Slow Motion: A Memoir of a Life Rescued by Tragedy

by Dani Shapiro

Book Overview

"Chilling. . . . There is a gritty honesty to her cautionary confession that will alert others to listen for and respond to wake-up calls of their own." -- New York Times Book Review "Shapiro does not... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061826693
• ISBN13: 9780061826696
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

a heartfelt memoir that left an impression

I was impressed with this autobiography on one hand and a little disappointed on the other. However, the disappointment was due to the writer's skill in vividly portraying a time in her life that left this reader wanting more. Although I agree with another reviewer who felt there were holes in the recounting of her life, who could reveal every little nook and cranny of their life? especially; when it concerns the subject matter at hand. I believe subsequent books by this author deal with her life in even more detail (Family History). This book tells the story of a young woman who lost her way early in life. Her whole self image is caught up in her looks (through no fault of her own) and since there seems to be no consequences to any of the bad choices made once she enters college, her life spirals downward fast. She ends up having an adulterous affair with the stepfather of her closest friend, drinks heavily, and has a mega cocaine habit. As she withdraws into the four walls of the cage of her own making, Dani Shapiro's withdrawal from the real world shatters when she receives the phone call telling her that her parents have been in a terrible car accident. This part of her life is even more emotional as we view the family dynamics. We find out more about her life growing up and what her father and mother were like as parents and as people. Her whole story was fascinating and hard to put down. I think one thread of her life sums it all up: Dani and Jess (her best friend in college) become estranged when Jess finds out Dani has gone out with her stepfather. She found out because the stepfather told her. Dani apologizes and confesses that all they've done is kiss and she was repulsed by it. She promises she won't ever see him again and they become close friends once again. Then Jess invites Dani to her birthday party at her house. Dani refuses telling her that she doesn't want to run into her stepfather but when Jess assures her he will not be there, Dani agrees to go. The stepfather is waiting there to greet her and Jess avoids her for most of the party except to give her a look which she can't interpret. Of course Dani ends up having an affair with the stepfather and years later, after it has ended, Dani runs into Jess who calls her a "whore". They talk and Dani trys to mend fences but too much has happened. Dani asks a question that has haunted her - why did Jess invite her to the birthday party? Why was she set-up? Jess replies that it's too complicated and that Dani should consider herself lucky that she's gotten rid of the stepfather since Jess never can...... This was an emotional moment that never really answered any questions but instead, only raised new ones. Did the stepfather have some dark hold over Jess? Was Jess motivated purely by self-interest and because she got Dani to attend the party, she received an expensive sports car for a present? My mind raced through numerous possibilities and never knowing the a

Artistic and Honest Writing

I have read this book three times in the past year and a half, and I always get something different from it. Not only is it brutally honest -- I have trouble with some of the reviews shown hre that say she needs to "get a life," as it appears, by writing about her life, she *is* getting one -- it is also artistic writing, each section carefully chosen, the words carefully placed. Her writing is haunting, the tone of each sentence showing what, exactly, it is like to live a life submerged, only to finally re-emerge by making life-altering decisions. In case you can't tell, I highly recommend this book. Even if you aren't into the writing, the story and the details she chooses are captivating.

A riveting, literary read

I finished Slow Motion last night after not putting it down for two days. What a gorgeous and courageous book! This is the story of how a family falls apart, and of how a young woman finds herself in the midst of great trauma--really, about how trauma can shape us. I think Shapiro is an amazing writer. The language is spare and beautiful, but yet somehow everything is here. I loved this book, and would recommend it to every woman I know who has ever come out the other side of anything difficult--a relationship, a family tragedy. This is a book that can help and inspire.

Beautifully written; Extraordinary

This is a beautifully written book that tells an amazing story. On the opening page the author learns that her parents have been in a terrible car wreck and that sends her on a journey back into her past and her heart. I was with her every step of the way. A truly inspiring book that unfolds like a detective novel as the writer confronts her her flawed past.

one of the best memoirs out there.

I have read literally dozens of memoirs the past few years and this book is as good as any of them. In addition to being so well written, its unflinching honesty and pain make it impossible to put out of your thoughts long after you've finished. The author doesn't try to excuse or exaggerate her own shortcomings and weakness and the picture she paints of her lawyer lover is so slimy and ugly the only question one asks is how possibly could she have fallen for him. of course, we know the answer: money, insecurity, fame, romance, etc. Growing up in a Jewish family with all the attendant confused feelings about God, observance and the family feuds that seem to accompany it all, I could easily relate to what Shapiro experienced with her family. This is not a prurient or self-pitying book and it's almost hard to pinpoint its attraction other than to settle on its honesty, integrity and the drama attached to a life when one finally matures and realizes there are more pre! ssing reasons to live than simply in pursuit of one's own pleasure and respite from pain. People depend on us, sometimes too much, and the sacrifices we make for family can be suffocating. As the author points out, what kind of person would we be if we didn't at least try to live up to some of the expectations. I loved this book.