Lit by Mary Karr

Lit by Mary Karr

I haven't read The Liars Club or any of Karr's other books, but I had heard some good things about this one. Plus, I'm not that big of a nonfiction reader (the only biography I've ever read is Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton). Either way, I gave Karr's book a try.

As Amazon puts it, "Lit follows the self-professed blackbelt sinner's descent into the inferno of alcoholism and madness--and to her astonishing resurrection."

And it has to be said that Karr is a good writer - but you have to kind of be in the mood for her style. She doesn't use any quotation makrs - her story is written more like a stream of conciousness - and reads like a novel. It's not a quick read, though, and personally I didn't like it because I couldn't connect with it - on any level. And I didn't feel that Karr provided any great insight into the lives of alcoholics that we haven't already seen from other movies or books. That being said, it's worth a read if you're in the mood for it, but be warned - it can drag on in a couple of places. (I'd suggest a place somewhere in the middle of your to-read list)