Customer Reviews

Me: A Memoir

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Brenda Ueland follows her own profound advice, given in her book, IF YOU WANT TO WRITE, and tells her own story with such complete honesty and fervor, every sentence is a joy. Just as certain pieces of music lift you off your feet in spite of yourself, so, too, her courage and warmth take you over until you feel full of promise and power yourself. Brenda Ueland thrilled to her own talents and to the talents she believed to be in the make-up of every human being in this world. Brenda could not be with people without empowering them. When Ueland asked three children which of them felt inside he or she was really a genius, all three raised their hands -- and so did Brenda Ueland. Anything by this woman puts life on a whole new plane.

reading berenda made me a better person and probably saved my artistic life (or the life of the artist within me). in this book which is so different than any other memoir or autobiography, she geneously shares with us her inner life. according to her everyone's inner life is interesting. she writes about how she was on her way to germany when wwI broke out and she was stranded in egland as a result. rather than giving us one more of thousands of reports on the climate of that time she notes that everybody already knows about the war and if they want to read about it they can go to the libray. what people don't know about is her. the result is that brenda, the human being, is put on the same facinating plane as world wars and revolutions. and that is the way it should be. we are all that important and should share our selves with eachother the way brenda does. read this book for a wonderful example of how to live live like a prophet passionatly searching for truth and beauty. i am less dead by reading it. and you can be too!! also read if you want to write because it is even better!

Every line in Brenda Ueland's autobiography follows the powerful advice that the author gave in her wonderful book IF YOU WANT TO WRITE. She tells her story with absolute honesty and she always makes it interesting. It is impossible to read this book without being influenced. The reader begins to see life Brenda Ueland's way -- as a great, soaring adventure. This woman believed in everyone's talents and this is charmingly revealed in her depiction of herself with three children. When she asked who knew inside that he or she was really a genius -- all hands shot into the air, including her own. She makes the reader feel like one of the group.

The thing about this book that really captured my imagination was the view of Minneapolis at the turn of the century from the perspective of a female artist. You get a real taste of Minnesota's progressive roots and Norwegian heritage. Time spent at the lake and fighting for political and social justice-- both favorite Minnesota past times! ;)

Though Brenda is more unique than that - spending a portion of each day improving her handstands.

Beyond that, Brenda is the kind of woman I aspire to be, and she is truly inspiring in the way she lives her life, her honesty with us and herself, and her sharp intelligence and quick humor.
Highly recommended - especially for women.

At first I was a little disappointed in this book because I wanted to read more of what Ueland wrote in her book "If You Want to Write." In "Me: A Memoir," Ueland said more than once she hated to write.

What a downer for someone looking for encouragement.

However, I read the book cover-to-cover and without skipping one page. I even read the introduction to the book, something I usually skip (if it's important, it's going to be in the body of the book, right?).

Ueland's writing in "Me" is refreshing. She says what she says and if you don't like it--tough. That's who she is. I like her spirit, her intelligence and her ability to make some sense out of life.

A good read. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Ueland writes with enthusiasm and is very good at describing persons, places, and things. But, the content left something to be desired. Nothing ever happens but not with as much charm as a Barbara Pym book.