could stand to ease up on ourselves and break societal patterns ingrained in us to always be thriving. Because we can't.

For what it’s worth, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I will draw from it what will work for me in my own life. That said, this does read more like a self-help book than a memoir. Take that as you will.

Content Warnings