Book Review- Alix Strauss' Death Becomes Them: Unearthing the Suicides of the Brilliant, The Famous & The Notorious

Alix Strauss explores the methods and reasoning behind famous suicides in history, breaking the sections based on the profession of the deceased. She also includes facts and statistics about suicide.

I saw this book a few years ago at Powell’s and it has been sitting on my TBR bookcase. I decided to take it on a recent vacation to Los Angeles and finished it up while waiting at a car dealership. I have to warn would-be readers that the subject matter and book cover will initiate some very awkward conversations with strangers. A car salesman seemed to think that I might be suicidal and offered some deep advice. It got weird.

I’m not suicidal. However, this book would not be a good choice for a person who has suicidal ideation. Strauss provides some very specific information about methods of suicide. This is information that anyone could easily find with an internet search, and she certainly doesn’t glorify suicide, yet to a person who might be having those thoughts, I could imagine that reading this could influence them. One of the statistics that startled me the most involved suicide by jumping, how bones breaking and piercing organs is usually the cause of death. I never thought about bones piercing flesh and that is an image that I have had on my mind.

I picked this book because I have been affected by suicide. My father killed himself with a gun shot to the head. This trauma has shaped my life and I’m forever trying to understand it. Krauss’ chapters on suicides using guns was of particular interest to me. I don’t have clarity on the “why”, but I now understand the mechanics of the method.

I found many of the stories to be fascinating, particularly what leads people to kill themselves. I discovered that Dorothy Dandrige is buried in the same mausoleum as my parents- they are death neighbors! Her story is especially tragic. I was particularly interested in the chapters involving writers. Hemingway was such a character. I also connected with the Kurt Cobain section. He died when I was a teenager and was the first big celebrity death that I felt impacted by. I remember going to school the next day, wearing my Nirvana shirt, and feeling a sense of mourning with my friends. It may seem like teenage melodrama in hindsight, but reading about Cobain’s public funeral took me back to that time and those emotions.

I found Death Becomes Them to be an engrossing read, but due to the subject matter, I would be hesitant to recommend it, as it was made abundantly clear through Strauss’ examples, you never know what is really going on in a person’s mind. Also, if you read it, don’t carry it around in public, unless you want some uncomfortable conversations and unsolicited advice.

Book Review- Robert Kolker's Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family

Hidden Valley Road is the true story of the Galvin family, who had six of their twelve children diagnosed with schizophrenia. Kolker investigates this phenomenon with the help of youngest daughter, Lindsay, who has stayed in contact and helped many of her ill siblings. This fascinating and heartbreaking book is part biography, part medical mystery, and part a history of the science of psychology as it relates to schizophrenia.

Through exploring the dynamics in the Galvin family, Kolker reveals the complexities of living in a family dealing with mental illness. The unpredictable nature of schizophrenia, including the different ways the disease affects the six Galvin boys who are afflicted, leaves the other family members fearful, endangered, and heartbroken. They don’t know how to help those loved ones with the disease, often putting other family members at risk. The Galvin home is fractured and chaotic. Additionally, it doesn’t help that the Galvin’s are a large family and live an unconventional life, two aspects that exist outside of the mental health issues. One quirk, is Don and Mimi, the parents, have an a hobby of catching and training raptors. Their beloved birds are not the safest of pets, yet are an oddity that the children must embrace.

In tandem with an exploration of the Galvin family, is a through history of schizophrenia analysis and treatment. Kolker explains how doctors have been looking for correlations between schizophrenia and genetics. As adults, the Galvin family submitted themselves to research to help further explore the theories behind heredity and this research is continuing with the next generation of the family.

Hidden Valley Road is a difficult read because of the damaging and insidious nature of schizophrenia. It inflicted damage on every single member of the Galvin family and continues to plague them. It is also an absorbing and captivating book. I learned so much about schizophrenia and psychology. It was fascinating. I recommend this to anyone who has an interest in psychology or medical mysteries, but can also stomach reading about horrific family trauma.

Book Review- Laura Clery's Idiots: Marriage, Motherhood, Milk and Mistakes

Thank you to LibroFM and Simon & Schuster Audio for a copy of the audio version of Laura Clery’s memoir, Idiots: Marriage, Motherhood, Milk & Mistakes.

Prior to Idiots, I had not heard of Laura Clery. I just thought Idiots sounded like a book that I’d enjoy and I’ve since learned that she is an actress, comedian, and has quite a large social media presence.

Clery is very funny and completely open about her life, including some less than stellar personal moments. She gets cringy. She includes stories that were too personal or horrific to include in her first memoir, stating that she now feels ready to share them. I admire her willingness to be so open, especially as some of the content was quite shocking.

Clery narrates the audio version of her book and I felt this added to the experience. Admittedly, it took me a bit of time to get used to her voice, especially when she gets enthusiastic and changes her tone for effect. She can be loud! However, I liked that I could experience her stories in the way she wants listeners/readers to experience them, through her vocal changes and pauses. Adding to the comedic effect, Clery does hilarious accents/voices, such as her British husband and her elderly neighbor. Clery is a solid storyteller, both through her writing and her vocalizations.

Although there is plenty of humor, Idiots also deals with serious subjects such as addiction, infidelity, and parenting issues. Clery explains the difficulties and joys of being neurodivergent. Not only is she neurodivergent, but so are her son and husband. Clery shares her thoughts on the importance of celebrating all types of people, and that despite the challenges, having a different way of thinking can be an asset to both an individual’s life and to the greater world. It’s a hopeful and kind message.

I throughly enjoyed Idiots. I look forward to reading Clery’s first memoir and future works.