Reader's Diary #767- Karen Connelly: Burmese Lessons
One of the first things to strike me about Karen Connelly's Burmese Lessons was the lack of Canadian reference. True, it is a memoir of her time in Burma (or Myanmar as I know it), but as a fellow traveler I find it hard not to compare countries I visit to Canada. In fact, Connelly spends more time comparing Burma to Greece than to her home for the first 17 years of her life (and the country which partially funded her trip there). But I'm not the patriotism police, I merely found it curious. For those who stick it out for the duration, readers are rewarded on page 425 with a bit of insight as to where the Canada avoidance comes from.The second thing that struck me was how little I liked this book, not to mention--and I truly hate to say this-- the author. Did you ever read Corinne Hoffman's The White Masai? Admittedly, I have not, but I did see the movie and I had similar feelings watching that I as did while reading Burmese Lessons. I also had Pulp's Common People (the William Shatner cover) stuck in my head. Replace Common with Foreign in that song, and you'd almost have Hoffman's and Connelly's philosophy summed up. As if sleeping with a local and pretending it's love is somehow a superior souvenir.
Do I sound harsh and judgmental? I wrestled with that for 300 pages, trying my hardest to give Connelly the benefit of a doubt. She was young, I told myself (she was 27), and young people are supposed to be naive and make mistakes, that's how they learn. Enjoy the energy and freedom of youth, I said. But nuts to that. Her irresponsibility amounted to selfishness and I couldn't take it. Especially when
I had expected to read about Burma, not some silly pseudo-love story. One or two pages about the torture of Burmese dissidents and a couple hundred pages of the author having unprotected sex with a man she just met? Self-indulgent or what?
I can't believe this book has gotten good reviews. It even won the Governor General's Award? You people must be a patient lot.
Labels: 5th Canadian Book Challenge, Alberta, Karen Connelly, Myanmar, Nonfiction, Random House
posted by John Mutford | 10/11/2011
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4 comments
I haven't read this, but it's on my mental list as I loved her fiction book, The Lizard Cage. Really loved it. We don't always like the same books, so I won't hold this review against it, yet. Now I probably have to read it, to see if I agree with you, or if I'm contrary.
Raidergirl: You know, so many of the positive reviews of BL that I've read make reference to that novel. It's my theory that that particular novel must be so good that it clouds all rational judgement of this nonfiction book. Lots of books I've read and disliked I am still able to see why someone else would enjoy it. I can't with this one at all. I have such a negative visceral reaction to this book that I find it hard to let go. I can't explain it. At this point I'm willing to concede that the problem must be mine, not Connelly's.
Breathe deep... relax... the book will be forgotten in time...
I loved this book. I have read it twice. It's the way it is written that is wonderful, the language. And yes she falls in love, a little risque given the tale. Connelly is a poet and that comes out in her writing. I worry that a reader feels like the writer should have written what they wanted: a hard-core investigation into Burmese politics for example. This was her experience she makes no apologies for writing it. The Lizard Cage came out of her experience in Burma. The LC took her almost nine years to write and it left her very depressed (we talked about it at the Eden Mills Writer's Festival), perhaps writing in her poetic way helped alleviate some of that.
Franklin: But to me the experience itself (falling in love with a dissident) seemed contrived, plotted almost. It wasn't just me ("a reader") who wanted something different from the book, many of those she met-- and told her to write about their plight!-- wanted something different. If she makes no apologies for writing it the way she did, then I think she should. Sorry, it's my opinion. Glad you enjoyed it, even if I clearly don't understand.