Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Crying Book

This book reminded me of two others I've read this year, Maggie Nelson's Bluets (which fell a bit flat) and Sheila Heti's Pure Colour (which I loved). The Crying Book falls between these two. On the whole, the author succeeded in balancing the exploration of tears and human emotion with personal memoir.

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twilightfan420's review

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emotional informative sad slow-paced

4.0

I love the way this book is structured. The way Heather Christle wraps personal experience, sociological study, and biological truths into one cohesive book is intensely impressive and a pleasure to read. Even the most scientific of medical writing was easily digestible through this format and I loved how the author’s story weaved throughout.

Toward the end of the novel, Christle writes about the idea of ideas “going together” or being associated. It’s an idea I’ll certainly be revisiting and interrogating other norms because of. Plus, it was a perfect metaphor for the unconventional structure of the book.

Overall, The Crying Book offers a view into grief and pain in a way that I haven’t seen before.

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