[sun surfer]

I'm finding this discussion very interesting with the gamut of ratings from (more or less) a 1-star to a 5-star, and reading such different perspectives on it.

I suppose I'm the last of us to finish up on it but I'm closing in on 80% now so should be done in a few days, though if I get a chance for one good sit down I'll probably finish it in a go.

Some of you may know, but I suddenly caught pneumonia a few years ago, and I was rather young to get it and generally very healthy so I was caught by complete surprise (although, I suppose who is ever ready to catch pneumonia?). Before I went to hospital and was put on a form of morphine, I felt like I was suffocating as I could only breathe with extreme shallowness because of the stabbing pain (the worst I've ever felt in my life, by far). As well some years earlier I had an auntie that suddenly caught pneumonia and died the same day overnight before she was even 60.

At one point a doctor had told me I was lucky in the end though, and reading about Quintana I see why very clearly. When Didion first started listing Q's early symptoms I recognised them immediately. I've made a basically full recovery, except that I can't take a large breath or go in cold weather without feeling a strange cottony tingling sensation now, and I've been recommended to do certain breathing exercises every day ad infinitum. Although this book is about Joan's journey, I can't help but relate to the early part of what happened to Quintana and feel for how unlucky she was.