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Viv Albertine
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To Throw Away Unopened: A Memoir Hardcover – Illustrated, 5 April 2018

by Viv Albertine (Author)
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SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2018

'Fierce, direct, unashamed. She masks nothing ... Scythes through the myths, the distortions, the adornments and finds the rich, distinctive stories underneath.' The Sunday Times

'A chronicle of outsiderness ... Searingly honest ... A painstaking and painful dissection of familial fallout.' The Observer

What was I fighting for? Even now I'm not sure. Something so old and so deep, it has no words, no shape, no logic.

Every memoir is a battle between reality and invention - but in her follow up to Clothes, Music, Boys, Viv Albertine has reinvented the genre with her unflinching honesty.

To Throw Away Unopened is a fearless dissection of one woman's obsession with the truth - the truth about family, power, and her identity as a rebel and outsider. It is a gaping wound of a book, both an exercise in blood-letting and psychological archaeology, excavating what lies beneath: the fear, the loneliness, the anger. It is a brutal expose of human dysfunctionality, the impossibility of true intimacy, and the damage wrought upon us by secrets and revelations, siblings and parents.

Yet it is also a testament to how we can rebuild ourselves and come to face the world again. It is a portrait of the love stories that constitute a life, often bringing as much pain as joy. With the inimitable blend of humour, vulnerability, and intelligence that makes Viv Albertine one of our finest authors working today, To Throw Away Unopened smashes through layers of propriety and leads us into a new place of savage self-discovery.

LONGLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE

Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Faber & Faber
  4. Publication date
    5 April 2018
  5. Dimensions
    15.24 x 2.54 x 20.96 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    0571326218
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0571326211
  8. See all details
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Product description

Review

I loved Viv Albertine's new book. There's such raw honesty and compelling intensity in her work. This is the true story of mothers and daughters: love, rage and absolutely no sentimentality. And about, too, being a woman in the world. (Nigella Lawson)

Genuinely startling ... There are multiple books wriggling inside its cover: a family history, a meditation on grief, tracts on female beauty and on anger ... Albertine's writing is not indulgently cathartic but fierce, direct, unashamed. She masks nothing. The result is a book that does for the family memoir what is predecessor did for the rock autobiography: scythes through the myths, the distortions, the adornments and finds the rich, distinctive stories underneath. (Victoria Segal Sunday Times)

A chronicle of outsiderness ... Driven by a relentless honesty about herself and the dysfunctional family dynamic she was born into, which she lays bare with an almost forensic eye ... Her conversational style of writing is lullingly deceptive, allowing the revelations, when they come, to explode like well-placed time bombs in the narrative ... Searingly honest ... A painstaking - and painful - dissection of her own familial fallout ... Viscerally unsettling. (Sean O'Hagan The Observer)

A brave and uncompromising work, a tale of discontent and destructive behaviour across the generations that brims with sadness and wisdom. (Independent)

Incandescent ... Equal parts Nora Ephron and SCUM Manifesto ... On the page Albertine is wry and vibrant, and seems to hold nothing back. (The New York Times)

The tension explodes in one, horrifying climax - a bloody skirmish at her mother's deathbed. It is almost unbearable reading. But it also highlights her skill as a chronicler of the experience of modern adulthood ... Albertine breaks more new ground [...] and emerges from grief into something like clarity, though her tendency for brutal self-reflection remains intact. All the rigour and rage of her punk heritage make this utterly compelling writing. No sentimental tropes, no bittersweet reconciliations - but perhaps some kind of future. (Financial Times)

Albertine grapples with the inherent contradictions of love and loyalty. Her eye-watering honesty, about everything from sex and shitting to the people who make and unmake us, is the engine of this book. It's a declaration of both love and war ... Past traumas drop deep anchors, abutting the present-day reality of a life, but Albertine has made compelling art out of what lies beneath, and is heading for a new horizon. (Sinéad Gleeson Irish Times)

The strength of her voice carries the reader through ... [Her family] are fractured, uncompromising and unmediated. The same might be said of this book ... [which] is emphatically true to her nature, above all in how it finds its own form. (Lavinia Greenlaw New Statesman)

Unflinching, frank, detailed, funny, disarming, deadpan yet passionate. When you read this, her second memoir, it feels slightly as if someone has grabbed you by the coat lapels and insisted that you listen to what happened to them on the bus; you may be cautious at first, but it turns out to be completely gripping, involving not only the bus but the passengers and how she feels about them and herself, complete with tirades about society and convention, asides about past boyfriends, the nature of male and female roles and expectations, anger, revenge, violence, manipulation, families, history. You can't tear yourself away. (TLS)

To Throw Away Unopened finds Albertine drilling deep into the myths that she had been sold by her own family, [her] prose is blunt-cut, but her thoughts are nuanced. Each emotional outburst is unpicked with exhilarating precision.

(5***** Daily Telegraph)

Viv Albertine sets a new standard with this second memoir [...] One of the most significant voices in British non-fiction. (Mojo 4****)

A poignant and funny memoir ... She gives a sensitive glimpse into the inner life of a nonconformist who has overcome an impoverished, dysfunctional upbringing and found some sort of place in the world ... Albertine's dark humour and sharp prose lift her into another league. (Clive Davis The Times)

An unflinching, often painful look at family dysfunction. She begins with cheeky bravado and righteous anger toward men, middle age, and awkwardness ... All are saved from bleakness by the author's chipper voice, in turns dry, profane, self-deprecating, and darkly funny ... For memoir fans who appreciate an engaging, unsentimental take on knotty family dynamics. (Library Journal)

I'm smitten with Viv Albertine's beautiful, tough, ribald, unsparing memoir. It's so rare to encounter writing this frank and fearless about love, violence, loneliness, mess of all kinds ... To Throw Away Unopened is a book for all ages and experiences. (Olivia Laing)

Viv Albertine captures the texture, habits, and tics of working class life in long-ago mid-century London. But, pivoting on a duet of startling end-of-life revelations, To Throw Away Unopened also shows us the power and possibility of change. In any medium, Viv Albertine is a visionary cultural force. (Chris Kraus)

Book Description

Brave, intimate, and confessional, this is the long-awaited follow-up to the bestselling memoir Clothes Music Boys by Viv Albertine, a 'visionary cultural force' (Chris Kraus).

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Faber & Faber; Main edition (5 April 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0571326218
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0571326211
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 2.54 x 20.96 cm
  • Customer reviews:

About the author

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Viv Albertine

Viv Albertine

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Viviane Katrina Louise "Viv" Albertine (born 1 December 1954, Sydney, Australia) is a British singer and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for the English punk group The Slits. She lives in Hackney, London.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Michael Putland [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
1,080 global ratings

Top reviews from United Kingdom

Steve Cann
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written & heart-wrenching masterpiece
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 June 2022
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After reading Viv's wonderful & gritty autobiog, I just had to read this new book - which of course follows on.

Here, Viv reflects upon events leading up to, around and after her mother's death. The title of the book comes from a bag she found on top of a wardrobe containing her mother's diaries, which she found when going through her things after she died.
She also had to do the same with her father's things - finding diaries from both parents giving their side of the story at the time.

Viv hears about that her mother may imminently die just as she's about to attend her own book launch event - she abandons this to rush to her mother's bedside.
But things don't go they way she hoped... the timeline of this painful time is dotted throughout the book at intervals - with Viv's own recollections and extracts from her parents' diaries in between.

This all makes for another very personal, honest, emotional and compelling read and Viv once again opens her heart and bares her soul.
Her brutal honesty is an absolute joy, and she writes in a way that no one else has dared to before.
Once again the reader is drawn into Viv's inner and outer worlds, and the sense of empathy and understanding is huge - as well as making us think about our own lives and experiences.

This wasn't always an easy read, but Viv's zest and dark humour shines through very brightly, and once again she's come up with a beautifully written and heart-wrenching masterpiece.
2 people found this helpful
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Sabina
4.0 out of 5 stars Lively and gritty
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 August 2018
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At first I wondered whether the structure of this book would prove irritating, but actually I enjoyed it. Viv Albertine's recollections are interspersed with the story of the evening which culminates in the shocking events at her mother's death-bed scene. Gradually, there is a sense of discovery as Viv contrasts her own thoughts at discovering her late French father's diary, with the ('throw away unopened') diaries she finds on top of her mother's wardrobe. Who has the truth about her parents' discordant marriage, and how do her own memories of growing up match these? Her account comes across as fresh, angry, vulnerable, brutally candid and not without humour. I don't know her music, but her writing is stimulating.
One person found this helpful
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Gill P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow. So much in this.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 March 2024
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At some point in everyone's life the words here will resonate all the more. Viv has conveyed the journey with such profound honesty, yet with the most wonderful lightness and space, which is amazing and worthy of the highest praise and gratitude.
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Captain Pike
5.0 out of 5 stars Moving and very readable.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 April 2018
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A wonderful memoir, brutally honest and thought-provoking, without a single dull sentence. It is books like these that can make you feel less alone in the world, knowing that there are kindred spirits out there who are dealing with the same struggles. I was particularly comforted to read Viv Albertine's candid account of her feelings about her mother's declining health. I had been through a similar process and felt less guilty after reading this.

I don't think I'd have the courage to write such a candid memoir of family life, but thank God some people do.

However, if that all sounds a bit worthy, I should add that there is plenty of bite and wit to enjoy, along with a vivid evocation of a London that no longer exists, for better or worse. I also really liked the way the book was structured, slowly unveiling the extraordinary night Albertine's mother died. It made the book hard to put down.

You don't have to be a music fan to enjoy this book; its appeal is universal.
12 people found this helpful
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Master
5.0 out of 5 stars Love Viv Albertine!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2024
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Such a good writer with a fascinating life story.
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J. M. M. Out
4.0 out of 5 stars Brutal, but loving
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 June 2018
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'To throw away unopened' is a gem of a book by the author of Clothes Music Boys. Viv Albertine managed to create a third career for herself after being in the seminal reggae punk rock band The Slits, writing, directing and acting in film and now writing books. And she is good at it. This second book of hers describes and analyses her personal life in the light of the lives of her mother, father and sister, and daughter. The mother and she herself are the central characters. She writes with great love about her mum, but with extreme candour as well, taking no prisoners: her mother manipulated her and her sister against the father, who gave up after a decade or so, and her against her sister. The analysis is sharp, but with humour. She loved and understood her mother inspite of the manipulative aspects. And forgives all of the family along the way. Insight: single parents groom one child against the other(s) to be the caretaker during old age. By the way, I recommend her 2012 album The Vermillion Years - featuring Jack Bruce on a track.
8 people found this helpful
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Estella1985
5.0 out of 5 stars What a powerful, liberating read... I never write reviews but make an exception here..
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2020
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..VA unflinchingly and forensically analyses gender, class/wealth, mental health, culture, art, loneliness, siblings, fathers and of course mothers as she unceasingly seeks the truth of her life. A fellow punk spirit, daughter of the same and from a similar part of the world and with similar family dysfunction, I loved this book, glued to the page much as she was reading her parents' diaries. Down into the Underworld we went, but OMG if not horrifying as some sections were, the book is never sordid or icky. VA's utter commitment to Truth Seeking assures that. So wonderful to read of her Big Love for her Mother and her slow, belated puncturing of the Romantic Myth. VA is an important writer on important issues, bringing a fierce intelligent "feminist" (such a loaded word) lens to bear on areas layered with societal sentiment/delusions. Two class books in, I really hope her muse strikes again. VA - thank you for your honesty which I personally found helpful, reassuring and healing - and far more effective than any therapy... (Especially important in this ridiculous post-Truth time we are living through. ) High Five Girlfriend!
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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john
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful writing style.
Reviewed in Canada on 20 October 2018
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After reading her biography, which was also fantastic, I just had to read more of her artistic endeavors. Well worth the price. Her style of writing is a pleasure to read! Bought 2 copies already.
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Yolande
5.0 out of 5 stars Raw, shocking, riveting. Prepare to be surprised.
Reviewed in the United States on 4 October 2018
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I paused in reading this book after a few chapters because I found the examination of family rivalries surrounding the death of the author's mother affected me so much. But when I returned to it, I was riveted until the end. This book is so honest and real, and tells of the beauty that remains even in our most difficult moments. It is one of my favorite books ever. Throughout, the author pays homage to authors she loves, her mother's wisdom, the exquisite memories of things that belong to times that are lost. It is a very satisfying read.
8 people found this helpful
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Sergio Stefani
5.0 out of 5 stars Libro
Reviewed in Italy on 24 October 2019
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Libro in lingua inglese
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Glen Helfand
5.0 out of 5 stars an inspiration
Reviewed in the United States on 19 November 2018
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Albertine writes with such honesty about family, and herself. She dives into, and reveals, so much about the sense of loss that comes with the death of parents, but also the opening that milestone creates to gain the clarity of lineage. She bravely reveals her own bad behaviors as she comes to terms with herself, which makes her even more of an inspiration. That, and she was in The Slits!
3 people found this helpful
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Elizabeth B.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on 2 August 2018
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Brilliant. I bought copies for all my cousins. If you have a family, read this book.
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