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2nd out of 5 books
—
2 voters
Strangeland
by
Tracey Emin
A combination ofdeeply intimate memoirs and confessions that are powerfully engaging
"Here I am, a fucked, crazy, anorexic-alcoholic-childless, beautiful woman. I never dreamt it would be like this." Tracey Emin's "Strangeland" is her own space, lying between the Margate of her childhood, the Turkey of her forefathers, and her own, private-public life in present-day London....more
"Here I am, a fucked, crazy, anorexic-alcoholic-childless, beautiful woman. I never dreamt it would be like this." Tracey Emin's "Strangeland" is her own space, lying between the Margate of her childhood, the Turkey of her forefathers, and her own, private-public life in present-day London....more
Paperback, 213 pages
Published
October 5th 2006
by Hodder & Stoughton
(first published 2005)
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Page 183-184
From a Week of Hell
Friday
Woke up having sex - with a terrible hangover. Ran to the bathroom to throw up, shitting at the same time, holding on to the pan. Small white balls of foamy stuff cascading out of my mouth. My whole body shaking. My eyes about to burst, swearing to God I would never drink again.
I threw up nine more times during the day.
Saturday and Sunday
Spent the whole weekend in bed, depressed and trying to recover, with a throbbing tooth and scabs breaking out all over my...more
From a Week of Hell
Friday
Woke up having sex - with a terrible hangover. Ran to the bathroom to throw up, shitting at the same time, holding on to the pan. Small white balls of foamy stuff cascading out of my mouth. My whole body shaking. My eyes about to burst, swearing to God I would never drink again.
I threw up nine more times during the day.
Saturday and Sunday
Spent the whole weekend in bed, depressed and trying to recover, with a throbbing tooth and scabs breaking out all over my...more
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I read this book in one sitting and found it, for the most part, quite disturbing, and partly entertaining and also in parts quite dull. Emin writes this book with a painful honesty and a navity that both devalues it's literary worth and paradoxcally makes it all the more interesting. I enjoyed her style of writing and the book had a good voice in parts. It is all out there for thoose that want to read it. She has led an interesting life and she will continue to do so. It is, however, shocking t...more
There was perhaps one thing that my professor said that might redeem this book for me. She said: "Strangeland is filled with material Tracey goes to in order to inspire her art."
It was hard for me to buy that. The book was awfully written, something you might call a "childlike perspective" if you like the book. But I felt that the book was trying too hard. It often felt like she was desperately begging people to see her as a special case. I'm not saying she didn't have a hard life. She did, ver...more
It was hard for me to buy that. The book was awfully written, something you might call a "childlike perspective" if you like the book. But I felt that the book was trying too hard. It often felt like she was desperately begging people to see her as a special case. I'm not saying she didn't have a hard life. She did, ver...more
For many years, I was embarrassed about my love of Tracey Emin's art. After her Turner Prize nomination, it became a cliché to even mention her name. Whether you liked her or loathed her, your opinion would always seem lazy- Just picking an argument to sound like you know about art.
Eventually, I became confident enough in my knowledge of postmodern art to accept that Tracey Emin is my favourite artist. I don't care what anyone else thinks- Her works speak to me in a way that no other art does.
Be...more
Eventually, I became confident enough in my knowledge of postmodern art to accept that Tracey Emin is my favourite artist. I don't care what anyone else thinks- Her works speak to me in a way that no other art does.
Be...more
I thought this was an interesting read, I was slightly intimidated by Tracey Emin before but this has softened her a bit i think. I wasn't too keen on the writing style, I found it a little fragmented which was slightly frustrating and I found the section on just her a bit annoying and show-offy but I guess its her book so she can show off if she likes. The section based around her dad had some really beautiful moments, scenery and moments between her and her father; I really liked the way she w...more
Jul 23, 2010
Godzilla
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
2010,
biographies,
everyone-s-a-critic,
growing-pains,
life-but-not-as-we-know-it,
memoir,
arty
I have to confess that I only picked this up on a (cheap) whim. Tracy Emin has always struck me as an interesting character, but not one who has drawn me to her.
Strangeland is certainly an apt title, not only because her life is nothing like my own, but also in the way it is written.
Sometimes she's talking directly at you, the reader, other times she recounts tales from her childhood, often without any context. Then she veers of into "current" events, mentioning people and places without giving...more
Strangeland is certainly an apt title, not only because her life is nothing like my own, but also in the way it is written.
Sometimes she's talking directly at you, the reader, other times she recounts tales from her childhood, often without any context. Then she veers of into "current" events, mentioning people and places without giving...more
Tracey Emin has lived a very hard and strange life.
As an artist first some of the wiritng in this is a bit cliche "covered in a blanket of snow". Also, the original she wrote was full of spelling errors they insisted on removing. However, Tracey wanted to keep the spelling errors in and I think I might have liked that more. As a dyslexic there would have been a lot wrong with her writing but maybe it would have been interesting.
I liked the way she set out the book into the lands: motherland, fa...more
As an artist first some of the wiritng in this is a bit cliche "covered in a blanket of snow". Also, the original she wrote was full of spelling errors they insisted on removing. However, Tracey wanted to keep the spelling errors in and I think I might have liked that more. As a dyslexic there would have been a lot wrong with her writing but maybe it would have been interesting.
I liked the way she set out the book into the lands: motherland, fa...more
You always knew this was going to be brutally honest, but not to the extent she takes it. A beautiful and heartbreaking, often hilarious account of Emin's life. From her childhood in Margate through her abortion and infamous Channel 4 appearance, she talks openly and candidly about everything. It's worth reading, just to understand why she does half of what she does.
I'd go so far as to call this invaluable to anyone who has even the remotest interest in her work.
I'd go so far as to call this invaluable to anyone who has even the remotest interest in her work.
Never such an apt title for an autobiography, this book is a weird and wonderful journey through memories & dreams, following none of the usual chronological formats of biographies, at times you are left wondering is this a recount of a dream or an event, either way, fascinating from start to finish, lover her or hate her, it's hard not to be impressed with someone who has so much hope and positivity shining through such a troubled past.
As a Emin fanatic I really enjoyed the insight into her life. By reading this book you learn about her complicated childhood and times in her life that are reflected in her work. As a person she seems to have gone through a lot of self development to get on the right track and she writes beautifully, even her sordid poems and one liners really capture the imagination and puts you in her shoes.
May 21, 2010
Salomé Jashi
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
women-men-erotica
I got there at 11.30 - very nervous. About the prospects of changing my life for ever -
To find out my appointment was for 10.30
I just burst out in tears
Love Tracey
The useless
I typed out one chapter in here: http://desperate-ingeorgia.blogspot.c...
To find out my appointment was for 10.30
I just burst out in tears
Love Tracey
The useless
I typed out one chapter in here: http://desperate-ingeorgia.blogspot.c...
I went to see her exhibition: "love is what you want" and it scared the hell out of me. So I decided to read more about her, because you have to take fear head on. All that you are scared of, you simply don't understand. I loved it. Incredible woman, incredible life, incredible story.
diluted and at times half-assed, but a few gems of truth (such golden moments--a punch in the gut) that make it worthwhile
art < life OR art is a way to make sense of life
do not fear neediness/jealousy/pitiful states of being
the reality of an abortion
art < life OR art is a way to make sense of life
do not fear neediness/jealousy/pitiful states of being
the reality of an abortion
Interesting memoir of the artist. She is a keen observer and sports an entertaining cynicism and flamboyance. Not a lot about her art though, which is okay but a tad disappointing. Feels more like a loose collection of diary entries, which it is I suppose.
Sep 20, 2007
Nickie
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who's as interested in tracey emin as tracey emin is
Well I guess if you're going to write some memoirs, it's a pretty nice way of doing it. A couple of pretty sad scenes - one where she's hoping to win a dance competition and get out of Margate. She dances for all she's worth and everyone's clapping. But then she realises that they're all shouting "slag! slag! slag!" and when she looks around all she can see is the faces of the men she's slept with. But there are also a lot of recounted dreams that I could have doen without. She only mentions the...more
I would have enjoyed this book a hell of a lot more three years ago, before I became so boringly middle class. Now it was just too 'arty' for me. The first two thirds were excellent though, esp parts about Margate.
I was slightly dubious of reading this, given the way that Emin has been portrayed by the media, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. Strangeland is a fantastically honest account of Emin's life to date. Sure it's crude in places, but it's real. Emin is frank and does not hide behind flamboyant language or name-dropping; as I've experienced with other autobiographies. It was a breath of fresh air to read something that did not pander to its audience; but rather invi...more
a 'real' autobiography no name dropping , no endless lists of people you've never heard of 'who i could't have worked without their.....' so an intimate reading experience.....
Amazing insight into Emin's life and the effect it had on her creative work. A beautiful human being who is reacting to her past in extraordinary ways.
Some parts were absolutely incredible, but this was too peculiar for me to really enjoy because I had to work so hard to get through certain passages.
This is a worthwhile and easy read, and recommended for Emin sceptics. She's a skilled story-teller, actually. Episodic but entertaining.
I read half a page of this in a charity shop. absolutely woeful stream of cliches.
Is this women happy? I cant imagine so considering all that she has had to experience.
I liked it and didn't like it at the same time. That's just me though...
This was nothing new to me. As a fan of Emin, I knew what to expect and that's what I got. It was simply a piece of her artwork, but in writing. A collection of her memories and past experiences, especially focusing on her abuse and abortions. What I liked about this, and why I love her art, is that it is raw, truthful (however awful it may be) explicit and she allows herself to be completely exposed. I found the book to have some interesting messages, but I was disappointed that she didn't ment...more
I think this book has reinforced the impression I had of Tracey Emin as a person and as an artist. I'm not sure if that's good or bad! I suppose it was hard to separate my opinion of the book as I was reading it from my opinion of her art. There's no doubting the existence of strong messages (nor is there any ambiguity about what those messages are) but I struggle to see any beauty or skill in their communication.
Had the same relatively profound effect on me as "Just Kids".
I just want to be a superstar I guess.
DAMN not having any super powers.
I just want to be a superstar I guess.
DAMN not having any super powers.
Some very moving and scary passages, but Emin doesn't doesn't talk enough about her art. And...her descriptions of her life at, say 13-30 just aren't over-the-top enough for me. I'm not sure what it means to say that Tracey Emin just isn't fucked up enough for me to really fancy her, but there you are: just not train-wrecky enough. Or at least the stories she tells aren't.
Unabashedly frank, with details that made me shrink in horror at times and smile in delight at others. Loved the way she describes her childhood and growing up as a teenager the most. Very engaging.
as asphyxiating as Plath's ''The Bell Jar'' or Munch's ''Scream'' but Tracey struggles to deliver the sheer joy to get rid of her constant gloomy mood.
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“I had become conscious of my physicality, aware of my presence and open to the ugly truths of the world. At the age of thirteen, I realised that there was a danger in innocence and beauty, and I could not live with both.”
—
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