Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

404 reviews

bludgeoned_by_hail's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced

4.0

It took a while to grow on me, but when it did it really did.
I wasn't a fan of the first few chapters, which came across way too personal, the writing not doing enough to really elevate it from venting and airing out dirty laundry (maybe I'm just not a fan of memoirs?).
From her mom's diagnosis onward, the pace shifts dramatically. The unpoetic and unfiltered language makes the excrutiating anguish of her deterioration and ultimate death come through the page with devastating depth, detail and vulnerability. When it finally happens, you are left grappling with the loss and putting the pieces together alongside Zauner. You can almost feel her maturing in real time.
The fact that it ends on a heartwarming note and she's clearly come out the other end is the cherry on top, making it all so much more bearable.
I admire Zauner's honesty and willingness to self-reflect in such a public manner, and wish her all the best. 
(Rugged Country hits different now for sure😮‍💨)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical content, and Death of parent

Moderate: Physical abuse

Minor: Infidelity, Racism, and Car accident

aude's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Infidelity, and Alcohol

Minor: Abortion

kyarabereading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

When I first started reading this book, I thought it was a bit slow-moving with a writing style I didn’t think I’d love. I assumed too early on that I wouldn’t like it, but I’m glad I gave it a chance, because in the end I really loved it. This is a book you can tell was written by a songwriter - poetic with the types of lines that feel like a punch in the gut. I fell in love with Zauner’s writing style - the level of detail she gives when describing food and music and art. You can really tell her connection to it all/love for it all and how it all helps her feel more connected to her mother.

This book was incredibly sad and honest and reflective. I appreciated Zauner’s honesty when it came to her relationship with those around her (especially her parents, especially her mom), as well as her honesty when it came to the disconnect she felt to her Korean culture. I think what she described is an experience that unfortunately a lot of people could relate to. Although it can be saddening, I hope it makes the readers of Crying in H Mart dealing with similar experiences feel a little less alone. 

It can’t be easy to write about such a tragedy and I commend Zauner for sharing her story with the world! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Medical content, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Car accident

keelymightread's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Death of parent

Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Abortion

julesfrigault's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Car accident

Minor: Abortion

zreadz's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This is a beautiful story. As an only child, I found myself relating deeply to Michelle Zauner, even though my relationship with my parents differs from hers. I went into this book blind, and I’m glad I did—knowing its content beforehand might have made it too painful to read, as I imagined myself in her shoes throughout. The memoir’s first-person perspective immerses you in one of life’s scariest and most certain realities: the death of those we love and the inevitability of having to move on afterward. When we witness this in others, we often distance ourselves to stay sane, avoiding the overwhelming grief of another. This book doesn’t allow for that distance, offering profound insight into the process of grieving someone who raised you, shaped you, and is a part of you. I also appreciated the exploration of Korean culture and being taken on a journey through grief, food, and, above all, everlasting love.

I recommend this book to both those who have lost loved ones and those who haven’t yet. I’d even recommend it to those who have witnessed or struggled to understand someone else’s grief, grappling with what it truly means and how it sits within you. It’s a tough and tragic read, but reducing it to just those two words would be an injustice. I loved reading about identity, coming of age, and the matriarchal dynamics that influence mother-daughter relationships. Like Zauner, I’m not religious, but like Nami, I’d like to believe our loved ones are happy somewhere, and that our ancestors help us navigate the enormous emotions of grief, love, sadness, anger, and joy that life brings. Our memories, our tastes our worldviews are gifts imparted on us by the ones we love.

Thank you Chongmi, Halmeoni, and Eunmi.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Death of parent

didionhead's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

imscrem's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

It’s difficult for me to understand how to feel about this book. It’s very sad, and it’s very good. I have yet to experience loss in the way that the author did, but I can only hope that writing this book helped her cope with it.

Some of what the author said about being half Korean/half American resonated with me, although I’m half American half Czech. I often feel lost in my heritage language and culture  as well, dismayed when people switch to English to explain things to me, and often expecting  others to tell me that I am “enough” to fit in.

It was also nice to recognize the names of Korean foods I’ve learned to cook, and understand a lot of the Korean phrases used throughout the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Car accident, Abortion, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Rape, and Excrement

jess_polishedcomma's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Medical content

Minor: Excrement

komiification's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

I need to stop listening to the most gut-wrenching audiobooks of daughters talking about their relationships with their mothers when I’m at work because I am literally on the edge of tears all the time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Medical content, Car accident, and Abortion

Minor: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Violence, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail