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Memoir, of course, is a venerable genre. It’s been around a while. The
first guy to hunker down and scratch a few words in the dirt, ten to one
he was writing in regards to himself. Here’s what I saw, here’s what I felt.
Judging by recent headlines, however, the breed is in the midst of taking
a beating. Poor James Frey in his million little maligned pieces, the
latest bad-assed spoiled rich kid to bleed all the way to the bank. What
is it when it comes to telling our own story that makes us want to
oversensationalize, inflate our own egos with endless puffs of hot air?
Augusten Burroughs, running with the scissors that his foster family
swears up and down were fabrications. Is it insecurity? Maybe our own
lives actually aren’t that important. Even here in Montana, Judy Blunt
probably will have to have thought twice before writing that scene when it comes to her
father-in-law going after her typewriter with a sledgehammer.
In this cynical atmosphere, the new essay by Tom Groneberg, One
Good Horse, (Scribner, $24) is a kind of palliative. It’s like running into a
buddy you haven’t seen for a while, arguing regarding who may buy the introductory
round. Ostensibly the story of a novice cowboy’s basi foray into horse
training, it’s rather more the portrait of a life, a cross-section of the
quotidian struggles that make up the humane condition. Like another
instant Montana classic of memoir, Fred Haefele’s Rebuilding the
Indian, Groneberg uses his narrative armature, his horse training, as an
entrée into substantially more spectacular issues. For instance: What does it mean
to be a father, a husband, a friend? What are the duties that we fetch to
our lives, and what are our rewards?
“I think, perchance for the primary time, that I ought to have my own horse. If I
walked out into a pasture with a halter, it would nicker and trot toward
me. I wouldn’t have to determine which horse to saddle, which animal to
trust. If I had a good horse, I could give it my life. I could ride it for years.
We could grow old together. Then I would give it to Carter [his son]. His
own horse, to ride, to have, because I know I will not always be there for
him.”
Superficially, it’s true that the average, page-flipping and blurb-reading
browser might waffle over One Good Horse. The veneer of it is all with regards to
karaoke bars and occupation hunting, mornings expended feeding out bales of hay
and an evening or two with the in-laws. Dig a little deeper, though, and
you come to see, within these intimate totems, compelling reductions of
all our days. As opposed to the over-sensationalized, truth-hedging
memoirs that now top the bestseller list, Groneberg’s narrative quietly
communicates a real sense of generosity, a vision of merely doing the
best you can, making a hand out of the cards you’ve been dealt. It is,
more than anything else, a calm meditation on relationships: A man to
his horse, his friends, his family, his community.
Still in the midst of resetting his dials after losing both his ranch and then
his job, he writes, “Maybe I may get a colt and do not forget what it is I love
about being out in the west. The pieces of my life will fall into place
again and everything will make sense.” Shortly thereafter, he comes
across another memoir, Teddy “Blue” Abbott’s We Pointed Them North.
One of the tent poles of Montana’s literary canon, Groneberg uses
WPTN as a counterpoint, describing it is narrative to us in pieces, subtly
couching his own experiences in the larger, historical context of Teddy
Blue’s example. Groneberg aspires to being a cowboy in a long line of
cowboys, a writer in an established tradition of western writers, and
Teddy Blue gives him a place to hitch his figurative horse. “What can’t
be reclaimed is the hole in my story, the empty space on that line that
used to read ‘cowboy’ or ‘ranch hand’ or ‘man with horse.’ I need a new
story.”
And so we’ve started out with these two messages that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events threads, firstborn one and
then the other – Groneberg’s horse training, and now Teddy Blue’s tale.
We’re shortly given a third: The untimely birth of Groneberg’s twin
sons. “I phone grandparents and deliver the news. Carter watches
cartoons. Jennifer nods off. Time disappears. In the tiny kitchen all over
the hall from Jennifer’s room, I raid the refrigerator for little packs of
chocolate pudding, cups of ice chips, half-sized cans of lemon-lime
soda and ginger ale. Just before dinner, I scrub my hands and put on
another gown and visit the boys again. Someone has taped a card over
each isolette, one reading Avery, the other Bennett. This is me, I think.
This is my life.”
The pediatrician, “a convinced doctor, reassuring, with short strawberry
blond hair and a warm smile,” says, “‘I’d like to do a good deal of tests on Avery.”
She explains that “there is a peculiar crease in his palm that she is
concerned about, and that his ears seem to be set a little low on his
face.” As privileged readers, we discover, together with Groneberg and
his wife, that their finelooking new son has been born with Down
syndrome. “Jennifer and I hold each other and we cry. We mourn for
Avery, for his future. Or possibly our sadness is for ourselves, for the loss
of who we thought we were. We thought it didn’t matter, this notion of
perfect children. At less than a week old, Avery has been labeled,
limited, his life foreclosed on, his future told by a crease in his tiny palm.”
It is a measure of the strength muscling through Groneberg’s
deceptively simple prose that our hearts break right along with theirs.
In tackling memoir, it’s not sufficient to say that one has merely lived, that
you were here next door, microwaving leftovers and filling parking
spaces. You’re asking a finish stranger to spend time with your life,
after all; you need to convince them that something here is important.
Fame does the trick, á la Bill and Hillary Clinton, George Carlin.
Travelogues have wheels as well (although less so now than before,
what with all the deserts having already been explored). Harrowing
experiences (drugs, sexual abuse) and professional skillfulness both
usually suffice. But it is, to my mind, much more difficult to write a
compelling story out of the bare bones of the unexceptional. Here is a
view of the world from where I’m standing, and it’s one I’d like to share.
A slim sufficient book (considering the roiling issues in the subtext), and
conversational, adept in it is voice, One Good Horse is ultimately that rarest
of literary creations: It’s true.
Halfassed A Weightloss Memoir
After undergoing gall bladder surgery at age twenty-three, Jennette Fulda decisive it was time to lose a great deal of weight. Actually, more like half her weight. At the time, Jennette weighed 372 pounds.
Jennette was not born fat. But, by fifth grade, her response to a school questionnaire asking “what would you alter in regards to your appearance” was “I would be thinner.” Sound familiar?
Half-Assed is the captivating and fantastically honorable story of Jennette’s journeying to get in shape, lose weight, and modify her life. From the beginning—dusting off her never-used treadmill and steering clear of the donut shop—to the end with her goal weight in sight, Jennette wows readers with her determined persistence to shed pounds and the capacity to maintain her ever-present sense of self.
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Her rear is tiny, her life is big
Half-Assed is an amazingly honest memoir for anyone struggling with weight loss to relate to…an awesome read!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this book a week ago and flew through it in one sitting, and then read it again. Jeannette Fulda writes so openly and honestly about her struggles with weight gain/loss. For anyone struggling with this issue themselves…here is a book we can all relate to! Some parts sad, but then turn the page and you are laughing! Jeannette’s journey, and her view of herself and those around her during her weight loss can help to inspire anyone willing to take the time to read this book. She is just a regular woman sharing her thoughts and experiences, and that’s what makes her so easy to relate to. Poignant, passionate, inspiring…funny! Read it!
Very honest and genuine story!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I really liked this book. She gave a very honest view of her weight-loss struggle, and I could totally relate. I haven’t lost 100 lbs, but I completely understood her struggles, and I too am experiencing trouble/plateaus with weight loss. A very straight-forward, honest, genuine book on a woman’s struggle to lose weight.
Loved this Book!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When I bought this book, it took me a while to start it but not to finish it. Jennette Fulda is funny! Not just an inspiration but funny! There are many “weight loss” books out there and many “inspirational” books out there but this is one you will actually get something out of and enjoy it too.
Funny and inspirational!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
A funny weight loss memoir written by a woman who lost 186 lbs. The author is very honest, self depricating and funny. In her two years of weight loss Jennette loses weight, but what is more important, she discovers herself-good qualities and bad! In the end she reveals there is no magic secret to weight loss-only determination and hard work. Well worth reading for fat girls and skinny girls (and boys) alike!
Jennette Fulda Is An Inspiration.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I really feel like Jennette put her whole self into this book, literally. Heart and soul, and sweat… Losing weight is such a difficult thing to do but, she did it! Showing the rest of us that we can to, its NOT impossible. I appreciate her more than ever for writing this book, it truly is an inspiration.
This is the best weight loss memoir I’ve read yet!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been reading a LOT of weight loss memoirs lately, and I can safely say that this is the best one yet. This book has completely changed the way I view my weight loss journey. I’ve learned from Jennette Fulda that it’s not just about the destination, it’s about the journey. Oh yeah, and I’ve gotten a ton of inspiration to exercise.
And of course, Jennette is just so darn likable. She’s sweet, funny and down to earth. I love this book! Definitely going to pass this one on.
insightful read
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
You never know what someone has experienced when you see them walking down the street. Upon seeing the author as her thinner self you would have no idea that she lost nearly half her body weight. I was especially interested in this story because she did it the old fashion way. She doesn’t knock those who have had weight loss surgery but, goes into detail how she decided to change her life. You watch Jeanette break old habits (which DO die hard), change her mindset and self-confidence.
A great read!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great read for anyone who has struggled to lose weight. The author shares many poignant insights from her journey.
Wonderful book
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This was a very inspiring book, and I laughed most of the way thru the book. What a wonderful writer….and what an inspiring journey.
Funny and Inspirational!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just read Jenette’s book and it was just what I needed! I am struggling to lose the same 30 pounds I’ve been losing my whole adult life and needed a little inspiration. After reading what Jenette was able to accomplish, I am now motivated to make the choices I know that I need to make on a daily basis. She also reminded me that changing bad habits happens one day at a time and that I’m worth it! I also appreciated her realization that there is no one diet, no “magic formula” for everyone. She steered clear of stating just how she did it and instead focused on making healthy choices that work for you in your own life. Thanks, Jenette!!
Loved it….
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this book on a suggestion by Amazon, and it was right on. I totally connected with the book, and was bummed when I finished it. It was an honest account of a journey many of us have taken, and it was not sugar coated. The humor that was throughout the book was great. It kept me wanting more, and feeling like I was not the only person in the world with these thoughts/feelings. I am on my own journey, and this book really showed me that we all have basically the same obstacles. The difference is how we all handle it. The author is truly honest with herself and her readers, even talking about the secret eating (I too felt if no one saw it, it didn’t count), and a lot of other issues. By the end of the book, I felt like a family member watching her grow as a person. I am going to pass this book on, it is too good to keep to myself!
Couldn’t get into it….
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I normally love weight loss tales, they usually are very motivational. However, this was a hard book to get into. I made it to page 45 and gave up. I do give the writer kutos for her weight loss success, but the book was too dull for me and just simply could not finish it. I would not recommend it.
Sad
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I was asked to identify this book because I had mentioned it in another review. This book made me very sad. The author talks about wanting to have revenge on some highschool boys because of some unkind comments they had made. This happened years ago. The author needs to “lose that weight.”
The author is critical of herself and others. This is a very sad and depressing read.
No whining here!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Jennette’s writing is funny and light-hearted when dealing with a very serious subject: morbid obesity. The great thing is she does not whine, blame or spend an inordinate amount of time complaining about the changes she had to make in her life in order to lose weight. She just does it, sensibly and continuously, for more than two years to reach her goal weight. Amazingly uplifting!
Not the best story on the subject
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
This book was okay, but I really didn’t find it all that inspirational, or even typical of most weight-loss stories. In the first chapters the author gets into her childhood background and what it felt like growing up fat, but she really didn’t suffer too much cruelty from other children, and she got to deal with her self-image without being constantly picked on and put down. I didn’t come away feeling that she truly understood the psychological pain of being a fat child. As an adult she then makes up her mind to lose weight and goes about it in a analytical way that seems to lack the very overwhelming feelings that usually accompany a big weight-loss goal…the strong feelings of knowing that a daunting task of losing a great deal of weight and the long length of time it will take to reach such a goal lay ahead. I’ve known people who’ve had to lose far less struggle harder to reach their goal.
The author writes about a rapid 10 pounds a month weight loss with almost no set-backs. Everything she does seems to spur on a rapid weight-loss. She moves to a new apartment and drops five pounds. She steals desserts or eats cheesecake and gains nothing. She rarely mentions fighting temptation, doesn’t seem to be suffering any self-deprivation and never has to push herself to stick with her excercise regiment. Everything is easy and just keeps getting easier.
She’s lost the weight after the first few chapters and now her story seems focused on how she perceives herself and the world around her from inside her now smaller body. She discusses how she relates to clothes, shopping and interacting with other people. I just didn’t see any real struggle to reach a truly daunting goal. Everything was somewhat quick, easy and went according to plan. She started out facing a health crisis but her motivation for losing weight really just seemed about looking good in nicer clothes.