A review by shmagenls88
The Futilitarians: Our Year of Thinking, Drinking, Grieving, and Reading by Anne Gisleson

2.0

I will keep this book on my shelf for a second go round, but only after I do more study in existentialism. Gisleson's story of repeated heartbreaking loss is very personal and she tells her family history beautifully, but I was lost on the weighty pieces of literature cited, although often quoted. it was also often difficult to emotional relate to her healing process and the way she expressed herself as the child of a prominent lawyer and member of an affluent family. She often overindulged in her own story, making others perception of people and events around her much more than they actually were. She came off as pretentious.
This is a pretty deep and heavy book, much more so than I typically read. I wanted to give it there stars, but for the average reader I feel like that would be a misrepresentation. Although, two stars could be a misrepresentation on my part due to the complexity of her subject matter.