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tildahlia's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book, as I did Morton's 100 years of dirt. He's a great writer and often comes at issues in Australian society from a different and more nuanced perspective. He is generous in sharing about his life, trauma, insecurities and shortcomings, which makes his work so relateable. I loved the audiobook, read by the author.
memezaharamole's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
4.0
Great perspective and love Rick's writing style and humour. The book touches on some great concepts and backs them up with research and personal anecdotes, leaving a lot to ponder on personally. The segues could be a little jilted wondering how they connect to each chapter though, but still highly recommend
littlemizz10's review
3.0
Not really what I was expecting, but Rick has a view of the world that really make you open your eyes to the male patriarchy from the view of an openly gay man. I did not really get much from the title, and I thought more would be about things he had changed in his life to live more vulnerably. Still a very interesting read.
drillvoice's review
3.0
This book is a collection of personal essays. I wouldn't really call it memoir either - although most incorporate reflections from Morton's life, they are more generally musings and sharing of his personal philosophy. Many had interesting moments, but they tended to feel overlong. Some great turns of phrase and a distinct (and pleasant) narrative voice, but it also felt a lot of the time like things I have read before (Masculinity is confining! Emotions are good! Be nice!). I did finish it, but with a sigh of relief that we were done. I think it would have been better with less content and generally tighter editing of the stories so they end before you want them to.
felo's review
4.0
This is not a happy book, yet, strangely, consoling.
Also, in the midst of the occasional rambling, it's brilliant and hilarious.
Also, in the midst of the occasional rambling, it's brilliant and hilarious.
bianca89279's review
4.0
I somehow assumed that this book was going to be about living vulnerably in the economic sense. My bad! I could have read the blurb, but even that is somewhat misleading.
Morton is a thirty-four-year-old journalist. He grew up on a remote farm. His father was in many ways the stereotypical farmer - grunty, action-oriented and lacking an emotional IQ. Not the best father for anyone, no especially for a sensitive boy like Morton, who happens to be gay.
In 2019, he was diagnosed with Complex PTSD, as he puts it - "it's a fancy way of saying that someone who should have loved me didn't", in his case his father. Morton goes on a journey of self-discovery, of learning about trauma and how to get better, how to move on.
On this journey, he veers on many paths - some more or less related to the main issue.
I was impressed with the smooth transitions between so many things from trauma, therapy, toxic masculinity, loneliness, sexuality, education, climate change, religion, science, even the pandemic.
If you expect/demand a linear, black and white, has-all-the-answers kind of book, this probably won't be up your alley.
Morton is a good writer, possessing a great deal of self-awareness and the ability to stay curious and ponder life's bigger and smaller aspects.
Morton is a thirty-four-year-old journalist. He grew up on a remote farm. His father was in many ways the stereotypical farmer - grunty, action-oriented and lacking an emotional IQ. Not the best father for anyone, no especially for a sensitive boy like Morton, who happens to be gay.
In 2019, he was diagnosed with Complex PTSD, as he puts it - "it's a fancy way of saying that someone who should have loved me didn't", in his case his father. Morton goes on a journey of self-discovery, of learning about trauma and how to get better, how to move on.
On this journey, he veers on many paths - some more or less related to the main issue.
I was impressed with the smooth transitions between so many things from trauma, therapy, toxic masculinity, loneliness, sexuality, education, climate change, religion, science, even the pandemic.
If you expect/demand a linear, black and white, has-all-the-answers kind of book, this probably won't be up your alley.
Morton is a good writer, possessing a great deal of self-awareness and the ability to stay curious and ponder life's bigger and smaller aspects.
nina_reads_books's review
4.0
So this was my second audiobook attempt and it was fantastic! I had started reading this in hard copy earlier this year but somehow got stuck a few chapters in and struggled to move on. Turns out I just needed to listen to Rick Morton’s dulcet tones in my ears to lap up his second novel.
I loved Morton’s first book One Hundred Years of Dirt which charted his early life including childhood trauma and his family’s poverty. In My Year of Living Vulnerably, he tracks the year he spent addressing his diagnosis of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. As he describes in the book this is "just a fancy way of saying that one of the people who should have loved him the most during childhood didn't.”
Once he realised he had a diagnosis Morton went on a yearlong journey looking for love, looking for how to be better and learning how to be vulnerable. That it ended up traversing the first year of the pandemic added a layer of intensity I think.
Written in Morton’s trademark witty and self-deprecating style, this is a book that meanders between topics touching on beauty, loneliness, masculinity, forgiveness and more. Each chapter is a blend of memoir and essay. His words are sad and honest but also light and hopeful. The wise cracking one liners are often laugh out loud. I would love to have a conversation with Rick Morton as it's clear from the words on the page that he is intelligent and insightful as well as very funny.
I definitely recommend this book on audio and if you haven’t read any of Morton’s books you should absolutely go back and read his first book ASAP.
I loved Morton’s first book One Hundred Years of Dirt which charted his early life including childhood trauma and his family’s poverty. In My Year of Living Vulnerably, he tracks the year he spent addressing his diagnosis of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. As he describes in the book this is "just a fancy way of saying that one of the people who should have loved him the most during childhood didn't.”
Once he realised he had a diagnosis Morton went on a yearlong journey looking for love, looking for how to be better and learning how to be vulnerable. That it ended up traversing the first year of the pandemic added a layer of intensity I think.
Written in Morton’s trademark witty and self-deprecating style, this is a book that meanders between topics touching on beauty, loneliness, masculinity, forgiveness and more. Each chapter is a blend of memoir and essay. His words are sad and honest but also light and hopeful. The wise cracking one liners are often laugh out loud. I would love to have a conversation with Rick Morton as it's clear from the words on the page that he is intelligent and insightful as well as very funny.
I definitely recommend this book on audio and if you haven’t read any of Morton’s books you should absolutely go back and read his first book ASAP.