Blackout: Remembering the things I drank to forget

What a book. Brutal and mesmerising all at once and a story that needed to be told. Worth a read.

It's difficult to rate this. It tackles an important subject and is well written though because it is a personal account, it can be somewhat overly self indulgent. I admire her honesty and the reflections on drink culture among women in 90s and 2000s is spot on. I think overall it is timely and a worthwhile read for any woman who has struggled with a drink problem or who care for/work with women who do.

When I first came across Blackout, by Sarah Hepola, I was initially wary. There have been so many books written in the past few years by women who have 'gone sober' that it was hard to imagine how another woman's story was going to be different. I was so wrong - from the first page, Sarah's writing grabs you and pretty much drags you along the carpet that she found herself face down on, disoriented, and with no memory of how she got there. She draws you in, not by manipulating you into pitying her, but rather by her rapid fire, self-deprecating humour. Each chapter begins and ends with a surprise, in spite of the loop tape of her cycle of failure to get her act together and keep it that way. She describes vividly her ability to bluff her way through work, and attempts to fool friends. I would recommend this book to anyone who has had a problem with alcohol, or who knows someone with a problem. I will be recommending it to many of my mental health patients and colleagues, to use as a therapeutic tool alongside psychotherapy. A great achievement, and I hope that Hepola writes a follow up account soon.

Downloaded this book after seeing a review years earlier and the reviewers weren’t wrong! It was a cracking read! Sarah’s story of her descent into alcohol-dependency had me gripped at every turn and had me willing her to get through all the obstacles she faced along her journey. Tackled with humour and insight, the narrative isn’t one of despair or bragging - it provided a window into alcoholism and into a personal struggle with my own demons (we all have our poisons to deal with them so I delighted as Sarah faced hers and found contentment with who she is). If you’re looking for an honest short biography by a talented writer - this should be your choice. As an aside, if you’ve read Bryony Gordon’s books, this will be right up your street! Enjoy!

A raw and powerful story of the journey through alcoholism. Sarah captures the illness perfectly in her narrative but I have to say that I found her use of bad language a bit extreme. I too am an author ( I blame The hormones} and also have a powerful story but chose to not use such language which I believe is unnecessary (just my opinion). This book however was a page turner and I enjoyed it immensely. It also has the added bonus of helping those suffering from addiction and the reasons behind it. Well done Sarah, you made it !!!

I'm not really an autobiography fan, and this is pretty much just that. I had however, read some good reviews and was intrigued to find out more. I, like I'm sure many others do, like an occasional tipple, maybe more! This book catalogues Sarah's struggle with drinking from an early age, through to her becoming sober many years later. This is a really touching story, that to me, was scarily close to my life at times. This book left me with a lot of unanswered questions about my own life. It has made me think about my life and the things I do and the consequences of all my actions. There were also some pretty heart wrenching moments. A definite recommendation.

This was such a relatable book. I was so grateful when I read it that someone had had the guts to write something like this and be totally honest. It really helped me in the first few months after quitting drinking. I’ve now done over three years.

Really enjoyed reading this book. It is very well written and is an interesting look at alcohol addiction in someone who, from the outside would look to have a good life - job as a writer in New York, a flat and a decent family. However it is not a doom and gloom book and there are funny bits. A great read I would say!

I can't believe that someone could be so honest about their life as Sarah Hepola is in her memoire to her life with the 'bottle'. Wickedly observant, Hepola has a strong and original voice, something she claims to have sought through the bottle. Fortunately for Sarah, and for those of us who read, she beat back her demons, revealing the lie that alcohol tells us, that like an abusive partner, we are nothing without it. I wish I could write well enough to describe the witty, honest, razor-sharp observations about her life that Sarah(I know I'm supposed to use her last name when writing about her, but after reading her book, I feel like she's a friend)gives us. It's one thing to live through hell, it's another thing to make art out of it like Sarah does. I'm going to quote her, because like Carrie Fisher's book Wishful Drinking, no one can use ordinary words to such amazing affect. "This is true strength. To want what you have, and not what someone else is holding." page 209 "Maybe you're one of those lucky fellows who can slurp your whisky all afternoon and never disappear into the drink." page 2 When Sarah talks about her blackouts, she puts the feeling perfectly. "My evenings come with trapdoors." page 2 "Women now empowered by every thing a woman does." page 10 How perfectly put. We women want power so badly that we grasp at bad habits like drinking and smoking as symbols of empowerment, when they are really things that will bring us down. Sarah is reading a questionnaire to see if she's an alcoholic. "Next question: Do you ever drink to get drunk? Good lord. Why else would a person drink? To cure cancer?" page 11 "People on the winning team rarely nice that game is rigged." page 144 Sarah has just explained politics in one sentence. And here's one of my favorite lines. "Now I realized what sadistic game drinking played. It built up your confidence at the very moment you were looking your worst." page 191 That one stung. What hasn't either been the one who drank to much and did a karaoke-pole-dance, or watched someone bring out their inner performer-minus the talent after a few shots? And lastly, Sarah gives us the reason so many of us are afraid to quit drinking. "People who quit drinking become terrified they will lose their power. They believe booze make them the people they want to be. A better mother. A better lover. A better friend. Alcohol is one hell of a pitchman, and perhaps the greats lie is convincing us we need him, even as he tears us apart." page 204 No one could have said it better. Thank you Sarah, for you wit and wisdom and courage to quite drinking so I can enjoy your writing for a long time.

Sarah Hepola is a phenomenal writer and gives a self-reflective, insightful and honest book. This is about a journey out of alcoholism, but it is also just a reflection on life and what it means to come fully into our adult selves with human, stumbling grace.

Have fallen in love with Sarah Hepola for being so bold in her ink. Recommend to others to read.

Helpful for alcohol information

Loved it! Schreibweise ist einfach super. Es wird sehr ehrlich erzählt, von lustigen bemerkungen über traurige erlebnisse bis hin zur selbstironie. Habe ansonsten mit dem thema alkoholismus wenig am hut, aber kann ihre gefühle nachvollziehen da jeder im leben nach zufriedenheit strebt und manchmal schwere zeiten durchlebt. Frau hepola schafft es zu beschreiben wie man solche zeiten durchlebt und überwindet ohne nach perfektion zu streben. Bezüglich Sprache: auch als Nicht-Native-Speaker gut lesbar.