I wasn’t overly familiar with Portia De Rossi (now DeGeneres) prior to reading this book. All I really knew was she acted on Arrested Development (which was brilliant) and single-handedly destroyed 1,001 lesbian stereotypes. However, no more than 10 pages into the book, I felt as though I knew her extremely well. It wasn’t because of the honest and frank details she shared through her writing; I knew her because she was the spitting image of so many of the women with whom I work.
The book is her personal account (there was no ghostwriter) of her life and struggles with an eating disorder and her sexuality. I would say over 80% of the book is focused on her issues with bulimia, anorexia, and compulsive exercise. She collapsed at her bottom, at a height of 5’8,” weighing 82 pounds. After this she was examined by doctors and told she had bone and liver deficiencies; she had been misdiagnosed with lupus.
Portia de Rossi weighed only 82 pounds when she collapsed on the set of the Hollywood film in which she was playing her first leading role. This should have been the culmination of all her years of hard work - first as a child model in Australia, then as a cast member of. “Recovery feels like shit. It didn't feel like I was doing something good; it felt like I was giving up.
- Portia de Rossi Booklist Portia de Rossi Message Board Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Unbearable Lightness Portia de Rossi describes her experiences dealing with both anorexia and bulimia in the modeling business. As the memoir begins, Portia de Rossi describes her morning routine when she was at her lowest weight.
- In this remarkable and beautifully written work, Portia shines a bright light on a dark subject. A crucial book for all those who might sometimes feel at war with themselves or their bodies, Unbearable Lightness is a story that inspires hope and nourishes the spirit.
You could be thinking, “Great, another book about an eating disorder. Just what we need!” I have read quite a few books and memoirs on the subject, not to mention my real life experiences, and I can easily say this memoir is at the top of my list for touching on the reality of these situations while being an extremely interesting (and at times intense) read. She wasn’t afraid to “go there,” but it wasn’t dramatic or trite. It was just the right amount of exposure.
I like that she doesn’t end the book in a “the birds are singing and the world is shinning” kind of way. Self-admittedly, she is still dealing with certain issues and healing. Overall, it is a great read.
Why Am I Reviewing This Book?
Portia De Rossi
Obviously, a memoir isn’t the standard type of book I review on the site. There is an important reason I chose to review this particular one, put up the podcast I did this week, and the post about the blood tests.
Everyday, sometimes multiple times per day, I get an email begging for help. These emails that can sometimes be 2,000+ words are always layered with panic and anxiety, and the people who write them always seem to be running out of hope. The number one question I get at this time is, “When is the MRM going to be rereleased?” I do the best I can to answer these emails, but there is only so much time in a day. I used to refer people to the MRM and call it a day; I didn’t realize how many people were affected and helped by that book.
Recently, I have had an increasingly large influx of email. I highly doubt it’s just my ever growing and adoring fan base. Be it the state of our current industry or the pressures of the world—things are getting worse in the area of eating disorders. I cannot stress enough how important it is to take these issues seriously and hit them head on.
Because of all this, I am putting a higher priority on the rewrite. It will include even more detailed information and help (I hope) more than before. I am also setting up a separate email list for those who want information on this type of stuff specifically and for when the book comes out. It will be the best way to stay updated in general. I am going to do what I can to try and get the book rewritten and edited by the new year. Stay tuned.
Overview
Unbearable Lightness Portia De Rossi
In this searing, unflinchingly honest memoir, actress Portia de Rossi shares the truth of her long battle to overcome anorexia and bulimia while living in the public eye, and details the new happiness and health she has found in recent years—including her coming out and her marriage to Ellen DeGeneres.
In this groundbreaking memoir, Portia de Rossi reveals the pain and illness that haunted her for decades, from the time she was a twelve-year-old girl working as a model in Australia, through her early rise to fame as a cast member of the hit television show Ally McBeal. All the while terrified that the truth of her sexuality would be exposed in the tabloids, Portia alternately starved herself and binged, putting her life in danger and concealing from herself and everyone around her the seriousness of her illness.
She describes the elaborate rituals around food that came to dominate hours of every day and explores the pivotal moments of her childhood that set her on the road to illness. She reveals the heartache and fear that accompany a life lived in the closet, a sense of isolation that was only magnified by her unrelenting desire to be ever thinner, ever more in control of her body and the number of calories she consumed and spent.
From her lowest point, Portia began the painful climb back to a life of health and honesty, falling in love and marrying Ellen DeGeneres and emerging as an outspoken and articulate advocate for gay rights and women’s health issues. In this remarkable, landmark book, she has given the world a story that inspires hope and nourishes the spirit.