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A review by fallingletters
I Forgot to Remember: A Memoir of Amnesia by Su Meck
2.0
Brief thoughts originally published 4 July 2014 at Falling Letters.
I find this book extremely hard to evaluate because I would essentially be evaluating someone's life. You have to keep in mind that Meck lost all her memories, she has no knowledge of the first part of her life, she had to be completely re-educated, including how to read and write. I found a lot of parts of this memoir uncomfortable to read. It was not the sort of story I was expecting. I can't believe how many years it took for people to start to realize what she really lost when the accident happened. I want to keep my concerns about this memoir to myself, since it's a fresh story and because who I am to judge how someone's life play out? Meck's choice to tell her story in such a no-holds-barred manner is admiring, at the very least. I don't think you can find many memoirs like this, where the author's husband (to whom she is still married) is so thoroughly exposed. (Suffice to say, the husband's behaviour is mostly terrible. But then, given the situation - like I said, it's not my place to judge!)
The writing style is nothing impressive, but again - she had to learn to write again as an adult. That she can write this memoir at all is truly incredible.
My uncertainity over this book comes from the fact that the subject matter is undoubtedly interesting, but the how Meck's life actually unfolds was not at all what I was expecting. Perhaps it's a bit terrible of me to say this, but it wasn't the story I wanted to read! That's certainly not Meck's fault, though, and her story is still fascinating. If the book's description sounds interesting to you, I recommend you give it a shot. Maybe then my ramblings here will make a bit of sense...
I find this book extremely hard to evaluate because I would essentially be evaluating someone's life. You have to keep in mind that Meck lost all her memories, she has no knowledge of the first part of her life, she had to be completely re-educated, including how to read and write. I found a lot of parts of this memoir uncomfortable to read. It was not the sort of story I was expecting. I can't believe how many years it took for people to start to realize what she really lost when the accident happened. I want to keep my concerns about this memoir to myself, since it's a fresh story and because who I am to judge how someone's life play out? Meck's choice to tell her story in such a no-holds-barred manner is admiring, at the very least. I don't think you can find many memoirs like this, where the author's husband (to whom she is still married) is so thoroughly exposed. (Suffice to say, the husband's behaviour is mostly terrible. But then, given the situation - like I said, it's not my place to judge!)
The writing style is nothing impressive, but again - she had to learn to write again as an adult. That she can write this memoir at all is truly incredible.
My uncertainity over this book comes from the fact that the subject matter is undoubtedly interesting, but the how Meck's life actually unfolds was not at all what I was expecting. Perhaps it's a bit terrible of me to say this, but it wasn't the story I wanted to read! That's certainly not Meck's fault, though, and her story is still fascinating. If the book's description sounds interesting to you, I recommend you give it a shot. Maybe then my ramblings here will make a bit of sense...