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guarinous's review against another edition
3.0
Still Life is medical doctor Jeff Sutherland's memoir of his struggles with being "locked in" to his own body after being diagnosed with ALS, as well as the further tragedy of the loss of his son in a freak kayaking accident. This book reminded me a decent amount of the Diving Bell and the Butterfly, as both are memoirs of men dealing with debilitating health issues and written only using eye movements.
The first half of this book is a fairly harrowing account of Sutherland's diagnosis and descent into immobility and need for twenty-four hour care. In particular, his "A Day in the Life" chapter that details his routine is wrenching. For Sutherland to be hit with the death of a child while surviving ALS is unimaginable, and his grief is palpable in the chapters written in the aftermath.
The second half of the book centers more on Sutherland's attempts to process his grief, find his faith, and discover his new place among his family. I found myself a bit less focused during these chapters. For me, I'm a heavy skeptic when it comes to mediums and uninterested at best in spirituality, so I was not able to follow and relate to two topics which feature heavily in the back half of the book. This is just a personal preference, and in no way do I presume to tell anyone how to process and heal from grief. Sutherland is brave to live with the disease (if a bit fortunate to deal with it in Canada, with their health care system) and his family's persistence is admirable.
**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Sutherland House.**
The first half of this book is a fairly harrowing account of Sutherland's diagnosis and descent into immobility and need for twenty-four hour care. In particular, his "A Day in the Life" chapter that details his routine is wrenching. For Sutherland to be hit with the death of a child while surviving ALS is unimaginable, and his grief is palpable in the chapters written in the aftermath.
The second half of the book centers more on Sutherland's attempts to process his grief, find his faith, and discover his new place among his family. I found myself a bit less focused during these chapters. For me, I'm a heavy skeptic when it comes to mediums and uninterested at best in spirituality, so I was not able to follow and relate to two topics which feature heavily in the back half of the book. This is just a personal preference, and in no way do I presume to tell anyone how to process and heal from grief. Sutherland is brave to live with the disease (if a bit fortunate to deal with it in Canada, with their health care system) and his family's persistence is admirable.
**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Sutherland House.**
muddypages's review against another edition
4.0
Started out fast, then slowed down towards the end for me. However, I enjoyed this book tremendously. It made me laugh, cry and gave me an entire new level of respect for those living with ALS.
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