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The State of Me (Paperback)

by Nasim Marie Jafry (Author)
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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The State of Me + Verity Red's Diary: A Story of Surviving M.E. + Living with M.E.: The Chronic, Post-viral Fatigue Syndrome
Price For All Three: £22.17

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Product details

  • Paperback: 512 pages
  • Publisher: The Friday Project Limited (1 Jul 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1906321051
  • ISBN-13: 978-1906321055
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 3.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 79,962 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description

It s 1983 and 20-year-old university student Helen Fleet should be enjoying the best days of her life, but while all her friends go on to graduate and have careers in London, she is forced to return to her parents home, bedridden with vile symptoms that doctors can't explain and often don't believe. She is eventually diagnosed with M.E, a cruel illness that she must learn to live with over the next decade. All of her relationships are tested and changed by her condition, but Helen s story is so much more than an account of her suffering. Far from it.
The State of Me explores the loneliness and chaos of one of the most misunderstood illnesses of our time, but also celebrates the importance of family, friendships, and sexual love. A stunning, eloquent and linguistically perfect debut novel.


About the Author

Nasim Marie Jafry was born in the west of Scotland in 1963 to a Scottish mother and Pakistani father. She has an MA and MSc from Glasgow University but her studies were severely disrupted when she became ill with M.E. She has lived in San Francisco and currently lives in Edinburgh. Her short stories have appeared in various publications. The State of Me is her first novel.

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Tears and laughter on a journey through M.E., 30 Jul 2008
It's very, very seldom that a book can reduce me to tears but this novel, by new writer Nasim Marie Jafry has done just that. In my case this is partly because the subject matter is so close to my own heart since I am someone who has struggled with M.E. for over 30 years. Many of the life events have happened to me and many of the remarks and struggles with family and the medical profession have happened too.

Jafry's ability to communicate a life such as hers and mine through the telling of seemingly everyday situations and occurrences is wonderful. Every hurdle, every bruising nuance that M.E. brings to the smallest task is set down here in black and white. If anyone ever wanted to know how a life can be transformed from a spontaneous freewheeling journey to a tangled and interrupted stumble they would only need to pick up your book. Having said that, The State of Me is not a work that can be consigned to the tall heap of misery memoirs which seem to be the 'genre de jour' at the moment. It's full of light and shade and contains a lovely, witty device where the narrative is occasionally interrupted by an ongoing dialogue between Helen, the central character and The Stranger who knows nothing about M.E. and constantly asks the most innocuous and innocent questions about the illness and Helen's every day life. Best of all there's a happy ending.

Whether you want to read a good tale about the twists and turns in the life of a bright young woman or want to know more about M.E. this book from a new talent is a winner.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A sharp and witty account of a serious subject, 28 Jul 2008
By S. Zigmond (Yorkshire, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
This is the story of Helen Fleet. Young, bright, witty and fun, she has all her life before her. And a boyfriend to die for. Then, when in France as part of her degree course, she is first struck down by a mystery virus which leaves her weak, ill and practically bed-ridden for years and suffering many unpleasant side effects such as nausea, cramps and headaches. An eventual diagnosis hardly helps. M.E. has not long been recognised as a serious illness by the medical authorities and even now there are health professionals who still persist in thinking it's all in the mind. Not only does she have to cope with her illness she has to face day to day ignorance, prejudice and even downright hostility. Helen is soon judging friends, relatives and passing strangers by how they react to her condition. We follow Helen as she is dragged to rock-bottom, living off her parents, invalidity benefits and the 'charity' of friends. Even her boyfriend finds it tough to cope with her paranoia,fits of anger and self-pity and although they agree to remain friends, she has to suffer in silent jealousy as he has sex with other girls, either in reality or in her own impotent jealousy.

If this sounds heavy-going or dull, think again. This book is a delight from start to finish. The 'serious' side of the novel - the day-to-day reality of dealing with M.E. is tempered by Helen's self- deprecating sense of humour which had me giggling on almost every page. Her writing is fresh, sharp and stuffed full of delicious observations about human behaviour. The 'Scottishness' of the setting, with its unique slang and way of looking at things is a definite plus point, as is the variety of narrative styles the author uses.

There is no doubt whatsoever that we are in the presence of a natural born writer here who knows how to shape a phrase with skillful ease. There is nothing forced or over-written. Some of my favourite characters were not part of the medical story. I particularly loved her uncle Brian. I know quite a few adults with 'learning difficulties', as we are supposed to call them these days, and Nasim's affectionate portrayal is amusing without being in the least patronising.

If I have a criticism - and THE STATE OF ME is by no means perfect - it is because it's not really a novel and I wish it hadn't been marketed as such. It is a fictionalised memoir. Although Helen is clearly not Nasim, Helen's journey learning to live with M.E must be Nasim's as must her observations and her attitude to the reaction of others. There is no plot as such and although there is a sense of narrative drive and a 'feel-good' ending (but not unalloyed happiness), it doesn't really go anywhere in the same way as a diary can't be planned or shaped because its very nature prevents it and it can only record events as they happen. That's not to say that the pages didn't keep turning. They did and I always wanted to discover 'what happened next.'

With its quirky humour and lightness of touch THE STATE OF ME is a pleasure to read.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, 29 Sep 2008
By Dot Tritschler (Edinburgh U.K.) - See all my reviews
The State of ME is beautifully written, totally unputdownable, and an absolute "Must Read" for both sceptics and sufferers of ME.
It allows us to share central aspects of Helen`s life as she struggles with the devastating impact of ME in the face of ignorance and scepticism promoted by the media and health professionals.
The State of ME contains a powerful message for those in the medical professional still intent in potraying ME as a psychosamatic illness, and also gives a voice to those of us who have suffered from the illness.
The State of ME is sensuous, witty, heartbreaking and intelligent, and a brilliant accomplishment for any writer ....particularly one that has struggled with ME for years.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A life you'd never want for yourself
Nasim Marie Jafry's debut novel, The State of Me, is a life story. Which is to say, it is a love story, a growing up story, an ill story, a family and friends story, and story of... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mr. R. van Tol

5.0 out of 5 stars Spot on....
I'll come clean - I suffer from ME so it is difficult to be thoroughly objective about this debut novel, so few have been written about the illness. Read more
Published 13 months ago by MH

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, moving debut
'The State of Me', tells the story of Helen Fleet, who is struck down by ME just as her adulthood is beginning. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Slipshod Sibyl

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunning debut
The State of Me is a novel where each and every word has been carefully positioned and chosen. This novel is eloquent, delicate, crafted, accessible, literary and filled with... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Caroline_LS

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