cwalsh's review against another edition
3.0
The first story in the collection was STRONG. And I mean really strong. I expected each following essay would be equally as profound, however as the book progressed I found myself bored and frustrated. While it is evident that Jamison is an excellent writer, I often felt like her narcissism plagued each scenario at hand.
mschlat's review against another edition
3.0
If you're interested in the concept of empathy, the first two essays are excellent. The first meshes Jamison's experiences as a medical actor (faking a specified ailment to test residents) with the memories of her abortion and her need for someone to help her explain her own feelings. The second essay talks about Jamison's visit to a convention of Morgellons sufferers (a disease that the medical establishment refers to as delusional parasitosis) and asks the question: can empathize with someone who ails from something you don't believe in?
But the rest of the essays, while touching on empathy from time to time, are more of a mixed bag, ranging from literary analysis (the place of women's pain in literature, what makes something saccharine) to free-range journalism (a visit to Mexico as part of a writer's conference, watching an ultra-marathon). And Jamison's style was tough for me for read at times; her prose is arch and sometimes cold. That's not a surprise given the regular emphasis on distance from oneself, but it often left me struggling to find an emotional connection.
But the rest of the essays, while touching on empathy from time to time, are more of a mixed bag, ranging from literary analysis (the place of women's pain in literature, what makes something saccharine) to free-range journalism (a visit to Mexico as part of a writer's conference, watching an ultra-marathon). And Jamison's style was tough for me for read at times; her prose is arch and sometimes cold. That's not a surprise given the regular emphasis on distance from oneself, but it often left me struggling to find an emotional connection.
shellbell102186's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of my first experiences with an essay collection and it was a mixed bag. Loved some of the more straightforward essays while others left me struggling to follow along.
hannah8ball's review against another edition
5.0
This book belongs on the same shelf as Barbara Ehrenreich's Living with a Wild God. They both wrestle with infinitely interesting and complicated topics. This one, the problem of pain. Of all the (melo)drama we associate with talking about it. And yet, of the authenticity that pain brings to our experiences. I didn't enjoy all of the essays equally, but there was definitely something to chew on in each of them. I can't remember how this book ended up on my to-read list, but I'm so glad it did!
sydfay03's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
unfortunately, i had a very different idea of this book when i picked it up which i think tainted the experience for me. i was expecting more of a sociological research series of essays but this is actually more autobiographical and a collection of personal essays. i really enjoyed the essays in the first half of this book but the back half i slogged through a bit. i just felt like we lost the plot and couldn’t find any connections to a bigger picture. this will teach me to pay closer attention to book descriptions or just forgo my expectations a bit more next time.
marcia_arguelles's review against another edition
4.0
“Empathy means realizing no trauma has discrete edges. Trauma bleeds. Out of wounds and across boundaries. Sadness becomes a seizure.”
“[empathy] suggests you enter another person’s pain as your enter another country.”
“[empathy] suggests you enter another person’s pain as your enter another country.”
sea_elizabeth's review against another edition
Having started this book in 2014, now in 2023 it's time to admit I will not finish it. A couple of the essays I really enjoyed and found thought provoking and I can still remember them (one I read in 2014 and another in 2022) but the others I don't at all. Which is probably not usual for an essay collection but the overall concept of the book is just not what I thought it was going to be. The writing is excellent and the author does indeed approach each topic and the people she interviews with openmindedness and thoughtfulness. I would also credit this author and her work with having gotten me interested in the topic of empathy and by extension compassion. It's still a book I would recommend.
paigeemery's review against another edition
4.0
While some of the essays in this book bored me, I did find myself muttering "fuck yeah" more than a few times while reading the Grand Unified Theory of Female Pain.
lucymccarthy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25