The Camera My Mother Gave Me

Well, this is truly something completely different from anything I've read recently. The author's vagina hurts. That's what this book is about.

She goes to several doctors, tries biofeedback, antidepressants, creams, and alternative health treatments -- nothing works. And this affects her relationship with her live-in boyfriend. It also affects her perception of herself.

Susanna Kaysen is a good writer who managed to keep me interested in her plight. Her frustration and suffering come through without being overwhelmingly depressing; in fact, the book was funny at times.

And, in the end, she still has a sore vagina. It's better, but not "cured". And learning to live with imperfections and suffering is something we all have to do.

I picked this book up at a YMCA book fair. That is the good news ... what little I paid for it went to a good cause. An entire book about your painful vagina? Or is it about your neurosis?

The other fortunate news is I read the book while waiting for an appointment. Rather than reading this painful memoir I should have picked up one of the out-of-date magazines in the waiting room.

Do not waste your time.

All I really have to say about this book is that it is a very acquired taste (which almost made me gag to type that phrase..).

Kaysen is a decent writer but seems like she would be really miserable to know in person, so I'll just continue to be grateful that I only know her through her words.

Fair warning to everyone: Always read the inside jacket description before you purchase a book. This title is very misleading.. ;)

It's about her downtown lady parts

Not sure how the title of this book matches the content but it's probably not a great book for a guy to read. Unless of course you want 150+ pages of reading about a women's problems with her vagina. In some respects it's probably good to know the issues. The book is about Susanna Kaysen and her struggle when sexual pleasure is replaced with chronic pain. The real issue is all the frustration she endures in trying to identify the cause of the pain. From several Physicians to acupuncture and new wave healing. The other struggle is trying to please her boyfriend who wants to be compassionate but is overcome with his sexual desires. Interesting book.

It wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. Pretty dark in comedy but it was nicely written nonetheless.

All about Susanna Kaysen's vagina. It hurt, she saw a lot of doctors and other experts, nothing helped, her identity was threatened because for her sex is life, her boyfriend kept nagging for sex, they broke up and she missed him, she fell in love with somebody else who didn't love her, she can't get over how her vagina could be mistaken about somebody. That's about it.

As someone with my own sexual issues I was expecting to like this but it was a meaningless bore.

I've only read two books by Miss. Kaysen and I think I will read her other books someday. I will say I did not like this one as much as the first 'Girl Interrupted' but I am willing to give her other books a chance.