Why people recommend it
The Kiss is a controversial and boundary-pushing memoir by American author Kathryn Harrison that details her harrowing experiences with familial trauma. The book was discussed on The Book Review during the July 2024 episode titled Picking the Best Memoirs Since 1969. In this segment, John Williams brought up Kathryn Harrison's memoir alongside other notable works like The Glass Castle and The Liars' Club, describing them as pivotal points in the history of the genre. He noted that these books helped shift cultural conversations and established a more serious, uncompromising standard for contemporary memoirs. A similar sentiment was echoed by a host on The Book Review during the July 2024 episode covering The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone, where Harrison's work was once again recognized as a crucial turning point for autobiographical writing. The speakers highlighted how the book fearlessly tackled taboo subjects, forcing readers and critics alike to reevaluate the emotional depths and narrative boundaries that memoirs could legitimately explore, thereby cementing its enduring and complex legacy within modern literary culture.
Who recommended it
- John Williams Discussed
John Williams — 1 mention
“and some of them you mentioned I think The Glass Castle and the Liars club and there was Katherine Harrison's the kiss Memoirs that Were Somehow pivotal points”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 1
“and some of them you mentioned I think The Glass Castle and the Liars club and there was Catherine Harrison's the kiss Memoirs that Were Somehow pivotal points”