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asc6x's review against another edition
5.0
Read on my 10 hour train ride back from Luxembourg. The ride just kept dragging itself so i would finish the book.
But it was just perfect. This is exactly the type of book id like to write when i start writing, and lets not talk about how much her relationship with her husband opened an entire wormhole for me.
But it was just perfect. This is exactly the type of book id like to write when i start writing, and lets not talk about how much her relationship with her husband opened an entire wormhole for me.
kristianawithak's review against another edition
5.0
This was an excellent book that wonderfully captured the essence of a marriage. Shapiro writes eloquently about her 18 year marriage. She weaves together memories and journal entries to show what makes a life.
It reminded me of the poetic cadence of Year of Magical Thinking (without the death) and Dept of Speculation (without the bleakness).
I loved it.
It reminded me of the poetic cadence of Year of Magical Thinking (without the death) and Dept of Speculation (without the bleakness).
I loved it.
sdelcharco's review against another edition
4.0
My second Dani Shapiro memoir. I really like the way she words things and I enjoy her point of view. Audio read by the author.
savaging's review against another edition
2.0
This book opens with a tale about trying to kill a woodpecker. Then it moves to fear of bees. Many scary bees. Then scary wolves, scary crime, scary diseases, scary storms, scary accidents. And above all, scary poverty. While friends are winning pulitzers and macarthur grants, her little family is "on the edge," "just getting by," "barely paying the bills." In between the trips to Europe, of course.
And more scary bees. She knows she's not allergic, but can't help herself. Like, once she's a writer-in-residence in Florida but get this: she thought she'd be relaxing on the beach, but there's no beach! There's only jungle! And bees! Snakes too. But it's the bees that keep her inside her cabin the entire time. She calls them "small flying fists."
There are actually a few lovely moments in this book. But over all, I felt like telling her that it's fine to write about First World Problems, but at least make them juicy First World Problems, you know? You can't just rely on bee-metaphor to move us to profundity.
At some point she gets a Jungian reading for her bee-fear. Here, unasked, I offer my own: mythically, bees are messengers from the gods. They bring you the message that you have more than you deserve. Instead of graciously accepting this message, or even enjoying the moment's abundance, you shut it out. You stop your ears and invent your own scarcity. Then you have only anxiety and fear and sleepless nights.
Buzz buzz.
And more scary bees. She knows she's not allergic, but can't help herself. Like, once she's a writer-in-residence in Florida but get this: she thought she'd be relaxing on the beach, but there's no beach! There's only jungle! And bees! Snakes too. But it's the bees that keep her inside her cabin the entire time. She calls them "small flying fists."
There are actually a few lovely moments in this book. But over all, I felt like telling her that it's fine to write about First World Problems, but at least make them juicy First World Problems, you know? You can't just rely on bee-metaphor to move us to profundity.
At some point she gets a Jungian reading for her bee-fear. Here, unasked, I offer my own: mythically, bees are messengers from the gods. They bring you the message that you have more than you deserve. Instead of graciously accepting this message, or even enjoying the moment's abundance, you shut it out. You stop your ears and invent your own scarcity. Then you have only anxiety and fear and sleepless nights.
Buzz buzz.