Why I Committed Suicide [Paperback]

sam paul (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 9, 2004

A stimulating read, a real page turner. Perfect for those nights when your girlfriend just left you for a sushi chef and stomped a hole in your heart with a spiked high heel shoe.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Why I Committed Suicide is a tragic and true account of one young man?s journey towards discovering himself and his role in society. Author sam paul has vomited this small piece of his life onto paper and endeared himself into his own niche in society.

Product Details

• Paperback: 330 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (August 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595326951
• ISBN-13: 978-0595326952
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,114,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pick up some undiscovered talent! Sam is a terrific writer with some great insights, December 21, 2005

By 

Jessica Lux (Rosamond, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why I Committed Suicide (Paperback)

Sam Paul's breakout memoir is a love story told in three parts-the early romance and dating, the all-consuming passion, and then the decent into drugs and jail time. The book opens with Sam falling in love with Jenifer Jane Lansing. Both are college kids living in crappy Texas apartments, working part time jobs, and using marijuana (but nothing harder). Sam manages to prove that the spirit of the 60's is still alive, with his by-the-seat-of-his-pants existence, the environment of drug-sharing and happiness, and his pure love for Jenifer. He saves some money, hitches a ride, and attends a series of Greatful Dead shows in Northern CA and Oregon, scoring hydroponic weed and an entire sheet of acid to more fully experience the music. His relationship with Jenifer blossoms, and the two move in together. They take a series of vacations to Mexico and to go camping, exploring the country and loving one another. It's heartening to see people enjoying themselves and America in this manner.

Sam repeatedly discovers that hard drugs aren't as great as every anti-drug commercial told him they would be. He's happy with the weed and some occasional harder stuff, but it seems like everyone around him is becoming a coke addict. After watching Jenifer have a coke-induced seizure, it makes Sam sick to even be around it. But then the pair descend on slippery slope of heroin addiction, leading to the final third of the novel, in which Sam must confront his demons. He experiences with cops, the legal system, and the jail system are enlightening and shocking to anyone who hasn't experienced that world.

The memoir is told in the style of a personal journal. There are no chapters, just entries broken up into the three major sections of Sam's tale. Sam wrote in his book that he dislikes the term "page-turner," but unfortunately, that is exactly what this book is! It isn't a small book, but I found myself captivated by Sam's adventures and meditations on his own life, and I kept wanting to pick it back up to learn more. He's at work on a second book, and I can't wait for more from this new author.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars man this was an intense read!, September 23, 2004

By 

Petit Mort "John French" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why I Committed Suicide (Paperback)

I'm not exactly sure how to define where Why I Committed Suicide fits into a conventional book niche but I guess what's most important is that it's a lot of fun to read.
This novel from Sam Paul took me on an intense thrill ride of situations and experiences that most of I could hardly believe. Written in the semi-format of a personal journal but deeply layered with prose.
It starts out innocently introducing us to Sam's life and his awkwardness, beauty and confusion of his intense young love of Jenifer. We grow with him, watching his day to day activities define his life. I deeply felt his aches and pain, joys and even his annoyances. Even at his worst I found myself rooting for him and oddly sympathetic to his plights.
If it seems the middle of the book wanders for a bit it's only to set up the intense and wild conclusion. I was hungry to know the whole story and once I finished I really appreciated re-reading some of the extra details so crucial in the pacing and character development.
Once you begin the conclusion you won't want to put this book down!!
The language is young and coarse, the drug use is hard and lamentable but the story is RIVETING. ~5 stars overall, buy it and share it with someone because you won't ever find this in Wal-Mart. Why I Committed Suicide is one of the best examples of fresh young writing I've read in a long time.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Step Into Sam's Shoes, September 13, 2005

By 

thetradeback (new york city) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Why I Committed Suicide (Paperback)

I was told to read this book if I enjoyed "Perks of Being a Wallflower" and so I checked it out.

Overall, I thought it was a great book. It really lays everything out on the table for you, so there isn't anything that you miss or can't understand. You really get to see what life is like for Sam and what the drug world is like. Though there are some points in the book where it drags a little, that's just my personal finding. I really enjoyed the book and recommend it.