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A review by kris_mccracken
Just Ignore Him by Alan Davies
5.0
Just Ignore Him by Alan Davies
Focused on Davies's childhood, this is a blisteringly honest, often distressing, occasionally funny reflection upon a childhood within which he has carried "in every molecule of my flesh and bones and in every thought and action, in my hunched, splayed-footed walk, my lisping Essex accent, and my lack of belief in God".
The narrative jumps back and forth in time, sharing snippets of his odious father's excruciatingly manipulative behaviour and the pain of a dead mother's absence. Still, the tone is far more mournful than angry, and Davies approaches his past in an incredibly open-hearted fashion. The years of therapy have clearly helped!
This isn't a book that one can "enjoy", but I certainly admire and appreciate what he has done here. There is an intense feeling of loneliness throughout that tears at the heart, as Davies carries his secret throughout until he is in a place to act. On that, there is a redemptive arc that is both inspiring and illuminative, ending on an unexpected high.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½
Focused on Davies's childhood, this is a blisteringly honest, often distressing, occasionally funny reflection upon a childhood within which he has carried "in every molecule of my flesh and bones and in every thought and action, in my hunched, splayed-footed walk, my lisping Essex accent, and my lack of belief in God".
The narrative jumps back and forth in time, sharing snippets of his odious father's excruciatingly manipulative behaviour and the pain of a dead mother's absence. Still, the tone is far more mournful than angry, and Davies approaches his past in an incredibly open-hearted fashion. The years of therapy have clearly helped!
This isn't a book that one can "enjoy", but I certainly admire and appreciate what he has done here. There is an intense feeling of loneliness throughout that tears at the heart, as Davies carries his secret throughout until he is in a place to act. On that, there is a redemptive arc that is both inspiring and illuminative, ending on an unexpected high.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½