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There are currently 25 member reviews
for North of Crazy
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Carole S. (Whittier, NC)
North of Crazy
Neltje has lived a colorful and extraordinary life and her generosity is nothing short of inspiring! Her tight, well written prologue grabbed me right from the start. In spite of her privilege, wealth, family name, and connection to New York's high society and literary world, she had many obstacles to overcome. In overcoming them she has found great passion in her art, family, and in the healing wide open spaces of her adopted home of Wyoming.
To improve the readability of this book, I recommend editing out a few of the names and some of the details from the sections on her early years--doing so would not take away from her incredible and brave story.
Pictures of Neltje's art would be a wonderful addition to the book!
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Donna W. (Wauwatosa, WI)
North of Crazy
Neltje very calmly and matter-of-factly writes her memories of her life, and it is a fascinating one! She gives a vivid account of her life growing up, her life as a young adult and young wife and mother, and her later life as an artist. In the background of all this rests the Doubleday fame and fortune.
The book is very interesting. However, because it is written in a "memory recall" fashion it is sometimes rambling, and often out of sequence. Also, the author seems to want to give mention to, and therefore honor to way too many people, thereby leaving the reader to read through many names, without adding any value to the real story of her life.
The book is quite good however, and gives some insight into the world of book publishing, and also the world of art. This memoir paints a picture of a fascinating person!
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Wendy F. (Kalamazoo, MI)
North of Crazy
I started out enjoying this book. A sad story that proves that money and status do not always equal happiness. The book just ended up very slow moving and I had a hard time finishing it. She led an interesting life that is for sure but the writing was a bit sluggish.
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Nancy K. (Perrysburg, OH)
Wealth does not bring happiness
North of Crazy is the story of a very wealthy woman, Neltje Doubleday, from the famous book publishing family. We read about her alcoholic father, her very selfish mother, her spoiled brother and many, many famous family friends over and over again. How she ever grew up to become an accomplished artist and mother is a miracle. The last third of the book is the best. This is about her life in Wyoming and how she has planned to share her inherited wealth.
This book would not appeal to book clubs except those in the state of Wyoming perhaps. I have the distinct feeling that this was written by Neltje as a form of therapy in order to set the record straight and to ease her mind.
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Diane S. (Batavia, IL)
North of crazy
Didn't like this one too much, at least not the first half. My favorite parts were about the natural settings in Wyoming. Despite her wealth her life was certainly not ideal, but many people's aren't. The writing was good, especially in the second half, very descriptive. Still, not a favorite of mine.
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Beverly D. (Palm Harbor, FL)
Neltje
Another poor little rich girl story...A seriously dysfunctional family forces Neltje to claim her own way in the world. Unfortunately, getting to her new life in Wyoming takes up a lot of the story and I found the writing to be uninteresting, "and then, and then"....Once established, her story and writing becomes more passionate and interesting; however I would find it difficult to recommend.
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Lea Ann M. (Seattle, WA)
a long road to happiness
I found the first half of this book to be slow reading. To me, that part was tedious as there was little or no conversation, just a simply written litany of Neltje's growing up in a dysfunctional family. I forced myself to read and about half way through, the book became more interesting to me. The format didn't change; first person narratives of the author's life. However, her life became more varied and positive, so my interest increased. Her life as an adult remained often dysfunctional, but she was making progress in escaping the traumas of her childhood and creating a safe haven for herself and her children. Her choice of men didn't seem to improve much, but she became strong enough to realize that she could get along without a man emotionally supporting her. I would enjoy seeing some of her art work. What a life line for her that must have been. I liked reading the details of the various forms of art with which she worked, and quite successfully it seems. Good for her. I recommended this book to those who can make it through writings of her early years and then enjoy reading of her art, her struggles with her brother and her mother and her now apparently serene life in Wyoming.
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