For a
book that became a movie, I tackled Cheryl Strayed’s Wild. Everyone has been
going crazy for that book. I’ve also been listening to her podcast Dear Sugar
with Steve Almond which made me even more curious about what her story was.
I
loved her writing style. It was easy to read without being simple, smart
without being condescending. Strayed struck that rare balance of writing for a
wide appeal without having to simplify her writing. It’s smart in a way that’s
hard to articulate but you know simple memoirs when you find them (any
Bachelor(ette) contestant for example). Strayed assumes you’re on her level, if
that makes sense.
From
what I heard on her podcast Dear Sugar, I had no idea she made such a mess of
her life. It makes sense when the driving force that held her family together
passes away, everything she ever knew or loved slowly breaks apart. It’s almost
like she had to smash the rest of her life to pieces before she could start
over again. She had to grieve her mother, her marriage, and her family as she
knew it. It was a devastating time after her mother passed and it makes sense she
chose the ill-advised escapes that she did. She is neither defensive nor shamed
of her poor decisions; simply matter of fact.
I
greatly enjoyed this and would very highly recommend it. I’m eager to see the
movie since I hear it’s supposed to be very good. Let’s see if it does the book
justice.
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