Aftermath: Violence and the Remaking of a Self

by Susan J. Brison

Book Overview

A powerful personal narrative of recovery and an illuminating philosophical exploration of trauma

On July 4, 1990, while on a morning walk in southern France, Susan Brison was attacked from behind, severely beaten, sexually assaulted, strangled to unconsciousness, and left for dead. She survived, but her world was destroyed. Her training as a philosopher could not help her make sense of things, and many of her fundamental assumptions...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0691115702
• ISBN13: 9780691115702
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Length: 165 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Moving and Inpirational

In the book Aftermath: Violence and the Remaking of a Self, by Susan J. Brison, Brison really elucidates her thoughts. This really tells how she came to trauma and how she attempted to overcome it. She definately answered all of my questions about trauma. I've learned that it is not possible to overcome trauma, but you can try to move on with your life, while not trying to forget all about it. I believe that the best thing about this book is that it is a narrative. People, and especially me can understand things more when it is factual and comes from someone nonfictional. This book is very essential because it kept my attention. It was never a dull moment besides a few theoretical aspects of the book. Most of all I enjoyed this book because it showed Brison's strength. Not everyone can tell the horrid story of when they lost everything they respected. I envy her for that. This was an outstanding book and I am so glad that had the opportunity to read it. 4 stars to Susa J. Brison

outstanding

Brison's book is a beautifully written and extremely thoughtful account of surviving sexual violence. It raises and explores questions that would not even occur to people unacquainted with trauma. As a result, it is immensely helpful not only for her fellow survivors but also for their supporters.

A beautiful and important book

Susan Brison's Aftermath is a beautiful and important book. A professional philosopher, Brison was the victim of a near fatal assault. Aftermath details her attempts to recover from this experience, to put her self back together, and to make sense of it according to her philosophical training. The book seems to me unique in the way in which it combines the personal and the intellectual. Brison describes in moving detail not only her own reaction to trauma, her searching for ways to come to terms with what has happened, but also the experiences of other survivors. Hopefully few of her readers will suffer directly from such violence but almost all of us will have to grapple with some kind of acute loss in our own lives or those of the people we love. This wise and absorbing book offers no easy solutions but the best kind of companionship in such endeavours.

An assignment turning into a revelation

I started reading this book as an assignment for my college philosophy class. Not knowing exactly what to expect I started reading tentativly. In her book, Brison immediatly attaches you to her suffering and recovery. She takes you on a philosophical voyage of self discovery and awareness. Any one who has been affected by a traumatic experience or knows someone who has should read this book.

Powerful and personal

AFTERMATH is the story of an incredibly strong woman's struggle after surviving a horrific attack. ANYONE who has suffered a major trauma will find something they can relate to in Susan Brison's book. I experienced the death of my son in May of 2000, which, although certainly a different type of trauma than Brison's, created so many parallels as far as personal recovery. So many of the issues were the same. Example: Some of the most difficult things to deal with after trauma are the odd, often inappropriate, and even insensitive reactions one gets from friends, family and coworkers. Another is the fear of going out in public. Still another is the way one lives in what feels like a "bubble," suffering inside but putting on a face for the sake of everyone else. It is incredibly comforting to read about these feelings from someone else, and to realize that you are NOT alone. Thank you Susan Brison. You should be confident and proud. You not only brought yourself back up, you are now helping bring others up.