How to Avoid a Happy Life by Julia Lawrinson is a memoir of her personal journey — her life so far. The genre is nonfiction and mental health.
It takes courage to write in such a factual and direct way about your life. Her memoir begins with her childhood, followed by her troubled teenage years, then into the present. At times it’s heartbreaking, but her resilience shines through.
Julia’s writing style is easy to read, as she retells her experiences with a touch of humour.
The chapter titles grab you and draw you in. To name a few, “Get Yourself Born into Intergenerational Misery.” “Marry Your Ex-Girlfriend’s Brother”. And “Find out Why Your Husband is Urinating in the Kitchen of an Evening.”
Certainly kept me interested!
Situations beyond Julia’s control have been thrust upon her, and her own choices have also impacted her life. To quote the author, “There have been many things that made my life worth living, in spite of the title of this memoir.”
There is a handy family tree at the front of the book, making it easier to work out who is who. The memoir is both devastating and entertaining. I found it moving, thought-provoking and at times relatable.
This is a book well worth reading. Julia has written several other successful books using her life experiences as a base. I will certainly be finding those to read.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members are reading How to Avoid a Happy Life by Julia Lawrinson. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I love to read, any book on any topic. I now love ebooks as they are easier to store, I was running out of bookshelves! My other interests are family, gardening and our beautiful King Charles spaniel dog who is my reading companion.
How To Avoid A Happy Life by Julia Lawrinson is a memoir of events, big and small, that have shaped her life into what it is today.
It covers the good, bad, ugly and everything in between leaving the reader shaking their head and amazed she’s retained her sense of humour and resilience needed to reflect on it all.
One thing I found difficult was the jumping around in the timeline. Whilst the recollections related to specific events remembered, I found the jumping back and forward made it difficult to place in the timeline.
This is a moving collection of memories and definitely one to be shared.
I found this book a very different one to my usual reading. It’s a memoir of Julia’s life to date, relating to her childhood then the following years.
It’s great that she “tells it like it is” from good to bad episodes and her mental health problems.
An interesting book.
How to Avoid a Happy Life by Julia Lawrinson is a compelling memoir that offers an honest and courageous account of her personal journey.
With a straightforward and factual approach, Julie’s writing style is very engaging, making it easy for readers to connect with her story. Her humour shines through as she reflects on both the good and bad moments, offering a balanced and thoughtful exploration of her experiences. I did find myself checking and double checking the family tree at the front of the book which made it a lot easier for me to understand the character relationships. The memoir delves deeply into themes of mental health.
This is a lovely and thought-provoking read that I highly recommend.
Thank you Beauty & Lace and Julia Lawrinson. This is an intense, raw, and honest memoir of Julia’s life. There is no sugar-coating any part, and I love the honest and humanness from her, not all memoirs are so raw.
I am eager to purchase her other reads for my book loving teen!
Fantastic memoir Julia!
5/5 stars