She's Come Undone

It's a fictional story about the coming of age of Dolores Price and her struggles with self-esteem after being raped by her charming neighbor. From there, she ate her way through life to compensate for her distress, watching countless hours of TV to the point of self-destruction.

Reading the book was like watching an HBO miniseries. Tragedy after freaking tragedy, no wonder she ended up in a loony bin. It came to a point that her life story was so dreary that I wondered if there will be any light at the end of her tunnel (sigh..)

Still, for what it's worth, the whale part was really touching. Characters, colorful as they are quirky, added spice to the tale. First I thought she'd end up with Dr. Cutie but that would have been too predictable. The author could have done away with 'Gigantor Mr. Good Guy' who she married later on. Ending up with Gigantor was not really the problem but the way Wally Lamb described the character. It could have been more convincing if he was just a normal, middle-aged balding guy. Here, I felt the author was trying too hard to make the story even more vibrant.

Wally Lamb also made God just a back burner in the story. I'm not expecting God to make a showdown but it shows that the lack of a spiritually rooted environment makes it difficult for everyone to cope. 

Sadly, I see Dolores in many faces. The defeated wife, the struggling obese, the perturbed girl with the lack of self esteem, the list goes on... Dolores Price also showcased a part of us when we get bummed. Eating to our heart's delight with junk food and mindless hours of watching TV marathons just to help us forget about our problems for awhile. 

The Moral...

* Male role models (aka dad) are still very important in a family unit. Though many children survived a traumatic divorce from parents, or lived a healthy, normal life with a single mother, the single mother had to double her efforts to make ends meet, not just financially, but morally to the child as well.  The lack of a stable male role model often has a negative impact on the child's holistic development.

* If ever I'll have daughters,  I won't ever leave them alone or let them hang out with an older guy neighbor / male teacher / coach / male cousin by themselves, even if the dude looked like Brad Pitt or Justin Bieber.

* I will never get cable TV.  Watching trash reality shows and boohoo soaps are not just addicting but destructive to the psyche. I won't let them play video games while they are under my roof (except maybe during summer).  Occasional weekend dvd or movie nights with family and friends are ok. I will instill the virtue of reading books the old fashioned way - paperbacks. I will encourage my children to play sports, or crafts, or engage them in activities that continuously develop their mind and social skills. I will limit the junk food I buy for my family. 

*I will let my children feel like they're the most beautiful people in the world and be proud of their achievements. I will even study their zodiac on how to approach them the best way possible :D

* I will have my children grow up knowing Jesus and having that intimate relationship with God so they know who to look up to in worse case scenarios.
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4 stars