Lucky
2 journalers for this copy...
Important Note:
If you have not done so yet, you might want to consider first reading The Lovely Bones, the novel that was inspired by the incident(s) recounted here in Lucky.
I read this book in less than 24 hours. Lucky starts off with the minute-by-minute account of a brutal attack, and the narrative continues with the aftermath of that traumatic experience.
Sebold's record of what happened to her when she was 18 is written in an almost spare, journalistic style (although Sebold is capable of humor as well). She sticks to the facts as she experienced them, without recourse to self-pity, without appealing to our emotions. I applaud her for it.
One may argue that there is a divide between 'what happened to Sebold' and 'how Sebold felt/feels about what happened.' This disassociation isn't something that all trauma victims are able to do (as is evidenced by the examples of other victims, especially in the last chapters of Lucky). To me this is part of her source of strength, one reason why she survived.
Her bravery lies not only in that she didn't give in to the violence perpetrated against her or that she persevered until justice was served; it is that she was able to go back and relive it all again in order to tell us her story as honestly as she can, to write this book, and this task requires a kind of separation of self.
Yet this memoir remains as emotionally penetrating as it is enlightening.
"You save yourself or you remain unsaved."
If you have not done so yet, you might want to consider first reading The Lovely Bones, the novel that was inspired by the incident(s) recounted here in Lucky.
I read this book in less than 24 hours. Lucky starts off with the minute-by-minute account of a brutal attack, and the narrative continues with the aftermath of that traumatic experience.
Sebold's record of what happened to her when she was 18 is written in an almost spare, journalistic style (although Sebold is capable of humor as well). She sticks to the facts as she experienced them, without recourse to self-pity, without appealing to our emotions. I applaud her for it.
One may argue that there is a divide between 'what happened to Sebold' and 'how Sebold felt/feels about what happened.' This disassociation isn't something that all trauma victims are able to do (as is evidenced by the examples of other victims, especially in the last chapters of Lucky). To me this is part of her source of strength, one reason why she survived.
Her bravery lies not only in that she didn't give in to the violence perpetrated against her or that she persevered until justice was served; it is that she was able to go back and relive it all again in order to tell us her story as honestly as she can, to write this book, and this task requires a kind of separation of self.
Yet this memoir remains as emotionally penetrating as it is enlightening.
"You save yourself or you remain unsaved."
On its way to KawreS (OBCZ in Falls City, Nebraska). This book is finally traveling!
Received today - will read and add to the OBCZ area. Thanks!