20 upvotes, 8 direct replies (showing 8)
View submission: Best Books of 2016 Results!
I wonder if people actually read Hillbilly Elegy. The topic is fascinating and seemed such a promising memoir from a unique perspective but it was just a rambly story about a guy who grew up with a family that wasn't that different from 80% of all working class families in America.
Comment by Yosafbrige at 15/01/2017 at 07:26 UTC
8 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Yeah. I'm like halfway through and it's kinda underwhelming.
I read Trevor Noah's book right before and thought it was better and similar as an autobiography of a unusual family life led by a Matriarch.
Comment by carly4020 at 15/01/2017 at 15:53 UTC
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Yes. Grew up quite poor in the south. I read it and was very annoyed.
Comment by Linzabee at 15/01/2017 at 14:45 UTC
4 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I agree. I read it. It wasn't mind-blowing, and I thought it was going to go somewhere really big, but I felt like the end just fizzled out.
Comment by trigun500 at 15/01/2017 at 06:07 UTC
4 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I couldn't agree more. I read it just because of all the praise it got (and I lived in the Midwest and viewed this type of poverty so I was generally interested) but I was very underwhelmed. I genuinely wouldn't recommend it to anyone..
Comment by currypotnoodle at 15/01/2017 at 15:47 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Totally agree. I think this is another case of people voting for it bc they saw articles about it in magazines but have never read the book themselves.
Comment by [deleted] at 28/01/2017 at 06:40 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Just finished it, I was very disappointed after all the praise. While the family history was compelling, by the time J.D. Vance gets serious about school it turns into a brag fest, and by the end he's really on a high horse about the white lower-middle class. The first 1/3rd of the book is interesting and intriguing, the final 1/3rd is a boring mess about how awesome J.D Vance is.
I expect Vance will be a name to know in politics within 10 years.
Comment by minuterice625 at 15/01/2017 at 16:23 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I read it and while I expected a more sociological perspective, I found his writing to be engaging and I ended up liking it for other reasons. I can see why there are mixed reviews since the description was a bit mis-leading.
Comment by Pepston at 16/01/2017 at 01:32 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I thought I was the only one who thought this! I really wanted to like it, but it just wasn't that fascinating to me.