Memoirs often chronicle extraordinary lives, with stories of survival through trauma, abusive childhoods, or horrific accidents. While they may make for intense and intriguing reads, these memoirs often offer little with which the average reader can relate. Melanie Gideon’s memoir, The Slippery Year, falls in a different category, though, and I found myself tagging passages that made me think about my own personal life.
When I say this is a memoir about an ordinary life, I don’t mean any disrespect to the author. In fact, that’s what I found to be this memoir’s greatest strength- its reflections on the parts of life that are so common are what drew me in. In her forties, Gideon has a nine year old son and a long marriage to her husband, who even still leaves her love notes. But even with all appearances of happiness, Gideon begins to question if what she’s experiencing really is “the happily ever after” life has to offer.
She ponders what it means to begin to let go as one’s children get older, and she wonders about the effects of having children on the intimacy in marriage. With stories about the mundane parts of life– trying to find a mattress that satisfies both her and her husband, bringing her son to sleep-away camp– she brings up the big topics that we all think about. Ultimately, these passages summed up, for me, what she was trying to get to. In reference to our marriages:
We are all so curious, hungry for the truth. If only we could ask the questions we really want to ask of each other and get the real answers. Like how many times a month do you have sex? What prescription drugs are you on? Are you happy? Really happy? Happy enough?”
And when observing her younger sister at ease juggling her three children, serving homemade granola, and not breaking a sweat:
Is this what a normal family looks like? Maybe this is what every woman does when in the presence of another family. She rates her happiness, her irritations– the richness of her life– her joy.”
I’ve read some more critical reviews that contend that the author is self-absorbed and ungrateful for the positive aspects of her life. My reaction was quite different however, for I can understand having both gratitude and questions. I took her reflections as less of an expression of her discounting her blessings, but more of a brave announcement of the darker thoughts we have at times that we may not always be willing to share.
I would recommend The Slippery Year as the type of memoir that touches upon the “mid-life” thoughts that some of us are having, even if we’re not writing our own memoirs.
Dawn’s not-so-deep thoughts about marriage and motherhood are on full display on her blog, my thoughts exactly.
This sounds like an interesting book. I love memoirs about “average” lives. I think they sometimes have even more to say than those whose lives are lived extraordinarily.
I agree, Kate. These types of memoirs are certainly ones that I can relate to more personally than those about extraordinary experiences. 🙂
Interesting. I agree that memoir is usually interesting because it’s something that we are not familiar with, but a good thoughtful memoir that is about what we do experience can be wonderful. Glad you liked this one.