Review by Ruchi Raina -- Don't Mind Me, I'm Just Having ...
-
Ruchi Raina
- Posts: 844
- Joined: 01 Jun 2021, 15:32
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 110
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ruchi-raina.html
- Latest Review: House of Ashes by Margaret Blythe
Review by Ruchi Raina -- Don't Mind Me, I'm Just Having ...
[Following is a volunteer review of "Don't Mind Me, I'm Just Having a Bad Life" by Lewis Kempfer.]
How could this happen to me? Why me? Life is so unfair. We all have complained like this to the almighty at some point of time in our lives. It could be due to something as small as someone scoring higher than you, even when you worked so much harder than them, or it could be due to something as big as losing someone close to your heart to death, even when they were healthy as a horse. In this memoir, the author tells us his story and how after everything he has been through, he came out as a survivor.
Don't Mind Me, I'm Just Having A Bad Life – a memoir by Lewis Kempfer is a book that lives up to the name it has been given. The author has lived a life full of misery and has been battling depression and loneliness since he was just four years old. He craved acceptance, appreciation and companionship all his life. His father was not someone I would consider deserving of the title. He was coercing the author into doing things that he was wary of, and his temper tantrums tell us the kind of person he was. His abandonment of the author played a huge role in molding the author into a self-loathing, insecure, lonely and depressed man. He always kept on searching for someone to fill the gap, to have a sense of companionship. His being gay did not help the cause as it was something looked down upon. Gay men, supposedly, had a one-way ticket to hell. So, battling the demons residing in the confines of his mind, as well as the ones waiting to prey on his naivety, became the norm for the author. His desperation for love and companionship made him an easy target for the men who just wanted a bit of fun and someone who would spend money on them. He then met Daniel, his first husband, whom he loved with everything he had, but that was not enough, and he left him, and again his life spiralled out of control and he was left grappling for something to hold on to, which came in the form of his theater and then his job at Disney. But loneliness was still eating him alive, so he became bolder with his quests for love, and someone among those men introduced him to Crystal Meth, and then started his journey towards becoming an addict. During his addiction period, more often than not, he prayed to the almighty to help him, save him from his thoughts, but not his addiction. But Jesus did help him and brought him to the right path and made him see what his addiction had made him.
This memoir made me feel thankful for so many things in my life. The misery that the author had to go through his whole life made me realise that, while we keep on complaining about some insignificant things in life, there is someone whose suffering is so much worse than ours, and he is still braving through life with a smile. I loved the book as it made me grasp things from a different perspective – if the author can weather through such a miserable life, then why can't I overcome some petty issues and get over how miserable my life is when it is not.
There is nothing that I didn't like in the book. It gives you hope that if someone else can combat so many miseries to survive, then so can you. There will be hurdles, complications that you would have to overcome, but as long as you hold onto God's hand, he will guide you and lead you to peace.
I will give this book "four out of four stars" as it seems well-edited, and I didn't find any errors. The flow of the book and the dark humour made it a page-turner and easy to read.
I will recommend this book to a mature audience, and people who lack hope and are fighting addiction, depression and self-hatred, as this memoir will make them reassess themselves and motivate them to keep going because there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
******
Don't Mind Me, I'm Just Having a Bad Life
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
How could this happen to me? Why me? Life is so unfair. We all have complained like this to the almighty at some point of time in our lives. It could be due to something as small as someone scoring higher than you, even when you worked so much harder than them, or it could be due to something as big as losing someone close to your heart to death, even when they were healthy as a horse. In this memoir, the author tells us his story and how after everything he has been through, he came out as a survivor.
Don't Mind Me, I'm Just Having A Bad Life – a memoir by Lewis Kempfer is a book that lives up to the name it has been given. The author has lived a life full of misery and has been battling depression and loneliness since he was just four years old. He craved acceptance, appreciation and companionship all his life. His father was not someone I would consider deserving of the title. He was coercing the author into doing things that he was wary of, and his temper tantrums tell us the kind of person he was. His abandonment of the author played a huge role in molding the author into a self-loathing, insecure, lonely and depressed man. He always kept on searching for someone to fill the gap, to have a sense of companionship. His being gay did not help the cause as it was something looked down upon. Gay men, supposedly, had a one-way ticket to hell. So, battling the demons residing in the confines of his mind, as well as the ones waiting to prey on his naivety, became the norm for the author. His desperation for love and companionship made him an easy target for the men who just wanted a bit of fun and someone who would spend money on them. He then met Daniel, his first husband, whom he loved with everything he had, but that was not enough, and he left him, and again his life spiralled out of control and he was left grappling for something to hold on to, which came in the form of his theater and then his job at Disney. But loneliness was still eating him alive, so he became bolder with his quests for love, and someone among those men introduced him to Crystal Meth, and then started his journey towards becoming an addict. During his addiction period, more often than not, he prayed to the almighty to help him, save him from his thoughts, but not his addiction. But Jesus did help him and brought him to the right path and made him see what his addiction had made him.
This memoir made me feel thankful for so many things in my life. The misery that the author had to go through his whole life made me realise that, while we keep on complaining about some insignificant things in life, there is someone whose suffering is so much worse than ours, and he is still braving through life with a smile. I loved the book as it made me grasp things from a different perspective – if the author can weather through such a miserable life, then why can't I overcome some petty issues and get over how miserable my life is when it is not.
There is nothing that I didn't like in the book. It gives you hope that if someone else can combat so many miseries to survive, then so can you. There will be hurdles, complications that you would have to overcome, but as long as you hold onto God's hand, he will guide you and lead you to peace.
I will give this book "four out of four stars" as it seems well-edited, and I didn't find any errors. The flow of the book and the dark humour made it a page-turner and easy to read.
I will recommend this book to a mature audience, and people who lack hope and are fighting addiction, depression and self-hatred, as this memoir will make them reassess themselves and motivate them to keep going because there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
******
Don't Mind Me, I'm Just Having a Bad Life
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: House of Ashes by Margaret Blythe
-
Kaushiki Parihar
- Posts: 666
- Joined: 13 May 2021, 08:34
- Favorite Book:
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 82
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kaushiki-parihar.html
- Latest Review: Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula by R.F. Kristi
No doubt we all think life is unfair. I sympathize with the author's struggle and would love to read this book. I like motivating books. I want to learn from the author's experiences. Thanks for the insightful review.
Latest Review: Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula by R.F. Kristi
-
Ruchi Raina
- Posts: 844
- Joined: 01 Jun 2021, 15:32
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 110
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ruchi-raina.html
- Latest Review: House of Ashes by Margaret Blythe
Yes, his struggles inspired me and made me realise that our lives are not as bad as we think. Thank you for your comment.Kaushiki Parihar wrote: ↑01 Aug 2021, 00:59 No doubt we all think life is unfair. I sympathize with the author's struggle and would love to read this book. I like motivating books. I want to learn from the author's experiences. Thanks for the insightful review.
Latest Review: House of Ashes by Margaret Blythe
