Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis in MCLS Reading Challenge

Jan 10, 2018 Jason rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction, biography, not-comics

Well-written and engaging. I thought the author was going to tackle white poverty on a philosophical level a little more, maybe involving more discussion of research on the topic. I enjoyed it on the whole, so I can't tell if the unmet expectation have to do more with me or the book itself. I think maybe I was hoping for something in the spirit of Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt and this was more a straightforward memoir than I had anticipated. Still definitely definitely worth reading, thou ...more

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Jan 04, 2017 Alicia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: broadening-horizons

This was read upon the recommendation to put it alongside Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me and I would heartily agree. I have now been able to read two visceral and very real experiences of America that are starkly different from my own experiences. Both books are powerful in their own right. I am still impressed with the amount of self-awareness that J.D. Vance is able to bring to bear upon his greater family and his own heritage in Appalachia and how that plays out through the gener ...more

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Feb 06, 2017 Claire Talbot rated it liked it

Shelves: as-the-page-turns

Interesting and thought provoking memoir - I read it because I am fascinated with Appalachia - and also what is happening to blue collar working class America. Why do some people, like Vance, break the cycle of poverty and so many don't? According to J. D. Vance, having family members personally care about him (his grandparents) and give him some stability when he needed it most, and also encouraging him to educate himself. He also credits the Marine Corp for helping him gain the skills to navig ...more

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Oct 17, 2019 Bridget rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-read-in-2019

I felt this is as good as all the word-of-mouth hype. J.D. Vance gives the reader a lot of food for thought. While I couldn't necessarily identify with the culture, it gave me an insider's view as to why it is the way it is. I enjoy gaining perspective and "walking a mile in another's shoes," and Vance is a compelling writer to walk with. ...more

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