Hillbilly Elegy

SUPERB, insightful and addictive - a must listen

In the wake of this new Brexit and Trump reality, I've been looking for books, documentaries and articles to try and understand more about all the viewpoints and reasons for voting either way, regardless of which side of the fence I personally fall - my overwhelming sense is one of a deep lack of communication and consideration between any one part of society and the others.

This audiobook delivers insight and sensitivity in SPADES and I'm so glad I listened. The story of JD Vance's upbringing, childhood community and transition into adulthood is generously and unflinchingly told, and interwoven with just enough detail on the wider political and socioeconomic history of "rust belt" America. The overall impression is of an almost dynastic family saga all the more affecting for being true - I think Anne Tyler must have a long lost nephew from Kentucky, if I were JD Vance I'd be demanding a DNA test!

Most of all, it's a really compelling listen and I wasn't expecting to enjoy it so thoroughly as I did! Top quality both in the writing and the narration. It can be touch and go when authors narrate their own audio, but Vance does an exceptional job.

A very timely book which deserves all its accolades. Don't hesitate!

An important story

Schools, social workers, courts, medical professionals, employers - all have a responsibility to our children and their families in distress; but as JD says, it's the parents of these children that bear the biggest responsibility. When those parents falter, we have to be there.

Inspiring fascinating story

What did you like most about Hillbilly Elegy?

The candid writing style and level of detail about the main and auxillary characters. As well as it's ability to act as a window into a type of life which seems very alien from those you often meet.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hillbilly Elegy?

Any of the stories which involved Mamal. Sounded like an amazing woman.

Any additional comments?

Absolutely recommend for those who are interested in the social changes our societies are going through as well as the challenges public policy makers have for the future.

Explained a lot about the rust belt in America.

No problem getting this book read...was facinated from beginning to the end. Explains life for the struggling middle white Americans through a very understable journey. JDVance carries us through each element of Hillbilly life from a micro and macro perspective. Read this and you will understand why the all American dream isnt available to everyone.

Good book, OK performance

The book is good, not great. J.D.'s reading of it is OK, not good. He is a touch on the monotone side, reads too fast, and takes too few pauses. The overall effect is that he's reading words with little feeling, just trying to rush through it as quickly as possible. By the end I was used to his voice and it didn't bother me too much, but it took half the book before I felt comfortable -- it was hard work concentrating just to keep up with the rush of monotonous words.

The 'story' is good, and reveals a lot about his life and where he came from. I recognise flashes of his upbringing in my own life, there's some universal truths about certain backgrounds I guess that work across continents and cultures.

What made this book disappointing was the rave reviews it got last year. It was good, but I think I hoped for more.

The next book I listened to after this was Kevin Hart's 'I Can't Make This Up' and the contrast was amazing. It's a very different book, but his childhood wasn't that different to J.D. Vance's. They had similar problems, similar attitudes, similar expectations of life and similar beliefs. Kevin's telling of that period is so rich, and so well delivered, and it made me appreciate it all the more after just reading this book. I wish this book had been more like that.

Compelling

Listened in two sittings. Very well written but the narrator rushes his delivery, marring it for me.

An interesting introspection of a maligned people

I found JD Vance’s story interesting especially about his Kentucky ancestry but also his personal story later. Perhaps a little more detail at the beginning of the book about the origins of the Hillbilly and why they are who they are as a type of people would have made this book a rare authority on a culture and people exclusively overlooked by intelligent observers such as Mr. Vance.

Vigilantism

The writer seems determined to titillate with tales of how his family believed in taking "justice" into their own hasty hands. I am swiftly returning this audiobook.

Surprisingly addictive and interesting

I had seen the book reviews and the book didn't turn our exactly as I expected. With each chapter ending, i found myself eager to start the next and although I am not very much into personal memoirs, this wasn't a factor with this book, which is a credit to the author and the book.
The book narrates the childhood of the author and it's a good depiction of many of the difficulties faced in may families in the US rust belt. The book is not so much about self bragging about how the author managed to get out of a vicious circle of low opportunities, drugs and alcohol and terrible parenting, to become an Ivy League graduate (as some other similar books end up being), but is almost a bit distant description of what happened and how important the author's grandmother was in allowing him to break that vicious circle. In is clear and vivid description of his early years, there are important lessons that can be drawn to drive public policies to provide more ways out of similar vicious cycles that end up in lack of opportunities and lives miserably wasted and lost in rural America.
Highly recommended.

Thought provoking and harrowing

People often look for something high stakes and far fetched to stir the soul, but this tale of everyday life of ordinary folk on the Appellations elicits emotions one struggles to describe.
One appears both awe struck and shocked at the nature of Hill Billy justice (the harsh retaliation for insulting a family member), despairing at the misery caused by drug addiction, touched by the personal tragedy encountered, and stirred to a sense of indignation at how family trauma dims outlooks.
Vance's personal story is a story best told by himself, it's a remarkable story, and any attempt to summarize it within a review is likely to detract from the story itself.
However, the person's story draws attention to the macro issues that are overlooked by identity politics.
Vance rhapsodizes Rustbelt America, an area in industrial decline which has birthed single parent families, revolving door stepfathers, drug addiction, depression, and psychological breakdown.
It's a harrowing portrait and a story that needs to be told.
Yes, white folk are on welfare and have it hard. Yes, success is the result of many variables aligning, and No, not everyone can succeed.
Among the insights Vance offers is the notion that Americans pin too much hope on College, and No, not everyone can make it to College, and how simply making ends meet in small town America can be tough.
Vance points out that far too much emotional energy is given toward blame in its various forms, from government to fat cat corporations and not enough emphasis is given to personal shortcomings.
An additional bonus is the feeling one gets as to why formerly Democrat dominated Appellation America came to despise the elite Liberals embodied by the Clintonistas and the like. It cannot be explained through simple insights and knowledge points, it's something the needs to be felt.
Overall, a harrowing tale, something one should read to both understand and feel Rustbelt America.
Overall, this is a memoir that is felt more than anything, and heartfelt it is. Truly unforgettable.