The Winner by Teddy Wayne
If you like your beach reads misogynistic rather than meet-cutes, then this is the book for you! Beyond atrocious.
1/5
Sociopath by Patric Gagne
Gagne’s account of her struggle to come to terms with her own sociopathy*. She tells of her experiences from childhood through to the present, and explores the diagnosis from a broader perspective (that being a ‘sociopath’ is often maligned and misunderstood).
There were parts of her story that were astounding, especially some of the things she did, such as cruel ‘pranks’ as a child and multiple stories about breaking into people’s houses. I guess she could tell these stories without shame because of her diagnosis. But there were parts that I struggled with. The constantly repeated ‘But I’m a sociopath!’ doesn’t give you a leave pass for poor behaviour. Additionally, the clinical and academic evidence for much of what she was saying lacked the rigour I expect in this kind of ‘medical memoir’. On the plus side, I think she does deconstruct some misconceptions and generalisations about sociopathy.
Gagne is apparently practicing as a therapist. According to her, she takes the ‘difficult clients’, the ones that ‘no one else can work with’. The most important element of therapy (and this has been tested over and over again) is the therapeutic alliance. It doesn’t matter what modality a therapist practices, it’s the relationship and connection that’s significant. I can’t imagine doing my job without empathy so for that reason alone, I would be curious to have a therapy session with Gagne to get a sense of how she establishes that bond.
2.5/5
*note that sociopath and psychopath are outdated terms. Clinically, the term ‘antisocial personality disorder’ is now used, and this refers to a cluster of traits, with the hallmark being a lack of empathy.
Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst
Our Evenings is the life story of Dave Win, the son of a British dressmaker and a Burmese man he’s never met. Dave’s scholarship to a top boarding school sets his life on a particular course, including meeting benefactors that he has a close relationship to beyond his school years.
Hollinghurst adds drama with a Brexit element, and a theme of bullying and discrimination, but overall, it puddles along and not much has stuck. I suspect that had I started reading a 500 page hard copy, I would have abandoned it, however, a few things kept me listening – most notably, the tenderness in some of the descriptions, and the exploration of the mother-and-son relationship (which incidentally reminded me of The Heart’s Invisible Furies, although it lacked Heart’s humour). In fact, it is Dave Wyn’s mother that kept me engaged – an intriguing character (I won’t say why, it would be a spoiler).
2.5/5