Memoirs? Really? Are you kidding me?

Yep, there's a memoir section. Some examples of memoirs that have sold really well:

Tuesdays with Morrie

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less

The Glass Castle

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

A Million Little Pieces (*cough*)

A Child Called "It"

You've heard of at least some of these... right?

Also: "unless they have some really unusual story"-- that's the point. Not everyone should be writing a memoir. You need to have an unusual story, or a heck of a compelling writing style to make the mundane interesting to read about. But preferably, you need both-- an unusual story and a compelling style.

"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is probably my favorite memoir, but there are bunches of great ones.

They're among the hardest to get published, yes, and you're right-- so many people write them and don't realize that the world isn't interested in another sad tale just because it's a sad tale.

Lots of people have dealt with things like abuse, alcoholism, death of a family member, etc. and people often think that if something tragic has happened to them, they should write a book about it. But there has to be a reason why strangers would plunk down money for the book. And that's either going to be the unusual story, the fantastic writing style, or both.

Funny...Memoirs and nonfiction are my absolute favorite books to read! I have only just begun to read novels (within the last few years). I find memoirs fascinating. I don't know exactly what it is. But to me, the best memoirs are those that take even a seemingly mundane subject and put such a twist on it that I have to read on. I do believe we all have a story to tell. I don't believe we all have the writing talent to take it to the next level.

I have noticed a trend though. It used to be I would have to ask for the memoir section at a bookstore. Now though, I see that they are intermixed in other sections. "A Child Called It" is a good example as it is usually in the Psychology or Self-Help section. I also notice that many are in prominent areas of bookstores. I think there is a growing interest in memoirs. But I could be wrong.

That's my 2-cents. Lavinia

Also "Angela's Ashes" -- many stories are about people's lives, even if we don't immediately think of them as Memoir.

I love memoirs and will read just about anything.


One of my all time favorites is You Ain't Got No Easter Clothes by Laura Love.

http://www.amazon.com/You-Aint-Got-Easter-Clothes/dp/1401300111/ref=sr_11_1/104-9517138-4016729?ie=UTF8

In fact, I reviewed this book on Amazon.

Here it is:
I love a good memoir, and this book is among my favorites. The story of Laura Love and her sister Lisa is one I won't soon forget. Held hostage by a mentally unstable mother, the girls learn to tolerate a childhood of extreme poverty and insanity. The author has such a way with words, you feel as if you know her. With parts so emotionally overwhelming; I literally burst out into uncontrollable laughter, for lack of more appropriate emotions. A must read for all women or all races. A breathtaking glimpse into hell.

It's not an actual memoir, but I enjoyed The Confessions of Aubrey Beardsley, by Donald S. Olson. Beardsley was an illustrator, a friend and contemporary of Oscar Wilde; he illustrated the Complete Works of Oscar Wilde that I have.

I guess it's a fictional memoir, or "conjectural". It provides some reflective insight into Wilde, as seen from a lesser, but also bright, light.

The Moon's a Balloon, and Bring on the Empty Horses, by David Niven.

Sorry, but won't read a memoire if not by a famous personage.

Tri

OK, so after reading Triceratops comment, I have to add one more comment.

I won't read memoirs by famous people. In fact I love reading a memoir written by a first time author. Weird I know. I guess that's what makes writing such a fantastic artistic venue...there is a book for every reader out there!

Lavinia

Goddess Jenna mentioned my favourite: Heartbreaking Work...

I worship David Sedaris. I'd call his stuff memoir. Kind of a cross between short stories and essays. He is a god of humorous memoir.

Also after reading that comment...I prefer non-famous memoir.

Me too, normally. And I'll tell ya why: if you're a famous person, publishers will publish your memoir whether you actually have an interesting story or not. If you're Joe/Jane Average, then there had to be a reason the publisher thought your book was really special! To me, it's usually the latter that's the more compelling read.

There are exceptions. Gilda Radner's memoir, which I still have no idea why I picked up (I was a teenager, too young to have been watching SNL while she was on, had no "cancer connection"-- the book just kind of jumped into my hands one day), moved me profoundly.

KTC, I have Heartbreaking Work... on my to-read shelf right now. Finally bought it, and have about 3 books ahead of it. Whenever I get around to having a "maternity leave," I hope to get a lot of reading done!

Also after reading that comment...I prefer non-famous memoir.

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Me, too.

In fact, I don't usually read famous people memoirs.

JennaGlatzer said:

There are exceptions. Gilda Radner's memoir, which I still have no idea why I picked up (I was a teenager, too young to have been watching SNL while she was on, had no "cancer connection"-- the book just kind of jumped into my hands one day), moved me profoundly.

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I don't read too many memoirs, but, like you, I happened to pick up Gilda Radner's book and was unexpectedly affected by it.

Other memoirs I've found fascinating were by relatively "regular" people caught in extraordinary circumstances, such as Life and Death in Shanghai (by ? Cheng?) and The Periodic Table (by Primo Levi).

You'll love it, Jenna. It is incredibly rich with humour, sadness and everyday life.

One of My favorite books is a memoir: On Whale Island. the author (name escapes me now) also wrote a memoir with his father about a sailing trip around Cape Horn called My Old Man and The Sea, fantastic books. I also loved Tuesdays With Morrie.

JennaGlatzer said:

There are exceptions. Gilda Radner's memoir, which I still have no idea why I picked up (I was a teenager, too young to have been watching SNL while she was on, had no "cancer connection"-- the book just kind of jumped into my hands one day), moved me profoundly.

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The same thing happened to me. I didn't even know who she was.

Tuesdays with Morrie touched me deeply. I asked my husband to read it, too. He's dyslexic, so he often limits himself to short stories or magazine articles. But, he read it and loved it.

I also loved Angela's Ashes. It was a fantastic book. I don't like memoirs from famous people either. It kind of makes me mad they can get a book deal simply because of who they are, not because they can write.

I love interesting stages of a person’s life:

* Into thin Air (The Everest expedition where everything went wrong)

* The forgotten minute (walking across the north and south poles)

* Dove (16 year old boy sails solo around the world)

* Mr China (arrh the Chinese… How 300 million USD is lost in China).

* Expat Brat (three countries, three men, three cultures, one goal.)

* Plenty of others that are not jumping into my head right now as I have been teaching kids swimming all day and my brain has turned to mush.


(Sorry for sticking Expat Brat in there. With the amount of effort I have been applying to that this last month… ha ha ha, as if?)

Nicegrrl - just FYI: memoirs sell. It's hard to get them published, but they do very well and are a burgeoning market right now. Not everyone's story is worth reading, of course. But many seemingly ordinary folks have had some extraordinary experiences. Sentimental stuff like Tuesdays With Morrie stay on the bestseller lists for ages. Readers enjoy a tales of redemption or glimpses into real lives that are either more glamorous or more harrowing than their own.

I loved The Glass Castle, Running With Scissors (now a movie) and The Tender Bar. Big bonus -- all three are very well written.

I prefer the average Joe memoir as well. I loved Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs.

Queen of the Oddballs is a quick fun read by Hillary Carlip

Also, Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress was really excellent.

I did not in the least enjoy reading Heartbreaking Work or Running with Scissors. I still suspect that both authors got them sold because they were pitched as memoirs after they got rejected multiple times as mediocre works of fiction. I continue to wait for them to get "Freyed"

I just bought Girl Interrupted....don't know why..it looked to be a short read and it was reduced at half price books