What do you think?
Rate this book
Please Read This Leaflet Carefully: Keep This Leaflet. You May Need to Read It Again.
Please Read This Leaflet Carefully, the debut novel from Norwegian writer and translator Karen Havelin, is the story of a woman whose body has become her enemy.
The novel tracks backward, from 2016 until 1995, etching details of daily life into a gripping and darkly humorous bildungsroman, about the intricacies of love and life in a fragile body.
We meet Laura Fjellstad first as she works and cares for her young daughter, while struggling with debilitating pain and endometriosis, an invisible chronic illness.
As the reader moves in reverse to meet Laura’s younger and somewhat healthier selves (a hopeful bride in New York, a baby queer in Paris, a figure skater in Norway) we uncover her tireless work to gain control of her identity, her illness and the conflicting demands made by doctors, friends, lovers and family.
Man Booker Prize-winning author Paul Beatty says most books about disease try to describe the pain; told in poetic whisper, Karen Havelin's debut novel lets pain speak for itself. It's a book that dares you be nosy, to eavesdrop and listen in to a stoic young woman whom no one noticed until she began to disappear, her body disintegrating from the inside out until there's nothing left but searing agony and almost impossibly―a burning triumph.
Jarringly funny and perceptive; an intimate reckoning with the inner demons and precarity of everyday life, unpacked through the very specific lens of a woman with chronic pain.
The novel tracks backward, from 2016 until 1995, etching details of daily life into a gripping and darkly humorous bildungsroman, about the intricacies of love and life in a fragile body.
We meet Laura Fjellstad first as she works and cares for her young daughter, while struggling with debilitating pain and endometriosis, an invisible chronic illness.
As the reader moves in reverse to meet Laura’s younger and somewhat healthier selves (a hopeful bride in New York, a baby queer in Paris, a figure skater in Norway) we uncover her tireless work to gain control of her identity, her illness and the conflicting demands made by doctors, friends, lovers and family.
Man Booker Prize-winning author Paul Beatty says most books about disease try to describe the pain; told in poetic whisper, Karen Havelin's debut novel lets pain speak for itself. It's a book that dares you be nosy, to eavesdrop and listen in to a stoic young woman whom no one noticed until she began to disappear, her body disintegrating from the inside out until there's nothing left but searing agony and almost impossibly―a burning triumph.
Jarringly funny and perceptive; an intimate reckoning with the inner demons and precarity of everyday life, unpacked through the very specific lens of a woman with chronic pain.
280 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2019
34 people are currently reading
2722 people want to read
About the author
Karen Havelin
3 books31 followersKaren Havelin is a writer and translator from Bergen, Norway. She attended Skrivekunst-akademiet i Hordaland, and has a Bachelor's degree in French, Literature, and Gender Studies from the University of Bergen and University of Paris Sorbonne. She completed her MFA in Fiction from Columbia University in May 2013. Her work has been published both in Norwegian and in English.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
August 23, 2019
This book is a profoundly honest insight into what it’s like to live with a chronic illness.
Ingeniously, the novel is written in reverse chronology, each subsequent chapter’s events taking place further in Laura’s past. We visit her at different stages of her life, from her late diagnosis of endometriosis to dealing with judgement from her friends while working in New York. Laura’s pain, her thoughts, are all placed under a microscope revealing to us her deepest emotions which rage beneath her seemingly compliant surface.
The unconventional construction of the novel charts the changes in her health and her life while she grows up, leaves Norway and moves abroad and is in and out of appointments. Moreover, the structure of the novel shows us just how much her mindset has evolved as she gets older. When we see Laura’s younger self struggling, it’s reassuring to know she makes it through. Her inner strength is incredible. Despite the heart-wrenching end of the novel - fifteen-year-old Laura envisioning her successful future – she ultimately doesn’t allow her illness to prevent her from achieving her dreams and finding her place in her world.
Havelin has created a significant novel about the realities of chronic illness. This book will make people consider their relationship with their body, and the struggles of our peers, regardless of their medical conditions. Just how can we tap back into our optimism when things appear to be the hardest they have ever been?
Ingeniously, the novel is written in reverse chronology, each subsequent chapter’s events taking place further in Laura’s past. We visit her at different stages of her life, from her late diagnosis of endometriosis to dealing with judgement from her friends while working in New York. Laura’s pain, her thoughts, are all placed under a microscope revealing to us her deepest emotions which rage beneath her seemingly compliant surface.
The unconventional construction of the novel charts the changes in her health and her life while she grows up, leaves Norway and moves abroad and is in and out of appointments. Moreover, the structure of the novel shows us just how much her mindset has evolved as she gets older. When we see Laura’s younger self struggling, it’s reassuring to know she makes it through. Her inner strength is incredible. Despite the heart-wrenching end of the novel - fifteen-year-old Laura envisioning her successful future – she ultimately doesn’t allow her illness to prevent her from achieving her dreams and finding her place in her world.
Havelin has created a significant novel about the realities of chronic illness. This book will make people consider their relationship with their body, and the struggles of our peers, regardless of their medical conditions. Just how can we tap back into our optimism when things appear to be the hardest they have ever been?
July 13, 2024
❀ ━ { content warnings }
Cussing, lgbtq, sexual discussions, many medical depictions - many of which are graphic, discussion of mental health.
❀ ━ { recommended audience }
18+
❀ ━ { themes + what it meant to me }
I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I really enjoy books with chronic illness rep and endometriosis rep. It is so good that books like this exist. On the other hand, this book was undeniably written out of anger. It is political, irreverent, and borderline indecent. I can understand being upset at life circumstances, and at the establishment, and all of the points that Havelin is trying to convey. I have felt those some emotions myself. However, do we really need 500 words of it? How is this useful? It would be much better to kindly point out these flaws once or twice, and then show how you moved past them. I don’t want a book full of inane greeting card phrases, because we have far too many things like that. But neither do I want a book that feels like I have just been passionately lectured for the past seventy two hours. Can we find a balance?
❀ ━ { characters }
Honestly? I didn’t really like any of them. I suppose Laura had some okay moments, and I definitely sympathized with her… but yeah. Oh and her daughter was so cute. I liked that part.
❀ ━ { plot + story development }
The book was arranged in an interesting way. Divided into… seven? parts and the parts were further broken up by definitions of various figure skating moves. I cannot say I read each definition thoroughly, I did skim a bit, but it was interesting nonetheless. And because this book was told backwards, I pretty much knew the entire plot within the first few paragraphs, so there wasn’t suspense. There was confusion though.
❀ ━ { author + writing }
Havelin’s style was fine. Neither earth shattering or poor. I could have used less explicit language though.
❀ ━ { overall + closing notes }
Honestly? I am a bit let down with this book. I read it because I read anything with chronic illness representation on principle… but that is really the only reason I kept reading. If not for that I would have dnf’d this book by page 200. That being said, if you want to understand chronic illness and endometriosis specifically , this book will help and I say you should read it. Other than that? Don’t waste your time.
August 13, 2019
I chose this since it was a reader's choice for the Not the Booker Prize shortlist. The author tackles a difficult subject of chronic illness with accompanying pain in this novel. The novel's first person narration which reads like recent autofiction begins in the present time but each subsequent chapter starts from a point further in the narrator's past as we progress backward in time. The narrator is primarily focused on her own experience and feelings and I would have preferred a bit more dialog or other device to break that focus, since I found it overwhelming. My sensitivity should not reflect negatively on the writer however and I am sure many will find this novel to their liking.
August 30, 2019
The chain of things I wanted to be when I was younger, the links stretching backwards to angrier, more innocent and optimistic versions of me
I read this book due to its longlisting for the 2019 Not The Booker prize.
The author is a Norwegian based writer and translator, who studied Fiction under the Booker prize winning Paul Beatty at Colombia University. This is her debut novel and draws, I think, heavily from her own experiences, having been diagnosed with endometriosis at 29 (having I believe suffered from it undiagnosed for 10 years).
This is the second fictional treatment of endometriosis I have read recently – the other being Frances in Sally Rooney’s “Conversation with Friends” – but this is a much more detailed treatment of chronic pain and long term conditions (a subject far less rarely examined in literature than sudden catastrophic or critical illness).
The story is about Laura Fjellstad – herself diagnosed in 2009 with endometriosis (at effectively the same age). It has an unusual structure stepping back in time over eight snapshots of Laura’s life – starting in 2016 (when she is a divorced single mother in New York – where she travelled from New York from her native Norway to study literature) and ending with her ice-skating as a 14 year old in 1995. Ice skating is a recurrent motif – the book starts with her rediscovering ice skating (and a sense of optimism) in 2016 and is sprinkled throughout with descriptions of ice skating moves of varying degrees of difficulty, serving, I think, as a metaphor for the way in which Laura has to push through the limitations of her body at different times.
The structure is interesting as at times we get a sense of the immediacy of Laura’s condition: sometimes unable to see any possible way forward - even though we know she will find a way through against the odds; and sometimes (for example at the very end of the book in 1995) - bright and optimistic about the future in a way which moves us given we know the struggles to come.
The book is really I believe an examination of human frailty, of the (female) body, of the (sometimes) callousness and indifference of the medical profession to female conditions.
But for me the most intriguing element was the way chronic long term pain impacts on relationships: on how those suffering from it present themselves; how their friends, family and lovers struggle to deal effectively with and react appropriately to their condition; and how this then can cause anger or guilt (and oftentimes both) in the sufferer.
The structure means that we see relationships (with her parents, lovers and husband) falter and only later see the behaviours and emotions that caused the struggles.
And to be honest as a reader and even more so as a reviewer I struggle to know how to react to this book effectively and appropriately other than to suggest you read it for yourself.
April 27, 2019
When I read the synopsis of ‘Please Read this Leaflet Carefully’ I thought ‘wow I know that I would relate to this book on some personal level’ little did I know once I finished it how relatable this story is to me.
We meet Laura who since being a child has struggled with her health and having a late diagnosis of endometriosis amongst other health problems would have been her worst nightmare. Karen takes us on a journey of Laura’s life from 2016 to 1995 and the struggles she faces with constant pain and dealing with judgement from her family, friends and even health professionals. I don’t mind saying this but the reason I related so much to Laura’s story is because I don’t actually have endometriosis however I do suffer from a chronic pain condition. There were moments in this story where Laura’s inner thoughts were actually what I think and feel. You wonder whether by being chronically ill you could cope with being a mother? Having a job? Just simply living a normal life? Should I tell any potential partners that I am poorly?
Reading this story had me thinking I just wanted to tell Laura that everything would be ok and I just wanted to give her a hug at numerous points in this story and to tell her she’s not alone in this battle ❤️. Karen’s writing and the way she has told this story has really hit me in the heart and it’s a story that I will remember for a very long time. I also thought it was interesting how she went back in time rather than starting with those early days in Laura’s life, this added mystery and suspense to the story.
I highly recommend you read ‘Please Read this Leaflet Carefully’. I am thrilled that Karen has written a book where so much awareness will be raised and I think it’s going to be a hit! This isn’t my normal kind of read but I’m beyond thrilled I have read this poignant story. I give ‘Please Read this Leaflet Carefully’ 5*/5* 😊
Thank you so much to Jordan at Dead Ink Books for an advanced copy of this book.
We meet Laura who since being a child has struggled with her health and having a late diagnosis of endometriosis amongst other health problems would have been her worst nightmare. Karen takes us on a journey of Laura’s life from 2016 to 1995 and the struggles she faces with constant pain and dealing with judgement from her family, friends and even health professionals. I don’t mind saying this but the reason I related so much to Laura’s story is because I don’t actually have endometriosis however I do suffer from a chronic pain condition. There were moments in this story where Laura’s inner thoughts were actually what I think and feel. You wonder whether by being chronically ill you could cope with being a mother? Having a job? Just simply living a normal life? Should I tell any potential partners that I am poorly?
Reading this story had me thinking I just wanted to tell Laura that everything would be ok and I just wanted to give her a hug at numerous points in this story and to tell her she’s not alone in this battle ❤️. Karen’s writing and the way she has told this story has really hit me in the heart and it’s a story that I will remember for a very long time. I also thought it was interesting how she went back in time rather than starting with those early days in Laura’s life, this added mystery and suspense to the story.
I highly recommend you read ‘Please Read this Leaflet Carefully’. I am thrilled that Karen has written a book where so much awareness will be raised and I think it’s going to be a hit! This isn’t my normal kind of read but I’m beyond thrilled I have read this poignant story. I give ‘Please Read this Leaflet Carefully’ 5*/5* 😊
Thank you so much to Jordan at Dead Ink Books for an advanced copy of this book.
July 10, 2019
Virkelighetsnært om å leve med usynlig sykdom og/eller smerter.
Interessant og annerledes struktur! Pluss!
Interessant og annerledes struktur! Pluss!
April 5, 2019
Such a beautiful gem of a novel!
April 16, 2019
I absolutely loved this book. I’ll be posting a review on my blog in a few weeks time so keep a look out for that!
May 21, 2019
This is a stunning heart-wrenching yet uplifting novel about living with a very painful chronic illness. The pacing and construction is deft and clever. I loved it and highly recommend it.
December 6, 2019
"It's crystal clear to me that no one wants to hear about it, but I will never finish needing to tell how much it hurt, how much it hurts, how bad it is. I'm always looking for a scale to measure it by, some way to pierce the thick skin that separates me from other people, to make them understand."
-
Please, please, please read PLEASE READ THIS LEAFLET CAREFULLY: Keep This Leaflet. You May Need to Read it Again. It is the best representation of chronic illness I've ever seen in a fictional story. Laura suffers from endometriosis and multiple food allergies. The story is told in reverse chronological order, which shows the total progression of a life that is filled with pain, and then traveling back, you see how Laura's hopes and realities changed through it all. I believe it has more impact in reverse. We see how chronic illness affected everything from jobs to relationships to parenting. I especially liked the part about struggling to connect to a partner who is a healthy male who can never fully understand her and her needs. Laura still finds joy in things like figure skating (I so related to this part as I used to figure skate) and raising her daughter. Reading this book was like experiencing someone opening up a portal to my mind. I've never felt so SEEN before. Whether you suffer from a chronic illness or know someone who does (so all of us, basically), this book will leave you feeling helpless but also determined to change the world to make it even just slightly better for the millions who suffer. 5/5 stars. Probably my new favorite read from 2019.
-
"Pain has its own logic. It's a wall with no door, there is no arguing with it, no getting around it, no solving it. Sometimes, I bump against it like a fly against a windowpane for weeks at a time."
-
"I was quite old before I realized people say hurtful things to me because they care and that it's difficult for them to see me in pain. Since it hurts to face the situation head-on, it's tempting for them to believe I'm at fault rather than accept that often, when it comes to my health, the situation sucks no matter what I do. People sometimes prefer to believe that I'm failing to follow their advice and making mistakes they can judge me for, rather than accepting that I'm suffering. This shields them from the full weight of being present and offering support, even when they can't fix anything."
-
-
Please, please, please read PLEASE READ THIS LEAFLET CAREFULLY: Keep This Leaflet. You May Need to Read it Again. It is the best representation of chronic illness I've ever seen in a fictional story. Laura suffers from endometriosis and multiple food allergies. The story is told in reverse chronological order, which shows the total progression of a life that is filled with pain, and then traveling back, you see how Laura's hopes and realities changed through it all. I believe it has more impact in reverse. We see how chronic illness affected everything from jobs to relationships to parenting. I especially liked the part about struggling to connect to a partner who is a healthy male who can never fully understand her and her needs. Laura still finds joy in things like figure skating (I so related to this part as I used to figure skate) and raising her daughter. Reading this book was like experiencing someone opening up a portal to my mind. I've never felt so SEEN before. Whether you suffer from a chronic illness or know someone who does (so all of us, basically), this book will leave you feeling helpless but also determined to change the world to make it even just slightly better for the millions who suffer. 5/5 stars. Probably my new favorite read from 2019.
-
"Pain has its own logic. It's a wall with no door, there is no arguing with it, no getting around it, no solving it. Sometimes, I bump against it like a fly against a windowpane for weeks at a time."
-
"I was quite old before I realized people say hurtful things to me because they care and that it's difficult for them to see me in pain. Since it hurts to face the situation head-on, it's tempting for them to believe I'm at fault rather than accept that often, when it comes to my health, the situation sucks no matter what I do. People sometimes prefer to believe that I'm failing to follow their advice and making mistakes they can judge me for, rather than accepting that I'm suffering. This shields them from the full weight of being present and offering support, even when they can't fix anything."
-
January 26, 2025
Leidsin selle raamatu, kui guugeldasin midagi stiilis "raamatud, kus peagetegelane on kroonilistes valudes, aga valu ei ole raamatu põhisüžee, vaid seal toimub muid asju ka, nt nagu dr house'is" ja leidsin täpselt samasuguse Redditi küsimuse koos soovitustega, mille hulgas oli see raamat. Esiteks tuleb öelda, et valu on selles raamatus ikkagi peategelane, mitte mingi süžeed saatev taustaelement. Peategelasel on endometrioos ja allergiad ja üht-teist veel ning valdav osa raamatust on kirjeldused tema valust ja piinadest.
Raamatule on arvustustes ette heidetud, et see kordab ennast, aga... krooniline valu kordabki ennast, see ongi tüütu ja nagu peategelane korduvalt selgitab, siis kedagi ei huvita, keegi ei viitsi seda kuulata, kõik tahavad lihtsalt, et sa saaksid terveks või jääksid vait. Ja nii on vist natuke selle raamatugagi, sest see lugemisõhkkond on kohati ja eriti alguse poole tõesti veits ahistav ja intensiivne.
Esimese peatüki poole peal hakkas sisu minu jaoks piisavalt veerema, et sattusin ikkagi lugemishasarti (kuigi mul on kujunenud välja pet peeve New Yorgi suhtes, mul on väga vaja, et raamatud ja filmid ja sarjad toimuksid kuskil peale New Yorgi), aga lõpu poole muutus jälle nii tüütuks, et tahtsin juba käest ära saada.
Autor mõtestab valu siit- ja sealtpoolt ja üldiselt ei ole need arutlused väga sügavad, aga rahuldust pakkuvaid äratundmisi on ikkagi. Noh... "mul on nii valus, et ma tahan karjuda" on muidugi ka äratuntav ja samastutav, aga ma mõtlen näiteks kirjeldusi sellest, kuidas millalgi muutub kõik nii ahistavalt ebamugavaks ja valu on nii katkematu, et su elu võtab üle kontrollimatu raev ja sa pead hakkama leiutama uusi roppusi, et oma igapäevastele ebaõnnestumistele adekvaatselt reageerida. Või kuidas kõik on sinus pettunud, et sa ei /ravi/ oma kroonilist valu nende soovitatud moel ja järelikult sa siis ei tahagi terveks saada, sest selle mõttega on inimestel lihtsam leppida kui sellega, et mõne kroonilise valu põhjus pole teada ja seda polegi võimalik välja ravida. Või kirjeldusi sellest, kuidas tuleb kannatada mitut kroonilist valu ja ühe ravimid keeravad midagi pekki teise haiguse kulgemises, teise ravimid esimeses haiguses ja see kõik on selline sasipundar, et ei tea, kust alustada. Või sellest, kuidas sul pole oma elus enam millestki muust rääkida ja sa tead, et keegi ei taha kuulda, aga millestki peab teistega ikkagi rääkima, nii et räägid ikka oma valust ja tahad sealsamas ära haihtuda. Või kuidas on toetuda oma elukaaslasele, olla talle kogu aeg justkui midagi võlgu, tunda end isekana oma vajakajäämiste pärast lihtsates igapäevaülesannetes, aga ikkagi mitte suuta end kontrollida lollakates olukordades, kus ärkad valuga, ta on liiga kaua vannitoas, sul on kõht nii tühi, et hakkad kohe oksele, aga nii valus, et ei saa ise süüa teha, vaja rohtu võtta, aga ta molutab nüüd köögis, jäänud on ainult paanika ja väikese lapse kombel karjumine. Sellistest asjadest ei ole võimalik rääkida eriti kellegagi peale teiste krooniliselt valutavate inimeste ja isegi nende kogemused on väga erinevad, seega oli lohutav end siit-sealt ära tunda (jällegi, mitte et raamatu toon oleks kuidagi lohutav, vaid rohkem ma-pole-ainus-friik-maailmas moel).
Raamatule on arvustustes ette heidetud, et see kordab ennast, aga... krooniline valu kordabki ennast, see ongi tüütu ja nagu peategelane korduvalt selgitab, siis kedagi ei huvita, keegi ei viitsi seda kuulata, kõik tahavad lihtsalt, et sa saaksid terveks või jääksid vait. Ja nii on vist natuke selle raamatugagi, sest see lugemisõhkkond on kohati ja eriti alguse poole tõesti veits ahistav ja intensiivne.
Esimese peatüki poole peal hakkas sisu minu jaoks piisavalt veerema, et sattusin ikkagi lugemishasarti (kuigi mul on kujunenud välja pet peeve New Yorgi suhtes, mul on väga vaja, et raamatud ja filmid ja sarjad toimuksid kuskil peale New Yorgi), aga lõpu poole muutus jälle nii tüütuks, et tahtsin juba käest ära saada.
Autor mõtestab valu siit- ja sealtpoolt ja üldiselt ei ole need arutlused väga sügavad, aga rahuldust pakkuvaid äratundmisi on ikkagi. Noh... "mul on nii valus, et ma tahan karjuda" on muidugi ka äratuntav ja samastutav, aga ma mõtlen näiteks kirjeldusi sellest, kuidas millalgi muutub kõik nii ahistavalt ebamugavaks ja valu on nii katkematu, et su elu võtab üle kontrollimatu raev ja sa pead hakkama leiutama uusi roppusi, et oma igapäevastele ebaõnnestumistele adekvaatselt reageerida. Või kuidas kõik on sinus pettunud, et sa ei /ravi/ oma kroonilist valu nende soovitatud moel ja järelikult sa siis ei tahagi terveks saada, sest selle mõttega on inimestel lihtsam leppida kui sellega, et mõne kroonilise valu põhjus pole teada ja seda polegi võimalik välja ravida. Või kirjeldusi sellest, kuidas tuleb kannatada mitut kroonilist valu ja ühe ravimid keeravad midagi pekki teise haiguse kulgemises, teise ravimid esimeses haiguses ja see kõik on selline sasipundar, et ei tea, kust alustada. Või sellest, kuidas sul pole oma elus enam millestki muust rääkida ja sa tead, et keegi ei taha kuulda, aga millestki peab teistega ikkagi rääkima, nii et räägid ikka oma valust ja tahad sealsamas ära haihtuda. Või kuidas on toetuda oma elukaaslasele, olla talle kogu aeg justkui midagi võlgu, tunda end isekana oma vajakajäämiste pärast lihtsates igapäevaülesannetes, aga ikkagi mitte suuta end kontrollida lollakates olukordades, kus ärkad valuga, ta on liiga kaua vannitoas, sul on kõht nii tühi, et hakkad kohe oksele, aga nii valus, et ei saa ise süüa teha, vaja rohtu võtta, aga ta molutab nüüd köögis, jäänud on ainult paanika ja väikese lapse kombel karjumine. Sellistest asjadest ei ole võimalik rääkida eriti kellegagi peale teiste krooniliselt valutavate inimeste ja isegi nende kogemused on väga erinevad, seega oli lohutav end siit-sealt ära tunda (jällegi, mitte et raamatu toon oleks kuidagi lohutav, vaid rohkem ma-pole-ainus-friik-maailmas moel).
February 23, 2023
*Re-read February 2023:- It's funny that I'd mis-shelved this at home and had it on my feminism bookshelf, not on my fiction bookshelf (the book states on the inside cover that it is a work of fiction). I think my mistake comes from the fact that Havelin writes so well, it's as if the work is factual, and I'm thinking that she has lived this world in order to be able to write it so well. This book is shockingly accurate in its depiction of chronic illness and pain. I have so much empathy. The writing is exquisite. A must read.
Original review:- This is by no means an easy book to read, nor do I think is it meant to be.
Chronic illness, in whichever form it takes, is debilitating, exhausting, isolating and provokes quite visceral responses from people who would rather not be surrounded by "the inflicted".
I read this yesterday and last night whilst suffering with the "winter lurgy" by which I mean I feel like I've been shat out the devil's arsehole backwards! When you're feeling rough yourself, you're more likely to sympathise with chronic illness sufferers, however most people would rather just say "how are you feeling now/are you feeling any better?" and move swiftly on to the next healthy person.
I think most women, who at some point will have been told that their current condition /illness/feeling is "all part and parcel of being a woman" will really sympathise. The body is such a strange thing; amazing when it works well, baffling and horrifying when it doesn't.
I appreciate the frankness, honesty and uncompromising approach to her book to tell it like it is about having a chronic illness. She will certainly make a lot of women feel validated in their feelings of not having been ignored/overlooked with regards to such a life altering illness.
A courageous book to write indeed.
Original review:- This is by no means an easy book to read, nor do I think is it meant to be.
Chronic illness, in whichever form it takes, is debilitating, exhausting, isolating and provokes quite visceral responses from people who would rather not be surrounded by "the inflicted".
I read this yesterday and last night whilst suffering with the "winter lurgy" by which I mean I feel like I've been shat out the devil's arsehole backwards! When you're feeling rough yourself, you're more likely to sympathise with chronic illness sufferers, however most people would rather just say "how are you feeling now/are you feeling any better?" and move swiftly on to the next healthy person.
I think most women, who at some point will have been told that their current condition /illness/feeling is "all part and parcel of being a woman" will really sympathise. The body is such a strange thing; amazing when it works well, baffling and horrifying when it doesn't.
I appreciate the frankness, honesty and uncompromising approach to her book to tell it like it is about having a chronic illness. She will certainly make a lot of women feel validated in their feelings of not having been ignored/overlooked with regards to such a life altering illness.
A courageous book to write indeed.
June 27, 2019
Such a stunning, sincere, searing novel. A triumph.
April 30, 2020
Such a honest book about chronic pain.
September 8, 2019
3,5
Please read this leaflet carefully is a painful reading. Of course, not as painful as the pain the main character, Laura, experiences – and from what we know, the pain the author, Karen Havelin, has also experienced her whole life. At the center of the novel is the female body suffering from chronic illness and pain, especially from a little known – and even less talked about – disease called endometriosis. We need to talk about endometriosis, and this book can be a starting point – alongside Sally Rooney’s Conversation with friends.
It is hard to write about a novel like this one, because it at some point may seem that the reviewer has no sympathy for the character and the writer and their pain. But real life is one thing – and every decent person will (or at least should) sympathize with someone who is sick and/or in pain – and reading fiction is another. PRTLC is an interesting novel, with a powerful protagonist, and an even more powerful narrative voice. But they somehow get lost in a structure that doesn’t help the narrative very much. It is never very clear – or convincing – why the author chooses to tell the story backwards. It started in 2016 and ends in 1995. The device doesn’t add much, maybe because the first part is so strong, and Havelin never reaches this same level in the following sections. Moreover, except for Laura, the other characters aren’t much developed and their time in the narrative isn’t much to allow them to leave any impression on us.
On the other hand, this is a very pertinent novel for our times, when the female body is a field where narratives are in dispute. It is a book that gives women the power over their bodies. It is a novel about pain with sound, fury and tenderness. Havelin screams as loud as she can about her character’s pain and condition, and this tells a lot about our times. The need for scream is a symptomatic of our present, especially when it comes from a woman who needs to regain power over her body.
Please read this leaflet carefully is a painful reading. Of course, not as painful as the pain the main character, Laura, experiences – and from what we know, the pain the author, Karen Havelin, has also experienced her whole life. At the center of the novel is the female body suffering from chronic illness and pain, especially from a little known – and even less talked about – disease called endometriosis. We need to talk about endometriosis, and this book can be a starting point – alongside Sally Rooney’s Conversation with friends.
It is hard to write about a novel like this one, because it at some point may seem that the reviewer has no sympathy for the character and the writer and their pain. But real life is one thing – and every decent person will (or at least should) sympathize with someone who is sick and/or in pain – and reading fiction is another. PRTLC is an interesting novel, with a powerful protagonist, and an even more powerful narrative voice. But they somehow get lost in a structure that doesn’t help the narrative very much. It is never very clear – or convincing – why the author chooses to tell the story backwards. It started in 2016 and ends in 1995. The device doesn’t add much, maybe because the first part is so strong, and Havelin never reaches this same level in the following sections. Moreover, except for Laura, the other characters aren’t much developed and their time in the narrative isn’t much to allow them to leave any impression on us.
On the other hand, this is a very pertinent novel for our times, when the female body is a field where narratives are in dispute. It is a book that gives women the power over their bodies. It is a novel about pain with sound, fury and tenderness. Havelin screams as loud as she can about her character’s pain and condition, and this tells a lot about our times. The need for scream is a symptomatic of our present, especially when it comes from a woman who needs to regain power over her body.
March 18, 2024
Understandably this book (about a woman's chronic pain and the struggle to get family, friends and strangers to recognise/understand her disability) is quite a depressing read, but there was also lots I loved about it!!
I love love loved the structure (every chapter jumps back in time a few years) - you see Laura becoming somewhat healthier and more hopeful for the future as the book goes on, and you keep remembering these are younger versions of herself. BUT it's not actually that simple a trajectory - interesting central question of the ways disability and circumstance interact.
I also really liked the moments when Havelin links disability, womanhood and queerness as 'things you shouldn't make a fuss about' but it was quite brief and I would have loved some more. Also didn't really understand her trajectory of queerness being suppressed by her chronic pain and disability, it was implied but never really addressed.
Only giving it 3 stars but would actually really recommend? Idk
I love love loved the structure (every chapter jumps back in time a few years) - you see Laura becoming somewhat healthier and more hopeful for the future as the book goes on, and you keep remembering these are younger versions of herself. BUT it's not actually that simple a trajectory - interesting central question of the ways disability and circumstance interact.
I also really liked the moments when Havelin links disability, womanhood and queerness as 'things you shouldn't make a fuss about' but it was quite brief and I would have loved some more. Also didn't really understand her trajectory of queerness being suppressed by her chronic pain and disability, it was implied but never really addressed.
Only giving it 3 stars but would actually really recommend? Idk
May 31, 2019
Laura Fjellstad, born in Norway, is plagued with medical problems from birth. She is diagnosed very early with hypersensitive allergies to many triggers in her environment, including many different foodstuffs. Her parents are both medical professionals and seem consumed with the need to ensure that their family lives as normal a life as possible, despite Laura's medical issues.
Laura yearns for a sympathetic home life, with parents who would make her feel safe and cherished, but instead she settles into a routine where it seems impossible to make a fuss and simply accepts everything that her many medical visits throw at her without complaint. She becomes used to seeming compliant on the surface, while her emotions are churning underneath the surface.
Laura's one solace is figure skating, which makes her feel strong and free.
Not content with subjecting Laura to the many limitations placed on her due to her allergies, Life has another curve-ball to throw her - after years of unexplained pain, Laura is diagnosed with severe endometriosis - so severe that many of her organs are fused and she requires urgent and extensive surgery to try to mediate the effects of this debilitating condition.
Laura becomes consigned to a life of chronic pain and must try to life as normal a life as she can with the limitations of her condition.
This is an unusual book in that it is written in reverse chronology. When we first meet Laura, she is in her thirties and living in New York. She is divorced and a single parent to a young daughter. Life is hard for Laura, living with chronic pain and exhaustion, while trying to be a good mother to her daughter. This sometimes seems an impossible task, but being a mother carries responsibilities that cannot be ignored. Laura must carry on for the sake of the daughter she thought she might never have.
The book then jumps back in time to describe other events in Laura's life, through her eyes - such as meeting her husband; first coming to New York; her past relationships (with both men and women); and the crushing diagnosis that changes the course of her life - all the way back to her childhood days of freedom on the ice. The text is interspersed with technical descriptions of jumps and spins from figure skating, like some sort of totem.
This book is understandably stark, but not depressing. Although it is sad to end the novel on the thoughts and dreams of the fifteen year old Laura.
Laura comes to realise that she can lead the kind of life she wants is to, although it will certainly not be easy. Her inner strength is unfathomable and although she thinks she may break at many points in this story, she does not. This is a story of incredible success against the odds - of being able to do the kinds of things you thought were denied to you, simply by being brave enough to give it a try.
Living with chronic pain is not a picnic. Parts of this book are necessarily distressing, raw and full of painful emotions. You do not need to be a sufferer of endometriosis to feel a connection with Laura's story. This will resonate with anyone who has suffered from a painful chronic condition or disability, especially the feelings of invisibility and powerlessness.
In Laura's case, she finds her way by doing things on her own, and moving away from her childhood home. There are two very strong reasons why she chooses this - firstly, she cannot deal with the guilt she feels at putting someone she loves through the experience of dealing with her illness (and so leaves her first love Kjetil behind, eventhough she knows he loves her); and secondly, because she needs to make a clean break from her past, and to live somewhere everyone she meets does not associate her with her illness. She finds her strength by relying on herself and throwing away the requirement to remain compliant.
There are lots of questions raised by this book and it is one you will find yourself thinking about a lot, after you have read it - which you must certainly do! It left me thinking a lot about compassion and whether this is something infinite, or whether those close to someone living with a chronic condition can suffer from compassion fatigue - like Laura's family and some of her friends. The sufferer does not chose to suffer, but it seems that sometimes those closest to them feel unable to forgive them for being ill, even though they love each other very much.
Ultimately, this is a powerful and intimate account of finding the your place in the world, despite tremendous adversity. It is about relationships; our connections with people; inner strength; hope; and the rewards gained from living our life the best way you can.
Thank you Karen Havelin and Dead Ink for this moving story.
Laura yearns for a sympathetic home life, with parents who would make her feel safe and cherished, but instead she settles into a routine where it seems impossible to make a fuss and simply accepts everything that her many medical visits throw at her without complaint. She becomes used to seeming compliant on the surface, while her emotions are churning underneath the surface.
Laura's one solace is figure skating, which makes her feel strong and free.
Not content with subjecting Laura to the many limitations placed on her due to her allergies, Life has another curve-ball to throw her - after years of unexplained pain, Laura is diagnosed with severe endometriosis - so severe that many of her organs are fused and she requires urgent and extensive surgery to try to mediate the effects of this debilitating condition.
Laura becomes consigned to a life of chronic pain and must try to life as normal a life as she can with the limitations of her condition.
This is an unusual book in that it is written in reverse chronology. When we first meet Laura, she is in her thirties and living in New York. She is divorced and a single parent to a young daughter. Life is hard for Laura, living with chronic pain and exhaustion, while trying to be a good mother to her daughter. This sometimes seems an impossible task, but being a mother carries responsibilities that cannot be ignored. Laura must carry on for the sake of the daughter she thought she might never have.
The book then jumps back in time to describe other events in Laura's life, through her eyes - such as meeting her husband; first coming to New York; her past relationships (with both men and women); and the crushing diagnosis that changes the course of her life - all the way back to her childhood days of freedom on the ice. The text is interspersed with technical descriptions of jumps and spins from figure skating, like some sort of totem.
This book is understandably stark, but not depressing. Although it is sad to end the novel on the thoughts and dreams of the fifteen year old Laura.
Laura comes to realise that she can lead the kind of life she wants is to, although it will certainly not be easy. Her inner strength is unfathomable and although she thinks she may break at many points in this story, she does not. This is a story of incredible success against the odds - of being able to do the kinds of things you thought were denied to you, simply by being brave enough to give it a try.
Living with chronic pain is not a picnic. Parts of this book are necessarily distressing, raw and full of painful emotions. You do not need to be a sufferer of endometriosis to feel a connection with Laura's story. This will resonate with anyone who has suffered from a painful chronic condition or disability, especially the feelings of invisibility and powerlessness.
In Laura's case, she finds her way by doing things on her own, and moving away from her childhood home. There are two very strong reasons why she chooses this - firstly, she cannot deal with the guilt she feels at putting someone she loves through the experience of dealing with her illness (and so leaves her first love Kjetil behind, eventhough she knows he loves her); and secondly, because she needs to make a clean break from her past, and to live somewhere everyone she meets does not associate her with her illness. She finds her strength by relying on herself and throwing away the requirement to remain compliant.
There are lots of questions raised by this book and it is one you will find yourself thinking about a lot, after you have read it - which you must certainly do! It left me thinking a lot about compassion and whether this is something infinite, or whether those close to someone living with a chronic condition can suffer from compassion fatigue - like Laura's family and some of her friends. The sufferer does not chose to suffer, but it seems that sometimes those closest to them feel unable to forgive them for being ill, even though they love each other very much.
Ultimately, this is a powerful and intimate account of finding the your place in the world, despite tremendous adversity. It is about relationships; our connections with people; inner strength; hope; and the rewards gained from living our life the best way you can.
Thank you Karen Havelin and Dead Ink for this moving story.
December 30, 2019
With the benefit of hindsight, it was a mistake to read a novel about the misery of chronic pain caused by endometriosis while having a painful period. ‘Please Read this Leaflet Carefully’ is evocative and visceral enough to make me paranoid that my periods could one day become that bad. Mercifully they aren’t, but they make me feel like shit for a few days a month and I am a hypochondriac. If you have periods that you hate, don’t read this during one of them as it will not help with morale. Nonetheless, I recommend ‘Please Read this Leaflet Carefully’ as it is an excellent novel on a topic very often brushed aside in literature. It was the title that initially drew my attention, a phrase repeated on every medication to the point of meaninglessness. Although the book is fiction, I cannot help but suppose it is based at least in part on personal experience. Despite the bald statement ‘This is a work of fiction,’ on the copyright page, I found it shelved with non-fiction in the library.
The narrative proceeds backwards in time, tracing the life of Laura Fjellstad and showing how it has been shaped by chronic illness. It’s an interesting and original choice to go backwards in this way and works rather well. I thought the inclusion of little ice skating descriptions did not add much, however I found the first person voice moving and powerful. Havelin conveys the intricacies of living with intractable pain in deceptively simple phrases:
The writing style conveys embodiedness, and the suffering this can entail, exceptionally well. I recall a Guardian review seeming a little baffled that the book is just about pain. Yet that is a complex and fascinating topic to write about, one that Havelin does justice to. I particularly appreciated her depiction of anger - which had a markedly similar tone to The New Me:
As an accompaniment to this sense of being in an untrustworthy body, Havelin demonstrates the difficulties of communication with healthy people, who may be sympathetic in theory but can easily be carelessly callous. I can’t recall any other literary fiction dealing with this theme so adeptly. 'Please Read this Leaflet Carefully' is readable and compelling throughout. The blurb recommends reading it all in one go and I concur.
The narrative proceeds backwards in time, tracing the life of Laura Fjellstad and showing how it has been shaped by chronic illness. It’s an interesting and original choice to go backwards in this way and works rather well. I thought the inclusion of little ice skating descriptions did not add much, however I found the first person voice moving and powerful. Havelin conveys the intricacies of living with intractable pain in deceptively simple phrases:
Even as I get through the week and the pain slowly eases, I can’t stop thinking of how things could go wrong. The fragile structures of our hopes and how unnecessarily thoroughly they’re struck down. Our dreams could be wrecked a lot more easily anyway, with just a change in the air and light. The smallness of what we need - one more day of safety, another day of touching and talking to the people in our lives as if we have all the time in the world.
The writing style conveys embodiedness, and the suffering this can entail, exceptionally well. I recall a Guardian review seeming a little baffled that the book is just about pain. Yet that is a complex and fascinating topic to write about, one that Havelin does justice to. I particularly appreciated her depiction of anger - which had a markedly similar tone to The New Me:
I just need one problem to be solved, or at least have its skin broken before I can deal with the rest. Instead, more and more weigh down on me. I just need one good day to sit down, put them on the table, and look at them separately, with a clear eye and solve each problem like a puzzle, maybe even find something that could help several at once. Something that won’t make the digestive problems worse, that won’t make me throw up, or feel dizzier or give me headaches, because all those symptoms are past capacity.
There must be something I can do, some sort of penitence, or level of enlightenment I can ascend to. I can give up ever eating anything tasty again, no problem, eating has already become a chore for nine months. I can exercise and take every kind of vitamin, mineral, or supplement under the sun. I can do without working, without going out, drinking, even without friends. [...]
If only I didn’t have to take quite so many painkillers, I could think a little straighter and find a way to live with it. If only I could sleep. If only I could have one doctor-free day. If only I didn’t have to spend all my energy on dressing, showering, keeping food down, getting the minimum done. If I didn’t have to get these injections that sit like an enormous wasp’s sting under the skin, if I could at least take medications that didn’t worsen each other’s side effects, as if someone had worked it out like that on purpose. If only I could think clearly for five minutes.
As an accompaniment to this sense of being in an untrustworthy body, Havelin demonstrates the difficulties of communication with healthy people, who may be sympathetic in theory but can easily be carelessly callous. I can’t recall any other literary fiction dealing with this theme so adeptly. 'Please Read this Leaflet Carefully' is readable and compelling throughout. The blurb recommends reading it all in one go and I concur.
October 24, 2019
It's hard for me to divorce my response to this book from the ways in which it reflects my personal experiences. I do not have endometriosis, but I deal daily with chronic pain, and many parts of this book put into words feelings that I have, until now, been unable to verbalise. Karen Havelin is a Norwegian writer, and her protagonist, Laura, is also from Norway, thought, at the beginning of the book, is living in New York with her young daughter. This story is told backwards, beginning in 2016 and ending in 1995: this is a device I don't usually have a lot of time for, but Havelin makes it work. At the beginning, we see how much Laura struggles to balance work along with caring for her daughter and coping with her chronic illness, and how her illness has impacted on her relationships. By going backwards, we see how much better her life has become, and how deeply it will always be impacted by her disability. I think the device of beginning at a time when Laura is doing relatively well is clever, because it points out that the "normal" for someone with a chronic illness is very different from other people's normal, as well as demonstrating that Laura's life will inevitably be marked by good and bad periods. I found reading this book incredibly validating: Havelin expresses so many things I have felt, and makes me realise the burden of internalised ableism and stigma that I carry around. Some passages felt so apt that they made me well up. It's a searing, compelling and moving book -- I highly recommend it if you are disabled, and hope that some abled people will pick it up as well.
August 29, 2019
Whilst fairly well-written and a subject that I’m definitely much in need of being educated on, I felt like the fact that it was backwards didn’t seem to justify itself. It was unusual and not badly done, but I just don’t think I got as much out of it as I would have done if we started at the beginning.
Edit: On further reflection, having it backwards not only lends nothing to the story but actively removes some of the emotional impact. I'm pretty sure this only made the 'not the booker' list because it's Dead Ink. Next year I think I'll make a point of reading all the other books that made the shortlist instead.
Edit: On further reflection, having it backwards not only lends nothing to the story but actively removes some of the emotional impact. I'm pretty sure this only made the 'not the booker' list because it's Dead Ink. Next year I think I'll make a point of reading all the other books that made the shortlist instead.
September 11, 2019
I will forever be grateful for this book and how it explains and exemplifies chronic illness so perfectly in a raw and honest way, but with all the hope and optimism it can bring alongside loneliness and pain. Since getting sick last year, I have yet to find another book like this that makes my experiences feel shared instead of alienating. Thank you Karen Havelin for making your and our story accessible to everyone.
January 24, 2020
i finished this in the midst of a wave of chronic pain i’ve not experienced for a while, which meant the book as a whole hit far closer to home than i could ever have anticipated going in. i essentially underlined every other paragraph; small relatable pockets on every single page. i wish i’d had this book eighteen months ago.
‘i hold all the unthinkable truths about my body and life in my head, untouched, waiting for a time when it will be possible to look at them.’
‘i hold all the unthinkable truths about my body and life in my head, untouched, waiting for a time when it will be possible to look at them.’
August 18, 2019
This was a good book but it just wasn’t for me. I loved the concept and how it explored the female body in pain, and the complexities of this, but I felt like the structure was a bit strange and didn’t help to convey the anguish of the story.
I think many women would really benefit from reading this book though, as it is really honest about the fragility of the female body.
I think many women would really benefit from reading this book though, as it is really honest about the fragility of the female body.
August 29, 2019
Hjerteskjærende gjenkjennelig. Om å være kronisk sjuk. Om å være kvinne og kronisk sjuk. Om å være usynlig sjuk. Gråt meg gjennom denne ærlige, vakre, sarte, styrkende og tidvis brutale beretningen. Viktig stemme, viktig bok!
April 15, 2025
A moving portrait of chronic pain as we move through our narrator, Laura's, life in reverse chronology . It was an interesting way to show how chronic pain, in this case endometriosis, severe allergies, and asthma, shapes a person's life, mind, and body. And how freaking hard it is to get anyone to take it seriously!!!
My journey with endometriosis has been much less severe than Laura's, and Please Read This Leaflet Carefully has given me more insight to just how disabling of a condition it can be. Despite having lost 10+ years to the intermittent pain, I have never wanted to acknowledge it as much of a burden that it is. Laura goes through very similar issues, as most chronic pain havers do. The lack of agency and acknowledgement that we have from outsiders is often isolating. People who believe it is not as bad as we say it is, or that it is in our head leads to alienation of our loved ones as we work up the courage to ask for support and care. Pain is a hard thing to quantify, and especially as AFAB people having issues regarding our uterus', it's almost impossible to be taken seriously. A very touching portion of the book is when Laura meets another woman with chronic pain, and although they do not discuss it- there is a mutual unspoken recognition of self between the two.
Please Read This Leaflet Carefully also follows Laura's journey with her sexuality, serving as a parallel of the misunderstood and marginalized. Taking an interesting and thoughtful tour into the AIDs crisis and the loneliness of the young people who fell victims to the disease.
The reverse chronology was hard for me. I appreciate it as a literary tool, but it made it hard for me to find a reason to keep reading. I already know how the story ends. But the insights that it gave were appreciated. I also had an issue with Havelin making sure we knew that Laura was very skinny and pretty. All the time. I believe it was supposed to bring to mind the idea of the emaciated infirmed, but it kind of just felt off. Especially since I know plenty of chronically ill people (myself included) who are not stick skinny.
"It's crystal clear to me that no one wants to hear about it, but I will never finish needing to tell how much it hurts, how bad it is."
My journey with endometriosis has been much less severe than Laura's, and Please Read This Leaflet Carefully has given me more insight to just how disabling of a condition it can be. Despite having lost 10+ years to the intermittent pain, I have never wanted to acknowledge it as much of a burden that it is. Laura goes through very similar issues, as most chronic pain havers do. The lack of agency and acknowledgement that we have from outsiders is often isolating. People who believe it is not as bad as we say it is, or that it is in our head leads to alienation of our loved ones as we work up the courage to ask for support and care. Pain is a hard thing to quantify, and especially as AFAB people having issues regarding our uterus', it's almost impossible to be taken seriously. A very touching portion of the book is when Laura meets another woman with chronic pain, and although they do not discuss it- there is a mutual unspoken recognition of self between the two.
"My mother thinks I don't want people to feel sorry for me, but I do. I can't remember ever wishing there was less pity."
Please Read This Leaflet Carefully also follows Laura's journey with her sexuality, serving as a parallel of the misunderstood and marginalized. Taking an interesting and thoughtful tour into the AIDs crisis and the loneliness of the young people who fell victims to the disease.
"I didn't invent the difficulty of depending on people. It's not a personality flaw of mine. The message is everywhere. The air is saturated with it -- independence and strength and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps (an image that is by its very nature impossible.)"
The reverse chronology was hard for me. I appreciate it as a literary tool, but it made it hard for me to find a reason to keep reading. I already know how the story ends. But the insights that it gave were appreciated. I also had an issue with Havelin making sure we knew that Laura was very skinny and pretty. All the time. I believe it was supposed to bring to mind the idea of the emaciated infirmed, but it kind of just felt off. Especially since I know plenty of chronically ill people (myself included) who are not stick skinny.
April 3, 2019
Please Read This Leaflet Carefully is a novel about chronic illness told in reverse, a powerful look at different versions of a self and how illness can be told. Laura has dealt with a catalogue of health issues including severe allergies and was diagnosed with endometriosis in her twenties. The novel opens with her as a young mother in New York City, battling for the energy to keep her life in balance and look after her daughter. The narrative then travels backwards, charting the changes in her health and her life as she grows up and moves abroad, heading towards her growing up in Norway constantly in and out of hospital and doctor's appointments.
The novel is a moving one, with detailed descriptions of the way pain affects her life when it is happening and also when it isn't as severe. Laura is plagued by the memories and remembered sensations of her hospital trips and operations throughout her life, and the structure of the novel allows for these hauntings to come before the events themselves. There is a kind of backwards inevitability, knowing that Laura does become someone she might not have thought she ever could but also that she will continue to be ill and continue to face the realities of medical care. Also notable is the way the novel also focuses on other areas of her life—relationships and divorce, sexuality, career and education—but weaves in the ways in which these are all affected and complicated by chronic illness.
Havelin has written a novel with a powerful depiction of chronic illness, using a distinctive structure to tell this story. Memorable and detailed, it will make people regardless of their own medical conditions and history think about their relationship with their body and its limitations.
The novel is a moving one, with detailed descriptions of the way pain affects her life when it is happening and also when it isn't as severe. Laura is plagued by the memories and remembered sensations of her hospital trips and operations throughout her life, and the structure of the novel allows for these hauntings to come before the events themselves. There is a kind of backwards inevitability, knowing that Laura does become someone she might not have thought she ever could but also that she will continue to be ill and continue to face the realities of medical care. Also notable is the way the novel also focuses on other areas of her life—relationships and divorce, sexuality, career and education—but weaves in the ways in which these are all affected and complicated by chronic illness.
Havelin has written a novel with a powerful depiction of chronic illness, using a distinctive structure to tell this story. Memorable and detailed, it will make people regardless of their own medical conditions and history think about their relationship with their body and its limitations.
July 4, 2019
This book arrived on my doorstep today, I finished reading it today and I can't wait to read it again. Some of the passages were so accurate it was like reading my own thought processes. It's impossible for me to guess what someone who has less experience of chronic illness/pain would make of this book. For me though there were phrases and descriptions on every other page that resonated deeply.
I loved the way the book was written in reverse chronological order. It actually made me feel very hopeful. The main character Laura has been through so much but knowing where she ends up from the beginning was a constant comfort to me.
Obviously approach with caution if you have mental health triggers around endometriosis and descriptions of dealings with doctors. I was unsure if I would be distressed by events in the book but I was not at all. I actually found it comforting that they were dealt with in a way I could relate to and they were not overly dramatised.
I loved this book. I felt when I was reading it that it had been written just for me and that was a very wonderful feeling to have.
I loved the way the book was written in reverse chronological order. It actually made me feel very hopeful. The main character Laura has been through so much but knowing where she ends up from the beginning was a constant comfort to me.
Obviously approach with caution if you have mental health triggers around endometriosis and descriptions of dealings with doctors. I was unsure if I would be distressed by events in the book but I was not at all. I actually found it comforting that they were dealt with in a way I could relate to and they were not overly dramatised.
I loved this book. I felt when I was reading it that it had been written just for me and that was a very wonderful feeling to have.
December 1, 2019
Here's the thing: This book is brilliantly written and has some insightful observations, even life-changing, I dare to say. There are some realizations about both pain and human relations that everyone could benefit from reading, and I think it's necessary she is writing about pain in such a way. That said, of course, it wasn't a pleasant read. I've been postponing it for weeks, reading just a few pages at a time, until today, when I decided to finish the remaining 60% in one go. My body hurts now. It is the least we can do, as an audience, to read it and acknowledge her pain: she's the one suffering it. I do not suffer from chronic pain, but I've had my share of going in an out of hospital, of invasive tests, treatments, and hospitalizations--some of the things she describes (I am not ready to tell which exactly) I have lived through and I think maybe it's because of that that I had such a hard time with it. My jaw is hurting from how tense I've become and my arms feel icky as if had been administered treatment just a couple of hours ago. I need something happy now to make my body feel normal again, I think.
September 13, 2019
3.5. Well-written and interesting, but quite depressing. It was different to start at the present and travel backward through Laura's life and chronic illness. The medical industry can be quite unforgiving, and her parents' stoicism was a whole different flavor of awful. To be in such pain, and not permitted to acknowledge it - awful.
July 13, 2020
A really well-written, well-constructed literary novel with the intensity of a memoir. It captures the traumatizing experience of surviving a lot of medical procedures in childhood and young adulthood, trying to come of age while your body keeps attacking you, and of being disabled when you don't look disabled. I also enjoyed reading various insights about Americans from this Norwegian writer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews