Things I Don't Want to Know: Living Autobiography 1

A short but heartfelt account of Deborah Levy's early life, written in her usual pitch-perfect prose. It's a cleverly constructed piece, an autobiography within an autobiographical setting, the early part of her life forming a central flashback, related to a chance acquaintance in the surrounding later narrative. The writing is self conscious with some recurrent themes, which tie the author's experiences to those of others whose lives have touched her. If you enjoy Deborah Levy's work, I cannot imagine how "Things I Don't Want to Know" could fail to please you. I loved it and am moving straight on to the next instalment.

I’ve never read anything by Levy before, the descriptions of her novels just didn’t appeal. But I kept coming across articles about her autobiographical series – the second came out this year – and they’re short so I thought I would try one. This is the first in a projected trilogy, each is a response to a famous work. (The second one apparently to Simone De Beauvoir’s 'The Second Sex'.) A 'loose' reply to Orwell’s essay 'Why I write'. In this essay Orwell talks about his childhood and its impact on his writing impulse, as well as listing four categories he thinks account for why writers write, so Levy has four sections in her book that correspond to these.I wasn’t entirely sure about the overall approach Levy takes, and the first section which is clearly about a moment of depression was hard to relate to, not because of her feelings, but because she could just pick up and go to a beautiful, secluded hotel in Spain. Not an option many of us have, I think. However, the second and third sections are basically autobiographical sketches and I thought they were really striking in how they represented displacement and loss. The first is a snapshot from her childhood in apartheid South Africa just after her father, an ANC member, was imprisoned for his political activities, it’s an amazing look at a horrific period of history through a child’s eyes. The second is an episode from her teens, just after her parents separate, and captures brilliantly her teenage angst and confusion. The writing here was lyrical and lucid. I thought the entire book was worth reading for those two sections, regardless of the project as a whole.

She opens up a whole world, a whole mind of memories. Such glorious prose. I completely love her now and want her as my friend.

The first of Deborah Levy's Living Autobiography trilogy begins as a feminist response to George Orwell's essay "Why I Write". it's about motherhood and womanhood and growing up in South Africa the child of an arrested activist father. .It was written while she was living in Majorca thinking about writing her novel "Swimming Home" and tells a lot about her process of writing the book as she contemplates her experiences growing up.Her father was a political prisoner imprisoned for 5 years for fighting apartheid and when he was released they fled to England and lived in exile. Levy talks about trauma and of not having a place that feels like home. All of those memories of having those experiences informed her writing of Swimming Home.She seeks out writing even as a child as a way to deal with trauma This is an incredibly illuminating book and I look forwared to picking up the rest of a trilogy.

I loved this short memoir about Deborah Levy’s early life. I was totally engaged with it and it was written so beautifully and made me smile. I will definitely read more of this author

Oh, what exquisite writing! What a beautiful introduction to Deborah Levy and her curious mind which skips from country to country and memory to memory, and we follow along like a puppy seeking its human’s affection in that very moment!Deborah reminds me of myself. I, too, was born in an African country, and like Deborah, my family moved to England when I was a young girl full of dreams and sadness and longing for an outlet to speak out.I buried myself into all the books I could find that touched on philosophy and existentialism, looking for ‘something’, frantically making notes here and there for the story I would write one day. I ended up writing poetry.Side note: has anyone ever compared Deborah Levy to Susan Sontag? I don’t know what it is but reading this book took me back to my late teens when I first read the diaries of Susan Sontag and thought, my! How she understands me and my turmoil.It is so interesting to read Levy now that I am no longer that troubled teenager who threw herself into books, but now a mother and wife who, well, still has all those burning questions that I may or may not want answers to, thinking about my “purpose in life” (see p.14 and p.78).I wonder what the future holds.

All good. Will be a gift.

Meditation on writing, growing up, and being a woman. Short, thoughtful, and a pleasure to read. Such a beautiful edition too, on superb paper and lovely to hold.

A beautifully told memoir that has just enough tension from a personal mystery the author sets out to resolve for herself. A clear eyed look at a childhood set in a situation many of us grew up hearing about.

Book is goodPRINTING QUALITY IS TERRIBLE

A must read!!!!!

Excellent

For some reason, I was so appealed by this book that I bought the whole series on a whim. I do not regret it - the book is a great autobiography, but also asks necessary questions about knowledge and, even if the character is still young is this beginning piece, writing. It's nice to read it from a woman writer point of view. If you're very much into reading and writing, it will be an interesting but short read, I would recommend it to everyone since it is a simple yet profound piece. I might become a Deborah Levy fan :)