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In the Body of the World: A Memoir of Cancer and Connection Paperback – February 4, 2014

by Eve Ensler (Author)

348 ratings

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Playwright, author, and activist Eve Ensler has devoted her life to the female body―how to talk about it, how to protect and value it. Yet she spent much of her life disassociated from her own body―a disconnection brought on by her father's sexual abuse and her mother's remoteness. "Because I did not, could not inhabit my body or the Earth," she writes, "I could not feel or know their pain."

But Ensler is shocked out of her distance. While working in the Congo, she is shattered to encounter the horrific rape and violence inflicted on the women there. Soon after, she is diagnosed with uterine cancer, and through months of harrowing treatment, she is forced to become first and foremost a body―pricked, punctured, cut, scanned. It is then that all distance is erased. As she connects her own illness to the devastation of the earth, her life force to the resilience of humanity, she is finally, fully―and gratefully―joined to the body of the world.

Unflinching, generous, and inspiring, Ensler's In the Body of the World calls on us all to embody our connection to and responsibility for the world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Unforgettable...A story of stark, inspiring, often confrontational honesty. Ensler's message is clear: We can face the worst life has in store for us and create, even in the face of terror, a life of meaning and joy.” ―The New York Times Book Review

“An intense, riveting memoir...not an easy book to read, but a necessary book to read for its fierce, passionate commitment to making the world a safe place for women.” ―The Boston Globe

“Without a sliver of exaggeration, In the Body of the World is a soul-stretching, life-changing read.” ―Maria Popova, Brainpickings

“Astonishing.” ―Mary Oliver

“A masterpiece. Ensler has accomplished the impossible: weaving together huge, bold, world-changing ideas with beautiful writing, amazing metaphors, and original structure. Truly one of the most courageous and original works of our time.” ―Naomi Klein

“Ensler has written a profound and vulnerable book, full of tenderness and strength. I was amazed by the clarity of her vision and the power of her message about the body and self. This book isn't meant only for patients; it is meant for anyone whose life has intersected with illness--in short, for all of us.” ―Siddhartha Mukherjee

“This book is a ride, a river ride through rapids and depths and shallows, dried-up eddies, whirlpools and torrents, crystal-clear pools and the vast ocean at the end. What a thrill and what a spear through the heart. I am astounded by the honesty and clarity of each word.” ―Elizabeth Lesser

“I dare anyone to read In the Body of the World without crying, without crying out, without getting up and rising to this beautiful broken world with awe and gratitude. There is no pity here, only the raw force of courage in the face of fear and violence, and the healing grace of honesty.” ―Terry Tempest Williams

“Eve Ensler incarnates the pain of the women in the Congo, victims of rape and torture; and of the Earth, victim of so much desecration. Her heart and body are broken, her anger is like fire, and the passion of her writing rattles your soul. This is true literature and true activism.” ―Isabel Allende

“Eve Ensler's memoir is not only wild and raw and incredibly important, it's also that rarest of achievements--a compulsively readable, stunningly rendered work of art that delivers hope and truth, challenge and solace, sometimes simultaneously.” ―Alexandra Fuller

About the Author

Eve Ensler is an internationally bestselling author and an award-winning playwright whose works include The Vagina Monologues, The Good Body, Insecure at Last, and I Am an Emotional Creature, since adapted for the stage as Emotional Creature. She is the founder of V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls, which has raised more than $90 million for local groups and activists, and inspired the global action One Billion Rising. Ensler lives in Paris and New York City.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1250043972
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Picador
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 4, 2014
Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781250043979
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250043979
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.23 x 0.54 x 7.78 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,947,529 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,346 in Author Biographies
- #3,449 in Women's Biographies
- #9,065 in Memoirs (Books)

Customer Reviews:
348 ratings

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Eve Ensler is a Tony award winning playwright, performer and activist. She is the author of international phenomenon, The Vagina Monologues, which won an Obie and has been published in 48 languages and performed in over 140 countries. Eve wrote the New York Times Bestseller, I Am An Emotional Creature: The Secret Life Of Girls Around The World. She then adapted it as a play which ran to critical acclaim in South Africa, Paris, Berkeley and Off-Broadway. She is the founder of V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls, which has raised over 100 million dollars for grassroots organizations around the world. On V-Day's 15th Anniversary, it launched it's most ambitious campaign One Billion Rising which inspired one billion people in 207 countries to Strike Dance and Rise on Feb 14, 2013 for the freedom, safety and equality of women. With the women of Congo, V-Day opened and supports City of Joy in Bukavu, Congo, a revolutionary center where survivors of gender violence Turn Their Pain to Power. Eve starred in the HBO version of The Vagina Monologues. Her play Here was filmed live by Sky Television in London, UK. She co-produced the documentary What I Want My Words to You which won the Freedom of Expression Award at Sundance. Her other plays include Necessary Targets, The Treatment and The Good Body, which she performed on Broadway, followed by a national tour. In 2006, Eve released her book, Insecure At Last: A Political Memoir, and co-edited A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and a Prayer. Her newest book In The Body of the World will be published by Holt. Ensler lives in the world.

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348 global ratings

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Customers find this memoir an inspiring story that makes them think deeply, with writing that pulls them in despite being difficult to read. The book is praised for its searing honesty, courage, and world of women's sympathies. Customers describe it as totally real and raw, making it a painful yet moving read.

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Uplifting story Readability Honesty Character development Pain level Feminist content Authenticity Rawness

54 customers mention "Uplifting story"51 positive3 negative

Customers describe this memoir as an inspiring story that made them think deeper, with one customer noting how genuine the author's journey was shared.

"...I find it profoundly moving as she recounts her days as a journalist in what used to be Yugoslavia as she and her translator try to understand war,..." Read more

"...It was an inspiring story. There was never a dull moment...." Read more

"...Still, In the Body of the World, is a bold, engrossing, impassioned plea for all of us to wake up to the damage we are doing ourselves, others, and..." Read more

"...She is courageous in the book because it is heartfelt. Great read. This is a guarantee not to lose your faith." Read more

35 customers mention "Readability"26 positive9 negative

Customers find the book's writing style engaging and brilliant, though some mention it is difficult to read.

"...And Bravo to any man or woman who will read this beautifully written expose'/memoir; with or without a cancer experience (or a Congo experience)." Read more

"...Her writing style is close to poetic, yet her material is so painful and raw...." Read more

"...I found this book hard to read because of the raw details of her struggle with cancer but, like her fight against the disease, so worth it...." Read more

"...The author was magnificent in her description of what I am certain individuals go through with this type of diagnosis...." Read more

13 customers mention "Honesty"13 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's honesty, describing it as searingly honest, with one customer noting its great awareness on difficult topics.

"...of the women of the Congo whom she supports were powerful and honest. I've given this to a friend and recommended it to others." Read more

"Thank you eve ensler for your courage, your honesty and your rage...." Read more

"...Moving, funny, searingly honest, fierce...." Read more

"...powerful and beautiful, brutal honesty. her struggle is the struggle of the earth to survive. loved this book. can't recommend it highly enough...." Read more

11 customers mention "Character development"11 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the memoir, noting the author's courage throughout the book, with one customer describing them as a genuine human being and another highlighting their amazing talent.

"Thank you eve ensler for your courage, your honesty and your rage...." Read more

"...She is courageous in the book because it is heartfelt. Great read. This is a guarantee not to lose your faith." Read more

"...Ms. Ensler is an amazing advocate and her story is inspiring...." Read more

"Eve Ensler is a unique human being and writer. I held on to every word and cried with many...." Read more

10 customers mention "Pain level"7 positive3 negative

Customers find the book painful to read, though one mentions it is comfortable to read about.

"...Her writing style is close to poetic, yet her material is so painful and raw...." Read more

"...dramatic story that gets right to the core of life itself in a most profound horrid and beautiful way! Thank you dearest Eve Ensler." Read more

"A candid though painful read...." Read more

"this book is not for the faint of heart. it pulsates with passion, pain and urgency...." Read more

6 customers mention "Feminist content"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the feminist content of the book, highlighting its world of women's sympathies.

"...This is a paean to the world of women, a world of women's sympathies, of support mechanisms ...." Read more

"...Eve is quite a unique woman, who has successfully navigated her body, and now she had to find the place for that body to be in this world...." Read more

"...Eve & am still plagued with these cards I've been dealt...was a great feminist book." Read more

"Eve Ansler is an amazing lady. I loved the chapter "A burning meditation on love"...." Read more

5 customers mention "Authenticity"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the authenticity of the memoir.

"...NOT SO! This woman is as raw and real as she can be. Why the hell aren't we all up in arms for Gawd's sake!!!! Where the hell is our outrage!!!..." Read more

"There is some very hard stuff in this book, and it's all very real - both the experience of extensive cancer treatment with all it's scary moments,..." Read more

"...This is written by an authentic, honest and genuine human being....rare and far between." Read more

"Raw, real - gutsy - a beautiful and powerful story. Eve Ensler ripped herself inside out and shared her journey in a most genuine and giving way." Read more

5 customers mention "Rawness"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the rawness of the memoir.

"...writing style is close to poetic, yet her material is so painful and raw...." Read more

"...NOT SO! This woman is as raw and real as she can be. Why the hell aren't we all up in arms for Gawd's sake!!!! Where the hell is our outrage!!!..." Read more

"A raw, honest telling of the author's trip to hell and back with cancer, and the new perspective she found on what it means to be loved in this world..." Read more

"Raw, real - gutsy - a beautiful and powerful story. Eve Ensler ripped herself inside out and shared her journey in a most genuine and giving way." Read more

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Janemb35
The Hell of Healing
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2013
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Eve Ensler has exposed herself to us once again--this time as a victim of cancer and warrior against it. This could be a frightening book but it isn't because of the everyday language of the woman undergoing chemotherapy. This is a paean to the world of women, a world of women's sympathies, of support mechanisms .

This is a memoir, a subjective examination of the treatment seen through the eyes of the patient. I find it profoundly moving as she recounts her days as a journalist in what used to be Yugoslavia as she and her translator try to understand war, the senseless abuse of so many women in so many ways.

We see many faces of this woman as she soldiers on through her therapy. It is a time to lay old ghosts to rest, even though it is painful. It is a time to be cosseted and loved by her friends. Part of this process is that she must learn how to grieve, to let go. She proposes that the cauterizing of the cancer by truth returns her to her ideal self. Her reward, perhaps, is the removal of the port, the system by which her drugs are infused into her body.

In due course she is taken off all the appendages that have supported her guts, ravaged by the cancer. It must have been an agonizing procedure. She endures it and returns with a medical team to the Congo where she had been active in women's health. It is the site of her ultimate triumph: the opening of the City of Joy, a sanctuary for those in need, where women can learn English, literary skills, and on and on.

It is moving but not maudlin.

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patricia murphy bolten
tWhile this was in no way a happy book, there is nothing happy about cancer
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2015
Verified Purchase
tWhile this was in no way a happy book, there is nothing happy about cancer. As a near death cancer survivor, without a support system of other "possible survivors". (the medical standard of survival is five years.) If cancer comes back and kills you after five years, you're still a survivor. Statistics are created to feed the medical machine (in my opinion, experience and understanding of information from doctor friends). Eve doesn't care to address this issue. Her mission is different. I found myself journaling, perhaps even more than I was reading. It helped me and I have been in need of this help for many years. Cancer doesn't begin the day we're diagnosed. My own had been a confusing fifteen years prior to that event. Eve's story, juxtaposed against a background of murder and rape as a war tool in the Congo, and what is happening to women around the globe is jolting for anyone, male or female, who is brave enough to deal with these impossible issues. Sometimes, as in Ann's and my case it's necessary in order to "heal". We never completely heal from either assault. Eve Ensler is brave, brilliant and not self-indulgent as she takes on this monumental task. Bravo, Eve. And Bravo to any man or woman who will read this beautifully written expose'/memoir; with or without a cancer experience (or a Congo experience).

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V. M. Ricks
Exceptional
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2013
Verified Purchase
While I don't ever remember reading the memoir of a cancer survivor, this book was exceptionally well done. Eve is quite a unique woman, who has successfully navigated her body, and now she had to find the place for that body to be in this world. While she was quite open and candid about many bad things others may think she had done, I definitely understood and appreciated that she was NOT a bad person. This grown and mature person then had to grew some more. And she did. She swam with the sharks and came out complete. She lost a lot. She managed to get herself back to whole, if not physically, then spiritually.

It was an inspiring story. There was never a dull moment. I appreciated the bridges that she built back to people who had mattered but they had hurt her; some bridges were opened to people who should have mattered but now do. She was constantly making connections, opening windows and building bridges. I wish more people could be this open. She revealed a lot and provided a way forward. I will try to remember her journey, when life gets tough. Connecting to people and projects that you love is a definite lesson that I learned from her memoir.

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Ms. J. H. Mundler
Compelling read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 24, 2019
Verified Purchase

I have the audio version of this book also and feel that hearing the author read in her own voice adds authenticity to the text. It is actually quite a depressing book but provides a clear and compelling account of the impact of the physical and emotional impact of childhood sexual abuse.

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Tao Yoga Bonn
honest & moving
Reviewed in Germany on July 1, 2013
Verified Purchase
a must read for anyone traumatized by abuse and very buisy not feeling it, therfore abusing oneself....I felt drawn into Eve's storie and am touched deeply by her honesty and openenss to let us (reader) into her life, learning how she was able to survive the cancer....

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Rensina
Tough to read
Reviewed in Australia on August 19, 2017
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Good book, can't say I 'enjoyed' it, as reading about another woman's suffering is challenging. But all power to you Eve for coming through it...your 'fight' is a fight for many and I respect and honour your words as you shared them in this book.
It is raw, harsh and brutal...but that, IS what many women's lives are like. I love the honesty and the fact Eve held nothing back.

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Carol Paterson
Powerful!
Reviewed in Canada on June 20, 2013
Verified Purchase
I could not put this book down. Having had uterine cancer and radiation twenty years ago it was an
eye opener to read about Eve who left it too long and went through this terrible journey of treatment.
Reading about what the women in the Congo suffer at the hands of men is truly shocking, where is the World
Community on this terrible disaster that is happening every day??? The underlying thread of the book is
what Eve suffered at the hands of her Father, obviously this is something that is with you forever and my
heart goes out to her, she is one amazing woman! My daughter is undergoing breast cancer treatment at the
moment and says she could not read this book but maybe one day, all being well. she will.

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Jeanine Munyeshuli
a raw, uncensored and spiritual memoir
Reviewed in France on June 1, 2013
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Eve Ensler pours her naked heart out. She powerfully connects the dots on how all of life is one. BRAVA!

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Hell of Healing

5.0 out of 5 stars tWhile this was in no way a happy book, there is nothing happy about cancer

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling read

5.0 out of 5 stars honest & moving

4.0 out of 5 stars Tough to read

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful!

5.0 out of 5 stars a raw, uncensored and spiritual memoir

The Hell of Healing

tWhile this was in no way a happy book, there is nothing happy about cancer

Exceptional

Compelling read

honest & moving

Tough to read

Powerful!

a raw, uncensored and spiritual memoir