The Book of My Lives

The Book of My Lives cover
Good Books rating 4.25
Technical
  • ID: 4442
  • Added: 2025-10-21
  • Updated: 2025-10-21
  • Formats: 2
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
Book Critics · Carmela Ciuaru · 2014-02-04
compelling 4.25

Carmela Ciuaru highlights Hemon's mastery of tonal shifts, seamlessly moving between moments of emotional depth and intellectual reflection. The Book of My Lives is praised for its ability to capture the complexities of human experience with both humor and profound sadness.

In her review for Book Critics, Carmela Ciuaru explores the intricate layers of The Book of My Lives, focusing on Hemon's exceptional ability to shift tones seamlessly. Ciuaru notes that Hemon's writing is a masterclass in balancing emotional depth with intellectual reflection, making the book a compelling read. The reviewer praises Hemon's ability to capture the complexities of human experience, blending moments of humor with profound sadness. Ciuaru concludes that The Book of My Lives is a testament to Hemon's skill as a writer, offering a rich and nuanced exploration of life, love, and loss.


Quick quotes

    In his first book of nonfiction, “The Book of My Lives,” Hemon is a master at tonal shifts, moving seamlessly between moments of emotional depth and intellectual reflection.

    Hemon's writing is a masterclass in balancing emotional depth with intellectual reflection, making the book a compelling read.

    The Book of My Lives is a testament to Hemon's skill as a writer, offering a rich and nuanced exploration of life, love, and loss.

LA Review of Books · Molly McFadden · 2013-05-11
powerful 4.50

The Book of My Lives is a powerful exploration of the horrors of war and the resilience of the human spirit. McFadden praises Hemon's ability to capture the essence of his experiences and the struggles of those around him, making the book a poignant and necessary read.

Molly McFadden's review in the LA Review of Books delves into the harrowing yet beautiful narrative of The Book of My Lives. McFadden highlights Hemon's unique ability to find words for the unspeakable, capturing the essence of his experiences during the war in Bosnia. The reviewer notes that Hemon's writing is both devastating and hopeful, offering a glimpse into the lives of those affected by conflict. McFadden praises the book for its emotional depth and intellectual rigor, concluding that it is a powerful and necessary read for anyone seeking to understand the human condition in the face of adversity.


Quick quotes

    In watching and waiting and eventually leaving, Hemon has a kind of horrible luck — the ability and opportunity to write about these awesome and terrible events.

    Hemon's writing is both devastating and hopeful, offering a glimpse into the lives of those affected by conflict.

    The Book of My Lives is a powerful and necessary read for anyone seeking to understand the human condition in the face of adversity.

The Guardian · Xan Brooks · 2013-04-14
insightful 4.00

The Book of My Lives is a deeply moving and often humorous collection of essays that blend personal narrative with broader reflections on war, displacement, and identity. The writing is both poignant and insightful, offering a unique perspective on the human experience.

Xan Brooks, in their review for The Guardian, describes The Book of My Lives as a profound and thoughtfully humorous memoir. The collection of essays is both deeply personal and universally resonant, touching on themes of war, displacement, and the search for identity. Brooks highlights Hemon's ability to weave together moments of levity and profound sadness, creating a narrative that is as emotionally engaging as it is intellectually stimulating. The reviewer praises Hemon's writing for its sharp insight and fierce intelligence, noting that the book is a testament to the power of storytelling in making sense of a fractured world. Brooks concludes that The Book of My Lives is a must-read for anyone interested in the complexities of the human experience.


Quick quotes

    The Book of My Lives is a thoughtfully humorous and profoundly sad memoir-cum-collection of essays that explores Hemon's first life, growing up in the lively, multi-ethnic Sarajevo of the 1970s and 80s.

    Hemon's prose is luminous, his story intimate and necessary.

    Long after I finished reading it, I still come back to it.