Search - Lucky

This book was so intense that I had to take breaks from reading it due to the realness of the subject matter. I can't imagine having gone through what Alice went through and then being OK psychologically. As it turned out, Alice wasn't as OK as she thought she was, as evidenced by her later drug use and other behaviors. I read the NPR transcript of her conversation with Terry Gross on 'Fresh Air' at the end of the novel and I liked what she had to say about therapeutic writing, that writing can be therapeutic, but that therapeutic writing shouldn't be published. I think I agree with that statement. I'm sure many memoirs are written as a form of therapy, but in Alice's case, her memoir came to be after she reached a point where she was OK. As she stated, reading her journals about how she felt after the rape after all those years was "mind-blowing" and made her realize that she "did OK." I also liked what she had to say about being able to find compassion for the man that raped her, that just because you can't forgive someone for what they've done to you, doesn't mean you can't find compassion for them.

I read The Lovely Bones and it is a favorite of mine. This book is a totally frank account of how the author's rape impacted her life. I think it was a courageous book for her to write and share her story with us.I am going to insist my 19 yr old college freshman read this.

A personal tale of the author's personal hell. Written by the author of The Lovely Bones, this book gives the chilling real life story of the author's survival...physically, mentally, and emotionally...of a brutal rape. Difficult to read at times...not because of the quality of Ms. Sebold's writing...it is superb... but because it is shocking in its truth and honesty. I lived in Syracuse, NY during my college years, so many of the places described are very real to me...a little too real for comfort at times.

I hope to read more from Alice Sebold in the future. She is indeed a gifted writer. Perhaps her literary talents have helped her to survive this ordeal. I highly recommend this book!

“Lucky” is an extremely powerful memoir of Alice Sebold’s rape as a freshman at Syracuse university. I’m drawn to this primarily because I’ve got a boatload of daughters, but grew up in a house of boys, and I suspect my understanding of the dangers of the world that confronts women is woefully understated, and fear that I’m raising them to be far more trusting of the world than they really should be.

It’s a powerful tale. Gripping. A book that’s very easy to dive into and not come out until you’re finished with it. It’s been written with the feeling of a dispassionate reporter mixed in with a deep connection with emotion. And I do feel more aware, and more educated after having read it. A good feeling; one that I hope to keep with me.

4 of 5 stars.

Alice Sebold was subjected to the most violent physical behavior of a deranged man, yet she seems to know even as a teenager that "life goes on". Her feelings and reactions to this violence are misinterpreted and misunderstood by everyone, even those who love her most.In this touching story she is speaking to millions of women who have also been victimized.

This book is Alice Sebold's memoir... an emotional and suspenseful reading. This book was hard to put down.