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A review by gothiclibrarian
Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain by Portia de Rossi
4.0
This book floored me, left me charged, heartbroken, renewed and devastated. In a nutshell, this book is a memoir of Portia De Rossi's struggle with anorexia, fame and her own sexuality, and the overwhelming need not only to fit in, but to be seen as a "normal" person in Hollywood.
I loved this one. I couldn't put it down. It was completely heartbreaking and inspiring and so many things. I've been a fan of Portia de Rossi since I saw her on Arrested Development (I was in middle school when she was in the midst of Ally McBeal). So when I found out that she was writing about her life I was very excited. However, I was not expecting a novel of this caliber.
I've never had an eating disorder but I'm sure we've all read a YA title of two that deals with one. (Just Listen by Sarah Dessen and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson come to mind. Great reads, btw). But to read a YA title is vastly different from reading about it someone's memoir.
There are several parts of the novel that just break my heart. At one point she was consuming just 300 calories a day because she was terrified of being a size 8. Some women DREAM of being a size eight. My heart broke for her when she described the cycles of binges and not eating and too much exercise. Near the middle of the novel she begins to think that maybe she really is TOO THIN and people start commenting on how great she looks.
I really hate that as a society we put more importance on looks rather than who a person really is. (In a lot of cases). I think one thing that this novel taught me is that it's better to try to be healthy and be who you're naturally supposed to be (rounder thighs and all) than to make yourself miserable and sick because someone thinks that being skeletal is hotter.
This memoir will stick with me for a very long time. I'll definitely be counting my blessings. I'm happy, I'm healthy, my boyfriend loves me very much, in spite of my imperfections, and I love myself. I really am blessed. This memoir has changed my life for the better.
I loved this one. I couldn't put it down. It was completely heartbreaking and inspiring and so many things. I've been a fan of Portia de Rossi since I saw her on Arrested Development (I was in middle school when she was in the midst of Ally McBeal). So when I found out that she was writing about her life I was very excited. However, I was not expecting a novel of this caliber.
I've never had an eating disorder but I'm sure we've all read a YA title of two that deals with one. (Just Listen by Sarah Dessen and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson come to mind. Great reads, btw). But to read a YA title is vastly different from reading about it someone's memoir.
There are several parts of the novel that just break my heart. At one point she was consuming just 300 calories a day because she was terrified of being a size 8. Some women DREAM of being a size eight. My heart broke for her when she described the cycles of binges and not eating and too much exercise. Near the middle of the novel she begins to think that maybe she really is TOO THIN and people start commenting on how great she looks.
I really hate that as a society we put more importance on looks rather than who a person really is. (In a lot of cases). I think one thing that this novel taught me is that it's better to try to be healthy and be who you're naturally supposed to be (rounder thighs and all) than to make yourself miserable and sick because someone thinks that being skeletal is hotter.
This memoir will stick with me for a very long time. I'll definitely be counting my blessings. I'm happy, I'm healthy, my boyfriend loves me very much, in spite of my imperfections, and I love myself. I really am blessed. This memoir has changed my life for the better.