So Sad Today: Personal Essays

This book feels unedited, and I mean that in the best possible way. That quality is what makes Broder's book stand out among contemporary memoirs. There's a quality of raw, unfiltered emotions on the pages; essays vary in length and format, according to how Broder wants to express a particular feeling. There's no aim for resolution, no self-congratulation for overcoming hurdles. Not many people can admit how sad they are today with this kind of candor.

So Sad Today by Melissa Broder is collection of longer personal essays that are at times dark, funny, uncomfortable but ultimately REAL. While on a superficial level some of the topics may not seem to be speaking of much, but look a little deeper and you'll see she's talking about the bigger, more difficult concepts such as morality and identity. Some of these essays I feel as though I could have written myself and it was so comforting to know I'm not alone. The others were interesting even though I couldn't make a personal connection to them via my life. This book is an honest portrait of what it's like to be alive in these times, especially if you've every suffered from depression, anxiety, codependence or many other forms of mental show more illness.

Thank you Melissa Broder for this personal, raw look in to life behind the scenes, for discussing the topics others may not be brave enough to approach. show less

before i started this i had no clue what this book was about and i did not know who the author was.. Melissa Broder wrote Milkfed?! and Death Valley?! and The Pisces?! what??! i truly thought this was a newly released book.. it was published in 2016. there are things in this book that i have never thought about. she was saying things i would be embarrassed to say out loud and she shared them to the whole world! the things Melissa Broder shares in these essays.. it's a memoir like no other memoir i’ve read in my life. ALL OF THIS IN A GOOD WAY! these essays are soooooo personal. they are raw and bold and brave. i read a review that said, "I never knew one person had so much to say about themselves." they're not wrong as here's almost show more everything Melissa Broder talks about: chakras, tantra sex, evening sex on the Golden Gate Bridge, her eating disorders, mental disorders, communication, massage, rebirthing experiences, sacred dance, anti-age choices, body image, bravery, work, workshops, getting paid for sex, New York and San Francisco comparisons, 3 hour vaginal massages, men, women, sexuality of every kind, feminism, marriage, wine, weed, coke, food, money, self-worth, anxiety, addiction, recovery, depression, love, infatuation, therapy. turn ons, turn offs, porn, escapes, feeling about everything under the sun, vomiting, Wellbutrin, death, relationships of all kinds. this was a great book and i'm glad i read it show less

A couple friends recommended this book to me and I am so glad I read it. Melissa Broder got right to my feels many, many times. This book was laugh out loud funny (best sexts I have ever read) and at times, disarmingly and painfully honest. I devoured this book.

Melissa Broder’s writing is very unique. It is deeply personal and raw. Honestly, I can feel the emotions in every word. The narration is so light, funny even, but at the same time it also has a very melancholic and devastating turn, so beware.

I know I should not be speaking finality, but I think I already read the book that can really justify my whole year of reading and my life all at once. I mean, this book essay might be full of narratives about sex, alcohol, drugs, failed love, but this also makes me contemplate my existence, my life decisions, my everything actually. I actually am crying while questioning myself why am I even in the world in the first place? I did a lot of contemplating after I finished this. It’s very good. show more It kind of devastated my existence the whole time I am reading this, but at the end, it just proves me how an earnest work, even how brutal and dispiriting it might be, can still uplift its readers somehow on the end. This book is so sad. *winks* It’s very depressing, but it is more than that.

I highly recommend this book to you guys. I swear to all the sad people out there, IT WON’T FAIL. show less

Like the blurb by Roxane Gay mentions, So Sad Today is an uncomfortable read. It's honest and feels raw. I was comforted by it sometimes because I would say to myself "well, I'm not that bad". Then I would read something I related to and my anxiety would spike.

I'm glad I read it because i feel that we need to talk openly about mental health issues. However, Melissa Broder's essays are also a reminder that mental health issues vary widely and not all treatment options work for everybody.

So Sad Today had me reading through my fingers covering my face. I was intrigued, horrified, but yet felt confided in by someone who was just like any other normal person. The only difference was she has the balls to write it down, not just speak the truth.

These essays are different and compelling. I haven't read anything else like this and doubt I will.