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    Goodbye, Vitamin
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    Goodbye, Vitamin
    Unavailable
    Goodbye, Vitamin
    Audiobook5 hours

    Goodbye, Vitamin

    Written by Rachel Khong

    Narrated by Thérèse Plummer

    4/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    'A beautifully written coming-of-age debut, dreamy and funny ... flawless' Independent

    'Khong is a magician... Brilliant' Lauren Groff, author of Fates and Furies

    ‘Khong’s first novel sneaks up on you – just like life, illness and heartbreak. And love. A million small, human and often deeply funny details gather force to tell a tale that is ultimately, incredibly poignant’ Miranda July, author of The First Bad Man

    Ruth is thirty and her life is falling apart: she and her fiancé are moving house, but he's moving out to live with another woman; her career is going nowhere; and then she learns that her father, a history professor beloved by his students, has Alzheimer’s. At Christmas, her mother begs her to stay on and help. For a year. Goodbye, Vitamin is the wry, beautifully observed story of a woman at a crossroads, as Ruth and her friends attempt to shore up her father’s career; she and her mother obsess over the ambiguous health benefits – in the absence of a cure – of dried jellyfish supplements and vitamin pills; and they all try to forge a new relationship with the brilliant, childlike, irascible man her father has become.

    ?'Biting, funny and poignant and makes you wish you’d thought of writing it first' Stylist, '50 Unmissable Books'

    'A deceptively complex tale of dementia and its impact on a family … Like a chain of fairy lights in the darkness' Financial Times

    'One of the funniest elegiac novels I have ever read' David Leavitt, author of The Lost Language of Cranes
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio UK
    Release dateAug 3, 2017
    ISBN9781471170539
    Unavailable
    Goodbye, Vitamin
    Author

    Rachel Khong

    Rachel Khong grew up in Southern California and holds degrees from Yale University and the University of Florida. From 2011 to 2016, she was the managing editor then executive editor of Lucky Peach magazine. Her fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The New York Times, The Paris Review, Tin House, The Cut, BuzzFeed, American Short Fiction, the San Francisco Chronicle, and The Believer. She lives in San Francisco.

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    Reviews for Goodbye, Vitamin

    4/5

    298 ratings44 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I can only review this book in light of the experience that I brought to it as a reader, which may not be fair, but such is life. "Goodbye, Vitamin" tells the story of a young woman who moves back home for a year after her father is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Told in diary format, it draws out her experience from ordinary details rather than from cliché drama, which at times is nice but at many more times is just too mundane. I came to this book a year after losing my grandfather, who spent three years struggling with aphasia after a stroke--not Alzheimer's, but harrowing in its own ways--and a few months after my grandmother received a vascular dementia diagnosis--also not Alzheimer's, but still frightening in its own ways. I expected this book to be cathartic. Aside from the very last paragraph, though, it just never got sad enough for me to experience that. I felt as if the narrator remained emotionally detached, which may well be how some people realistically respond to such a situation, but which just didn't work for me. Perhaps this book will help some readers who need to work through a similar experience without tears, but I'm still looking for my good cry.
    • 5/5
      The book is a simple slice of life, not too deep or dramatic or tragic, just the everyday life of a woman and her family during her father's last good/bad days before Alzheimer's takes over. It's beautiful in its simplicity, and it's easy to just get transported into the story. She's created characters to care about and by the end, there's an underlying sense of sadness that these people you've come to know have so much pain waiting for them. The vignette style of writing took me a bit to get used to, but I eventually saw it as adding a sense of realism to the book by mirroring the milieu of random thoughts each of us has all day long. It was surprisingly hilarious at times. Overall, a well written journey of a woman trying to juxtapose the past alongside an ever changing present.
    • 4/5
      A wonderful but tragic look into the downward spiral of a professor with Alzheimer's through the perspective of his daughter. With short bursts of journal entries and quirky anecdotes, she documents how quickly his health deteriorates. It's bittersweet for the most part, given the nature of the subject but it is juxtaposed with the unravelling of her own life, which becomes less significant when she focuses on her father. A great read.
    • 4/5
      This is a book about confronting loss. Ruth's engagement has just been broken off by her fiance Joel, so at a loss for the next step in her life, she moves back home at her mother's request "just for a year" to help with her father, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Told in random, but dated journal entries, Ruth recounts some of the little moments of her days, but also helps herself face some of the bigger issues. She had always been close to her father Howard, a university professor, and now has to face his debilitation. She also has to come to terms with the fact that he has been a crummy husband to her mother - she comes across divorce papers among other things - that indicate some of the hard times she has missed since she left home. Her observations are quirky but clever and grow in maturity as the book moves on. She conversely grows up while her father regresses. Their relationship and the whole family dynamic is very touching. "What imperfect carriers of love we are, and what imperfect givers. That the reasons we can care for one another can have nothing to do with the person cared for. That is has only to do with who we were around that person - what we felt about that person." (131) Ruth's relationships with her Mom, her brother Linus, her best friend Bonnie and her Dad's TA, Theo all attest to her growth and her capacity to love - however imperfectly.
    • 3/5
      A super solid and engaging read that was funny, sad, bittersweet. This rounds in on 4 stars, but I can’t quite do it. It’s quick, though it took me a month, that’s mostly because of the month it’s been....
    • 3/5
      I've had this sitting on my desk for AGES, picking it up every so often and trying to read it. But I just can't get into it. It's not terrible... a bit self-conscious and feels sort of artificial to me. But basically, it just doesn't click with me.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the quirky narrator of this book and the ways she sees the world in a unique way. I thought there were a few too many characters that were introduced proportional to the length of the book, and in part because of that there were a few plot lines that I didn't feel as resolved about. I would have liked to spend more time with these characters, actually, which is really a compliment to the book.
    • 4/5
      Goodbye, Vitamin presents finely tuned insights into the daily reality of caring for a parent with Alzheimers.Along the way, old friendships are deepened as the main character returns to her hometown.The dialogue here opened the door for a sequel where everyone outgrows the boring drinking timeswhich weakened the plot.
    • 3/5
      Different. Enjoyed it. Sad and scary. Life to come?
    • 5/5
      I was truly moved by this loving, quirky, funny, clever, sad book.
    • 3/5
      Notes for a first novel. Lots of ideas and some properly funny lines, but it felt underdone. It's rare that I think an author needed another 50 pages to flesh things out and tell an actual story rather than carve out a loosely contained series of vignettes. I don't mind things being left unresolved, because they weren't properly cooked to begin with. It was a book that demanded too little investment.
    • 4/5
      Ruth comes home to spend Christmas with her parents and ends up agreeing to stay for a year to help out with her father as he experiences growing symptoms of dementia. While there, she tries to get over a bad breakup, and learns some things about her parents' marriage.Despite some heavy subject matter, this is a very light-feeling, very quick-reading novel. A little too much so for me, to be honest. And it's written in a disjointed, causal style full of random thoughts that pop into the main character's head, which is something that often works well for me, but seemed kind of unsatisfying here. It's not bad. Occasionally it's quite charming, and there are moments of poignancy toward the end. But it did leave me kind of wishing I'd just read something with a little more heft.
    • 3/5
      After a bad breakup, Ruth moves home to Southern California, where her in with her eccentric, dysfunctional family lives. Her history professor father has Alzheimer's disease. Her mother and brother and are bitter about the drinking and philandering the father did before dementia set in. Ruth, who had always had a special bond with her father, does everything she can to try to improve his life, including working with a handsome former student of his to set up a fake "class" for him to teach. Here plausibility goes out the window.I had mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it is a quick, engaging read. On the other, many of the characters' conversations consist of mildly interesting factoids, which do not substitute for character development. Moreover, aside from some observations about sundowning and door knob placement, the narrative doesn't talk about the day to day nitty-gritty of caregiving as much as I would have liked. Recommended with reservations.
    • 4/5
      Written by a judge of the The Morning News Tournament of Books Summer event, a book that is also competing in the 2018 Tournament. Ruth's college professor dad has Alzheimer's disease so she goes back home after breaking up with her boyfriend. After being away for quite a while, Ruth's mom wants her there to keep an eye on things. Ruth mainly didn't want to return to see if what her brother said about her Dad's pre-Alzheimer's faults are true. The father shares pages of memories from when Ruth was a child and Khong's book here itself becomes memories that Ruth writes for her father. Ruth is certainly a quirky character to relate to. With heartbreaking, hilarious, smart and precious observations on each page (and almost every page mentioned some sort of fruit or vegetable.) Facts that sound too bizarre to be true like giant toilet goldfish (or possibly people are just putting their goldfish directly into the lake). Or observations like a bike locked to a bike rack with handcuffs. Basically a book made of facts and memories -- the things that life is made of. So much is here in this short book, it would definitely be a book to re-read. The ending isn't concrete, which I think is necessary in this type of story anyway. Overall, this is definitely a book I'm a fan of, but I don't think precious moments and funny moments alone can make it to the end of the Tournament of Books. That's a tough competition though. This book is perfectly fine enough if I'm not thinking about its place in very short list of eighteen worthy books in the ToB.
    • 3/5
      I’m not quite sure how to rate this one. It was a cute story but it wasn’t one that I absolutely loved. The progression of dementia is a tough one to watch and that was captured well. I would have liked more on Theo and Ruth but that wasn’t the focus of the story. 3.5 🌟#BOTM making myself catch up my book of the month books.
    • 4/5
      This was a fast read and resonated with me because we lost my mother-in-law to dementia last November. While this book is about a daughter who moves back home for a year tohelp care for her father, it wasn't depressing. It might not be for everyone, but, I enjoyed the diary like entries and the humor that we all need to keep on going during rough patches inour lives.
    • 4/5
      Okay, so when my grandfather had dementia, one thing that sticks with me was the glimpses I got to see of him as a little kid. The sense of humour, the awe at things he wouldn't have looked twice at pre-brain issues, the way he just kind of accepted living in his strange, strange world.

      Goodbye, Vitamin managed to capture that perfectly. The beauty and the childlike wonder that appear between moments of violence and paranoia.

      Absolutely gorgeous. Will probably hit home if you've had a family member with dementia. Give this one a whirl.
    • 4/5
      A very insightful story about a woman taking care of her father with Alzheimer's. It's not too sad. It's more about their relationship over the years and relationships in general.
    • 3/5
      At it's core, this is a story of a year in the life of family and friends working together to care for the patriarch afflicted with early onset Alzheimer's. Beyond that there is an underlying story of the bonds and memories shared between father and daughter and how roles are lovingly reversed. Tender story filled with day to day personal conflicts sorted out through adversity.
    • 2/5
      I didn't like this book at all. It was like the diary of a stand-up comedian who was trying way too hard to be funny and failing miserably. I never got a true sense of how Ruth's father was descending into dementia and, sad to say, didn't really care. All of her friends and family were too kooky, or perhaps it was just the way she was straining to make stupid jokes out of every situation. Dumb title also.
    • 5/5
      I loved it!
    • 4/5
      A sweet and lightweight book about family dynamics, early-onset Alzheimer's, late-onset growing up. Khong has a nice light touch with the dark humor, and this is a good example of how gentle irreverence can still wind up to deliver a satisfying emotional punch.
    • 4/5
      This short novel reveals its story in choppy segments of present moments, flashbacks, and snippets of conversation - a narrative style that can be tricky to get used to but pays off in the end. Ruth is 30 years old and has just been dumped by the man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with though, in hindsight, the signs of their imminent break-up are more obvious. When her mother asks her to come for Christmas and stay a year to help care for her father who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's, Ruth is reluctant but also a bit desperate to do something to recover from losing Joel. Ruth is all-consumed with memory. She can't help but think of the time she wasted on her relationship, the poor decisions and sacrifices she made, and also the details of times with Joel that brought her joy. She can't ignore her father's slow decline or the memories that he wrote down when Ruth, as a child, did or said something amusing or insightful or so meaningful to him that he never wanted to forget it. How can she remember that her father cheated on her mother and still respect him? How can she lose respect for him now when he may not even remember her soon? The story could have been 200 pages of heartbreak and sadness but Ruth's observations about life are dry and amusing. And when she meets a man who speaks the same crazy language, a tiny light starts to flicker at the end of the tunnel. Everyone knows where her father's future is heading but author Rachel Khong manages to make the journey touching and painful but also heartwarming and buoyant.
    • 4/5
      I liked how the author captured the Young family. They were not perfect but they portrayed a normal family struggling to survive and along the way they learned how to live and love again as a family. Ruth is a good daughter willing to help out her parents. Although, for me the stars of this book are Ruth's parents, Howard and Annie. Their maturity and wisdom really lends to the story. Howard showed that although he may be dealing with Alzheimer's he was still a person. When he was teaching his small class room of students is where he shined the most. There was not a lot of detail spent in the class room, it seemed as if Howard was in the present and it seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. Than there is Annie. The fact that she went to such extremes by tossing out all of the aluminum pots and pans; thus, no more home cooked meals but yet she could be found sliding pizza under the door when Howard locks himself in his office. She was so endearing. Ruth was the one that did the most growing in this book. She found herself again after his breakup. Not only this but she had a new outlook on life. All I have to say about this book is...Goodbye Vitamin, Hello, Love.
    • 4/5
      Alzheimers, cruel and insidious. How do you tell a story of a parent who is physically healthy but cognitively no longer capable of working, doesn't recognize family members, doesn't adhere to societal norms? It is heartbreaking. Goodbye, Vitamin, a debut novel by Rachel Khong, walks this razor fine line with humor and grace to tell this story. Ruth Young arrived at her parents home at her mothers request just after Christmas, jobless, newly broken up with her fiancé. She finds her father Howard has been leaving his pants in trees, her mother Annie views everything as a potential culprit. As the reality of her fathers Alzheimers sets in, the gravity of his condition, Ms Khong's writing really shines. She does a masterful job navigating the loss, anger, tenderness, and vulnerability to make such a difficult subject 'readable'. Most of all I found so much of this relatable, and that is the books greatest strength.I received an advanced reader copy (eGalley) from Henry Holt & Company through NetGalley. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinions.
    • 3/5
      I liked this book, after recently going through this in my life I felt Rachel really hit the nail on the head. I'd recommend this book to anyone caring for an elderly family member. I'm not sure if it would be of that much interest to others.
    • 3/5
      A year in the life of Ruth, who has recently broken up with her fiance Joel, and returns to her parents' home to help care for her father, who has dementia. The narration is laconic and detached, and I only intermittently identified with/bonded with Ruth. There were touching moments and humorous stories and I enjoyed it in a gentle way. Then it just ended.
    • 4/5
      Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong is a 2017 Henry Holt publication. Poignant and bittersweetI wasn’t sure if I had the emotional wherewithal right now to read a novel that most assuredly would lean toward the depressing side. But, on occasion, I simply can't resist a publishing push and with less than two hundred pages I figured I could handle whatever emotional punches were thrown my way. Once I started reading the book, however, I found the tone to be lighter than I had anticipated, and soon found myself wrapped up in Ruth’s year long journey- Ruth’s mother invited her to move back home after her father begins exhibiting signs of dementia. Having just broken up with her fiancé, feeling at loose ends, Ruth accepts the invitation and moves back home for a year. Ruth’s narration is often flighty, meandering, disjointed, and disorganized, as she works through her personal heartbreak, her mother’s disappointments, and of course her father’s battle to keep his mind sharp and stay active as long as possible. While Ruth is really hurting, she is also determined, treading into uncharted territory, discovering her parents weren’t perfect, but learning to see them in a new, more mature light, as she must now be the adult in the home. She reconnects with old friends, her brother, Linus, and comes to realize despite his foibles, she is the light of her father’s life, the apple of his eye. "Sharing things is how things get started, and not sharing things is how they end.”The discovery of her father’s diary which detailed conversations he had with Ruth when she was a child, was charming, often hilarious and sweet, but also a little sad. These entries were my favorite part this book and I loved the way Ruth borrowed from this idea, which showed how life really does seem to come full circle. “I like also that having a terrible day pretty much guarantees that the next day will be much, much better.”Life and family are messy, but through all the turmoil, mistakes, and heartbreak, I think Ruth discovered a way to give back to her father some of what he gave to her, and in the process, managed to find the beginnings of her own inner peace. Ultimately, despite the quirky writing style, or maybe because of it, I ended up enjoying this book far more than I would have thought.While this may have been a short, quick read, it was a touching story, overall, and I’m glad I decided to give it a chance.
    • 4/5
      Pretty good representation of dementia. Not sure if the characters work as well.
    • 4/5
      A thirty-year-old woman returns home after her father is asked to leave his teaching position at the university because of his advancing Alzheimer’s disease. Throughout the story, told in journal entries, Ruth reflects on her life and her somewhat strained and complicated relationship with her parents.Having been a caregiver for someone with dementia, I related to many of the situations - - some sad, some frustrating, and some comical. The author deals with this very tough subject with compassion and just the right amount of humor.