Long Past Stopping- Heroin Addiction and Childhood Memories
Written: Aug 10 '09 (Updated Aug 10 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fantastic Memoir, fascinating
Cons: Lots and lots of bad language which may offend some
The Bottom Line: Long Past Stopping is a dazzling Memoir by Oran Canfield.
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| lyoness913's Full Review: Long Past Stopping |
Oran Canfield is the son of Jack Canfield, the popular Chicken Soup for the Soul author and creator. Jack Canfield also is a self-help guru and claims to have helped millions with self esteem issues through various self help seminars and literature. However, Long Past Stopping is not about Jack and his success, nor is it about Jack's influence on his son Oran. Long Past Stopping is an incredible Memoir written by Oran Canfield which is simply raw, powerful and touching. I have to say that I will never forget his incredible story.
Oran and his brother Kyle were raised by their mother when their father Jack left them for another woman. His mother was far from a stable person and she left her sons with various friends and family. Having a rather unorthodox upbringing and childhood, Oran tells a story of those who influenced his 'growing up' years. The Memoir alternates chapters and compares Oran's life as a young child-to-a-college-student with Oran's post-college life as a junkie, with most of his years spent in California. Brilliantly written, we're invited to tie his life experiences with his addiction and decide whether they intermingle.
Oran's childhood was quite exciting to say the least. From 'Circus School' where he learned to juggle and ride unicycles to private schools including an institution where he was one of the only white children attending, Oran received an education like no other. He frequently cussed (and harsh swearing and cussing occurs throughout the Memoir) and he got into trouble any way he could. His mother would not allow any person to hit her son and she thought he should express himself as he pleased. Oran was always allowed to say what he felt but he was taught to fill his day with no 'down-time' whether he was working or going to school. He tried drinking and various drugs throughout his childhood and frequently smoked cigarettes. He met various characters throughout the book but Oran seemed to always stand out most.
When we meet Oran as an adult, he's twenty-four and he's first experimenting with heroin. As he 'chases the dragon' he doesn't really find it appealing, but more and more subsequent use lead into a horrible addiction. We follow Oran as he lies to his friends and steals from them. Gradually falling further downhill, Oran checks himself in various rehabilitation centers and we suffer with him through one failure after another.
When I first started reading Long Past Stopping I have to say I really didn't like Oran all that much. He seemed to be a real loser, living in filthy places with dirtbag friends and doing drugs. He is an artist and he is extremely cynical. I wasn't sure how I might get through the book to be honest. However, the more I read the more I came to understand the author. Suddenly, reading about Oran pre-adult and post-druggie became addictive, and I swallowed 321 pages like I was starving.
I wanted Oran to get well and stop using heroin mostly for his sake. I wasn't really concerned with how his family felt, because I didn't think they cared for him enough. I was overwhelmed reading about Oran's many jobs and my heart broke when I read about Jack Canfield using Oran as part of his self help seminars. He would call Oran out and introduce him as a phenomenal person and then he would make Oran teach people to juggle. When Oran told his dad that he was disappointed that he took these people's money and made them feel good for a couple days, only to have them go back to their dreary lives, Jack Canfield compared himself to a drug dealer. He said he took money to help people escape from reality for just a short while. I wonder if the release of this book will have any impact on the Chicken Soup for the Soul guru. He certainly is good at giving other people the advice which he should have taken himself. Oran frequently comments that while he had no money and was living in crappy housing, his dad purchased a 3 million dollar mansion. However, in the end Oran says that he knows his dad did the best he could.
Oran Canfield's journey is addictive and absolutely original. I am so glad that he shared his story and I will recommend that anyone read it. I found myself laughing hysterically in some parts (actually crying I laughed so hard), and then I found myself concerned and anxious for Oran at other points in the book. He keeps his sense of humour through it all, although it tapers off when he is using very heavily.
I hope that Oran gets a chance to have his story heard by millions. Long Past Stopping is a Memoir that simply needs to be read.
Copy courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers, advance reader's edition from uncorrected proofs.
5 Stars
**If you're interested in Long Past Stopping you also might like Tweak by Nic Shef, or Beautiful Boy by David Sheff, or you might also enjoy A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Recommended:
Yes
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lyoness913
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