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A review by oliviahamilton
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
A deeply personal and vulnerable account of a life as a person of size. Wrangles with a lot of uncomfortable conflicting truths about body image, self confidence, weight loss and gain, food, and the ways that fat people are dehumanized. It is not a self-pitying book, but it does examine the ways the fat people are taught to feel about their bodies, how they might actually feel, and what it’s like before one loses “the weight.”
I went to a book event around the time of this book’s release, and while I admired Roxane’s writing and presence, I think I was afraid to read it, having struggled with my own weight and body image but never in a morbidly obese body. I found it to be incredibly vulnerable, and listened from start to end in a day. It made me reflect on the stories I tell myself about my own body, and the history my body holds. Needless to say, a worthwhile read.
I went to a book event around the time of this book’s release, and while I admired Roxane’s writing and presence, I think I was afraid to read it, having struggled with my own weight and body image but never in a morbidly obese body. I found it to be incredibly vulnerable, and listened from start to end in a day. It made me reflect on the stories I tell myself about my own body, and the history my body holds. Needless to say, a worthwhile read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Rape
Moderate: Eating disorder and Vomit
Minor: Ableism