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Summary: I don't like the way the mother treated Nancy
Review: I understand the problems Nancy had but I CANNOT understand Debbie letting everything Nancy did just go, like making Susie give up her rights to keep the peace. I was so sick of reading yes, I love you Nancy, go about your way and I'll check up on you when I can. Oh, I'm In N.Y. I'll bring some food, go to your methadone center, buy you lunch and see ya. Then complain. The dad too, seeing Nancy and Sid like that to drop off their things and leaving. I don't see how she was loved except to let her do anything she wanted and as they say, walking on eggshells! Give me a break! Their love was all talk. Basically, it was all about poor Debbies suffering, makes me want to barf. I donot feel sorry for Debbie, but for Nancy, who had to put up with YOU!
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Summary: An unforgettable life story.
Review: "And I Don't Want To Live This Life" by Deborah Spungen is the life story of the doomed punk legend Nancy Spungen, seen through her mother's (Deborah Spungen) eyes.In this haunting, heartbreaking tale of parents trying to deal with an out-of-control, apparently schizophrenic, drug-addicted child, Deborah Spungen spares no one. Not Nancy, nor Sid Vicious, not the medical or psychiatric professionals, who gave the Spungen's no help with Nancy, and in some cases even seemed to make things worse. Spungen doesn't forget the educational system, either, which abandoned Nancy. The legal system and media also failed Nancy, which is pointed out adequately enough. Most importantly, Deborah Spungen does not spare herself or her husband. The book is deeply personal (Spungen bravely admits to an affair she had while married). A well-crafted account of the inner workings of a family dealing with a child who is severely psychologically damaged. The reader is left breathlessas Spungen recounts Nancy's rebellious antics, psychotic episodes, and horrifying decent into drug addiction and ulitmately, madness. And then there is the murder. Spungen's description of the days leading up the murder reads (painfully) like a train wreck. The days after the murder are heartwrenching. Surprisingly, Spungen, at various times, paints Sid Vicious in a sympathetic light. Though she offers no excuses for him, she does portray him in an unbiased manner as a confused, naive young man sucked into the world of fame and drugs. This is a book anyone who has had a child murdered, has a family member addicted to drugs, with emotional problems or violent tendencies. Most importantly, this is a book for people who want to look beyond snap judgments and choose to live their lives with empathy for those who can not be understood.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I'm glad this book is back in print. I've read it around five times, and each time I cry and feel for the Spungens. I'm a fan of punk music and always believed Nancy to be what the media portrayed her as, but after reading this not only did I change my opinion of her, I felt tremendous compassion for Nancy. But this book is not only for punk fans, it's useful for anyone who has a son, daughter, friend, etc, that are unstable emotionally since childhood, and to question what doctors say. It must be very hard as a mother to recognize that your own daughter would be better off dead, because Nancy wanted to die since she was a child. What else can I say? READ THIS BOOK.
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Summary: And I don't want to live this life
Review: On my school vacation last month, I picked up this book off my mother's bookshelf and was up until four am reading it. I vaguely knew who Nancy Spungen was. But all I really knew of her was the media's side. All I knew was that she was a teenage junkie who was addicted to drugs and sex. She eventually found Sid Viscious, and apparently after that she was the media's favorite person to talk bad about. I went along with what I heard, but after reading this book I realize that none of it was true. Nancy grew up with medical problems that she couldn't help. She seemed very miserable and depressed until she found Sid. Sid was the love of her life. They were meant for eachother. I know that he gutted her and then left her to bleed to death, but I know that he honestly loved her. Deborah Spungen has changed my view on Nancys life, and she has done it in a very well spoken way.
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Summary: Nancy Spugen...A troubled girl with a troubled life
Review: This book, is perhaps one of the most well written pieces of literature that I have ever written. It goes in depth on Nancy's childhood, and how painful it was for her growing up. She was always on; painkillers and medicines created to make her calm. However, they never fully seemed to work, and whenever her mother had called the pediatrician all he would tell her was to double her perscription. Which was indeed very wrong. Also, the only reason she most likely did heroin and acid, was because she had been on so many drugs before growing up as a child, that that was her idea of medication. Therefore, causing her to get addicted. I would suggest anyone who is interested in Nancy Spungen's life or having a troubled family member such as Nancy, to read this book. It will fascinate you. As for Nancy, I hope she is resting peacefully as she had always wanted...for, she never wanted to live this life...
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Summary: A book I have yet to forget.....
Review: Although, it has been 12 years + since I first read this book the memory of it still plagues me. When I first read this story I honestly had no clue as to who Sid Vicious or Nancy Spungen were. For me this book was not intriguing because it was about an infamous couple. Rather, for me this book said that my childhood and more importantly my sisters persona was not a product of my parents or our environment. You see I lived the same life as Nancy's family. My sister was characterized with the EXACT same personality traits. A baby born with jaundice, a toubled toddler, a serverly violent adolescent, and today as a disturbed adult. The similarities within this book and my own life our astounding. Even the high school picture of Nancy with "the look". I have an exact replica of my sister's picture with the same "look". I would suggest this book to any family that has had doctors lable their child as "emotionally distrubed" and has blamed the parents for the problem. I had honestly hoped that Nancy's story would promote pshycologist to explore this realm of mental disturbance as my sister and my family are still searching for help. I just really want to thank Deborah Spungen for writing a book that let me know we weren't alone or simply a weird family.
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Summary: Very Heartwrenching
Review: I read this book unsure what could be said to basically redeem this girl the press made into such a freak.I commend Debbie for her efforts to set the record straight and be able to go on with her life. I am a mother also and I could feel the pain of this mother. All Nancy ever wanted was to die, but how sad that she had to die so brutally at the hands of her one True Love. An excellent book to read and get to know Nancy as a person behind the bad press. This book also shows a side of Sid Vicious that no one would believe if not written by Nancy's mother. Once you start this book, good luck putting it down. E X C E L L E N T!
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Summary: An exceptional account of a mother's love
Review: Until I read this book a few months ago, I believed all the negative things I'd heard about Nancy - mostly that she was a repulsive, drug-addicted, attention-seeking groupie with absolutely no redeeming qualities. There never was anything good in the press, even these many years after her death. I'm not one to accept everything I hear as gospel; I just never heard anything to convince me otherwise. When I first learned that Nancy's mom had written a book about her I was curious to hear the inside story. It took me over ten years to find it, and from the start I was drawn in, because I was reading things that reminded me so much of my own childhood, but far more extreme. I cannot begin to imagine the horrors the Spungens endured as a result of Nancy's existence. I've read hundreds of books in my life, but not one has moved me the way Mrs Spungen's account has. I truly believe that she and her husband did the best they could for their daughter. For detractors who claim that Mrs Spungen was not an adequate mother and was simply shifting the blame for her own perceived failures onto her daughter, I can only say that unless you've lived through a similiar situation, you cannot possibly understand or appreciate what she went through, and how difficult it must've been for her to invite an underserving public into her own world to share her experiences. I was only six years old when Nancy died, so I didn't have a first hand account of the punk era, or the violence that came with it. Everything I learned came from my reading. I believe the story is well told, giving the reader insight from the beginning of Nancy's life up until the tragic end. And despite everything that Nancy was, I felt a certain love for her, because I know what it is like to have to deal with uncontrollable emotions. I was diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder when I was 22. My entire life up to that point (and even beyond) had been a source of anguish for both my parents, neither of whom ever sought medical attention until I almost succeeded in ending my life. It was only after my mother's death that I was able to seek treatment on my own, and receive the medication I needed for stability. Even so, I do not believe my illness is taken seriously by the medical community. The Spungens constantly tried to get help for their daughter, and were similarly told that Nancy's behavior was 'normal'. I believe this book should be required reading for anyone involved in the mental health profession. Mrs Spungen helped me realize a lot about myself in relation to others, and I have a better understanding of the inadequacies of the medical world. I just hope this book helps others to understand that they are not alone.
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Summary: for ANYONE even thinking of judging Nancy, READ THIS!
Review: fantastic, i finally tracked down this book, and it was certainly moving and amazing, makes you realize how fragile life really is. I cried throughout most of this book, fantastic, no other book has moved me quite this way. Nancy and her family will always be in my heart.
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Summary: And I dont want to live this life.. If i cant live for you..
Review: I've read this book atleast 6 times now.. and I cry my heart out everytime.. Growing up, I was just like Nancy, but not to the same degree.. Her actions hurt others.. but when your hurting as much as Nancy was.. you just dont care.. and it just doesnt faze you.. Nancys heroin abuse was only a result of her being on pain killers, sedatives, tranquelizers since she was young, it was only natural that she begin using heroin to self medicate herself.. as the pain grew more and more unbearable... People have to realize that Nancy did NOT want to live.. her goal in life was to die.. Call her a junkie if you must.. But read this book ..It offers an indepth insight on who Nancy REALLY was.. She wasn't what the press made her out to be. Ill be thinking of Nancy and the rest of the Spungens on Oct. 12th. Rest in peace Nancy. It's all she ever wanted. -Annonymous
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