Magary has it right when, almost at the end of the novel, he’s finding a therapist. He breaks the fourth wall (as he often does) and says something akin to, “Reader, you’ve probably been saying since the beginning FIND A THERAPIST.”
And look, I’m not going to throw away an entire novel’s worth of exposition and self reflection based on one sentiment, but on the other hand it’s entirely too distracting to read hundreds of pages of slow, agonized recovery that includes permanent disability and never mention the T word. It’s not just an idle question, it’s the whole kit and caboodle: how can you go through something like this and NOT immediately book yourself an appointment with the nearest licensed professional?
It’s doubly confusing because the whole “pre/post therapy” story rushes by much too quickly. Upon deciding he’s going to go, Sonia (his wife) simply says “Yes, that’s a good idea.” And then after going and learning how to manage his temper and moods, she notes “You’ve gotten much better.” And look, Magary does note the hypocrisy inherent in himself. He says he was always the talk about your emotions, talk about your feelings type guy, and it’s impossible to be a liberal internet person these days without bumping into at least 10 different mentions of the importance of mental health on a regular basis. And yet when it came to dealing with this life altering development–one which could legitimately be seen as not his fault at all–he hesitated at going.
I feel like I’m harping on this one point but it really made the entire endeavor much too confusing. I would have happily read an entire book on Magary’s emotional journey back to some form of normalcy, in lieu of (or in addition to) the journey from the perspective of the medical system, his senses, etc. While others found it confusing, I found the beginning portions, where he’s piecing together what exactly happened that night via oral history of those who were there, pretty fascinating. If anything it made me realize that it’s pretty important to make sure people know how to get ahold of your emergency contacts.
But as a real journey of life after brain damage…it’s half a story. It’ll make reading this year’s williams and sonoma guide extra special, though!