Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia (P.S.)

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It's a hit!

A very brave, realistic and horrifying memoir of a young woman consumed by anorexia and bulimia.
If you have ever been close to anyone with an eat... (show more)

A very brave, realistic and horrifying memoir of a young woman consumed by anorexia and bulimia.
If you have ever been close to anyone with an eating disorder and want to understand and/or help that person, I highly recommend this book. Hornbacher gives the reader a very frank, starkly accurate look at what the victim of an eating disorder experiences: what they feel, what they think, what they lie about, what they do to appear normal, what they do to FEEL normal, and most of all what they do to try to hold on to sanity - starve, binge, purge. Disturbing, moving and educational. Nominated for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in non-fiction.
You'd probably be surprised to find out how many people out there have or have had an eating disorder at one time in their life. He/she could be your classmate, your neighbor, your friend, your sister or even your brother.
I don't think anyone could read Marya's book and then NOT reach out to someone who appears to need help. (show less)

 

 

by Tracey Glazener

No, it's a flop!

DO NOT read this book if you are currently suffering from an eating disorder: it is VERY triggering. DO read this book if someone you care about i... (show more)

DO NOT read this book if you are currently suffering from an eating disorder: it is VERY triggering. DO read this book if someone you care about is suffering from an eating disorder - it will help you understand a LITTLE more, BUT if you really want to have a better understanding of the eating disorders, I reccomend " the truth about life after eating disorders" by Aimee Liu (show less)

 

 

by Erica Scott

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  50% of me loves this book: it is incredibly well-written and Hornbacher's back-and-forth-and-up-and-down style reflects her inner turmoil perfectly; it accurately and unflinchingly describes the horrors of suffering an extreme eating disorder; and it cleverly critiques many of the common assumptions about *why* people become anorexic and/or bulimic. I particularly like her feminist take on existing theories, and agree there is some truth in her argument that eating disorders are rooted in a &... (show more)

  50% of me loves this book: it is incredibly well-written and Hornbacher's back-and-forth-and-up-and-down style reflects her inner turmoil perfectly; it accurately and unflinchingly describes the horrors of suffering an extreme eating disorder; and it cleverly critiques many of the common assumptions about *why* people become anorexic and/or bulimic. I particularly like her feminist take on existing theories, and agree there is some truth in her argument that eating disorders are rooted in a "fear of being human and enjoying human excesses".

  Having said that, 50% of me hates this book: Hornbacher herself seems like a horrible person - selfish and bratty, and I could not sympathise with or feel warmth for her character; many of the chapters are rather triggering; her inclusion of specific weights is kind of irresponsible - many pro-ana/mia websites use her lowest BMI (9.8) as a target; and much of the book is written in a gloating way that comes across as a "I-am-the-best-anoretic-and-bulimic-in-the-world" rant.

  Overall, I would only recommend this book to people who are feeling confident in themselves beforehand - your self-esteem will take a battering. However, it is a good read and I could barely put it down once I had started. I will definitely be reading her next book, Madness: A Bipolar Life. (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook-användare on May 10, 2009 at 04:55AM

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  This is a great read.
  The thing that I usually dislike about the "memoir" genre is that many tend to be simple and pity-seeking. This novel is neither.
  The author seeks no pity whatsoever. She basically just states "This is what I did, and this is why" but in a way that still draws you in and doesn't sound like you're reading a textbook.
  At times you want to cry, at times you think you too are developing an eating disorder. But, this book is totally worth it. I have not... (show more)

  This is a great read.
  The thing that I usually dislike about the "memoir" genre is that many tend to be simple and pity-seeking. This novel is neither.
  The author seeks no pity whatsoever. She basically just states "This is what I did, and this is why" but in a way that still draws you in and doesn't sound like you're reading a textbook.
  At times you want to cry, at times you think you too are developing an eating disorder. But, this book is totally worth it. I have not stopped thinking about it since I read it.
  It's a bit hard to read if you have ever had an eating disorder, since it brings up a lot of common issues that go with them. Marya describes so many different possible causes that you're bound to relate to at least one.
  Another great feature of the book is that she describes the difference between anorexia and bullimia and the different feelings and impulses that go along with each.
  Since most people think that an eating disorder is something you get just because you watched too much MTV and got jealous of Paris Hilton or something, I think this would be a great required reading book.
  It could show people how complicated, haunting, and life-changing eating disorders really are. (show less)

   

   

  by Emily N on Mar 24, 2009 at 06:10PM

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