Self Abuse: Love, Loss and Fatherhood

By Jonathan Self

From the age of three Jonathan Self had only one ambition: not to be like his father. Despite his determination to be a better man -- and a better parent than his own had been -- Jonathan was a twice-divorced father of three and, at age thirty-five, spiraling. Self Abuse is the story of Jonathan's efforts to break free from the cycle of despair and dysfunction that characterized his youth. A brilliantly rendered, unapologetic memoir about the pain and joy of parenthood, Jonathan's story is as heartbreaking, redemptive, and unforgettable as it is true.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743476190
• ISBN13: 9780743476195
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A great title, a better book

With such a clever title, I couldn't resist picking up this book. And once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. Self relates the story of his horrific childhood in a matter-of-fact, dispassionate tone, yet somehow manages to salvage some kind of affection for his titanically selfish parents. As a Brit, he seems to be immune from the American disease of turning every setback into something sentimental and "life-affirming," yet the book was still quite touching and brought me to tears with its last lines. His realization that he is repeating his parents' mistakes will break your heart. The best memoir I've read in years.