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I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes With Death

Maggie O'Farrell (Goodreads Author)

3.96 · Rating details · 22,477 ratings · 3,133 reviews

THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER, AND BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, GUARDIAN, IRISH TIMES, OBSERVER, RED and THE TELEGRAPH.

'O'Farrell takes up a bow and arrow and aims right at the human heart' The Times
'Absolutely, in every possible sense of the word, brilliant... spectacularly moving' Max Porter

I AM, I AM, I AM is a memoir

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Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Published August 22nd 2017 by Tinder Press

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Aug 26, 2018 Angela M rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I have read three of her novels and count Maggie O’Farrell as one of my favorite writers and I know I have to get to those that I haven’t read. This memoir is as beautifully written as her novels. O’Farrell shares with us some very personal experiences, memories of times in her life when she was in danger, close to death. As in her novels, she had me feeling and thinking about the complexities of life, sometimes the danger that lies near all of us. While she writes about things that happened to ...more

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Jul 14, 2018 Debbie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: death-and-illness, mostly-not-set-in-u-s, all-time-favorites, cultural, esil-recs, favorite-memoirs, best-reads-2012-through-2019, favorite-authors

OMG OMG OMG! Pogo stick time!

Dear Maggie O’Farrell,

I’m bouncing high, zigzagging through your 17 brushes with death. Barefoot because my socks were knocked off. I can’t stop! Yep, I’m downright manic! What an amazing memoir you wrote! One of the best books I’ve read this year!

I am I am I am absolutely in love with your book. I can’t help it that I’m stuttering. It’s that or remain speechless, which isn’t my style.

My brain is on fire! Matchy-matchy: My head, your language. Oh, your tone! The way ...more

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Nov 07, 2017 karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfictions, live-through-this, free-from-work

oooh, goodreads choice awards semifinalist for best memoir/autobiography 2018! what will happen?

At the time, I gaze up at the sky, the birds, the fast-moving clouds, and I am thinking about the dense forest behind us, about how I do not want to be dragged in there, not at all. I do not want to see the trees closing over my head, feel the scratch and pluck of bushes against my skin, my clothes, the cold damp of the ground in there. My thoughts are very simple. They pulse through my head: let me g ...more

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Feb 21, 2018 Elyse Walters rated it liked it · review of another edition

Unless a ‘memoir’ literally shifts me -changes my thinking - transforms me in some major way -
I tend to retreat to my standard 3 star rating.

I didn’t equally ‘enjoy’ each story in this collection -
It’s a mix collection for me.
A few stories felt embellished.
In the middle of the book - I started to feel as if I had enough. A couple of the stories felt a little narcissistic—
....but then I felt sad for Maggie’s sick child - heck I felt awful for Maggie, too, when ‘she’ was a child in the hospita ...more

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Mar 12, 2019 Candi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, biography-autobiography-memoir, non-fiction, audio-book

"We are, all of us, wandering about in a state of oblivion, borrowing our time, seizing our days, escaping our fates, slipping through loopholes, unaware of when the axe may fall."

One day early in February, we had a rare day of sun and sixty degrees after having just endured subzero temperatures the week before… brrr! I could not get my sneakers on fast enough. I ran out the door without a jacket to get a little fresh air and exercise. Now, I very rarely listen to audiobooks. Don’t get me wrong, "We are, all of us, wandering about in a state of oblivion, borrowing our time, seizing our days, escaping our fates, slipping through loopholes, unaware of when the axe may fall."

One day early in February, we had a rare day of sun and sixty degrees after having just endured subzero temperatures the week before… brrr! I could not get my sneakers on fast enough. I ran out the door without a jacket to get a little fresh air and exercise. Now, I very rarely listen to audiobooks. Don’t get me wrong, I think they are a fantastic option to take in even more reading than is otherwise possible with our busy lives. Unfortunately, I am not cut out for the experience most of the time. I can’t do two things at once. I cannot do laundry, prepare dinner, dust the furniture or drive a car while focusing on a story. My mind starts to wander if I’m not actually looking at the words myself. But I have on occasion tried to ‘train’ my mind to be a better audiobook listener, and so I downloaded this memoir by Maggie O’Farrell and got moving. I was instantly hooked! From the moment Ms. O’Farrell shared her encounter with a creepy stranger on a deserted footpath, I fell in love with her words. I was mesmerized by her stories of near-drowning experiences, a frightening childhood illness, a heartbreaking miscarriage, and the harrowing ordeal of taking care of a child with life-threatening allergies. Along with her brushes with death, we also learn a bit about her life and her love of reading and writing. She shares her joy of travel and the restlessness that drives her mad when in one place for too long – she longs to get out and see the world. "I am desperate for change, endlessly seeking novelty, where I can find it." I completely get that!

The structure of the memoir is non-linear in time, with each essay titled by a body part or system followed by a year. This was not at all confusing and I was wholly engaged throughout. I often found myself reflecting on the vulnerability of human life. Just how often do we have our own brushes with death? I imagine that sometimes we may not even be aware of all of them. I suspect it is best not to mull over this question of near-death too often, or one could become rather morbid! Fortunately, Ms. O’Farrell does not take us off in that direction either. If you fear this memoir may take on a ‘preachy’ tone – no need to worry as that’s just not her style. I have a strong hunch that she is just happy to be alive and wishes to live her life to the fullest extent possible.

Now for a quick note on the narration itself – it was fabulous! In fact, part of the appeal of the entire experience for me was the narrator’s voice. Sometimes I forgot that it was not the author speaking to me directly. Maggie O’Farrell is a brilliant storyteller. Her words feel genuine; her writing style is elegant yet not overembellished. You might assume, and understandably so given the title, that this book is somewhat depressing. Yet it is not! Yes, these stories recount moments of fear, confusion, and sadness. But at the same time they are uplifting and hopeful. Life is meant to be lived, despite the odds and the setbacks. This book bedazzled me and I highly recommend it if you are at all drawn towards memoirs. Actually, even if you don’t typically read this genre, I suggest you give this one a try. It certainly made a convert out of me! I plan to move up more of the memoirs on my list as well as some of O’Farrell’s fiction writing which I have yet to discover.

"I swam in dangerous waters, both metaphorically and literally. It was not so much that I didn't value my existence but more that I had an insatiable desire to push myself to embrace all that it could offer." ...more

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Aug 01, 2018 Amalia Gkavea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: memoirs, contemporary, favorites, non-fiction

‘’There is nothing unique or special in a near-death experience. They are not rare; everyone, I would venture, has had them, at one time or another, perhaps without even realising it.’’

How difficult it is to write a text about a memoir...No matter if you liked it or not, no matter whether you shared the writer’s views or not, a memoir is a testament of someone’s heart and soul and how can anyone dissect it so light-heartedly? This memoir by Maggie O’Farrell is one of the most poignant, power ‘’There is nothing unique or special in a near-death experience. They are not rare; everyone, I would venture, has had them, at one time or another, perhaps without even realising it.’’

How difficult it is to write a text about a memoir...No matter if you liked it or not, no matter whether you shared the writer’s views or not, a memoir is a testament of someone’s heart and soul and how can anyone dissect it so light-heartedly? This memoir by Maggie O’Farrell is one of the most poignant, powerful, altering reads we will ever experience. Therefore, if this review looks to you a bit all over the place, I apologize because I never succeed in explaining my feelings adequately. Once you read this book, I don’t think you will ever view life through the same lens as before.

‘’I’m trying to write a life, told only through near-death experiences.’’

17 times when Death’s shadow came too close to her and her children. 17 times when she fought with all her might and succeeded in defeating the enemy who was in a hurry to claim one more soul much too early. She lets us into her life by revealing her most vulnerable moments. Hidden in these memories are shocking details about dangers that came out of nowhere, thoughts on how love started, a boyfriend who was an egoist to the core, a horrible doctor who served a misogynistic, Victorian view of ‘’helping’’ women with their labour, her saviours, the people who made sure she would return, her beautiful family. There are so many aspects of O’Farrell that I admire and marvelled at. She is such a free spirit, her wanderlust comes alive through the pages as she narrates her experiences in diverse places. China, Chile, France, Italy, Wales and her native Northern Ireland. Her affinity to the sea and hiking, her aversion to tea, which I share completely. I was particularly touched by the birth of her first child because I was a star-gazer baby myself that put my mum in extreme danger during labour. There is also a beautiful reference to Karen Blixen’s Seven Gothic Tales.

O’Farrell’s writing strikes your feelings, your heart. I always feel uncomfortable with hospitals, I’ve been to one only once- thank God and all the Heavens- and even reading about them makes me feel terrible. Therefore, the experience of her illness as a child was terrifying to read as was the behaviour of her classmates. This verified, once again, my conviction that children are often the most heartless creatures in the universe. She describes the era when the HIV nightmare began vividly and full of compassion. In many cases, it is evident that women face extensive dangers because of our sex. As I often say, it is the absolute loss of any trace of equality. As long as we are unable to feel secure beyond any doubt while we’re walking in the street, equality is non-existent. It is an empty word written in such charades as ‘’so-called’’ legislations just so the governments have the opportunity to feel politically correct. It is a utopia, a wish that will never become a fulfilled reality…

The impact of the language she uses is such that even though I knew she survived, in every incident my heart was pounding in agony. Then, you start thinking ‘’what if?’’ What if things have turned out differently? What if this happened to me? What would I do? It definitely makes you think about living and making every moment count, as morbid or detrimental as it may sound. How fragile and, at the same time, how strong our bodies are. Her thoughts on miscarriage should be read by every woman.

This is a book you will live in. Your feelings, your thoughts, your entire self will experience it. I know it changed me, even a small portion of me. I know that I need not complain about mild headaches, seasonal flu or the common cold. The strength she shows in coping with her daughter’s challenges -as it happens with every mother who faces similar situations- is a source of endurance and strength for all of us. I don’t think that a reader can finish this book and remain untouched. The realisation of our own mortality and the fact that there are no limits despite the moments when contradictions hit us like an earthquake. The only limit is this stranger with the dark clothes, waiting in every corner…

’We are, all of us, wandering about in a state of oblivion, borrowing our time, seizing our days, escaping our fates, slipping through loopholes, unaware of when the axe may fall.’’

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.word... ...more

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Jan 22, 2018 Diane S ☔ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-read

Love her fiction so wanting to read her memoir was a no brainier. A different take for sure as she recounts the near death experiences she has encountered in her life. Reading this made me think of all the mishaps I have had, that could have turned fatal. Something I think we all share to various degrees.

Honest and open are the two words I thought of while reading this. The things she shares, private moments, secrets she had held close, but now share. Yet, it her experiences with motherhood that ...more

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Feb 03, 2018 Dem rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audible, memoir

I am a fan of Maggie O' Farrell Novels and love her descriptive writing. Her story telling is unique and fresh. Her latest book is totally different as it's a memoir that is quirky, interesting, honest, revealing and vivid.

Told through 17 near death experiences that the author experienced throughout her life, you find yourself reading with bated breath as O Farrell draws you in with words and descriptions that make the reading experience very real and poignant.

At O’Farrell’s near-catastrophic ...more

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Jan 14, 2018 Esil rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ew

I have never read any of Maggie O’Farrell’s fiction. It is not for lack of good intentions. I have certainly heard good things about her writing, which is what made me jump at chance to read an advance copy of this brief memoir.

At first blush, the way O’Farrell has chosen to organize her memoir is odd. Each chapter is focused on a near death experience. The chapters are out of chronological order. And while each chapter deals with a particular experience, it meanders to many other parts of O’Far ...more

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Jul 22, 2018 Lucy Langford rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4****

"We are, all of us, wandering about in a state of oblivion, borrowing our time, seizing our days, escaping our fates, slipping through loopholes, unaware of when the axe may fall.”

This is the memoir of Maggie O'Farrel documenting the near bushes of death that have been riddled through out her life. Each chapter introduces a different time and age of the author and her experiences grazing near to death. We are witness to the encounters with death that the author has endured, for example; nea 4****

"We are, all of us, wandering about in a state of oblivion, borrowing our time, seizing our days, escaping our fates, slipping through loopholes, unaware of when the axe may fall.”

This is the memoir of Maggie O'Farrel documenting the near bushes of death that have been riddled through out her life. Each chapter introduces a different time and age of the author and her experiences grazing near to death. We are witness to the encounters with death that the author has endured, for example; near drownings, childhood illness that left her bedridden and with little chance of survival, an encounter with a man on a remote forest path, a mugger with a machete pressed to the author's throat. She, more importantly, documents her daughters daily brushes with death, with a severe allergy that means constant hospitalisation and constant vigilance in spotting anything in the vicinity that can cause her daughter's flare up, and possible death.

This was moving and deeply compelling, it was a hard book to put down. I made sure to set my paces to fully capture the author's feelings and thoughts. The writing in some chapters was flowing smoothly, despite the author describing herself panicking and drowning for example. Some of the language really chilled you to the bone and was similar to reading a thriller, for example, specifically when writing about the encounters with the man on the path or the man with a machete. This book really sent my heart-racing on several occasions and I just read on, curious to find out more and how the event unfolded.

This is a brilliant memoir of capturing human vulnerability, near-death experiences and making every heartbeat count. It also makes the reader step-back and analyse any brushes of death they may have personally encountered. The book also gives rise to a new empathy and understanding to motherhood (as well as the realistic rates and taboo subjects of miscarriages and still births that is still frequent today), and those mothers whose children may have a life threatening condition and the love that they hold to protect their children in any way.

To accompany this electric book there were detailed illustrations of body parts (nothing graphic) at the start of each chapter. These were so intricate and just added to the memoir making it more relatable and intimate. ...more

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Aug 08, 2018 JanB rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The author has certainly led an interesting and adventurous life! This book is a series of essays, all related to her near brushes with death and uniquely titled according to the body part that nearly did her in: cranium, lungs, circulatory system, etc. She is either extraordinarily unlucky or her admittedly risky lifestyle makes her more vulnerable than most. Or maybe it’s a little of both.

As with any essay collection, some of the stories resonated with me more than others but they are all beau ...more

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Apr 28, 2019 Brandice rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death is a memoir by Maggie O’Farrell, recounting her near death experiences over the course of her life. She is in her mid-forties at the time of publication and the memoir includes instances from childhood, adult life, and parenthood.

Some of the occurrences detailed in the book felt like a stretch to classify as “near death” (to me, anyway) yet as with any memoir, I understand experiences are deeply personal. In particular, I found the chapters about O ...more

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Dec 01, 2019 Yun rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I've been looking forward to reading I Am, I Am, I Am for so long because so many people have loved it. But I think this is a case where my expectations just didn't match what I got. I thought it would be a thrilling collection of essays about near death experiences. What I got was very little of that. Only a few of the experiences were even that interesting or nearing death while the rest were a stretch to fit that mold.

Probably the single thing I most disliked in this book was the author's wri ...more

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Aug 26, 2018 Zoeytron rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: public-library

Memoirs are not my thing, but I was unable to ignore a couple of my GR friends' fine reviews for this book. It's good to amble over to a different genre from time to time. This one will have you looking back at the times of your life for near misses, and how your decisions may have changed your direction, if only slightly.

I am not a lover of memoirs in general, but

I am glad to have read this one.

I am returning to the dark side now. ...more

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Jan 17, 2019 Helene Jeppesen rated it liked it · review of another edition

I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. Properly explain my feelings about this book :)

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Feb 17, 2020 PattyMacDotComma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, chcc-library, bio-memoir

4.5★
“I still cannot bear anyone to touch my neck: not my husband, not my children, not a kindly doctor, who once wanted to check my tonsils. I flinch away before I even register why.”

This is from the first chapter, “Neck – 1990”, which is when she was 18 or so. There are 17 chapters, each titled with a part of the body and a year, ranging from 1975, when she was three, to today.

She introduces the book with this quotation from Sylvia Plath:

I took a deep breath and listened to the old
brag of my h

...more

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Sep 08, 2018 Beverly rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 02, 2018 Hannah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I might have been too excited about this. I have been looking forward to this memoir ever since I first saw this stunning cover. I finally caved in and bought myself a copy and started it the moment it arrived. And I enjoyed this. But it wasn’t quite the revelation I was maybe expecting.

I love the framing of this memoir: Maggie O’Farrell tells her story as a series of essays, each concentrating on a near death experience. I do like memoirs that play with format and I enjoyed the unchronological ...more

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Jun 12, 2020 JimZ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was an outstanding book.

It was excellent on many levels. One was the relative uniqueness of the memoir — we learned about interesting aspects of Maggie O’Farrell’s life via 17 near-death experiences. I remember when first coming across a GR review of this book the reviewer listed a number of near-death experiences of his. And I immediately thought of near-death experiences in my own personal life. I would think most people have had close encounters with death or if not death a catastrophe. ...more

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Aug 29, 2018 Carol rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-j, published-2017, memoir, non-fiction, read-2018

I AM, I AM, I AM is a uniquely written compilation of near death experiences....close calls....illustrated chapter by chapter with the body part connected to the incident.

Some stories will break your heart, some will make you question her choices, and a couple others will absolutely give you the creeps....like OMG, the man on the path in the woods. Maggie used her head and saved her own bacon in this one!

An escapologist as a child, a risk taker and traveler as an adult, I am, I am, I am, tells

...more

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Sep 27, 2017 Veronica ⭐️ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, true-story

I am Iam Iam is moving extracts from a life less ordinary; a life lived to the full.

”Is this your life?” She asks.
“It’s not......it’s just......snatches of a life. A string of moments. Some chapters will be long. Others might be really short.”

The chapters are at times terrifying and at other times heart breaking. These short snippets of a life give an insight into the personal life of Maggie O’Farrell and really show the reader who she is.

O’Farrell shows us that real people, just like you and I, ...more

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May 13, 2018 Lotte rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-release, ge-memoir, a-non-fiction, 2018-read, recent-favourites, x-made-me-cry

4.5/5. There were three things that made this book stand out to me:
- The nonlinear narrative structure – the seventeen chapters, the eponymous "seventeen brushes with death", are told non-chronologically, all covering a certain point in Maggie O'Farrell's life spanning from early childhood until now. It was never confusing to read, but made for an interesting and wholly original account of a life.
- The writing style, which I fell in love with from page one. It's absolutely beautiful written wi ...more

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Mar 26, 2019 Kelli rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: best-last-line, memoirs, audio

Breathtaking, beautiful, heartbreaking, human. This unique memoir is a chronicle of self-awareness, of gratitude, of grace, of luck, of strength, of pain, of living. It is list after fascinating list of figurative places you, too have been and feelings you, too have felt. And for those with which you have had no experience, you come away pulsating with understanding at a confounding level. Her essay “Baby and Bloodstream” is the most affecting and honest look at pregnancy loss I’ve ever read, ha ...more

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Oct 31, 2018 Cheri rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 1980s, autobiography-memoir, 1990s, contemporary, 1970s

”And you want to travel with her, and you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she's touched your perfect body with her mind”
-- Suzanne, Leonard Cohen, Songwriters: Leonard Cohen

When I saw that this book was one of the choices in the Best Book of the Year awards for goodreads, I wanted to squeeze this one in today, and I’m so glad that I did. A brilliant memoir that doesn’t really read like a memoir, the writing is her standard beautiful, brutally honest, somewhat bare-bon ...more

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Jan 08, 2019 Skyler Autumn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4 Stars

Maggie O'Farrell cleverly uses her near death experiences as a sort of bench marker for her life and as a catalyst to veer into other aspects ranging from her family, to her childhood, to her romantic relationships in order to paint a much larger picture of her life as a whole.

This book is really captivating and descriptively written as every near death experience leaves you with a range of emotions. I found the first chapter (about meeting a deadly stranger in the middle of desolate ...more

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Dec 31, 2017 Michael rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, memoir, survival, wales, medicine, first-to-read, england

British novelist O’Farrell provides us an unusual collection of personal essays on the theme of near-death experiences in her life, with each chapter headed by an image and label for the relevant vital organ. From her childhood we get the events and aftermath reactions of nearly getting run down by a car while crossing a road, nearly getting caught by her mother slamming a car trunk, and serious bout of encephalitis. As an adolescent, near drownings after jumping off a pier or getting caught in British novelist O’Farrell provides us an unusual collection of personal essays on the theme of near-death experiences in her life, with each chapter headed by an image and label for the relevant vital organ. From her childhood we get the events and aftermath reactions of nearly getting run down by a car while crossing a road, nearly getting caught by her mother slamming a car trunk, and serious bout of encephalitis. As an adolescent, near drownings after jumping off a pier or getting caught in a riptide. As an adult, an interlude with an armed mugger, an occasion of getting lost in a wilderness with inadequate supplies, and a near bleed-out during the delivery of her first child.

Most of these events are common enough that most readers can directly identify with the author. However, at least for me, we tend to dwell as little as possible in terms framing meanings and broader links to the many feelings such events stimulate. O’Farrell often shows brilliance in mining of her experiences in terms of the paradoxes of mortality vs. vitality, helplessness vs. competence, chaos vs. logical unfolding, randomness vs. some kind of karma. On the obvious question as to reasons why she has had many more brushes with death than most people, O’Farrell identifies some unfortunate elements of risk-taking in her personality as a contributing factor, related she supposes to her wanting to surmount the vulnerability and stigma from her earlier experiences. Her neurological damage from the early brain infection leaves her with a poor proprioceptive sense, which sometimes contributes to enhanced risks but often makes her more wary and proactive in sussing out dangers. Where it came to her daughter’s continual threat from life threatening allergic reactions, she readily became an ideal mom in terms of obsessive vigilance and preventative actions.

I was captivated with the first handful of examples in this memoir, but my personal reading pleasure declined with the continual playing out of her themes under their common format. I recognize her care in trying to keep the progression lively with fresh perspectives and insights in each chapter. However, I failed to avoid my mind getting numbed to her nuances. Maybe readers could improve their experience by taking on only one or two chapters a day instead of wolfing it down in three settings like I did. The quality of her prose and narrative pacing are quite satisfying and enough to make me want to pursue her novels.

The most moving piece of the book was when at seven, alone in a hospital under prolonged care for her encephalitis, O'Farrell freaked out from the strange noises and confinement associated with a CAT scan and had to be restrained and sedated to complete the test. On top of that trauma, she was dreadfully disturbed to overhear one nurse talk about the likelihood she would die. Psychologists now recognize the lifelong negative impact for such adverse childhood experiences (called ACES in a respected screening tool). My housemate suffered most from the adverse impacts of being isolated for months in a room due to perceived infection risks of her encephalitis in her childhood. For O'Farrell, she is quite remarkable for her resilience and ability to come out of all her escapes from death by feeling blessedly lucky instead of oppressed.

This book was provided for review by Penguin Random House through their First to Read program. ...more

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Apr 15, 2019 Jenna rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir-biography

I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death is a beautifully written memoir about life and death, about the fragility and preciousness of life when death lurks just around the corner.

At first I was really annoyed with this book as I thought that it was about the author having almost died 17 times. It is not. Most of the instances she writes about are normal and frequent occurrences -- she "could" have been hit by a car as a child, she "could" have died in childbirth if she was living in a ti I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death is a beautifully written memoir about life and death, about the fragility and preciousness of life when death lurks just around the corner.

At first I was really annoyed with this book as I thought that it was about the author having almost died 17 times. It is not. Most of the instances she writes about are normal and frequent occurrences -- she "could" have been hit by a car as a child, she "could" have died in childbirth if she was living in a time before modern medicine (um... but you're not!) and not had an emergency C section, she "could" have been attacked and then who knows what else a couple times. She had a miscarriage. She volunteered to be the person knives are thrown at in a show. OK, these are definitely not near death experiences and I felt so annoyed, seeing all of these instances as making her life so much more interesting and dangerous than other people's. I felt she was just a narcissist, so wrapped up in herself that every day events made her stand out above others.

As I read, I came to understand that Ms. O'Farrell's obsession with her own mortality and seeing death as coming for her everywhere is a result of her having had encephalitis as a child. She was confined to a wheelchair for over a year and believed she would died. Indeed, the doctors seemed to believe that as well. She so exquisitely describes what that was like, what she thought and felt that I just wanted to scoop up the child she was and comfort her.

I also found the chapter about her daughter's life-threatening illness to be profoundly moving and heart-rending. I can't imagine what that is like, to be the parent of a child so close to death's door. It really does make you think about the preciousness of life, the fleetingness of it all.

The writing is 5 star all the way. However, as I found myself rolling my eyes through much of the book, it isn't a 5 star book for me. The blurb of the book is untrue, though the subtitle and the image of the feather on the cover are more appropriate. Most of these stories of "near death" are but a slight breath of air from the movement of a feather, just the slightest hint of the shadow of Death. I also felt she was embellishing a lot of the stories. I found myself wondering not a few times if she had a deadline for a book and then couldn't think of a novel-length story, thus this memoir came to be. Perhaps it is a good thing that Ms. O'Farrell is so focused on the ways she "could" die because it keeps her appreciating the value of life and causes her to more fully live it. This is a good lesson for all of us: To try to enjoy life as much as possible, to not take for granted our time, to live life to the fullest extent that we can. ...more

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Nov 10, 2017 Idarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir-bio

"I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am."—Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

I thoroughly enjoyed this unique take on a memoir! I've never read any of O'Farrell's books, and I'm so glad I started here. O'Farrell recalls seventeen close brushes with death at various points in her life, dividing each chapter into both year and organ(s) that was endangered.

The writing was so compelling and the language beautiful, that I could have easily read this in one sitting ...more

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Oct 31, 2018 Jess | thegreeneyedreader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.8 stars - I’m still processing this book. I listened to the audiobook and it was very powerful.

I did not like the switching from first person to third person narrative or the way the sporadic timeline, which at times felt linear and then suddenly wasn’t.

However, I was captivated by the interesting and terrifying brushes with death the author has experienced. Some were small, and some were so crazy that most people will never encounter (I.e. the serial killer story). I also related to her exp ...more

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Mar 18, 2019 Anne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, 2019, bio-memoir

4.5 stars rounded up. Wow. I just finished this memoir and am still reeling, taking it all in, so only have a few, hopefully coherent things to say at the moment. O'Farrell candidly, vividly, and exquisitely portrays some of the most frightening times of her life, the brushes with death as mentioned in the subtitle. Some of these lasted only moments, others were much longer and protracted. She doesn't just tell us of these experiences. She brings the reader into her life, in China, France, India ...more

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All About Books: August & September 2020 Non Fiction Group Read - I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O'Farrell	5	33	Jul 18, 2020 11:18AM
Goodreads Librari...: Please add cover 9788417007713	2	12	Feb 11, 2019 11:13PM
Play Book Tag: I Am, I Am, I Am: 17 Brushes with Death by Maggie O'Farrell - 4 stars	1	15	Dec 09, 2018 07:17AM
Play Book Tag: I Am I Am I Am - Maggie O'Farrell, 4 Stars	4	27	Aug 24, 2018 05:19PM

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About Maggie O'Farrell

Maggie O'Farrell

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Maggie O'Farrell (born 1972, Coleraine Northern Ireland) is a British author of contemporary fiction, who features in Waterstones' 25 Authors for the Future. It is possible to identify several common themes in her novels - the relationship between sisters is one, another is loss and the psychological impact of those losses on the lives of her characters. ...more

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“We are, all of us, wandering about in a state of oblivion, borrowing our time, seizing our days, escaping our fates, slipping through loopholes, unaware of when the axe may fall.” — 47 likes

“That the things in life which don't go to plan are usually more important, more formative, in the long run, than the things that do” — 24 likes

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