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Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal (2000)

by Jeanette Winterson(Favorite Author)

3.89 of 5 Votes: 3

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English

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review 1: This book is a memoir and the rewriting of an autobiographical fictional book that the author wrote years before (see the previous entry). The author grew up in a Pentecostal house in an industrial northern city in England in the 1960s and 70s, with an insane mother who locked her out of the house and burned her books. The girl character (the author) is a fierce little survivor who finds and destroys happiness, and hopefully finds it again. The writing is witty, insightful, and complex. The book isn't particularly uplifting, but it shouldn't be uplifting. It doesn't follow the typical arc of recovery from a bad childhood, but it is inspirational. The author survived her awful childhood to become a world-renowned author.
review 2: I love the cover and the title,... more and I wanted to love this book. There was just not enough to it. Interesting for sure, and well written, this is a memoir of the British author Jeanette Wintersen's childhood in a working class family in a town called Accrington, England. Her parents were Pentecostals and her mom was genuinely mentally ill. She often locked Jeannette outside for no reason, or in the basement. Mom also stayed up all night in order not to have to sleep with her husband.She often told Jeannette she must have come from the wrong crib, that they got the wrong baby from the orphanage when they adopted her. When fifteen year old Jeanette is discovered having sex with a girlfriend, all hell breaks loose. Jeanette is forced to leave home, and for a good while she lives out of a car that her friend loans her. The title of the book comes from Jeanette's mothers actual words. Obviously, and thank god for the author, she did not follow her mother's advice.I definitely want to read other books by this author. I am a hard critic, though, and a book needs to pull me in and make me want to read it above all other reading material I might have at hand. This book did not do that. less

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Reviews (see all)

billiegeorge

This book is a memoir and the rewriting of an autobiographical fictional book that the author wrote years before (see the previous entry). The author grew up in a Pentecostal house in an industrial northern city in England in the 1960s and 70s, with an insane mother who locked her out of the house and burned her books. The girl character (the author) is a fierce little survivor who finds and destroys happiness, and hopefully finds it again. The writing is witty, insightful, and complex. The book isn't particularly uplifting, but it shouldn't be uplifting. It doesn't follow the typical arc of recovery from a bad childhood, but it is inspirational. The author survived her awful childhood to become a world-renowned author.

Ksmiles

This is the second time of reading and I got so much more from the book this time. She is brutally honest about how damaged she is due to her parting from her birth mother and the upbringing she had with the mad Mrs Winterson. The ability she has for reflection and self analysis, plus a supportive love eventually help her move on from a difficult time. She realises that it's the deprived, abusive childhood that has made her the writer that she is.

Sutla

Loved reading this … so honest and beautiful. Speaks to some of my experiences.

NickiMinajlover

Heart wrenching tale of an adopted girl.

debra

wonderful

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