This week in Ms. Olmsted's class, we are reading and discussing The Sum of Our Days by Isabel Allende. It is a memoir. Dictionary.com's first definition for memoir is, "a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation." So, a memoir could just be an author rambling about a series of events. But what makes a memoir good? Think about The Sum of Our Days or any other memoirs you have read in the past... What made them stand out? What kept you turning the pages? The Sum of Our Days focused on Allende and her family and the things that happened in their lives as Allende struggled with the death of her daughter, Paula. But what made the book interesting? Personally, I think that memoirs are interesting in general because it is like a good friend is telling you the juiciest bits of their life story. I think that The Sum of Our Days was good because it was humorous and because there were a lot of interesting things happening all of the time in the book. It didn't slow down; it seemed like there was always something going on. Or was it just the way Allende told the story that made it interesting?
For those who visit the blog this week, please give your two cents! Did The Sum of Our Days stand out to you as a good memoir, or did you feel like you had to trudge through it? Why? What makes a memoir good? Is it the subject matter? The way the author writes? The humor factor? The tragedy factor?
To answer some of your questions, I am a picky reader. The book has to jump out to me when it’s on the shelf. I am guilty of judging books by their covers. Memoirs are not my favorite reads, but I have read some that were really intriguing. I would have to say that the things that make memoirs good are the writing style and the content. I have to have that initial attraction, but it is up to the author to keep me interested. I like complex writing. I like unique styles. I like a mixture of humor and tragedy. It can’t be bland. I think writing is like making the perfect glass of lemonade. It should have the perfect amount of each ingredient. Memoirs that are heavy on the sadness or include ridiculous or crude humor don’t usually strike my fancy. I tend to by-pass those books or stop reading them.
ReplyDeleteOne reason behind my overall dislike for memoirs is my lack of motivation or interest in them. Why should I read about your life? Why are you that special? I don’t mean that to be rude or disrespectful. I could say that about any book. I guess it is more difficult for me to be interested in a real person. I like to put myself in the story. I like to imagine that I was there and part of the action. If the story is real life, then I feel that my imagination and connection is limited. With fiction, I can put myself there. With real life, I wasn’t there, so I can’t see myself there. I also don’t like whiny writing. I like to read material with meat and action. I want the characters to do something and eventually learn something. A lot of the memoirs I have read tend to fall on the complaining and whiny side. (Not all, I’m not trying to offend anyone.) I am all about getting up and changing your situation if you don’t like. Don’t complain about, do something about it. Interestingly enough, if I were to write my own memoir, I think there would be a lot of complaining. I think that I would do almost everything that I say I don’t like because there is a purpose for complaining. The point though is to eventually change it. Don’t JUST whine. I hope that in my own writing I would also take my own advice and maybe overcome my complaining and do something. In my personal narrative, I complained about my father and my childhood, but in the end, I stood up for myself. I changed my situation. Good memoirs include both complaints and actions. The fault of most, in my opinion, is when they lean too heavily on the complaining and nothing changes. I haven’t gotten very far in The Sum of Our Days, so I don’t know if it will be one that I like or one that I don’t.
Thanks for letting me vent. Great post!
Elizabeth Willbanks
Wow! Thanks for the great in-depth comment, Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteI agree. The main two things that deter me from reading memoirs are the "Why should I care" factor and then when I actually pick one up and the author just whines through the whole thing. If I want whining, I'll write my own memoir. hahaha. :)
When it comes to Allende, I either love her, hate her, or am affectionately lukewarm. I think "Sum..." falls into the last category for me. I found "Paula" to be a far more moving memoir because it was apologetically raw and not so... preemptive in its tone. I still liked this memoir because it has elements that are present in Allende's work that I enjoy. Overall, I think the same criteria for a good memoir applies for me as other genres of writing. I want the writing to transport me into the space and time of the piece; I want the writing to teach me something and offer me a piece of the writer's soul; I want to be challenged and moved; I want something in life to be highlighted. I think some of this is exemplified in "Sum." I feel like I'm in the midst of Allende's life- her mystical experiences and her tumultuous family dynamics. I'm also challenged by her in my skepticism, my hermit-like notions, and my own experiences with grief.
ReplyDeleteUnlike Elizabeth, memoirs are one of my favorite things to read. I love when some can honestly let others into their lives. I think it's courageous and terrifying and, when it is done well, some of the most effective writing a person can do because it is the truth as they experience it.
I think Allende is excellent at weaving together a million threads, the souls of the living and dead who have been in her life, to create her stories. Her ability to do this is one of the things that makes her writing appealing to me.
This exchange has been fun to read. I hate that dictionary definition, btw! But I like hearing about Elizabeth (ewfrog's) dislike of memoirs and conversely, Lindsey's fondness for them....
ReplyDeleteElizabeth- I understand exactly what you mean when you say you "like to put yourself in the story" because i do the same thing. Memoirs are usually not my first choice to read, but every now and then I get wrapped up in one. I have to say though, that Allende's "Sum of Our Days" has not been one of my favorite reads. I like to read about the lives and stories of strong female characters but something about Allende, despite what she has been through, keeps me from finding her extremely admirable. I see that she is pretty strong willed, even down right stubborn but I would have to agree that she is a little whiny. I do think she is a very descriptive writer and the people she writes about have so many different dynamics. I think my favorite aspect of her book is the vast array of personalities that she describes and includes.
ReplyDeleteThis has nothing to do with this post but I just wanted to tell you all that I really like the blog. I like the way that the “Family-Identity” blog uses wordplay with the text titles. It’s fun. Also, I liked the way you used a quote at the top of the blog—an effective approach to bringing the reader in to the blog’s theme and purpose. The inclusion of personal stories and recipes was a great way to express the importance of family and identity. I really appreciated the extra features that were added to the blog, like the “cool links” that connect you to other resources about the authors. Great stuff guys!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
ReplyDeleteInteresting comments! Most people I've heard who complain about not caring about a character usually do so about fictitious characters (as in, "why should I care about this person because they don't exist). It was at least refreshing to hear a different take on that. When you say that a person should stop complaining and do something, well at least they wrote a book ;) (but I know what you mean).
To answer your question of why should someone care about another person's life, I guess this is why most successful memoirs are written by people who are already famous (I've read memoirs by Anthony Kiedis, singer of Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Eric Clapton because of their musical careers, not because of them as authors of books). This idea reminds me of the movie Burn After Reading when John Malkovich's character tells his wife he is writing a memoir; she replies with a condescending laugh that insinuates the question "Why would anyone possible care about your life and what you have to say."
-Will
Overall this is a really well done blog. I feel everything is well laid out and helpful in understanding the texts. You have done a great job of dissecting the relational intricacies of the works we've studied. I've also enjoyed how you've put your own twist on the author's styels as well adding recipes and various literary themes to your posts. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI liked the book also but felt a darker tone to it. However it helps me by showing me that everyone has problems in their family. My house is very chaotic too. The more people around you the more chaos. Although the tone was dark for me I was very interested to see what was coming next. What new event will arise? What new person will come onto the scene with all the mystery of what their life will entail. I guess it is some mental bond we have as humans to be connected to and know all about what their struggles are, how are they like me? Everyday there are people all over the world who get facinated with celebrities. It is like we have a trigger to want to know everything about a stranger. To wish we were someone else as if our problems would disappear. Reading her memoir allowed me to see my family was not in as much chaos and sadness as hers. I love when I can read something and feel as though I learned or gained something from it.
ReplyDelete-Cassa Arnold
I have to admit that I'm still in the process of "trudging" through this memoir. While I appreciate Allende and her story, I'm just having a hard time dissecting that story and keeping track of all the people and events she's writing about. I normally do like memoirs because I enjoy reading about real life events, but as Elizabeth said, they have to be written well. I don't even mind whining so much as long as it's a well-written story that pulls me in :)
ReplyDeleteI don’t normally like to read memoirs, but then, I haven’t really read enough to base my opinion on them. In high school, we were assigned to read a memoir and write a report. I have had a handful assigned to me in college. That’s my only experience with them. And, as they were all assigned reading, I went in with the “have to read this” attitude. I think there is an automatic difference in going into a book that is assigned rather than one that is chosen. Like Elizabeth, I judge books by their covers; I’m sure everyone does to a degree. I tend to read romance, or smut, as my mom calls it. I like historical best, because I do want to imagine myself in the read, and contemporary just seems like something I could live. When I read, I want that otherworldly experience. I think that’s why I don’t choose to read memoirs, or nonfiction in general, because it’s too close to what is actually lived.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I absolutely love the blog...visually appealing, witty and informative. Great job, guys!
ReplyDeleteNow, on to Allende...definitely not my favorite piece. Like many of you, I am not a fan of memoirs. In fact, it is my least favorite genre. This one, in particular, was difficult to finish...in fact, if I had just bought this to read on my own, it would have been pushed to the side, collecting dust after the first few chapters (sorry, Dr. Olmsted, just being honest). I think the primary reason I couldn't connect with it was because her life is so radically different from mine. Although this is interesting to a point, it was all a bit too "new age" for my taste. Unless I can identify with the author in some small way, I begin to lose interest.