The Story of My Life by Helen Keller Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Story of My Life
Book Review: An Autobiography by a Deafblind Author
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is Helen Keller's autobiography and is somewhat unusual because Helen Keller was deafblind. It is beautifully written and although I don't necessary agree with all the conclusions drawn by the author of the introduction, I found the autobiography very moving to read. Much of the time Helen wrote in a way that you would not realise she could neither see nor hear anything around her.
The fact that Miss Keller was not deaf from birth but became deafblind as a very small child following an illness makes her achievements particularly incredible. She had to re-learn her communication skills and this is due in no small part to her teacher and mentor, Annie Sullivan. Miss Keller came from a wealthy family who were prepared to go to endless lengths to help their daughter to live a fulfilling life, and it is thanks to them and to Miss Sullivan that we have Miss Keller's writings and pioneering work for deaf and deafblind people.
This is an incredible book to read and it also provides some interesting cameos of some of the people Miss Keller met (such as Mark Twain) because her letters are included at the end.
Book Review: Deaf and Dumb becomes Brilliant!
Summary: 4 Stars
Most people have seen the "Miracle Worker." That story was more about Anne Sullivan, the teacher of Helen Keller. This book gives you a glimpse into the thoughts of the little girl, Helen. I was amazed to read about things from the point of view of a little girl who was blind and deaf. She was so lost and alone until Anne Sullivan came into her life. But, even she knew when she was doing something wrong. She describes great details of her life I never heard before. She even gives an idea of what life was like before she discovered words. Helen wondered why her mother and others moved their mouth, but it was some time before she knew they were communicating with each other and then her long struggle to communicate began. I was surprised to read how she learned to read lips with her hands and even eventually learned to speak audibly. Not only did she gain that knowledge, but she became a brilliant young woman, writing the English language with great skill, as well as a few other languages. This book is brief, but well worth your time. You will gain a better understanding into the life of one with Helen's severe handicaps.Book Review: Helen Keller BOOK REVIEW!
Summary: 5 Stars
I absolutely fell in love with this autobiography because of Keller's powerful story of triumph. Through a type of streamed thought, her writing is beautifully honest and touching. Although this work is non-fiction, it is interesting to see the literary devices that have been weaved into the story. Even from the very beginning, Keller uses great similes. On the first page, for example, she states, "I have, as it were, a superstitious hesitation in lifting the veil that clings about my childhood like a golden mist." In addition, she alludes or refers to the bible on occasion. A perfect example is her allusion to Mt. Sinai. Her biblical allusions very much lend themselves to a later part of the work when Helen speaks and learns of God. Furthermore, great imagery is used in her descriptions. Helen Keller loves nature, especially flowers, and she can describe them better than any person with perfect vision! She expresses the joy she finds pressing rose petals, as well as the wonder she finds in the motion of lilies swaying. Her beautiful imagery and her quite descriptive similes thoroughly amazed me; there were parts where I often forgot Helen was blind. The overall message of this work is the concept of man's ability overcome obstacles. While developing immensely and never giving up hope, Helen Keller is the epitome of the soul's ability to persevere.Book Review: Moving, uplifting, and inspiring
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all, I would like to take a short notice of the introduction by Jim Knipfel. Never in my life have I read an introductionary presentation of a person as famous as Helen Keller that was so condescending, sneering, and downright rude. I suggest the publishers of Signet Classic to discard Jim Knipfel's piece and replace it with an introduction that is of high quality and professional tone that meets Helen Keller's standards. Now, for the book The Story of My Life, the autobiography is as brilliant as it is an uplifting experience of having overcome the odds. I know what is it like to be deaf myself, but I can't imagine being blind too. It's so tough to think how I could succeed in this kind of life, but Helen Keller really did it and with high expectations. It is quite amazing that she went to an accredited college and earned a degree while possessing a knowledge of six languages (fingerspelling counts as one as it is part of American Sign Language). When she talks about her achievements, there is a great deal of pride in herself because she knows how hard it was to do it. At times, she commits the crime of supplying purple prose which went off the topic too much. One thing I notice about her writing is that it remains very positive throughout the book. She seems to be eternally grateful of being alive and granted with the fruits of life, and her accomplishments certainly reflect the fact. I am a little bit unsure as I am reading each chapter if she wrote it at that period of time, or did she write the story at the end of her college studies? I say this because I notice how her tone and attitude have dramatically changed. After finishing The Story of My Life, there is a collection of Helen Keller's letters. I admit, I found all of them boring and couldn't read much of them except notice the improvements in relatively a short time, especially for somebody that is so precociousness as Helen Keller. I read some of the negative comments written by the reviewers, and I do agree with some of them in a certain extent, but one of them is so odd that I am compelled to address the issue. One said, in her title, "Great story...hard to teach." Quite frankly, I find that comment narrow-minded. Surely, have you thought about teaching the ABC's of American Sign Language to the hearing kids? Have they met a deaf person before? Have they met a blind person? Or how about a deaf-blind person before? Have they learned about their culture? Have you taught them the characteristics of their lives and how they overcome adversities like watching television, talking on the phone, attending classes, etc.? Have you taken the kids to a school for the deaf and blind? I assure you, the experience for the kids can be very enlightening and surprising. One of the lifelong frustrations of my life being a deaf person as I am is the lack of acceptance by the hearing people. They seem to have this certain assumption that I can't do a lot of things just because I can't hear. It sounds hard to believe for most of you, but the fact is, this problem is incredibly prevalent. That's why The Story of My Life is a great and useful experience of exposing the young readers the kind of a world that deaf and/or blind people that live in and how they manage to live their lives. All in all, The Story of My Life presents a miracle of a woman who overcame all odds to be the best person possible as she can be, and it's shocking for me to see her to do it so considering the time period she lived in given the history of education among students with disabilities.Book Review: The Story of a Remarkable Woman
Summary: 4 Stars
I had heard of Helen Keller but didn't really know what she was about.It's a 5-star overall story. But in terms of language style and story-telling, it's 4-star for me (understandably, it's 100 years ago).
Helen Keller wrote this in her 20s, while pursuing her degree at Radcliffe. So this is not her whole life, but wow.. what an amazing story!
A girl is blind and deaf, and I would probably give up on her. But I'm ashamed of myself for that. Helen Keller was deaf and blind and yet this didn't stop her. She's bright and strong-headed. The power of self-determination combined with the great help from the wonderfully patient teacher in Anne Sullivan opened the door for her. Her desire to communicate with people, and her passion to "be normal" made her who she had accomplished to be.
How did she "listen"? How did she "speak"? How did she write? She did all that and was good at them. Astonishingly unimaginable. And with such a kind heart, she could easily make a more complete person that we "normal" people can.
"Helen sees more with her hands that we do with our eyes."
Simply admirable. It sure left a mark in my heart and in my mind.
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