![]() Second, the author omitted an important life event from this story that I believe changes its nature: she completely neglects to mention that before the start of the affair that defined this time of her life, she had already been married and divorced while in her late teens. This isn't her fault, and it never enters her storytelling-she doesn't romanticize the lives of the less fortunate because it all seems so simpler, for example-but I admit it grates me to think, "I wish I had the means to be this screwed up, and survive." I imagine a lot of readers will have this knee-jerk reaction. She has the freedom to destroy herself with bad decisions and rebuild herself to greater strength, because she's already pretty high up the needs hierarchy. Instead, my complaints with this book are two-fold: first, these are still the problems of a privileged person. Despite the lurid nature of the story, it's told tastefully, without crassness, and never in a way that makes this look even remotely appealing (as some memoirs wind up doing in that "it was fun while it lasted" way that makes you realize the only reason they quit the lifestyle was because it couldn't last). There are times this reads like a Lifetime movie script, but even in its worst moments, it's so well written, with tight and evocative language and lucid candor, it's not eye-rolling as it would have been in lesser hands. There's quite a bit of yiddishkeit here, especially as she kvetches about her mishpocha, so having some familiarity with contemporary Northeastern US Jewish culture would be helpful not only in understanding the yinglish she sprinkles about, but more importantly the subtleties of the dynamics of her family relationships and her own sense of self. The author is faced with a personal tragedy that forces her to re-examine her life's decisions and her unfulfilled childhood, and it is in this context she relates both what has happened so-far to get her to where she is, and where she winds up going. Personally - I think it’s best as an ‘addition’ > to her last book.Īnd perfectly beautiful exactly the way she is in my book!Ī well-written memoir of a NYC-area Jewish woman starting her adulthood in the 80's as a coked-out, bulimic, alcoholic, college-dropout mistress of an older, powerful, and well-known lawyer whose career and persona defined 80's excesses (here called "Lenny Klein," but without doubt the infamous disgraced litigator Harvey Myerson). I’m not sure if this book is best read as a prequel -or an ‘addition’ to her last memoir, “Inheritance”. The long time readers already knew the missing pieces from past books. Too many holes went unsaid ( or said, but under-developed ), for a ‘newbie’ Dani Shapiro reader. I’m not sure everything would make sense -without having read her other books first. Learning about Lenny Klein.was one of those ( my god)> awful, regretful experiences that one just needs to forgive - learn from - and move on. The details about the car accident - serious as can be - for both her parents was devastating. This is not her ‘most complete’ memoir, IMO. There might be too many holes and unanswered questions unless you’ve already read her other books. This isn’t the very first book I would choose of Dani Shapiro’s to read. (but damn honest), to the redemption and transformation that opened. It was enlightening to be privy to Dani’s self exploration.įrom being young, reckless, precocious, and a little pathetic at age 23, when the car crash happened. as she examined the mystery of her younger self. In this memoir- Dani reflects, and connects - ‘part’ of her childhood and adulthood, (we learned different details in past memoirs). ![]() īeautifully blending her past work and her present. in each memoir there is definitely something ‘new’ ( a whole new story we haven’t heard yet),Īnd we're reminded of things she wrote before. We don’t know the content -completely- of what is in each memoir. What stands out is her vulnerability- honesty- and humanity. It doesn’t matter if her writing is polished - but she writes lovely. MOSTLY they/ we/ me.look forward to being in the palm of her hands. have a pretty good idea what to expect when they begin reading a memoir from Dani. privileges, sorrows, college, friends, writing, career, addictions, relationships, regrets, tragedies, deaths, insights, marriage, children, and self growth. we see a pattern:ĭani is sharing her life journeys with us: Over time, ( combing all her memoirs together). She writes about her family in all her books.ĭani grew up in an orthodox Jewish family, as an only child She’s real, authentic, shares a lot about herself, ( her accomplishments, blessings, and well as her losses, depression, struggles, and flaws). The best way to experience her memoirs, are to listen to her read them. I’m not the only Dani Shapiro fan -but I’m definitely one of them.
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