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She Undid Me as Well Sep 23, 2002 (87 of 89 found this helpful)
If someone would have told me six weeks ago that by now I would have read and been completely absorbed by the tale of a 257 pound girl named Delores I would have told them they were out of their mind. But strange things happen when I find myself without something to read. Invariably I turn to our home library to consider reading a book that my wife purchased, or perhaps re-reading one of my old favorites. This time "She's Come Undone" caught my attention. "Mine is a story of craving; an unreliable account of lusts and troubles that began, somehow, in 1956 on the day our free television was delivered," said the back cover. "That's an interesting hook," I thought. "And the author is a man delivering a first person female narrative? Hmmmm... may have to give ole Wally a few pages of my interest."
That was all Wally needed. Within just the first few pages describing Delores' perfectly natural early childhood and allusions to her future woes I was engrossed.
This book is about the possibly healing affects we can have as friends and the potentially destructive power we have as family. It is about the undeniable value of positive self-image and the brutal consequences of inappropriate guilt. It is about divorce, it is about AIDS, it is about obesity, and it is about rape and abortion. It is about hope and love. It contains several hundred of the most physically painful pages that I have ever read, interrupted only intermittently with some dark joke made as Delores faces her struggles. In the space of 465 pages Wally brings to life not a classic heroine who defeats all of her foes, but a woman simply trying to survive. Even after a week I feel sympathy for this illusion created by Wally Lamb, and throughout the day I look for her. Sadly, I see her in many faces.
A highly, highly recommended read for anyone who feels they have the stomach for it. While many of the topics addressed should be discussed with teenagers, I would not recommend a young reader going this one alone. There are astonishingly important lessons here. Lessons for all of us.
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Great writing, captivating story....depressing. Sep 3, 2002 (150 of 173 found this helpful)
I picked up this book recently and once I started it I couldn't put it down. This book is written exceptionally well, and the characters and story flow smoothly and realistically. I was stunned when I realized it was not an autobiography, and was written by a man! The first person voice of a female is quite convincing. I was more than impressed with the writing and the story. Any book that can evoke emotions like this does, is worth looking into.
That said, should you read this book? It depends. All of the highlights above are true, but, sadly the overall effect is depressing. I kept waiting for the situation to improve, for the story to pick up, for the victim mentality to end. It doesn't.
I gave the book 3 stars, 5 for writing, and 1 for the investment of several hours into what proved to be a draining and disturbing look into the life of a troubled young woman. I liken the experience to waking up from a bad dream, and feeling the lingering effects into the day. Your call as to whether you wish to jump on board and go along for the ride.
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A sweeping novel with an unforgettable heroine... Oct 8, 2001 (81 of 93 found this helpful)
This book was terrific! She's Come Undone is a powerful epic, an emotional journey in the life of Dolores Price. Wally Lamb's Dolores is a perfectly flawed character and easy to get attached to. Brilliant writing, a fabulous point-of-view of a female told through the hand of a male. How did he do it with such spot-on honesty?
She's Come Undone begins in the year 1956 when Dolores is 4 and her family gets a brand new television. Soon, this seemingly normal life begins to unravel, leaving Dolores the product of a marriage gone wrong. While reading this book, I feel this moment of her parents' divorce became the crucial building block of Dolores's downward spiral. And while I do not want to spoil the plot for you, I will say that Dolores lives through some of the most terrible events, and desperately struggles (though at times seems indifferent) to regain the normalcy she once had.
Vivid and emotional, this wild ride pulls your heartstrings and strikes your nerves, sometimes within the same sentence. Pages full of pain and sadness, but also sprinkled with a snappy attitude that had me laughing in my seat. I felt a certain kinship, an almost sisterly devotion toward Dolores, and I praise Wally Lamb for creating this wonderfully real and troubled character.
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Dolores is incredible Jul 8, 2000 (24 of 25 found this helpful)
A friend of mine recommended this book to me before I even knew it was on Oprah's book club list.
Dolores is an absolutely remarkable character. Wally Lamb is a remarkable writer who has an extraordinary gift with character development. Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down.
It is interesting to read about a character who becomes enlightened before the reader's eyes. Dolores deals with so many trials and tribulations that it is hard to believe that she survived to be an adult.
For anyone who wants a good book to read, this is the book. Dolores will touch your heart.
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An Experience Mar 26, 2000 (12 of 13 found this helpful)
Though I've been reluctant to read anything in Oprah's book club in the past (mainly because of the high and sometimes "corny" drama that are presented in those books), I recieved "She's Come Undone" as a gift and became thoroughly enthralled with it. It takes you through the psychological journey of a young girl, and although it feels almost as if her victory in the end is pyric, you can't help but be slave to the notion she does come out on top. The most startling thing, personally, was that I had to keep reminding myself that this was written by a male. As ignorant as that comment sounds, it was very true to life and to the female persona, and lacked the stereotypes that are traditionally imposed on female characters who have been conjured by male authors. Although "She's Come Undone" may initially appear as another coming of age novel (don't we have too many of those already?), it's far more then that, and I highly reccomend it to anyone of any age, and encourage anyone who's read it to read it again and explore the characters once more. You seem to recieve something different from the book every time.