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christinede3e1's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
5.0
katiecatbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Memoir. Child of divorce. Caring for elderly parent.
Story: Viv's memoir begins after the death of her mother and then jumps to a memory of her moving into her own apartment with her daughter after her divorce. The narrative continues in circles eventually coming full close at her mother's death.
Lamguage: Each chapter begins with bolder text set in the recent present and relating to her mother's final days. After this follows plain text featuring stories from her past featuring her mother growing up or her relationships. The book also contains B&W photographs relating to items or places from her past.
Characters: While names have been changed, this memoir focuses on Viv's mother, father, sister, daughter and other relationships with men from her past.
I'd never heard of Liv Albertine before I picked up this book and only vaguely aware of her band The Slits. In the end it didn't matter as this is a book not about music or her life in a band, but about an adult woman trying to take care of her dying mother, sort through her (divorced) father's history, all while trying to raise a teenage daughter and work. Unexpectedly page-turning and gripping, this is a memoir of many generations.
Story: Viv's memoir begins after the death of her mother and then jumps to a memory of her moving into her own apartment with her daughter after her divorce. The narrative continues in circles eventually coming full close at her mother's death.
Lamguage: Each chapter begins with bolder text set in the recent present and relating to her mother's final days. After this follows plain text featuring stories from her past featuring her mother growing up or her relationships. The book also contains B&W photographs relating to items or places from her past.
Characters: While names have been changed, this memoir focuses on Viv's mother, father, sister, daughter and other relationships with men from her past.
I'd never heard of Liv Albertine before I picked up this book and only vaguely aware of her band The Slits. In the end it didn't matter as this is a book not about music or her life in a band, but about an adult woman trying to take care of her dying mother, sort through her (divorced) father's history, all while trying to raise a teenage daughter and work. Unexpectedly page-turning and gripping, this is a memoir of many generations.
likehoneyandtrombones's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
3.25
Extremely slow, but lovely reflection on her relationship with her mother that resonated so deeply. I should have read her first book first probably lol
dinahrachel's review against another edition
4.0
Exactly what the book description says. Ordering her other book immediately. And hoping she is writing another.
oofuss's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
altravi's review against another edition
2.0
Mucho mejor Ropa, músico, chicos. Esta historia nocoge algo de i terés hasta las últimas 80 páginas.
kabukiboy's review against another edition
5.0
Being just a bit younger than the author I felt closely connected to her thoughts of getting older and dealing with things in life that we never expected when we were young.
sarahcax's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
tinywriter_'s review against another edition
5.0
I picked this up after seeing Viv Albertine speak at an event last year, and it's even better than I anticipated. Dealing, ostensibly, with the death of her mother, Viv has written a punk, patriarchy-bashing, truth-explosion of a memoir, spliced together in small chapters that read like mini essays and hum with emotion. Despite the subject matter being unhappy, the book actually isn't. It's uplifting, angry, joyful, thoughtful, and beautiful in equal measure. I've never read anything quite like it.