Any avid reader knows that there is nothing worse than a book hangover. For those unfamiliar with the concept of a book hangover, let me break down its deliberating effects. Epic Reads defines it as the “condition in which attachment to a book or series that has ended causes the reader traumatic emotional distress. It usually lasts for one to two weeks, or until a new book of higher-than-average quality enters the reader’s life”.
Image source: Daria Shevtsova
Unfortunately, I am still in remission from the hangover that hit me last year after finishing Karen Joy Fowler’s novel, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. I came across this gem at the Avid Reader Bookstore in downtown Davis a few months prior to starting my freshman year. The story follows the life of a girl named Rosemary. What initially drew my attention was that the main character is a UC Davis student herself. She has an older brother, a twin sister, and both of her parents are scientists. Her family seems ordinary in every way, until you find out that her sister is actually a chimpanzee who is the subject of a scientific experiment.
Although I could talk about this book for hours on end, I will save the plot summary and instead share about the reason this book left its mark on my life. The meaning behind the title becomes clear as Rosemary’s story unfolds. Most of our lives we are told to pursue happiness. But at some point, it starts to feel like we are doing a lot of pursing and very little being.
Upon finishing We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, I came away with a much stronger understanding of what happiness means to me. Rosemary recounts a memory she shared with her chimpanzee sister, Fern. In the midst of playing together, Rosemary and Fern find themselves in a frenzied state. As an attempt to describe her emotions in that very moment she explains, “We are so excited that, in the strangely illuminating phrase my mother favors, we’re completely beside ourselves” (Fowler). The contrast between humanism and animalism is woven throughout the story. Rosemary depicts her sense of happiness in an animalistic form; she depicts it in a way that is void of consciousness and instead completely reliant upon the all-consuming feeling.
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There are two moments in my life that I can easily recall feeling “beside myself”. The first time was when I gave my senior year high school graduation speech. The second was crossing the finish line of the first half marathon I ever ran. They were both moments when my sense of self was overtaken by a whirlwind of emotions that made me feel indestructible. Having experienced moments of pure happiness allows me to find greater purpose and enjoyment in the pursuit that used to feel endless.
Although I am not sure if I will ever recover from this book hangover, Fowler deserves much credit for the way in which her words still linger with me long after finishing the novel. Rosemary constantly reminds me to embrace my individuality and to avoid the noise pollution so often found within the human world. As an animal rights advocate, this book touches a special place in my heart. When asked what Fowler hopes readers take away from her novel, she replied, “The world is a complicated, surprising, often horrible and often beautiful place. I just hope we can keep it. We’re not the only ones who live here”.