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frankie_s 's review for:
Sick: A Memoir
by Porochista Khakpour
If I’d believed the reviews on this book I probably wouldn’t have read it, it’s only because I have a specific interest in women’s experiences of seeking treatment for chronic illness that I read it despite the rating, maybe even as a contrast to other books.
But now that I’ve read it I’m reading the reviews again and feeling defensive of the book. I mean maybe I can understand if you don’t like the structure or the fact that the book is not very informative, but I found this so well written and evocative of the loneliness of illness. The reviews that find her attitude towards medical staff or even just her personality off-putting and therefore unreliable - idk, they seem to support the idea that you have to be a certain kind of person or to behave in a certain way to get respectful treatment. I liked her honesty and her ambivalence and her disinterest in seeking help because it’s a punish - I’ve felt that way too.
Having read some more reviews I understand the concerns around what could be interpreted as her promotion of some quackery and maybe that’s what this comes down to. I read those sections with disinterest and probably would feel differently if I was concerned about the impact of that.
But now that I’ve read it I’m reading the reviews again and feeling defensive of the book. I mean maybe I can understand if you don’t like the structure or the fact that the book is not very informative, but I found this so well written and evocative of the loneliness of illness. The reviews that find her attitude towards medical staff or even just her personality off-putting and therefore unreliable - idk, they seem to support the idea that you have to be a certain kind of person or to behave in a certain way to get respectful treatment. I liked her honesty and her ambivalence and her disinterest in seeking help because it’s a punish - I’ve felt that way too.
Having read some more reviews I understand the concerns around what could be interpreted as her promotion of some quackery and maybe that’s what this comes down to. I read those sections with disinterest and probably would feel differently if I was concerned about the impact of that.