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A review by chemistreadingonthejob
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Captivating, Socially Relevant, and Informative
Hillbilly Elegy is J.D. Vance's memoir/cultural criticism detailing his experiences with the decline in America's white working class. J.D. Vance grew up in Middletown, Ohio around poverty, violence, and substance abuse. He was raised in an unstable home, witness to his mother's string of failed relationships and drug addiction. His mother also grew up in a dysfunctional family continuing a cycle of abuse. His grandparents migrated from Jackson, Kentucky where people lived with deep-seated Appalachian values. He blames hillbilly culture and the resulting social rot for the socioeconomic crisis by using his family as an example. Vance made a better future for himself with strong work ethic by enlisting in the Marines, graduating from Ohio State, and attending Yale Law school.
"Today people look at me, at my job and my Ivy League credentials, and assume that I’m some sort of genius, that only a truly extraordinary person could have made it to where I am today. With all due respect to those people, I think that theory is a load of bullshit. Whatever talents I have, I almost squandered until a handful of loving people rescued me."
Vance's story was moving and relatable for me. I found his memoir to be surprisingly well written and capturing the true essence of hillbilly culture. The audiobook was great and narrated by the author. My favorite part of this memoir was Vance's ability to forgive. After his success he didn't abandon his family, and he supported them despite the past. This wasn't about trashing his family and upbringing. This was about recognizing the cracks in where he came from. Vance raised questions pertaining to his family and culture to take responsibility for their own hardship. I agreed with some of the points he made, but wish that the memoir was less of a political statement. I think some suggestions were exaggerated and overgeneralized. However, this memoir was still compelling and deserves to be read regardless of the political ideology of the author.
Hillbilly Elegy is J.D. Vance's memoir/cultural criticism detailing his experiences with the decline in America's white working class. J.D. Vance grew up in Middletown, Ohio around poverty, violence, and substance abuse. He was raised in an unstable home, witness to his mother's string of failed relationships and drug addiction. His mother also grew up in a dysfunctional family continuing a cycle of abuse. His grandparents migrated from Jackson, Kentucky where people lived with deep-seated Appalachian values. He blames hillbilly culture and the resulting social rot for the socioeconomic crisis by using his family as an example. Vance made a better future for himself with strong work ethic by enlisting in the Marines, graduating from Ohio State, and attending Yale Law school.
"Today people look at me, at my job and my Ivy League credentials, and assume that I’m some sort of genius, that only a truly extraordinary person could have made it to where I am today. With all due respect to those people, I think that theory is a load of bullshit. Whatever talents I have, I almost squandered until a handful of loving people rescued me."
Vance's story was moving and relatable for me. I found his memoir to be surprisingly well written and capturing the true essence of hillbilly culture. The audiobook was great and narrated by the author. My favorite part of this memoir was Vance's ability to forgive. After his success he didn't abandon his family, and he supported them despite the past. This wasn't about trashing his family and upbringing. This was about recognizing the cracks in where he came from. Vance raised questions pertaining to his family and culture to take responsibility for their own hardship. I agreed with some of the points he made, but wish that the memoir was less of a political statement. I think some suggestions were exaggerated and overgeneralized. However, this memoir was still compelling and deserves to be read regardless of the political ideology of the author.