Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
This book is an illustrated memoir dealing with the period of time during which the author served as care giver to her parents, seeing both of them through to their deaths. Still aching from having been my father's caregiver for the last year of his life (in 2010), I snatched this book right up and read it from cover to cover in a few hours. The author is a New Yorker cartoonist and much of this book is written in cartoon format so it is an easy read. And while the author's personal history was nothing like my own and though her parents were nothing like my own, I identified with every word she wrote. I specifically loved the photos she included of what she found when she "began the massive, deeply weird, and heartbreaking job of going through [her] parents' possessions." Those pictures were worth much, much more than a thousand words. And really, why were there "So-o-o-o-o many pencils!!!!!!"I also loved this confession she made early on in her journey, the same one I made early on in mine, "Any Florence Nightingale-type visions I ever had of myself - an unselfish, patient, sweet, caring child who happily tended to her parents in their old age - were destroyed within an hour or so."Care giving is an awful job, yet Roz Chast manages to talk about it...pleasantly. One of the best uses of a graphic novel format that I've seen. I suppose it helps that Roz Chast is a professional cartoonist (there may be a more dignified term, just not as apt).She covers the same terrain that I have explored recently because of my own particular situations with caregiving and aging, but in a wonderful way. The format lends itself to discussing VERY UNPLEASANT topics - dementia, frailty, and god help us, money - in a way that is instantly identifiable (is that even a word??).Very tough terrain, no excusing herself, but also forgiving herself, I think. Perhaps I'm projecting here....At any rate, can be read in an afternoon, and if you are struggling with these issues, very helpful.
What do You think about Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? (2014)?
Probably the most pleasant way of thinking about one of the most unpleasant things
—Nina
We rarely talk about end-of-life care, and when we do, seldom so frankly.
—Mela
Excellent story of caring for aging parents.
—Daphne
Wow! I'm glad I didn't have her parents.
—Angiexo92
