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dean_issov's review against another edition
informative
sad
medium-paced
2.0
Becoming The Narcissist's Nightmare is a book that helps you know what a narcissist is, what they do and how you can avoid them or heal yourself from them. I quite enjoyed reading this book throughout the first 3 chapters, I think that it was very informative and the tips for how to avoid narcissists (whether it's your friends, family, or spouse) and how to love yourself more are really helpful and powerful for those who have had the experiences this book talked about.
However, I do think that this book's biggest flaw is its overly repetitive and 'wordy' writing. I feel like stretching this book to 10 chapters is far too long and it definitely shows, a lot of the tips were re-introduced again and again, sometimes even in the same chapter and it isn't really needed. I also think that the book says too many words without really saying anything new, it just feels like there should've been a few chapters shortened or entirely cut off because of how much the information is already expressed in previous chapters. Chapters 1, 2 and 3 are probably the main reasons people pick this book up and the rest of the book are just basically telling you the same thing but in different variations.
However, I do think that this book's biggest flaw is its overly repetitive and 'wordy' writing. I feel like stretching this book to 10 chapters is far too long and it definitely shows, a lot of the tips were re-introduced again and again, sometimes even in the same chapter and it isn't really needed. I also think that the book says too many words without really saying anything new, it just feels like there should've been a few chapters shortened or entirely cut off because of how much the information is already expressed in previous chapters. Chapters 1, 2 and 3 are probably the main reasons people pick this book up and the rest of the book are just basically telling you the same thing but in different variations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
rosepetals1984's review against another edition
3.0
Quick review for a long read (seriously, this audiobook is over 16 hours long. I listened to it for days of commutes. =\). This book has so much meat for information to it that it may take a while to digest all that it has to offer, particularly for the better points the narrative makes on recovery, gaslighting, triangulation, and an understanding of narcissists and how harmful they can be to people who are subjected to their abusive behaviors. There are a number of helpful notations in this book on a psychological, self-help, social study, and referential level. Citing from multiple sources, personal stories, essays, among other referential material - Arabi's "Becoming the Narcissist's Nightmare" delves into surviving abuse in the mix of relationships with those who have Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It's not just the author who's reflecting in the narrative, but multiple contributors who have a combination of their own impassioned stories and research/ruminations to share.
Something that bothered me about this narrative is that it can be unnecessarily repetitious and general in the advice it gives at times. It took a long time to get to the heart of the material, even from the beginning because the author went too long with the paring down of narcissists as "emotional leeches" among other cut downs. Granted, I get this narrative comes from a personal and oftentimes painful place, but the narration could've been better streamlined to give the narrative more weight for delivering vital pieces of information as a self-help guide. It was frustrating pushing through the narration (though I liked the audio narrator) just to get to pieces of information that I found helpful for practical application and learning about the psychological currents of this disorder. Don't get me wrong, this book has helpful advice, but it's often counteracted by the lack of streamlining. There are certain moments when the narrative loses its focus on the topic and goes down a tangent that doesn't recover for a while.
I went back and forth on whether to give this 3 or 3.5 stars. It's one of the few books that I've picked up in mainstream guides on Narcissistic Personality Disorder in my research of various personality disorders and how they affect close relationships, but it wouldn't be the only one I would use as a go-to reference. While it provides a lot of material and helpful advice, it may not be specific or exact enough for those who are in recovery and need something quick to find resources they're looking for.
Overall score: 3/5 stars.
Something that bothered me about this narrative is that it can be unnecessarily repetitious and general in the advice it gives at times. It took a long time to get to the heart of the material, even from the beginning because the author went too long with the paring down of narcissists as "emotional leeches" among other cut downs. Granted, I get this narrative comes from a personal and oftentimes painful place, but the narration could've been better streamlined to give the narrative more weight for delivering vital pieces of information as a self-help guide. It was frustrating pushing through the narration (though I liked the audio narrator) just to get to pieces of information that I found helpful for practical application and learning about the psychological currents of this disorder. Don't get me wrong, this book has helpful advice, but it's often counteracted by the lack of streamlining. There are certain moments when the narrative loses its focus on the topic and goes down a tangent that doesn't recover for a while.
I went back and forth on whether to give this 3 or 3.5 stars. It's one of the few books that I've picked up in mainstream guides on Narcissistic Personality Disorder in my research of various personality disorders and how they affect close relationships, but it wouldn't be the only one I would use as a go-to reference. While it provides a lot of material and helpful advice, it may not be specific or exact enough for those who are in recovery and need something quick to find resources they're looking for.
Overall score: 3/5 stars.
circlejxrk's review against another edition
2.0
Very repetitive, the book didn't need to be dragged on into 500 pages. You can get the same information just by reading a few Pinterest posts.