Has anyone read "A Life's Work" by Rachel Cusk?

[Greensleeves]

I've read it once and am reading it again. I found it immensely powerful, and it rings unnervingly true in lots of places.

Anyone else read it?

I can see your point Franny, but I don't need to read a book about liking one's children - I know it's not abnormal or shameful

Are you sure, Greeny? That's not what I've heard

Kate Figes doesn't dislike her children iirc (and I may not!), she just acknowledges that for some people it's a big shock and v hard.

Hmmm.....I can see your point there too. It isn't particularly normal to like your children, is it?

I still think this book has some value for women who are battling with toweringly negative feelings and associated guilt though...

I refuse to fall out with you over a sodding book. I am parping my own thread

Oh no, hated it too. Very annoying in an 'i am the only one who ever had a kid way'.

The only book of this ilk I can give space to is the Anne Enright one which has much more humour in it and doesn't take itself too bloody seriously - 'Making Babies' I think.

I was thinking that!

dont argue over a book greeny and franny, if you do it would be like my parents splitting up

Oh blimey, were we arguing???

LOL I missed it.

I don't give a toss if you like the book Greeny, we don't have to agree all the time :)

i absolutely love this book.

i read it before i had ds...and was duly depressed!

i read it when ds was still pretty wee and it rang a slightly different bell...but i still loved it..

i read it again pretty recently and was p*ssing myself...at the 'rapid response unit' stuff .

i didnt necessarily feel all the hthings she felt..but she's a brilliant read.

you should read 'a country life'(or something like that..) for some corking writing.

i read the book twice and loved it. Can't remember her feelings of hatred towards her children, though. Must read it again then, as my memory's gone. Like Orlando I think it's an intelligent book, and ironic too. Irony doesn't seem to have much space when pregnancy and materniity are concerned, unfortunately.

Yeah, I loved it too. Have read it a few times.
She is incredibly righteous, self-obsessed, and snobbish. But she writes magnificently, and is properly dry and funny about the experience. And I loved the inserts from the other books. The Coleridge, and the Madam Bovary. I've met her in real life and I think she's a vile person. But she's a brilliant writer.

Is she really? I started her last novel (can't even remeber the title) but didn't finish it, I was bored after a few pages.

She WAS one of the first to write this sort of thing, so it was very brave at the time

I found it very powerful and very true.

Must read it again!

I'm another one who got alot out of this book. What rang true for me was the shock of how much was involved in looking after a little baby, and the feeling of helplessness and being caught in some kind of weird loop aside from the rest of the world. Especially being an independent professional person.

I didnt find her moany or negative - just a realistic-seeming description of how different life suddenly felt - I dont think she expresses negativity about her daughter herself. Also dont think you can assume that someone who has feelings of ambivalence and experiencing how difficult it is coping with a crying/colicky baby and the pressures of breast-feeding necessarily has PND.

Agree her maverick chilcare arrangements are bizarre!

Liked "A Life's Work" and Kate Figes' book. Agree with bumbleweed re PND.