Book chosen by Megan
Lee's comments :
What to say about Educated, firstly I didn’t like it, even as a true story, autobiography, memoir what ever, all of the characters including the author were so unappealing and I couldn’t relate to any of them, obviously because I am not a Mormon nor am I religious or have had a religious upbringing. I can’t abide fundamentalism in any religion and the people that are brainwashed by it. I found Tara’s story horrific and the dangers her stupid parents exposed her to were just unbelievable. Her mother at first seemed to be protective even though she was under the spell of the demonic father, but later completely sides with his crazy fanaticism and rejects her daughter and I assume her other two sons who have sought out an education while favouring a psychopathic monster in Shawn. The level of family abuse is shocking and the back woods mentality of these fundamentalist Mormons seems so stereotypical of the worst of red neck Americans. End of Days and all that. Another cult involving innocent family members. I am glad I was raised by cynical parents.
I found it so hard to understand and accept that Tara couldn’t/wouldn’t leave the family after all her study and discovering a new life in Cambridge and Harvard. Is this the depth of her brainwashing? Abusers have such a strong hold over their victims, whether it be in an abusive marriage or in a parent-child relationship and the conflict the victims feel in their desire for reconciliation in spite of knowing the reasons they should leave. We see this in so many recent books we have read, from The Girl on a Train, and Unbreakable, to Big Little Lies. It was challenging to accept that she could become so intellectual and committed to research in such a short space of time and still yearn for her mad family. Even though she finally walks away from them. And could she find her answers in 19th century philosophers?
In spite of all this I kept on reading, wondering in a somewhat sadistic way, what horrific act either Shawn or the father would inflict on Tara next. And what a clever girl she was, good at singing; did she play the piano too, can’t remember; the star of the local theatre; brilliant at maths and algebra and even taught herself calculus, all in the shadow of Bucks Peak. All a bit hard to believe. And her mother the homeopath, finally makes a mint from her herbal remedies! And the badly burnt disfigured father can continue building barns and whatever with his claw hands. Again I had to really stretch the limits of my imagination. Ever since reading The Power of One I really dislike this type of ‘made good’ self admiring memoir. By writing, is this the catharsis the author seeks. Sure Tara has her moments, in fact months, of self doubt and finally has a nervous breakdown complete with panic attacks.
For me the opening description of the mountain was the most rewarding part of the book. And the most poignant line was that of the seven siblings, three had achieved academic success and four were basically uneducated. And all of this happening in the last two decades. But I guess that is Trump’s America.
A rating: 6 for the writing, 5 for the narrative.
What to say about Educated, firstly I didn’t like it, even as a true story, autobiography, memoir what ever, all of the characters including the author were so unappealing and I couldn’t relate to any of them, obviously because I am not a Mormon nor am I religious or have had a religious upbringing. I can’t abide fundamentalism in any religion and the people that are brainwashed by it. I found Tara’s story horrific and the dangers her stupid parents exposed her to were just unbelievable. Her mother at first seemed to be protective even though she was under the spell of the demonic father, but later completely sides with his crazy fanaticism and rejects her daughter and I assume her other two sons who have sought out an education while favouring a psychopathic monster in Shawn. The level of family abuse is shocking and the back woods mentality of these fundamentalist Mormons seems so stereotypical of the worst of red neck Americans. End of Days and all that. Another cult involving innocent family members. I am glad I was raised by cynical parents.
I found it so hard to understand and accept that Tara couldn’t/wouldn’t leave the family after all her study and discovering a new life in Cambridge and Harvard. Is this the depth of her brainwashing? Abusers have such a strong hold over their victims, whether it be in an abusive marriage or in a parent-child relationship and the conflict the victims feel in their desire for reconciliation in spite of knowing the reasons they should leave. We see this in so many recent books we have read, from The Girl on a Train, and Unbreakable, to Big Little Lies. It was challenging to accept that she could become so intellectual and committed to research in such a short space of time and still yearn for her mad family. Even though she finally walks away from them. And could she find her answers in 19th century philosophers?
In spite of all this I kept on reading, wondering in a somewhat sadistic way, what horrific act either Shawn or the father would inflict on Tara next. And what a clever girl she was, good at singing; did she play the piano too, can’t remember; the star of the local theatre; brilliant at maths and algebra and even taught herself calculus, all in the shadow of Bucks Peak. All a bit hard to believe. And her mother the homeopath, finally makes a mint from her herbal remedies! And the badly burnt disfigured father can continue building barns and whatever with his claw hands. Again I had to really stretch the limits of my imagination. Ever since reading The Power of One I really dislike this type of ‘made good’ self admiring memoir. By writing, is this the catharsis the author seeks. Sure Tara has her moments, in fact months, of self doubt and finally has a nervous breakdown complete with panic attacks.
For me the opening description of the mountain was the most rewarding part of the book. And the most poignant line was that of the seven siblings, three had achieved academic success and four were basically uneducated. And all of this happening in the last two decades. But I guess that is Trump’s America.
A rating: 6 for the writing, 5 for the narrative.
