Kanigel writes that memoirs today turn their backs on the ordinary and the familiar. Do you believe this to be true? Do you read memoirs often? Which memoirs have you enjoyed?

Kanigel writes that "[I]t's more true than not that memoirs today turn their backs on the ordinary and the familiar" (p. 2). Do you believe this to be true? Why or why not?

Is "memoir" a genre you read often, and if so, which memoirs have you enjoyed?

I have not read many memoirs at all! Something I probably should do more often. Because of my lack of experience I hesitate to comment on this; however, given the popularity of fiction I tend to think memoirs that speak of lesser known topics and unusual lives would seem to be of more interest to most.

I'm sure it's true that memoirs rarely involve the ordinary and familiar. That may be because those things are not very exciting. We want to read about something unusual, or at least different from our own experiences. I don't read memories often. The Glass Castle and Educated were good memoirs.

I agree with comment and agree it’s true with novels also. There is a reason: it is difficult to write about the ordinary and still be a ‘page-turner’. Recent memoirs read were Prince Harry’s Spare - not an ordinary life.

I admit I struggle with the genre. For the most part I don't really want to read about the lives of the rich & famous, or those with medical, physical or substance abuse issues. My response is generally, "Why should I care about this person's experience?" Recently, though, I've read two memoirs I've really connected with - this one and You'll Forget This Ever Happened (also a BookBrowse book group selection). Which got me thinking that for a memoir to be interesting to me it has to be relatable. I think I'm realizing that I need to select memoirs by ordinary people I find interesting as opposed to looking for the sensational

Kanigel has managed to connect time and events he has experienced in a way that connects us, too. His writing is almost lyrical, weaving and connecting just like life does. Maybe because he's a writer (and married to a poet, according to the bio on the back cover), he has the knack for making his story both interesting and extremely well written. I have read too many memoirs that lack that kind of polish.

Yes, I agree. I think, or so it seems to me, that many of us think the "mundane" things in life can't be important yet these are often the very things that giving meaning. For instance, when I reflect on my "mother" days raising three children (all in their 40s now), these were filled with mundane activities (washing, cooking, cleaning, watching ball games, swim meets, water polo matches, band concerts, tennis matches, etc.) but these were so important to my children's development even though they often took "me" time away - I wouldn't replace any of these. I enjoy memoirs because I like to hear people's "stories" as they have experienced it. For example, everyone is giving Prince Harry a hard time over his memoir, Spare, but I actually appreciated its honesty; it's "his" story; you don't have to like it, but I think as with any memoir, you should appreciate it. I have a dear friend who is committed to getting people to write down their "memories" if for nothing else that we can share with others - particularly our families - those things that made us who we are.

I tend not to read a lot of memoirs because I don’t envision having much in common with the author. Kimk sums up my view perfectly! I too enjoyed this memoir and You’ll Forget This Ever Happened”, two authors I was unfamiliar with. However, I also enjoyed Finding Me by Viola Davis, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, and From Scratch by Tembi Locke. Many people tend to put celebrities on pedestals, but surprisingly many of them are just like us who have overcome tremendous challenges along the way. Kanigel’s memoir will keep me from automatically dismissing a memoir of an unknown author. I’m glad I took a chance and requested a copy and very appreciative of receiving it.

I generally am not a fan of memoir although there are a few I have really enjoyed. Angela's Ashes and The Tender Bar are two that come to mind. For me, they need to include humor even if the lives of the authors have been sad or tragic. Sometimes, the authors of memoirs take themselves too seriously.

I think this might depend on how famous the person is. Prince Harry’s “Spare” and Jared Kushner’s “Breaking History: A White House Memoir” are two recently published memoirs that do not touch on the ordinary and familiar. Yet, I’ve read “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed which was not written by someone as famous as Kushner or Prince Harry and found that her story about hiking solo more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State was amazing and anything but ordinary or familiar.
A few other memorable memoirs that I enjoyed include: “When Breath Becomes Air,” “The Glass Castle,” “Diary of a Young Girl,” and “You’ll Forget This Ever Happened.” I don’t read memoirs all that often, in part because the books tend to have gaps or omit detailed explanations about events and feelings described. I do have “Madame Secretary” by Madeleine Albright on my list of books to read and am hopeful her book will be the exception to that rule.

I enjoy memoirs a lot, and the ones I read are seldom by people who were famous before writing their memories down. They were “ordinary” people who managed to live extraordinary lives—and again, that doesn’t have to mean they went on to become famous. The authors of “The Glass Castle” or “Educated” or “Wild” wound up living lives that became extraordinary because of how they coped with what life had handed them—and how they told their stories through sharing their ideas, their gorgeous prose, their humor, and so on. And then, nobody is “ordinary.”

I love memoirs and have read quite a few of them. I think it just depends on the book if it discusses the ordinary in life or not. Every author needs to tell their story in their own way. Some include details of the ordinary and everyday mundane lives. Some take things from a higher level viewpoint. Either can be good in the hands of a great writer.

When I am reading a memoir, I usually try to do it through audiobook and I love it when the author is the one reading. I enjoy getting to know people through their memoirs and find that even the mundane, when presented properly, makes for interesting reading when trying to find out more about a person.

I don't read a lot of memoirs (I signed up for this one because of the times he was writing about), but most that I've read could have used some editing. Waaaay too much detail. That's probably why I liked this book so much. It was more like a beautifully written snapshot of the most important part of his life (not belittling wives and kids here). Or maybe I should say the most important years of his life that shaped the rest of his life.

I read more biographies than memoirs. I'm usually drawn to read biographies because I want to learn about individuals who lived during momentous times, and well-written biographies offer a glimpse of the choices they faced. In choosing biographies, I'm drawn to works that are well researched; and include appendices, including suggestions for further reading.

This past year, I read one memoir that I recommend: Charles Person's Buses are A-Comin'. Like Young Man, Muddled; Person's memoir focuses on his formative years, and in particular, his experiences as the youngest Freedom Rider in the summer of 1961. Person's memoir helped me understand more about the period in which he grew up, and the changes the Civil Rights era sought to address.

I enjoy reading memoirs, especially ordinary people tackling extraordinary feats. I live their lives vicariously. So of course I loved “Wild”, but there are many more like: Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver by Jill Heinerth, Barbarian Days – A Surfing Life by William Finegan and Rowing to Latitude by Jill Fredston. The ordinary does not keep my attention. The familiar may if it is also a compelling story.