jenknox's Reviews (494)

I had to reread the Rabbit series; why I am so attracted to this curmudgeonly middle-aged to old man, I'll never know, but Updike's character has just captured my heart.


... I cheated. I read books one and four, listened to books two and three. I loved it as much the second time.

"The Whore of Mensa" is hilarious. Worth the price of the entire book, in my opinion. He's got some strangeness going on, sure, but I didn't find a story without a smart, sarcastic theme--this, I appreciate.

Epilepsy is a condition I've read personal accounts of in the past, most of which have been vague or difficult to fully grasp; it seems there are few more difficult topics to (successfully) communicate than a neurological disorder and many personal accounts end up vague or overly-clinical. This is why Stuart McCallum's book is so incredible.

While reading Beyond My Control, I felt the transcendence of a good book--it was as though I entered another world, a world in which I felt I understood what it was like to be at the mercy of this confounding neurological disorder. Stuart McCallum vividly recalls his life before his diagnosis and the confusion of Epilepsy's onset, but he doesn't cower. In fact, Stuart doesn't spend his pages wallowing in self-pity or asking "why me?" but instead inspires his readers with his courage and strength.

This is a story about one man's battle with Epilepsy, but it is a story for anyone who knows what it feels like to have life uprooted in an instant, who know the shock and helpless feeling of entering the unknown, but who refuse to be defeated by it.

This book is phenomenal. The chapters are short and engaging, and the writing is fantastic.
The story begins with one woman's search to demystify the mother she never knew, the figure whom she believes to have hold the secret that will break a cycle of discontent. Where this leads her is on a journey of self-discovery that begins with a trip to a hypnotist. Emily's journey is filled with realizations that grow exponentially, and ultimately lead to a philosophical and spiritual awakening.

This book began beautifully, with strong prose and likable characters. I would like to rate it a bit more specifically, at a 3.75, because I am torn between "liking it" and "really liking it". It was one of those that seemed magical and lovely, but I found long stretches of prose that seemed to fall flat, as though D'Erasmo was over-editing herself, or being over-edited. The story itself is unique, but it became bogged down in places with over-wrought sentimentality and forced metaphors. Personally, I like to be in the stratosphere with books like this, grasping at reasons, only to find some subtle epiphany that strikes me suddenly, like gravity. There is so much beautiful about this book, I wanted more from it.