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A review by thewordwitch
In the Land of Men: A Memoir by Adrienne Miller
2.0
This book held a lot of promise for me. I love reading stories of women who persevere despite difficulties. To be an editor at such a young age in a workplace that was incredibly male-dominated - I thought this would be filled with tales of her struggling to earn respect, how she worked harder, and the disparities between her and her male counterparts. These things were touched on as the memoir progressed, but I felt they were more throwaway moments. The beginning began strong, but it didn't hold up as it progressed.
Instead, it turned into something else entirely - a bizarre memorial to David Foster Wallace. It was no longer Adrienne in the Land of Men but in the Playland of one man where she almost seemed more like a toy he enjoyed playing with. I understand he was not mentally well, and he did write a piece of literature lauded by many, but I felt that a lot of his behavior towards Adrienne was childish and cruel, and she seemed so willing to forgive him, perhaps because he had written Infinite Jest.
I was disappointed because I expected her memoir, and instead I got a biography of him.
Instead, it turned into something else entirely - a bizarre memorial to David Foster Wallace. It was no longer Adrienne in the Land of Men but in the Playland of one man where she almost seemed more like a toy he enjoyed playing with. I understand he was not mentally well, and he did write a piece of literature lauded by many, but I felt that a lot of his behavior towards Adrienne was childish and cruel, and she seemed so willing to forgive him, perhaps because he had written Infinite Jest.
I was disappointed because I expected her memoir, and instead I got a biography of him.