"Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things" by Jenny Lawson
An awkwardly funny memoir about depression.
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I’m on the sidelines with this book. On one hand, I appreciate the candor and guts it takes to publicly admit struggles with mental illness. I’ve learned that so many people are affected by a mental illness in some form over their lifetimes, but are ashamed to make it known. Lawson crosses barriers, and in doing so, has helped so many others cope with the struggles they face every day.
On the other hand, it’s a bit awkward. It’s mostly likely due to the fact that I can’t relate (or at least feel like I can’t). Lawson would have a profound moment in her book, but then it would quickly be trampled on by absurdity. By absurdity, I mean her writing/thought process was a zig zag of tangents on tangents on tangents. When this happened, I found myself losing focus almost immediately- my mind had trouble finding a place to land.
But then a few days after I read this book, I thought, well maybe that’s the point. Jenny Lawson didn’t filter her thought process and I got to experience what it’s like to be in her head (which is A LOT to handle). I obviously couldn’t experience her depression or anxiety through the book, but she does try very hard to explain with a spoon analogy. Although tragic, it was very helpful in trying to understand the effort someone has to go through when experiencing depression.
I should go read her first book.
| Pub Date: | Sept 22, 2015 | Page Count: | 329 Pages | ISBN: | 9781250077004 |