Why do we read memoirs of illness? Is it to be confronted with the weakness and fragility of the human body and the unjustness and cruelty of fate? To experience vicariously the vagaries of an unexpected life? To be reminded of our own relative health? No matter the reason, these narratives have become increasingly ubiquitous in recent years, so much so that the genre has a name. Chicago writer Paula Kamen — who added her story to the shelf with her 2006 book All in My Head
But if the genre was originally the province of women, men have also gotten into the game. Last month, poet Paul Guest published One More Theory About Happiness
Have we missed your favorite? Tell us in the comments section.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
After French magazine editor Bauby suffered a massive stroke, he was left completely paralyzed except for his left eye. He used that remaining functional orb to blink out — letter by letter — this haunting memoir. Made into a beautiful and affecting film in 2007, this may be the ultimate wow-I-don’t-have-it-so-bad-after-all read.
Comments (19)
You forgot “I Had Brain Surgery, What’s Your Excuse?” by Suzy Becker.
Ian Brown’s ‘The Boy In The Moon’. Published very recently, this book is one of the best reads I’ve had for a long time (and I don’t read much nonfiction). I actually reviewed the book, which you can read here:
http://www.killyourdarlingsjournal.com/2010/06/ian-browns-the-boy-in-the-moon-review/
I notice that your top ten ‘sick lit’ picks are all written in the first person about the narrators’ own illnesses; Ian Brown also writes in the first person, but about his son’s illness, as his son will never be able to write himself (let alone talk).
Sarah Magnuso’s “The Two Kinds of Decay.” I’m never one for medical memoirs, but her poetic account of being diagnosed with some rare auto immune disease in her early twenties is totally haunting. I read this book in a day.
Reading books or watching movies about drug addicts is the most tedious chore ever. I don’t care! It’s never interesting or unique! Stop with the addiction books.
Electroboy
MEMOIRS OF MY NERVOUS ILLNESS by Schreber
“Death Be Not Proud” by John Gunther. Originally published in 1949. Nearly read the whole book in a library when I was 10 years old. I have one well-read copy and a newer copy to keep the older one intact.
I’ll go classic: Junkie, William S. Burroughs. No glamour in the “lifestyle” here & this was one of the original tales of addiction, I believe…
“Twitch & Shout: a Touretter’s Tale” by Lowell Handler. Orig. pub in the late 1990′s, out in PB in 2004. Perfect title! Who knew a memoir about Tourette’s could bs so funny. Also “Nothing to Fall Back on” by Betsy Carter. In rapid succession she loses: her husband, her house, her job, her TEETH. But never her sense of humor. Amazing.
“Drinking: a Love Story” by Caroline Knapp – it gets no better. Also by Caroline (who after surviving alcoholism, depression and eating disorders passed away from cancer) – “Appetites – Why Women Want” and “Pack of Two” – a memoir about her bond with her dog while in recovery.
Journey Around My Skull, by Frigyes Karinthy, which includes, among other things, a first-person account of having brain surgery without general anesthetic:
http://www.nybooks.com/books/imprints/classics/a-journey-round-my-skull/
anything by Augusten Burroughs.
“Awakenings” by Oliver Sachs- touching and humane. The movie did it justice
Great compilation…but you’ve overlooked “Permanent Midnight” by Jerry Stahl.
Forced Entries: The Downtown Diaries by Jim Carroll. a poetic memoir written with such a rare sense of levity and honesty that you actually grow to truly care for a junkie piece of excrement. I was surprised to find out just how effected I was by his death last year.
‘It’s Always Something’ by Gilda Radner.
“the rapid DISSENT of a successful New York City literary agent who nearly lost everything to crack…”
. . .
I really hope you were on crack when you wrote this. Or that your salary is so low you can’t afford crack.
[PS: it's DESCENT, dude]
I second the recommendations of those who commented above for Burroughs’ JUNKY & Stahl’s PERMANENT MIDNIGHT. Then again, one can’t expect much from any list that includes the words “Elizabeth” and “Wurtzel” in succession.
[...] Five women actually make the list for 10 essential illness memoirs. [...]
[...] reading about other people’s illnesses you’ll enjoy the list of Sick Lit put together by Flavorwire. Among others, you can choose from books covering everything from cancer to depression and eating [...]
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