On Being Fat by Pamela J. Mulraney

Tags

Goodreads, Memoir, NetGalley

I’m not sure how to rate this one, so I’m going middle of the road

On one hand there were lots of funny parts, and some very personal and touching insights and reflections.
On the other hand there were many cringe-worthy paragraphs and extremely harsh self-talk of the author.
After the first half there was too much repetition too. She describes in much detail how difficult simple tasks are, and other effects of being that big (how you smell being one).
It reads like a stream of consciousness written at the kitchen tables, which in essence it was. When you read you feel like you are reading someone’s diary.

Sex and Crime: Oliver’s Strange Journey by Oliver Markus

Tags

Memoir

I have to start off by saying I like Oliver. I share a similar background, growing up in Germany and coming to North America after High School. I share many of his views and opinions, and got a good chuckle out of those parts of the book.

This book is explicit and uses “bad” language, but how can you write about this topic honestly without depicting it the way it is? If you are easily offended, stay away from this book. If you want a view of what drug addiction, prostitution and rock bottom look like, run and buy this book.
Oliver’s life, and the girls who come in and out of his life, are a train wreck. You can’t stop reading, hoping against hope that one of them will follow through on straightening up.

Oliver is obviously a very intelligent man. He shares insights into addiction that are well-researched and thoughtful. Which makes me wonder why he was never able to meet a “normal” girl. How come the only girls he ever meets are addicted, psychotic, lying, hooking, cheating girls? How come he feels this need to try to save them, and enables their addiction? After about page 300 I lost track of the names of girls. It’s the same story, the same behavior, the same conversation, with a revolving roster of girls. Like he himself says: the names change, but the story is always the same.
I still haven’t figured out why Oliver is so drawn to these girl. For a smart guy that seems not so smart. I would have thought that one day he will find a non-addicted, well-adjusted, normal girl. Maybe in the sequel. Which, if it comes out, I will be first in line to read.

Overall, a bit lengthy at times, because your reading the same thing over and over about different girls, but still a very compelling read that will grab you on the first page and spit you out at the end. It’s the train wreck you can’t look away from, while you shake your head and wish for Oliver to snap out of it, and you want to grab the girls and shake them. And while you have those emotions, you know that you will never truly understand unless you have been there yourself.