Review of Memoirs

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Vidhi Adhikari
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Review of Memoirs

Post by Vidhi Adhikari »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Memoirs" by Fritz Racine Jr.]
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2 out of 4 stars
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With a self-explanatory title, Memoirs is the autobiography of Fritz Racine Jr, a man who seems to have lived many lives during his time on earth. With one chapter talking about his near-death experience and another speaking of his painful divorce, the book is filled with twists and turns and unexpected endings. The writer conveys powerful life lessons through his stories without being preachy, making for a wholesome read.

This book is a collection of short stories, each narrating an event from the author’s life. Many of them highlight the adversities he has gone through, like failed relationships and homelessness. He also opens up about the racism he faced at the tender age of 11 when he did not even know its meaning. But there are some funny chapters among those serious stories, including the time he was flown to Haiti in a propeller plane, which could have easily crashed. My favorite chapters were the ones involving people who were in his life for a short period but had a profound impact on his overall personality. The writing style is quite engaging and flowy. The author has also shared pictures of some of his family members, giving more life to the book.

I understand the memoir was originally written for friends and family. But judging by the awe-inspiring stories told in the book, I believe it has the potential to be a bestselling novel. The author’s brutal honesty when speaking about those who have wronged him elevated my interest in the book. He boldly talks about the issues he had with his former mother-in-law and how they led to his divorce. I imagine it took courage to open up about such personal experiences and present them so candidly. He also took responsibility for his wrongdoings. On the other hand, it was fun to read about the writer’s naughty childhood and how he and his curious friends landed in trouble for their mischief. The writing is easy to understand, conversational and highly engaging. The book teaches about the importance of self-confidence and how familial support can positively impact one’s professional life. One gets to learn this from the chapter that talks about the author’s relationship with his family. I like the fact that he has included chapters describing his grandfather’s and father’s struggles growing up in all-white neighborhoods and the racism they faced because of that. That and the way he appreciates those who stuck by him during adversities makes for a well-rounded and honest autobiography.

Even though the writer is aware of the amateur nature of his writing, I must highlight the points that affected my reading experience. To start with, the book does not make the best first impression with a pixelated photograph on the book cover. Plus, I found numerous grammatical errors, spacing issues and missing punctuations in the text. I appreciate the fact that the author has refrained from using any profanity in his narration. However, I did find some problematic statements having offensive undertones. Referring to a non-heterosexual person as ‘cupcake’ was rather insulting in my opinion. Speaking of the book’s presentation, the table of contents is not clearly visible because of the font color blending into the background scenery. Another issue that I faced while reading was that the chronology did not seem to be in order. Because of this, I found it difficult to place when exactly a particular event occurred in the writer’s life. Talking about the content, repetitive usage of phrases made the narration monotonous in some places. For example, in one of the pages, the writer repeatedly uses the phrase, ‘God must be used to this’,

Because of the innumerable grammatical errors and unprofessional editing, I am compelled to rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. That said, I believe some editing and refining can turn this book into a bestseller. The stories are worth reading, and the flowy writing style makes this book a real page-turner.

Autobiography lovers would enjoy reading this book. Those sensitive to graphic content like violence should avoid reading it. The mention of teenage fighting might trigger some readers. But I do feel there is something to learn in every chapter. Each story is special and carries a unique life lesson.

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Memoirs
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Okorji98
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Post by Okorji98 »

With a self-explanatory title, Memoirs is the autobiography of Fritz Racine Jr, a man who seems to have lived many lives during his time on earth. Great review.
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