An Honest and Inspiring Memoir

Review by Ronica Wahi

                      

Land of Allusions

By Andrew Davie

First published: March 5, 2021, Independently Published.

Kindle Edition published: June 29, 2021.

Kindle Edition Pages: 104. 

ASIN: B08XQXTY77

In the “Preface” to Land of Allusions, the memoir’s creator Andrew Davie writes about the two parts – Comedy and Tragedy – of this work:

“Certain events in comedy could very well have been labeled as tragic, and many tragic events are hilarious in hindsight. It’s all a matter of perspective.”

And this perspective is what Davie provides through a brave account of many of his experiences, experiences of the sort that most would shy away from relating. The subtitle helpfully informs of what the reader is going to find: “A Memoir about Online Dating, Jobs, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Surviving a Ruptured Brain Aneurysm/Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, and More.”

The book contains a lot of cultural references, a majority of them being references to popular movies. Davie titles his memoir Land of Allusions but the examples he provides from culture are more than mere allusions, for he often puts them in proper context and explains them. Some readers might not enjoy the amount of references to movies that this contains. But the book has many winning aspects.

The top winning point is the connection that it establishes through telling of experiences that are, in some way or the other, universal. Even if one hasn’t faced or doesn’t know someone who has faced the struggles Davie talks about, one is likely to find some things which one can relate to.

The first part – Comedy – primarily contains stuff about his online dating and professional experiences. He shares without fearing judgment – talking about his dating struggles and seeking to analyze possible reasons he’s still single. What shines through in this section is his ability to laugh at himself. The subtle humour, that’s also quite revealing of how people look at others, is fun to read. On page 11, he says about his dating app profile,

“…I probably should have included everything that was struck through in my profile. It would probably be good to be open about the anxiety and sobriety. However, heavy metal is something to be revealed slowly, especially as a thirty-eight-year-old man with no car.”

The second part – Tragedy – deals with his efforts at overcoming his OCD and his long journey of recovery from a ruptured brain aneurysm. His OCD, which centred on a specific fear, had gradually changed into a general dread; the resultant anxiety was so bad that his day-to-day functioning was adversely impacted. The spirit he displayed in trying to fight this became much stronger as he fought his aneurysm.

Davie’s neurosurgeon called him a “walking miracle” as he survived his aneurysm and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Problems kept cropping up and Davie kept seeking to surmount them. He includes the email updates that his mother had sent to friends and well-wishers while he was in hospital, and this is quite a touching portion.

With the sudden turn his life took, existence changed and Davie reflects over the meaning of life. His perspectives and approach have been altered. He tries to keep in mind inspiring quotes, recalls examples of other fighters, offers support to people who suffer, and shows optimism for the future. One wonderful thing to learn about is the tattoo he got “to commemorate surviving the aneurysm” (p.84); it has words of the heroic Aeneas to his troops post a trying time – “Someday, perhaps, remembering even this will be a pleasure.”

It’s a different kind of book – funny, emotional, relatable, inspiring at different points. While it may not be the stuff everybody would prefer reading, it can definitely prove to be something to gather motivation from; a bit of comfort that one is not alone in one’s struggles – dating, medical, or any other; and appreciation towards life.

Do grab a copy to read!

 

You can check out Land of Allusions on Amazon India (Kindle): https://amzn.to/3AyeTjt

Also read the review on Playing with House Money: An Addendum to Land of Allusions here: An Account of Brave Rebuilding of Life

Check out the Kindle edition of Playing with House Money on Amazon India:  https://amzn.to/3gTyiCV

 

To know about Andrew Davie’s recovery from ruptured brain aneurysm in his own words, and learn more about his writing and music podcast, do watch his interview here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB4oAD3JHRo

DISCLAIMER: Ronica Wahi is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. If you make a purchase through any of the Amazon links provided by Ronica here, she may receive a small commission, without any extra cost to you.