Helpful Score: 19
Wow. I will admit that I went into this book knowing very little about the lobotomy except what little I had picked up here and there. I had heard about the author's piece on NPR (linkage: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5014080). Before I read the book, I listened to the NPR story (if it doesn't make you cry or at least sniffle a little bit, I'm sorry, but you aren't human). The book basically goes into a lot more detail than the NPR piece.
The thing that strikes me most about this book is the writing style. It's extraordinarily flat. You can tell where the co-author did most of the writing (the history and other fill in pieces) and where Howard did. That's not to say it's a bad thing. You ARE reading a book written by and about a man who has undergone a lobotomy. That's not to say that this man doesn't have feelings, he so obviously does, but you get the sense that his emotions are dulled in some way - whether that is by his "operation" or just the way he is, I don't know.
I was struck by how normal he seemed as a child. Oh, he was a hand full - I imagine he would have spent a lot of time in the time out chair at my house. *laugh* But being naughty doesn't excuse the abuse this man underwent as a child - it certainly doesn't make it okay for someone to stick a big metal stick in your eye and scramble your brains.
Ah, and then the anger. I am very aware this all happened 50 years ago, but reading this I was so disgusted by his step-mother, the people around this little boy - and his father. Oh, Howard is a better person than I am, I still hate his father for letting this happen to him. I was so angry with everyone in this book that surrounded this child. It was like no one was paying attention. Yes, it was different times, blah blah blah.... but ARGH! What really peeved me was those that seemed to know it wasn't the kid's fault and still did what the insane step-mother said.
Having said that, there are a few times you have to laugh. Howard is a good storyteller. He kept me interested and he made me smile. He obviously has had time to look back on his life and see how things went wrong after his "operation" and can laugh about some of it now. I also cried. I cried for this little boy, for who he was - even if it was this crazy, lovable, unruly, spirited child, for who he could have been, and for who he is. I want to rewind the clock 50 years or so and take this little boy into my home and make him a grilled cheese sandwich or something so utterly normal. Just normal.
Anyway, it was a good book. Read it.
The thing that strikes me most about this book is the writing style. It's extraordinarily flat. You can tell where the co-author did most of the writing (the history and other fill in pieces) and where Howard did. That's not to say it's a bad thing. You ARE reading a book written by and about a man who has undergone a lobotomy. That's not to say that this man doesn't have feelings, he so obviously does, but you get the sense that his emotions are dulled in some way - whether that is by his "operation" or just the way he is, I don't know.
I was struck by how normal he seemed as a child. Oh, he was a hand full - I imagine he would have spent a lot of time in the time out chair at my house. *laugh* But being naughty doesn't excuse the abuse this man underwent as a child - it certainly doesn't make it okay for someone to stick a big metal stick in your eye and scramble your brains.
Ah, and then the anger. I am very aware this all happened 50 years ago, but reading this I was so disgusted by his step-mother, the people around this little boy - and his father. Oh, Howard is a better person than I am, I still hate his father for letting this happen to him. I was so angry with everyone in this book that surrounded this child. It was like no one was paying attention. Yes, it was different times, blah blah blah.... but ARGH! What really peeved me was those that seemed to know it wasn't the kid's fault and still did what the insane step-mother said.
Having said that, there are a few times you have to laugh. Howard is a good storyteller. He kept me interested and he made me smile. He obviously has had time to look back on his life and see how things went wrong after his "operation" and can laugh about some of it now. I also cried. I cried for this little boy, for who he was - even if it was this crazy, lovable, unruly, spirited child, for who he could have been, and for who he is. I want to rewind the clock 50 years or so and take this little boy into my home and make him a grilled cheese sandwich or something so utterly normal. Just normal.
Anyway, it was a good book. Read it.
Helpful Score: 10
This book is absolutely riveting. I couldn't put it down and finished it in one day. This autobiography of Howard Dullly who was lobotomized at 12 years old is incredible. His strength, compassion and perseverence are absolutely amazing. I just finished reading it and I hated for the book to end...absolutely incredible.
Helpful Score: 7
It was heartbreaking to read, but his attitude made it bearable.
The most amazing part for me was how one woman could have put so much pain into a child's life and turned a family against a young child.
The last chapter was amazing and made the book for me. In this chapter he undergoes an MRI for a study on Lobotomy and the results are shocking. What a brutal procedure. A good memoir and an incredible story.
The most amazing part for me was how one woman could have put so much pain into a child's life and turned a family against a young child.
The last chapter was amazing and made the book for me. In this chapter he undergoes an MRI for a study on Lobotomy and the results are shocking. What a brutal procedure. A good memoir and an incredible story.
Helpful Score: 6
This is a well-written, fascinating account of Howard Dully who was lobotomised at 12 years old. A dignified, honest story which is very moving. He manages to describe the fairly harrowing child abuse he survived, but is not at all self-pitying. Very much worth the read!
Helpful Score: 6
This is a heartbreaking memoir of Howard Dully, who was given a transorbital lobotomy in 1960 at the age of 12. His stepmother had it in for him and pushed for the operation, and unfortunately his father went along with it. The book traces his life from birth through today, where he is now an adjusted father of two, a husband and employed at a job he enjoys. It is believed that his young age allowed his brain to compensate for the damage done to it, however he was shown little love growing up and was emotionally scarred from the operation.
I'm thankful that Howard had the courage to tell his story. It was an interesting and enlightening read about a dark chapter medical history.
I'm thankful that Howard had the courage to tell his story. It was an interesting and enlightening read about a dark chapter medical history.
