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lalawoman416's review
3.0
It was good for what it was, I just wasn't expecting it. And surely, I shouldn't penalize the book for that, but it was disappointing. This isn't a memoir. It's exactly what it says it is - its a master class on writing a memoir. But even if I went into this expecting a "how to" manual, I still would have detracted a star because although Ms. Karr clearly states time and again that she's not judging other authors, she really does. Thing is, I appreciated her candor on her criticism of other authors and thought it really detracted from her opinion when she kept prefacing that she wasn't trying to judge/criticize them. In any event, I do think this book is essential reading for anyone who is interested in memoir writing.
brandi_daisy's review
A little dry to listen to, and I felt this book was a better read if you’ve read Nabokov, because Karr is obviously obsessed with his writing and refers to him far too much.
ellies_92's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
A Life-changing read.
When I started reading this I thought I wanted to write an auto fiction book, and since this is a book on how to write about yourself I thought it was a perfect start...
Well, here I am two months later absolutely frickin sure that I'm going to write a memoir instead.
The impact this book has had on me is wild, it was eye-opening and inspiring, it taught me to stop bull***ing myself and it probably avoided me the heartache of working on a novel I would not have been able to pour my whole soul into.
Something clicked in me right away, I remember reading the characteristics that all memoirists have in common, right at the beginning, and thinking "OMG, that's me. I tick all the boxes." I don't know if I'll be able to write my memoir, but I know that I'll try my best and I'll treasure Karr's precious advice. Honestly, I'd recommend this to everyone aiming to write even a small part of their story in a book. I think I'll be re-reading for sure.
When I started reading this I thought I wanted to write an auto fiction book, and since this is a book on how to write about yourself I thought it was a perfect start...
Well, here I am two months later absolutely frickin sure that I'm going to write a memoir instead.
The impact this book has had on me is wild, it was eye-opening and inspiring, it taught me to stop bull***ing myself and it probably avoided me the heartache of working on a novel I would not have been able to pour my whole soul into.
Something clicked in me right away, I remember reading the characteristics that all memoirists have in common, right at the beginning, and thinking "OMG, that's me. I tick all the boxes." I don't know if I'll be able to write my memoir, but I know that I'll try my best and I'll treasure Karr's precious advice. Honestly, I'd recommend this to everyone aiming to write even a small part of their story in a book. I think I'll be re-reading for sure.
emilybriano's review
4.0
A must-read for anyone interested in the writing and/or reading of memoir, or for anyone who is interested in how we tell the stories of our lives. On par with On Writing by Stephen King.
jenmkin's review
3.0
There's a lot of good advice that Karr gives in this book, and a lot of absolutes given along with it. While it was a helpful read that made me consider how I approach writing memoir/creative nonfiction, there were also quite a few places where the book felt like it ceased to be a conversation in the art of crafting such writing and leaned toward being a how-to guide which, inevitably, will not work for everyone.
lauracohran's review
4.0
I did not enjoy as much as her own memoirs, but this was helpful. I especially appreciated her addressing how to go about writing about people you know in real life.
rodney1946's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
perplexing but lively, alternately irritating and ingenious. She is certainly knowledgable.
aaronatpanepublishingco's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
This is a must read— a MUST read— for the writer. It's technical yet digestible. It's reflective yet forward thinking. It's about Karr's journey yet it's about yours too.
It's killer and if you're anything like me, you were running to your notepad to take notes. I thought it was one of the more creative things I've read in a long time, and it was a non-fic about the art of memoir.
It's killer and if you're anything like me, you were running to your notepad to take notes. I thought it was one of the more creative things I've read in a long time, and it was a non-fic about the art of memoir.
bhnmt61's review
5.0
Although this isn't a very long book, it isn't the kind of book you can sit and read through in a day. At least, I can't. It took me a couple of weeks to finish it, because there is so much to think about and absorb. Some of the chapters are a bit dry, and if you're not actually writing a memoir, some of it is a bit too technical. But I do write about my life in my blog, and Karr has great advice and insights about how to talk about yourself-- how to be honest without being mean, how to search for the true way to tell a story, how to find the nuggets of stories worth telling. I think it would be worth reading for anyone who is interested in puzzling out the truth of their experience, regardless of whether or not you plan to write a memoir about it. Also, there are lots of great recommendations of good memoirs to read.