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2 reviews for:
My Undoing: Love in the Thick of Sex, Drugs, Pornography, and Prostitution
Aiden Shaw
3.21 AVERAGE
2 reviews for:
My Undoing: Love in the Thick of Sex, Drugs, Pornography, and Prostitution
Aiden Shaw
3.21 AVERAGE
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3⭐
This book was perfectly fine.
I firstly want to take a second and address the concept of the "narcissistic" book reviews. Though there are moments where the author comes across ego-driven, I do think that other reviewers need to realize the industry that this person works in. This is an individual who has gained notoriety for his physicality and sexuality. Aiden Shaw obviously works in entertainment, in many forms, where he survives off of being "likable" or attractive to audience members; this is his livelihood. Of course, that means he has to pay attention to his abilities and physical form, because that is how he sees himself and how he makes his career. Additionally, I think there is a great amount of vulnerability in this work, and I doubt if anyone of those reviewers would fell comfortable enough to talk about those private matters in such an honest way. Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones...
Ranting aside: reading this book, I definitely did not expect it to go the way that it did. This book did talk about love and the definition of it within the author's life at a certain point in time; however, I thought there might be more evolution throughout his stories. I'm not down-playing Shaw's life or any of his experiences, but I just felt like I was missing some "aha" moment. But, maybe that's the point...
I do think this could have benefited from another set of eyes, as I found a few parts of the book a bit monotonous. There is mention of a lot of drugs, a lot of concerts and gallivanting around the world, but by a certain point I was more curious about the main theme of the story - love - than what concert was happening where.
While I wouldn't say this was an absolutely "breathe-taking" novel, I commend Shaw for his vulnerability in this work; I can only imagine how difficult it must be to rake through so much of one's life to then put words to paper and explain the situation, as best they could. His style of writing had me interested and encouraged me to keep reading to better understand him, which I think is a good sign of a memoir. I've seen that there is a second memoir of his - "Sordid Truths" - and I do believe I'll be reading that sometime in the future.
Overall, I don't not recommend this book. I think that this is one of those memoirs where each individual can get something from it that is beneficial to them.
This book was perfectly fine.
I firstly want to take a second and address the concept of the "narcissistic" book reviews. Though there are moments where the author comes across ego-driven, I do think that other reviewers need to realize the industry that this person works in. This is an individual who has gained notoriety for his physicality and sexuality. Aiden Shaw obviously works in entertainment, in many forms, where he survives off of being "likable" or attractive to audience members; this is his livelihood. Of course, that means he has to pay attention to his abilities and physical form, because that is how he sees himself and how he makes his career. Additionally, I think there is a great amount of vulnerability in this work, and I doubt if anyone of those reviewers would fell comfortable enough to talk about those private matters in such an honest way. Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones...
Ranting aside: reading this book, I definitely did not expect it to go the way that it did. This book did talk about love and the definition of it within the author's life at a certain point in time; however, I thought there might be more evolution throughout his stories. I'm not down-playing Shaw's life or any of his experiences, but I just felt like I was missing some "aha" moment. But, maybe that's the point...
I do think this could have benefited from another set of eyes, as I found a few parts of the book a bit monotonous. There is mention of a lot of drugs, a lot of concerts and gallivanting around the world, but by a certain point I was more curious about the main theme of the story - love - than what concert was happening where.
While I wouldn't say this was an absolutely "breathe-taking" novel, I commend Shaw for his vulnerability in this work; I can only imagine how difficult it must be to rake through so much of one's life to then put words to paper and explain the situation, as best they could. His style of writing had me interested and encouraged me to keep reading to better understand him, which I think is a good sign of a memoir. I've seen that there is a second memoir of his - "Sordid Truths" - and I do believe I'll be reading that sometime in the future.
Overall, I don't not recommend this book. I think that this is one of those memoirs where each individual can get something from it that is beneficial to them.
I love biographies. In Shaw's, he escapes what pop stars, porn stars, heiresses and other often self-important people do in autobiographies, which is, take as a given how interesting they are. As a result, there is a great deal of sincerity in the book, particularly as he discusses his securities, and doing so without self-indulgence. Though very much an able writer who writes with tremendous clarity, what the manuscript needs is just a little more depth in Shaw's self-reflection or rather, some more time or words teasing out some of the most important relationships he has had. There is a powerful counterpoint to the central, dysfunctional relationship in the book (that of Shaw and Luke), and that is of Shaw and his ex-boyfriend David. I finished the book wondering if Shaw has really figured out what his relationship to David truly means and how deep that well goes. It is a very engaging biography, unconsciously taking the task to de-glamorized what probably brings most people to read this book, which is, the porn star mystique.