by Jenna Hollenstein ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 20, 2013
A sensitive, thoughtful account of the everyday consequences of alcohol dependence.
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A debut memoir of alcoholism without any drunken escapades.
Hollenstein (Understanding Dietary Supplements, 2007) makes it clear from the start that her book has none of the drama of typical addiction memoirs. She has no harrowing, cinematic rock-bottom moment to report, for example; instead, she focuses on her slow realization that “[a]lcohol numbed both [her] pain and [her] joy.” This quiet process of introspection, however, proves to be just as engaging as any tale of alcohol-induced havoc. Hollenstein writes eloquently of the complex role that alcohol once played in her life, and her insights into drinking’s cultural currency are especially sharp. Of alcohol’s transformative power, for example, she writes: “Champagne with oysters transported me to Paris….I drank whiskey to express my saltier side.” The author worried that her drinking habits detracted from her life but found that the existing culture of serious alcoholism—from the shocking memoirs she read to the Alcoholics Anonymous group that seemed baffled by her presence—didn’t represent “the vast spectrum of problem drinking.” This brief book successfully illuminates the murky area between healthy and unhealthy, which often gets short shrift in the media. At times, the author’s focus on the nitty-gritty of her own recovery starts to feel self-indulgent, as when she devotes much of the book’s final third to detailing her meditation practice. She also devotes little space to the broader implications of her personal experience. Still, Hollenstein’s careful analysis serves as an important addition to the alcoholism literature and points to a need for more nuanced, inclusive thinking and writing on the subject. The author’s attempts to gradually increase her self-awareness and sense of responsibility will ring true for anyone who’s struggled to make a profound life change. Her story is a refreshing antidote to the sensational tales of salvation that are so common in personal-transformation memoirs.
A sensitive, thoughtful account of the everyday consequences of alcohol dependence.Pub Date: Dec. 20, 2013
ISBN: 978-1483405117
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Lulu
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Giulia Natale & Jenna Hollenstein & developed by PubCoder SRL
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis
by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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developed by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno
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by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno
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