Had an email yesterday from someone who had just read The State of Me. It's always lovely to get feedback on the book, and especially nice when someone comments on the writing over the M.E content. This reader said: 'I love your writing: phrases like the two youngest bridesmaids dart round the table like cerise goldfish are beautiful and perceptive, and there were many like that - startling in their freshness and accuracy'.
What's interesting is I hear that sentence about the bridesmaids almost as if for the first time. There's a point where you almost know your book off by heart, but as time goes on, the words slip away, and like everything else, the memory becomes fainter. This reader also thanked me for 'spending the energy it must've taken to write it'. After the last couple of days of feeling a bit mashed up - physically and emotionally - with my contributions to an M.E thread, this was lovely to hear.
What's interesting is I hear that sentence about the bridesmaids almost as if for the first time. There's a point where you almost know your book off by heart, but as time goes on, the words slip away, and like everything else, the memory becomes fainter. This reader also thanked me for 'spending the energy it must've taken to write it'. After the last couple of days of feeling a bit mashed up - physically and emotionally - with my contributions to an M.E thread, this was lovely to hear.
3 comments:
Sorry to hear uve been feeling mashed up, I've got loads of fave quotes from ur book & if I hadn't loaned it to a friend I could quote direct but the one that always stays with me is when Helen went to the post office to cash her benefit cheque & felt guilty cos she was wearing nail polish. I got that straight away, Ive felt that guilt, as if by wearing nail polish you aren't really ill but must be faking it.
I wish I could remember exact wording! My others include "what did I do today? I went for a shower". Nasim your book is a masterpiece & has done more for understanding neurological M.E than many other books I've read. It bridged a gap between me & my family & helped them to understand the complexities of this illness whilst enjoying the heartfelt story of Helens life. For this I will always be grateful. Xxxx
Vikki, I am so glad that the novel was a bridge between you & your family, that really makes me feel happy.
I think Helen is wearing lipstick in that episode though she does paint her toenails at one point, I do remember when I was still pretty ill, thinking if I painted my nails I could pretend I was 'normal'.
What did you do today? I had a shower and made a cup of tea.
I still have days like that!
Lovely to have quotes from book in people's heads x
That's right it was lipstick but I related it to wearing nail polish, sorry I'm mashed up too! And of course the cup of tea! How could I forget that! That was my day today! Much love x
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