Rememberings Explained

Rememberings
Author:Sinéad O'Connor
Country:Ireland
Language:English
Genre:Memoir, autobiography
Release Date:1 June 2021
Publisher:Penguin Books

Rememberings is a memoir by Sinéad O'Connor published on 1 June 2021 by Sandycove, an imprint of Penguin Books.[1] [2]

Background

O'Connor started writing the book in January 2015.[3] In August that year, she underwent hysterectomy, which was followed by a breakdown and long recovery, leaving her "unable to remember anything much that took place before it".[4] She also attributed memory loss to excessive cannabis smoking.[5] O'Connor resumed writing after a few years' break, and the book's release was announced in December 2020.[6] The memoir is dedicated primarily to "all staff and patients at St Patrick's University Hospital, Dublin".

Critical reception

The memoir received favourable reviews. The Independent included it in their Books of the Month list, saying that Rememberings was "a riveting account of modern celebrity and a deeply candid account of her own “trainwreck” life", adding that O'Connor addresses "the grim truths of sex and power in the modern world".[7] The Christian Century opined that "Rememberings reveals her to be a gifted storyteller as well as a tenderhearted contrarian with a knack for poking a finger in the eyes of the powerful".[8] Writing for RTÉ.ie, Sinéad Crowley complimented the book's "beautifully direct style".[9] The book was also described as "uniquely sharp, insightful, (...) funny",[10] "[i]nspiring, liberating, hilarious and fascinating",[11] and as a "hard-fought, self-built monument to someone who did it her way".[12]

Commercial performance

The book debuted at number one on the Irish bestsellers list, selling 2,982 copies in the first week.[13]

Notes and References

  1. News: 2021 in books: what to look forward to this year. 2 January 2021. The Guardian. 3 January 2021.
  2. News: Books to look out for in 2021. 2021-01-02. Martin Doyle. The Irish Times. 2021-05-21.
  3. Web site: Woman's Hour - Sinead O'Connor, Your returning to work manifesto.. 2021-06-01. Woman's Hour. BBC Sounds. 2023-01-21.
  4. Book: Sinéad O'Connor . 2021 . Rememberings . Sandycove . 267 . 978-1-844-88541-1.
  5. News: Amanda Hess. 2021-05-18. Sinead O'Connor Remembers Things Differently. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-05-21. 0362-4331.
  6. Web site: Nothing compares: Sinead O'Connor memoir coming out in June. 2020-12-08. USA Today. 14 January 2021.
  7. Web site: Books of the Month: From Sinead O'Connor's Rememberings to Lisa Taddeo's Animal. Martin Chilton. The Independent. 2022-05-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20210531070115/https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/sinead-oconnor-rememberings-review-b1854311.html. 2021-05-31.
  8. Web site: Sinéad O'Connor knows exactly who she is. Jessica Mesman. 2021-09-09. The Christian Century. 2023-01-27.
  9. Web site: Rememberings - Sinead O'Connor's autobiography reviewed. Sinéad Crowley. 2021-06-04. RTÉ.ie. 2023-01-27.
  10. Web site: Sinéad O'Connor: Rememberings. Chris Norris. 2021-07-19. Spin. 2023-01-27.
  11. News: Rememberings: A self-portrait of integrity, pain and punchlines. 2021-05-29. Una Mullally. The Irish Times. 2023-01-27.
  12. Web site: Rememberings by Sinéad O'Connor, review — the Nothing Compares 2 U singer's life. Victoria Segal. 2021-05-30. The Times. 2023-01-27.
  13. Web site: Irish Bestsellers 5th June 2021. 11 June 2021 . Writing.ie. 2023-01-27.