It's hard to separate the contents of this book from the circumstances in which it was written. Trapped in an increasingly immobile body, Judt composed stories (essays, really) at night to keep his mind occupied and to divert his attention from the fact that he simply couldn't move. That struggle to maintain sanity runs through the whole book and starts the whole thing off on a somber note.And yet, I found myself frequently smiling and even laughing as I read this. This isn't a matter of a saccharine 'triumph of the human spirit'. Judt was dying as he wrote this and you never forget that as a reader. What brought joy to me as a reader was Judt's ability to spin elaborate webs of meaning from the most mundane details: a sketch of the history of London that begins the color of the bus he took to school as a child is particularly memorable. Judt's writing on trains is worth the price of admission alone as far as I'm concerned - it's telling that his idea of paradise is riding a funicular up to an isolated Swiss village. Along the way, Judt offers insights on class, 1968, the problems with French intellectuals, Zionism, food, religious identity...I'm the ideal reader for this book in many ways: an Jew who has spent substantial time in England, a historian of Europe who studied at Cambridge, a devotee of public transportation. But there's something in this for everyone who has ever looked back on their life and tried to make sense of it all. Well written memior of a man dying of ALS. Interesting essays on various points in his life. In some ways hard to follow because some of the essays were written for other things and repurposed here, so chronology can be a bit of a challenge to keep straight (not that it matters that much). I probably would have gotten more out of it had I grown up in his era or had any of the experiences he did in common, but still it was an interesting read. The first essay had a bit much of the woe is me (though to be fair he was in a tough situation), but after that it wasn't really focused on. Not sure I'll read it again, but I'm glad I did read it.
What do You think about The Memory Chalet (2010)?
Funny, moving and deeply interesting memories written in very difficult circumstances
—Shjoon
Excellent -- if I was to write a memoir , this is the format and style I would use.
—Navya
Poignant deathbed memoir by the late, great Tony Judt.
—MaddyKatniss
