I love listening to a memoir especially if it's read by the author. I first encountered Selma Blair like many my age: as Vivian Kensington in Legally Blonde. For those unfamiliar, she's in Cruel Intentions, Hellboy, and many other films. She was also a model so you may have seen her in fashion magazines. You may also know her as an advocate for people with MS or the actress who goes to events with a cane. Before I listened to her book, I didn't know much more about her than her face and the fact that she had MS.
I'm going to include my content warning earlier than I typically due as I will be discussing some of the mentioned warnings as a part of my review. This book is about Selma Blair's life and as many life stories go, there are many hard things mentioned in the book. There is a discussion of alcohol addiction, suicide attempts, sexual assault, an adult attempting to have a relationship with her when she was a minor, discussions of eating disorders, descriptions of experiences in rehab facilities one of which caused her to develop an eating disorder, and illness-related body discussion. I believe that Selma handled these topics with grace, but it is always good to be aware of what you're getting into so you can be in the right mindset before hearing potentially triggering information. As always, I point readers to StoryGraph for a full list of warnings as provided by other readers. Please be gentle with yourself when approaching potentially sensitive content whilst reading. You and your mind deserve to enjoy books in a safe way.
In her book Mean Baby, Selma details a life well lived. She manages to balance the good and the bad. She has anecdotes about many famous people, my favorite being her friendship with the amazing Carrie Fisher. Selma's life was difficult. She battled mental illness most of her life, was what some may call groomed by a trusted adult who worked at her school, her mother was a great woman but had serious beauty standards for herself and her children, she battled with alcoholism from a young age, and was sexually assaulted multiple times due to her alcohol problems.
Selma's alcohol addiction began when she was a child and persisted for a long time in her life. She discusses how dependent she felt on drinking in order to get through school and get through difficult times later. She also details multiple suicide attempts one in which the person she called to help her tasks advantage of her. She talks about the difficulties she faced in school and being kicked out. She talks about the great loves of her life and how they have impacted her. Her details are intimate and relatable. You can hear the emotion in her voice at many times throughout her book which made me love her even more. The process of listening to this book was really the process of falling in love with this woman for me. I feel deeply connected to her in a way that she will never know.
I also appreciate her detailings of her bodily struggles throughout her life. Selma likely lived with MS for most, if not all, of her life. She talks about the frustrations she felt towards her body which would often not do what she wanted it to do. Learning she had MS was good for her because it allowed her to learn to be more forgiving of her body. She hopes that her experience can be helpful for those living with MS and those simply experiencing what it's like to live in a body that can be difficult.
The part that left me with the most hope was Selma's writing about her son, Arthur. That kid really sounds like a handful who isn't always as forgiving of his mother, but it's clear that he brings real joy and purpose into his mother's life. Selma makes it seem that all the hurt and struggle are worth it because she got to have this boy that she loves so dearly. Her details of motherhood are extremely honest. She talks about how difficult it could be especially with a baby as demanding as Arthur.
Mean Baby is such a personal and intimate memoir. It is excellently written. If you can listen to the audiobook, I highly recommend doing so as Selma's voice just made it so much better. This book was such a journey to listen to and I'm so glad Selma Blair decided to share it with the world. Please check it out.
As always, happy reading.
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