Read at a pivotal time in my life - gave me the courage to leave.

One of those books that nobody recommended to me, nor did I know about it from reviews. I simply read the opening lines and bought it. When I was younger, one of my favorite authors was Jong--wonderfully frank, funny and witty. No wonder HEnry Miller liked her!

so boring

Well written view of a modern woman.

How to Save Your Own Life isn't so much a book as it a perspective, an anecdote of life in another time. Tear apart all your relationships and lay them on on the table for everyone to see and you might have something close to the equivalent.

"Where do you feel love? In the chest, as the straining of the heart against the rib cage? In the fingers, as if the blood were reaching out beyond the skin? For me love had always been a battle-a battle with myself-or with a male adversary. A battle not to care too much, or not to show I cared. A battle against my own cynicism-or my own naivete. Somthing was different here. I felt at home. This was no adversary, no opponent, no tyrant, no bully, and no victim either. This was my brother, my other half."

I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel--I wasn't expecting it to be so timeless and relevant. Sure, it is dated, but not in ways that are important. Jong uses some wonderful quotes and provides plenty of insight and food for thought.

This is a novel about how she finally gets out of a hideous relationship, and about her other friendships and romances, as well. She writes a lot about the various forms of jealousy which had been so much on her mind.

"Jealousy is all the fun you think they had..." Jealousy requires an imagination, sometimes a very productive one, and it can be dangerous and destructive. SO true. The novel contains plenty of professional jealousy, as well as the romantic type.

Most of all, though, Jong is communicating the idea that no matter how much it hurts, real love--not a relationship born out of seeking mere security, but unconditional, substantial love--is worth the risk of pain. It takes courage to reject cynicism and remain open-hearted.

Oh, and then there's a paragraph on p. 195 that shows Jong to be a true Bookcrosser!
"...Books go out into the world, travel mysteriously from hand to hand, and somehow find their way to the people who need them at the times when they need them. Josh had read my poems two years before because his parents and I had a friend in common and the books had been passed along. Cosmic forces guide such passings-along...The book propels itself from hand to hand by the tranmitted energy of the author's long-distance wishing. When you find a book in a rented beach house or the library of an old ocean liner, it is hardly by chance. The book is waiting there, waiting summer after salty summer, perhaps, to change your life...."

I got *really* into the Fear of Flying books in college.

Took a little longer to get into then fear of flying, but it became unputdownable! The orgy scene in particular! Amazing! The description of lesbian sex! Tit flapping hilarious!

Her honesty, as usual, is what makes her writing important.

Slow start, then it becomes more interesting as you read on. Very erotic and a good read for the beach.

I had a hard time reading this. Many times I thought i would stop. But for some reason I continued. I found her obsession with sex boring, and her overuse of sexual slang. I wish she had just once "made love." I also felt very sorry for her.

I thank Holli for this one. Loved this book.