She's Come Undone

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How did this book touch your life? Can you relate to it on any level? What do you believe is the message the author is trying to convey to the reader? Dolores is both adored and loathed for her unconventional appearance. How is body image treated in the novel and how does it affect Dolores' growth and placement in society? Is her problem with social assimilation unique to her experience or a symptom of our society's definition of beauty? Rebekah: "I was wondering if you were gonna say hello or keep ignoring me." Matt: "I was working. I see you compelled the bartenders again." Rebekah: "I'm celebrating. My brothers and I have parted company. Elijah and Nik ran off to New Orleans to chase God knows what, and I am finally free." Matt: "Yeah, I heard about that." Rebekah: "Did you hear I lost the cure, too? I was this close to the life that I always wanted and then poof, gone in a heartbeat." Matt: "I'm sorry. I know how much you wanted it." Rebekah: "Please. I know you were planning to steal it for Elena. I never had a chance did I?" Matt: "I meant what I said, but if you want to feel sorry for yourself, go ahead." Meet Dolores Price. She's 13, wise-mouthed but wounded, having bid her childhood goodbye. Beached like a whale in front of her bedroom TV, she spends the next few years nourishing herself with the Mallomars, potato chips, and Pepsi her anxious mother supplies. When she finally rolls into young womanhood at 257 pounds, Dolores is no stronger and life is no kinder. But this time she's determined to rise to the occasion and give herself one more chance before really going belly-up.

How is religion, particularly Catholicism, treated in the novel? Is it legitimate source of strength or simply another crutch to avoid dealing with the real problems in Dolores' family?Dolores Price is an amazing character. Unbelievable that she was created by a man, when she is so flawless, consistent and complete in being who she is. Death, in many forms, frequently occurs in the novel. What is the impact of death on Dolores and is she ever able to move beyond the initial tragedy of her baby brother's death? She’s Come Undone is the story of a troubled teenage girl growing into a woman, her struggles and the ways in which she decides to cope with them. She puts on a tough exterior but inside is as soft as the marshmallows she finds comfort in. I absolutely wanted to listen to it all in one sitting, it was that good. But I didn't opt for the abridged version, which I could have listened to in one sitting because I didn't want to miss any of the story. I'm glad I didn't. It was a book club selection, and I wanted to be able to fully participate in the discussion..

The good things I WILL say about this book is that his writing is always amazingly descriptive, his characters have depth and texture (if not believability) and his stories are epic. Here's a proposed smnooth jazz cover of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_gxQt-bhik&feature=player_embedded Dolores goes to live with her grandma, and all the girls in her new school absolutely hate her. Ma gets out of the hospital, and she's all liberated (flirty, bra showing, gets a job). Dolores hates her because (1) she's a teenager, (2) she wants attention, and (3) she's still mad that her dad left.

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Dolores Price is heartbroken when her father leaves her mother, Bernice, and their suburban home for another woman. Dolores and her mother must subsequently move into her overbearing grandmother's house in Easterly, Rhode Island. Here she attends a Catholic high school, and finds herself lonely and unable to fit into the established social hierarchy. After being raped by a neighbor who preys on her vulnerable state, Dolores turns to food and television for comfort. At first things were working out for her and it seemed she had the life she always longed for. We all know that it never happens that way, there is always a snafu, and things do go south for Dolores. But you know what, it just raises her higher. She finally finds herself and makes peace with her past.

I decided to read it because it kept featuring on lists of peoples favourite books, so I thought it would be a good story, alas, I was wrong!

Much of the attention of She's Come Undone has focused on a male writer's ability (or inability) to write authentically in the voice of a female character. What other male fiction writers of the present and/or the past have experimented with women's "voices'? What female writers have written in the voice of males? Is it appropriate for fiction writers to give themselves such "gender-bending" assignments? Is it politically correct? Is it a more socially acceptable task for writers of one gender than for the other? I know for other people the part of the plot revolving around her weight and the depiction of the lesbian character are what made this book off putting but I felt like the way people were treating Dolores because of her weight was pretty realistic especially for the time period its supposed to be happening in. I also didn't find Dottie to be some kind of predatory caricature, it felt like she was lonely and Dolores is the one who called her the night they have dinner at Dottie's place. I think that was a pretty nuanced depiction of how people who have been sexually assaulted before may end up in situations where they are likely to be coerced. She's Come Undone follows Dolores from early childhood as her father leaves her with her mentally ill mother, through college, up to her middle age.

If you were to take all the cliches' present in a difficult upbringing--physical and sexual abuse, sexual experimentation, growing up the fat kid, making continuous bad choices, demonizing men, dealing with someone with HIV, and then write a book with polarized characters who rarely find a common ground, you would end up with this book. The narrative of She's Come Undone is captivating and intense, making it a truly unforgettable read. I can see randomly running across a picture of someone you recognize from your past, but everything after that was completely unbelievable.At the time, we had completed and mastered The Wedding Album and had started the cover album Thank You. One day, we took the drum loop and bass groove from a demo of mine called “Face to Face” and added the ultra cool guitar riff that Warren had come up with for a new ‘cover’ version of “First Impression”. Dante Davis: Kippy's long-distance boyfriend, Dolores' college infatuation, and eventual first husband. So my first foray into the work of Wally Lamb was a huge success. Next up is I Know This Much Is True that I am reading with a Goodreads friend – can’t wait to dig in! Dolores had a crappy life. Her father who she loved walks out on Dolores and her mother. Mom has to work for the first time in her life and Dolores becomes a latchkey kid. She took solace in eating after she was horribly raped by a neighbor. She ate until she got really big. She ate to fill the hole inside of herself and to take away the pain. It didn't work. It wasn't so bad until her mother died, and it really went downhill.