Ten Thousand Sorrows, by Elizabeth Kim – This was rather depressing. The author basically gives a litany of the things that have gone wrong in her life. I kept expecting things to get better, for her to make some breakthrough, but it really doesn’t happen. Yes, her life improves, yes, she is doing better now, but the book is completely and utterly depressing. Reading the last few chapters felt like listening in on her sessions with a shrink; they were all about expressing everything you feel, regardless of the consequences. I usually recommend books to my Dad when I finish them … this one went right back onto PBS.
2 comments:
nice thought, yet it's as if you haven't explored the text further than what you are meant too. there is a meaning behind all the 'utterly depressing' story. yes, she isn't healed...but she is now stronger. what do more do you expect? for all the traumatising events in her life to fade and become the happiest person alive. no, life is a lesson. this book is just explaining the reality of it all. let your dad read this, he will probably see that this book isn't as bad as you deem it to be.
Janine -
Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately I wrote this review LONG BEFORE I really got into book blogging ... I'm certain that if I wrote it now there would be far more detail to explain why I felt this way.
What I do remember about the book is that I felt like the reader was a substitute for the author's physchiatrist. Most of the book is just a litany of the legitimately horrible things that happened in her life. I'm sorry I can't remember much more than that.
I am more choosy when reading memoirs now. I don't choose to read "traumatic childhood" memoirs, or "sexual abuse" or "drug addiction" memoirs either. Yes, these are legitimate issues and I've personally known people who've experienced all three ... I just don't want to read about it. In retrospect, that could be a big reason that I didn't enjoy this book.
Sorry to make such a long comment on my own post ... I would have emailed this directly to Janine but there is no contact info provided. Hopefully she'll come back and see this comment.
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