Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)

Author: Jenny Lawson aka The Bloggess

Title:Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)

Publication: March 5, 2013

Publisher: Berkley Trade

Genre: Memoir, Humor

Pages: 370

Audience: 18 and up

Rating: 3 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in. That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father and morbidly eccentric childhood. It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humor in the strange shame-spiral that is her life, and we are all better for it.  

In the irreverent Let's Pretend This Never Happened, Lawson's long-suffering husband and sweet daughter help her uncover the surprising discovery that the most terribly human moments- the ones we want to pretend never happened- are the very same moments that make us the people we are today.  

For every intellectual misfit who thought they were the only ones to think the things that Lawson dares to say out loud, this is a poignant and hysterical look at the dark, disturbing, yet wonderful moments of our lives.

My thoughts:
 I came across The Bloggess's blog some time around March. It was around the time the paperback copy of her novel, Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) was first released and she had added an extra chapter to it. Before purchasing the novel I read most of her posts and caught up with her blog once a week during one of my classes. I loved her blog that I purchased her book with intentions of reading it for Spring Break. As funny as she is, she can be offensive. So, if you are easily offended, I do not recommend this book. If you do not like cursing, I also do not recommend this book. It is full of curse words and offensive stories. She even mentions that in the first chapter that she may offend you. I wasn't offended, but I felt like I expected more humor out of her stories, I guess. The stories on her blog are hilarious, but this was a more "this is how I became me" type of story, which is what a memoir actually is. It is not a bad story and I can relate to her. She has anxiety disorder plus other medical issues that I find very brave of her to come out and say she has. Also, I love her stories about her hometown. Being from a small, rural area myself, there are so many weird things that happen that just seem normal because you are not from a more developed, urban area. I guess I could see the same things happening in my home town and what not that I was a little bit let down. However, her blog keeps me entertained and this book hinted at another novel in the future. I will definitely pick it up.

 

At Home with My Daddy's Stories

Narrator:  Kathryn Tucker Windham

Title: At Home with My Daddy's Stories

Publication: January 2002

Publisher: August House Audio

Genre: Storytelling, Memoir

Length: 63:39

Audience: 7 and up

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

 Synopsis (from the cover):She is a living icon of the family storytelling renaissance in America. And to her tell it, Kathryn Tucker Windham owes it all to her father, the small town banker, school board chairman, and Sunday school superintendent who always came home with a story. These stories celebrate the father he was and the stories that are his legacy.

My thoughts:
Growing up in the south, I believe Kathryn Tucker Windham's stories are a staple. I remember watching videos of her telling stories in elementary school. I remember my elementary school librarian reading to us parts of 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffery. I also remember going to my public library and renting the VHS of Mrs. Windham telling her stories along with the book. If you have never heard Mrs. Windham talk you are in for a treat! (Seriously, youtube her!) She is a sweet, little old, southern woman. I love her accent and the way she tells stories.  She recently died in 2011 at the age of 93.  She was on up in years when she recorded this CD. I was expecting stories that her father told her. I did not know they were going to be stories about her father. I guess I should have read the back cover, but I just adore her and her stories that I bought it without hesitation. Her stories tell of a different and long forgotten era. An era of a self-made man (without an education, which is very hard these days), an era without television, and an era of simpler times. Some of the stories sound a little bit like rambling and I tuned in and out at times. I felt a bit bad, but I'm giving an honest review. The parts that did keep me interested where good and funny and told a lot of history especially about Alabama. I guess you could describe her storytelling style that of a grandmother who is filling you in on things that happened  "back in the day", but she does it in a way that doesn't bore you to death. If you would like to try this audiobook, it is available through Audible.

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

Author: Marjane Satrapi

Title:Persepolis: The Story of Return

Publication: August 22, 2005

Publisher: Pantheon

Genre:  Memoir, Historical, Graphic Novel

Pages:192

Audience: 13 and up

Rating: 3 out 5

Source: College Library
Goodreads 

Purchase:Amazon| Barnes and Noble |Books A Million| 

Goodreads Synopsis:
Marjane Satrapi dazzled us with her heartrending memoir-in-comic-strips about growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Here is the continuation of her fascinating story. In 1984, Marjane flees fundamentalism and the war with Iraq to begin a new life in Vienna. Once there, she faces the trials of adolescence far from her friends and family, and while she soon carves out a place for herself among a group of fellow outsiders, she continues to struggle for a sense of belonging.Finding that she misses her home more than she can stand, Marjane returns to Iran after graduation. Her difficult homecoming forces her to confront the changes both she and her country have undergone in her absence and her shame at what she perceives as her failure in Austria. Marjane allows her past to weigh heavily on her until she finds some like-minded friends, falls in love, and begins studying art at a university. However, the repression and state-sanctioned chauvinism eventually lead her to question whether she can have a future in Iran.
As funny and poignant as its predecessor, Persepolis 2 is another clear-eyed and searing condemnation of the human cost of fundamentalism. In its depiction of the struggles of growing up—here compounded by Marjane’s status as an outsider both abroad and at home—it is raw, honest, and incredibly illuminating.


My thoughts:
I did not read the second book right away, but it was easy to remember where the last book left me hanging. This book picks up, but not where you think it would. Time has passed and Satrapi is doing her best to catch the reader up to speed. Life in Europe was not what she expected it to be. Also, he parents unfortunately are not there to help her develop in a teen or young adult. She is sent from one place to another due to limited space, behavior issues, and her happiness. Due to her homesickness and other various reasons, Satrapi reaches rock bottom, to the point that it almost kills her. She had her freedom in Europe, but when she comes home it is taken away from her. I enjoyed this book, but it seemed more predictable because of foreshadowing and you come to know Satrapi. I understand this was what her life was like and it wasn't a happy time for her, but I felt like there was a lot of pent of teenage/young adult angst. It drove me nuts. I wanted her to get over her situation and make the best of it. When she returns to Iran she has to learn the ways of life to which she was not exposed to. When her freedom is taken from her, that's when I truly started pitying her. Overall, I recommend it. If for anything, it is a very fascinating first hand account on the Islamic Revolution and what it did to the country of Iran. Plus, Satrapi's rebellious nature is enough to keep anyone from putting the book down. It is a great novel and completes the storyline. If you enjoy the books, there is a movie based on the graphic novels. I have not seen the movie, but I have heard it is good.

Persepolis: A Story of Childhood

Author: Marjane Satrapi
Title:Persepolis: A Story of Childhood
Publication: June 1, 2004
Publisher:Pantheon
Genre:  Memoir, Historical, Graphic Novel
Pages:160
Audience: 13 and up
Rating: 4 out 5
Source: Public Library
Purchase:Amazon Barnes and Noble Books A Million  Goodreads 

Goodreads Synopsis:
Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.

Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. Marjane’s child’s-eye view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family. Intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original, Persepolis is at once a story of growing up and a reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, with laughter and tears, in the face of absurdity. And, finally, it introduces us to an irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love. 

My thoughts:

I first heard about Persepolis during a presentation in one of my classes. I was intrigued. I'll be honest and admit to be ignorant. I was not a huge fan of graphic novels, but my boyfriend loves them so I thought I would give this one a try. I got Persepolis confused with Persephone from Greek myths. So when, I checked the book out from the public library, I had no idea about what I was getting myself into. The storyline is the main focus of the graphic novel. The artwork is in black and white, and even though I fail at even making stick figures, the art is very simple.  The image is there to just help convey the message Satrapi is wanting to convey. I didn't know much about Iran until reading this book. It was very eye opening in how Iran was before The Islamic Revolution. The book chronicles the life of Satrapi and the sacrifices she and her family have to make just to survive. At first, her family fights against the revolution, but eventually they have to give in. Her parents educate Satrapi on a variety of topics. I personally felt she was maybe 10-14 in the books, and I'm not sure she would have understood Marx or any of the other revolutionists. However, she mentions reading them and it being a bit overwhelming, but learning something from them. Some of the material seems dense for a 10-14 year old to read and much less comprehend. The books are a great start to a true historical story. Satrapi draws you in and makes you feel the story. I cried when I reached the end. It was a sad ending, but I had no clue there was a second book. I recently checked it out and read it. Next week, I'll review it!