The Night the Lights Went Out: A Memoir of Life After Brain Damage
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- Create Date：2021-10-13 06:21:16
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Drew Magary
- ISBN：B08V82G3XT
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Reviews
Kathy
，
This is a medical memoir by Drew Magary。 I normally do not read this type of book but it was offered on NetGalley and it sounded intriguing。 Drew is a funny guy and a journalist。 He was hosting the Deadspin awards when he fell and hit his head on the concrete floor。 He had had a few beers and doesn't really know if the drinking helped with his fall or not but he swore off alcohol。 He was in a coma for 2 weeks having suffered a severe brain bleed and the doctors did not know if he would make it o This is a medical memoir by Drew Magary。 I normally do not read this type of book but it was offered on NetGalley and it sounded intriguing。 Drew is a funny guy and a journalist。 He was hosting the Deadspin awards when he fell and hit his head on the concrete floor。 He had had a few beers and doesn't really know if the drinking helped with his fall or not but he swore off alcohol。 He was in a coma for 2 weeks having suffered a severe brain bleed and the doctors did not know if he would make it or if he did what kind of shape he would be in。 In parts of the story he has different family members and friends telling him what it was like with him in the coma。 It was very interesting。 When he wakes up he is not like his former self and he struggles with the things that have changed in him。 He does start writing again after he gets home and that helps with his healing。 This books puts into reality that a little accidental fall can change your life and the life of your family。 Told with wit， humor and humility Drew Magary is luck to be alive and doing so well。 I hope he is still doing well。 Thanks to #netgalley， #harmonypublishing and #drewmagary for an ARC of #TheNightTheLightsWentOut 。。。more
Allen Adams
，
We’ve all heard stories – usually intended to be inspirational in some way， shape or form – about people who have died and come back。 People who have suffered some sort of catastrophic accident or health-related incident and briefly passed away， only to， through some combination of quality treatment and pure luck， return。The thing is， that’s often where the story stops – with the return。 But what about what happens next？ And what about the other people， the friends and family who， if you’ll pard We’ve all heard stories – usually intended to be inspirational in some way， shape or form – about people who have died and come back。 People who have suffered some sort of catastrophic accident or health-related incident and briefly passed away， only to， through some combination of quality treatment and pure luck， return。The thing is， that’s often where the story stops – with the return。 But what about what happens next？ And what about the other people， the friends and family who， if you’ll pardon me， lived through it？Those questions and their answers serve as the foundation for Drew Magary’s "The Night the Lights Went Out: A Memoir of Life After Brain Damage。" It’s the story of a fateful night a few years ago when the author suffered a massive and still-unexplained brain injury， one that led to his brief （but very real） death， followed by a medically-induced coma。 It’s also the story of what happened when he woke up， as well as of the people who were there to witness what happened during that stretch of time before he came back。 Not to mention his ongoing efforts toward some kind of recovery。As you might imagine， there’s a lot of darkness to be explored here。 And make no mistake – the shadows run deep in some sections of this book。 But here’s the thing – Magary has developed a unique voice over his years of online writing （you can currently find him doing his thing on the excellent collectively-owned website Defector， which you should 100% subscribe to）， a voice that is sharp and sly and self-aware and perfectly capable of mining humor and heart from the bleakest of ores。This story really begins on the night of the Deadspin Awards in 2018 （Magary was a writer there before the mass exodus of talent that eventually led to Defector; I’m not going to go into the whole thing here， but that is also a fascinating story if you care to check it out）。 Magary was serving as the host for the evening’s festivities， a master of ceremonies of sorts。 The event itself went off quite well by all accounts， but tragedy awaited at the karaoke bar afterparty。（And really， isn’t there always some sort of tragedy awaiting at the karaoke bar？）In an incident whose particulars remain undetermined to this day， Magary fell while waiting for the bathroom。 The circumstances of the fall are unclear， but the aftermath was horrible – he fell so hard onto the concrete floor that he fractured his skull in multiple places and suffered a severe brain hemorrhage。 These injuries were so catastrophic that， were it not for immediate intervention by those nearby， he almost certainly would have died。As it was， he wound up in a medically-induced coma for weeks while his family and friends stood vigil and hoped for the best。 Of course， when he came to， it was only the beginning。 Traumatic brain injuries are notoriously fickle and unpredictable – particularly when it comes to recovery。 Magary’s struggles going forward would be difficult， and ultimately， there would be no way of knowing just how much of his former faculties he would regain。Recovery from this sort of injury is a long road， one that is rarely traveled at a steady clip。 In fits and starts， Magary began finding his way back – not to normalcy as he knew it， but a new normal。 And as it became clear that some changes were permanent – physically， mentally， emotionally permanent – he was left to push through his frustrations。Still， in the midst of uncertainty， he dug deep to find the one thing on which he knew he could count – his words。“The Night the Lights Went Out” is a thoughtful meditation on what it means to come back from the brink。 It explores the harsh realities of survival – yes， living on after such a tragic and terrifying incident is wonderful， but there’s a lot more to recovery than simply waking up。 There is a lot of work to be done， and even if everything falls in just the right way， it’s almost certain that some of the “you” from before is never coming back。 It’s a kind of existential terror that most of us will never comprehend。Sounds pretty f---ing bleak， doesn’t it？ And in other， less capable hands， this book would be just that – unrelentingly bleak。 But since we’re talking about Drew Magary， we instead get a combination of insight and irreverence。 Yes， those bleak moments are there – how could they not be？ – but they’re surrounded by the charm of the mid-stage curmudgeon that he evokes so well。 You might not think that a book about traumatic brain injury would be funny， but this one absolutely is。 His gift for vivid coarseness serves him well， every thoroughly detailed description of trauma and traumatic events punctuated and punctured by an unwavering sense of humor。Even as he digs into his struggles – both his own and the ones reflected upon those close to him – that sense of self-deprecation remains， allowing us a holistic glimpse into his experiences。 Neither overly sunny nor unduly shadowed， “The Night the Lights Went Out” is indicative of what is perhaps Magary’s greatest trait as a writer – his honesty。While his own experiences are the bulk of the book， Magary also takes great care to engage with the people who were there during the time when， well … the lights were out。 By doing this – by talking to the people who were there for the incident and those who were by his side at the hospital – he adds dimension to the story that otherwise wouldn’t be there。 To get the perspective of his doctors， with jargon-laden explanations of what happened and how much worse it might have been。 To hear from his family members， people who sat unendingly beside his hospital bed。 Or his friends， the people whose quick actions on that fateful night very well may have saved his life。 It’s a layer of texture that beautifully elevates the story， providing the context that quite literally fills in the gaps。Obviously， “The Night the Lights Went Out” has a happy ending – Drew Magary is still here， still churning out Funbags and Jambaroos and telling us why our teams suck。 He worked hard， yes， but he also got lucky。 And one thing is for damned sure – he is absolutely cognizant of just how lucky。 That sense of good fortune shines through on every page， even when the story is at a nadir。 It is a meditation on survival， refracted through the skewed prism of a gifted smartass。Thanks for sharing this， Drew。 We’re glad you’re still here。 。。。more
Carol Custer
，
This book was very personal for me as it described perfectly so many things I experienced with a loved one who had a stroke plus additional hospitalizations。 I was struck at first by the title because that's how my husband described his stroke - 'lights out！'。 Although Drew's case was different from a 'regular' stroke， many of the things he experienced were the same。 The confusion， the anger， the delusions from the drugs， etc。 It was actually cathartic - though painful - for me to read of Drew's This book was very personal for me as it described perfectly so many things I experienced with a loved one who had a stroke plus additional hospitalizations。 I was struck at first by the title because that's how my husband described his stroke - 'lights out！'。 Although Drew's case was different from a 'regular' stroke， many of the things he experienced were the same。 The confusion， the anger， the delusions from the drugs， etc。 It was actually cathartic - though painful - for me to read of Drew's struggle。 And especially of Sonia's struggle because that was mine too。The writing in this book is powerful。 It's honest and truthful and written in a down-to-earth manner that feels like just sitting down and talking with a friend。 It was truly inspiring to read of the struggles Drew and his family went through - - and that he came through it all。 I thank him for sharing his story。 。。。more
Katie
，
The night of the 2018 Deadspin Awards， Drew Magary mysteriously fell and hit his head on the concrete so hard that it caused his skull to fracture and have a life-changing brain hemorrhage。 He spent the next two weeks in a coma。 The Night The Lights Went Out is a memoir powered by the memories of his friends， family， doctors， and his scant personal recollections of the time after his fall。If you are a fan of true medical shows or books then this one is for you。 Filled with real and raw informati The night of the 2018 Deadspin Awards， Drew Magary mysteriously fell and hit his head on the concrete so hard that it caused his skull to fracture and have a life-changing brain hemorrhage。 He spent the next two weeks in a coma。 The Night The Lights Went Out is a memoir powered by the memories of his friends， family， doctors， and his scant personal recollections of the time after his fall。If you are a fan of true medical shows or books then this one is for you。 Filled with real and raw information about brain injuries and the aftermath of them， this is an all-encompassing book about how someone deals with something so life changing。 I found it to be slightly redundant with so many different viewpoints， but it was an interesting read and not something I would ordinarily pick up。Thank you so much to Harmony books for the complimentary copy！ 。。。more
Lorena
，
Drew Magary tells a compelling story of his recovery from a traumatic brain injury。 Threaded throughout his narrative are interesting facts about aneurysms， subdural hematomas， and the lingering effects of a traumatic brain injury， as well as loss of hearing， smell， and taste。 I thought this memoir was both informative and funny， and also a little scary because something similar could happen to any of us。I especially appreciated Magary’s discussion of how his disabilities affected his personal i Drew Magary tells a compelling story of his recovery from a traumatic brain injury。 Threaded throughout his narrative are interesting facts about aneurysms， subdural hematomas， and the lingering effects of a traumatic brain injury， as well as loss of hearing， smell， and taste。 I thought this memoir was both informative and funny， and also a little scary because something similar could happen to any of us。I especially appreciated Magary’s discussion of how his disabilities affected his personal identity， and how his experiences were shaped by limiting beliefs from childhood。 He also points out how many ways he was lucky， because many people would not have had the support and resources to survive and recover as well as he did。Magary uses crude language， including frequent F-bombs。 If that won’t bother you， then I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoirs and is curious about traumatic brain injury。I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review。 。。。more
Cynthia
，
4。5
Carol
，
Very mixed feelings on this book for me。 I chose to read it to better understand someone who had a TBI and his very different post accident personality。 Yes， I found what I needed。 What was not my style was the author's personality both before and after his injury。 He seemed really full of himself in a way that completely turned me off。 In spite of his frequent F bombs，which added nothing to his story， i did learn what I needed， but I could have been happier with less repetition。Al。most dying di Very mixed feelings on this book for me。 I chose to read it to better understand someone who had a TBI and his very different post accident personality。 Yes， I found what I needed。 What was not my style was the author's personality both before and after his injury。 He seemed really full of himself in a way that completely turned me off。 In spite of his frequent F bombs，which added nothing to his story， i did learn what I needed， but I could have been happier with less repetition。Al。most dying did change his life and the lives of many others。 It took a while for him to learn to dapt，but mostly he needed to accept before he could adapt。 I did not care for him or his writing style， but I still would suggest this book to the families of others facing a TBI。 Thank you NetGalleyfor an advance reader copy in exchange for anhonest opinion。 。。。more
Beth Hommes
，
Drew Magary has written about the aftermath of a cerebral hemorrhage which he suffers at the after party for a Deadspin Awards event。 Since Drew was in a coma for several weeks， the first quarter of the book is made up of many short observations of friends and family。For me this style met with mixed success。 There was almost too much repetition of details and it was difficult to keep the people straight。 When he returns home Drew has trouble with smell， taste， vision and hearing。 Though his sigh Drew Magary has written about the aftermath of a cerebral hemorrhage which he suffers at the after party for a Deadspin Awards event。 Since Drew was in a coma for several weeks， the first quarter of the book is made up of many short observations of friends and family。For me this style met with mixed success。 There was almost too much repetition of details and it was difficult to keep the people straight。 When he returns home Drew has trouble with smell， taste， vision and hearing。 Though his sight improves quickly， his hearing is quite bothersome。 Eventually he gets a cochlear implant。 Most concerning are his anger issues for which he eventually sees a therapist。 I liked parts of this book but felt some chapters got hung up on medical details like the structure of the inner ear。 I appreciated Drew’s frustration at his injuries but I sometimes felt myself comparing him to someone who lost limbs or cognitive function from an accident and felt overall his issues were more manageable。 I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC。 。。。more
Kathy
，
Drew Magary has written a stunning， insider's look at the impact of living with a truamatic brain injury。 Told in his voice and the voices of those who love him， this book shares the new reality that Magary and his family had to accept and adapt to to move past his accident into the future。Drew writes poignantly and honestly of his new life， and I can only applaud him for the strength and courage that it takes to get past something like this。 He has produced a memorable read that will not be eas Drew Magary has written a stunning， insider's look at the impact of living with a truamatic brain injury。 Told in his voice and the voices of those who love him， this book shares the new reality that Magary and his family had to accept and adapt to to move past his accident into the future。Drew writes poignantly and honestly of his new life， and I can only applaud him for the strength and courage that it takes to get past something like this。 He has produced a memorable read that will not be easily forgotten。My thanks to NetGalley and Harmony/Rodale for letting me read an ARC of this book which is scheduled to be published on 10/12/21。 All opinions stated in this review are my own and are freely given。 。。。more
Louise Gray
，
Fascinating and moving in equal measure， this book is a reminder of how quickly things can change。 I loved the writing style - a touch of humour giving colour to the darkest observations。
Malia
，
I only knew Drew Margary from his beloved Hater's Guide to the Williams Sonoma catalog posts every year， and I had known he'd suffered something traumatic around Christmas a few years ago。 I was intrigued， and indeed there was a lot to appreciate in this memoir。 The very beginning of the book was a bit of a hurdle for me， because I found its humor to be tired dad stuff in combination with overly-similed and slightly exaggerated comic prose that I find， like， unsustainable to read over the course I only knew Drew Margary from his beloved Hater's Guide to the Williams Sonoma catalog posts every year， and I had known he'd suffered something traumatic around Christmas a few years ago。 I was intrigued， and indeed there was a lot to appreciate in this memoir。 The very beginning of the book was a bit of a hurdle for me， because I found its humor to be tired dad stuff in combination with overly-similed and slightly exaggerated comic prose that I find， like， unsustainable to read over the course of an entire book。 But then the actual incident of the TBI happens and everything shifts。The idea to do an oral history on your own TBI and subsequent coma is brilliant， and it's brilliantly done。 Reading it is like being a fly on the wall of a hospital room bustling with medical staff and well wishers。 It's emotional， it's detailed， it shows how differently people can experience the same event。But then Drew wakes from his coma and the recovery begins， and we're back in his voice。 It was a very thorough account of what it's like for someone who in the end was very lucky and acknowledges that luck/privilege。 It shows how confounding the brain is。 What it looks like to face something you'd really rather not。 And I thought the writing was really well controlled， in that it showed a new outlook developing in real time， instead of reflecting back with an already established outlook。 It landed on exactly the right amount of shmoopiness for me， which is really admirable。***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review。*** 。。。more
Nancy
，
A Story of Tragedy and RecoveryOn December 5th， 2018， Drew Magary was having a great time。 He’d just hosted a successful Deadspin Awards ceremony。 He and his coworkers were headed for the Karoke bar to celebrate， but the night ended in near tragedy for Drew。 He collapsed， hitting his head so hard on the cement floor he fractured his skull， but that wasn’t the only problem he had a massive brain hemorrhage。To save his life the doctors put him in a drug induced coma for two weeks。 When he woke he A Story of Tragedy and RecoveryOn December 5th， 2018， Drew Magary was having a great time。 He’d just hosted a successful Deadspin Awards ceremony。 He and his coworkers were headed for the Karoke bar to celebrate， but the night ended in near tragedy for Drew。 He collapsed， hitting his head so hard on the cement floor he fractured his skull， but that wasn’t the only problem he had a massive brain hemorrhage。To save his life the doctors put him in a drug induced coma for two weeks。 When he woke he was alive， but he had to figure out who the new Drew was and learn to live with his disabilities。 This is the story of the two years it took him to recover。 This is a very honest and at times heart-wrenching story。 However， it is told with humor and self-deprecation that makes it enjoyable to read。 It is also the story of his family and friends and how they supported him through his recovery。 I was particularly impressed with his wife Sonia。 Suddenly she had to cope with the children as well as a husband who suffered from mood swings and inexplicable rages， and she did it with grace and humanity。 If I’m every faced with the problem I hope I do as well。 I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review。 。。。more
Kelly
，
I enjoyed The Night the Lights Went Out。 It is an interesting memoir about Drew Magary's traumatic brain injury （TBI） It really gets into the emotions that a family goes though when waiting to see if a loved one will live or die by this experience。 Later in the book it gets into the emotions Drew went through to pull the pieces of his life back together and get back to a life similar to his past。 His experiences with losing his several of his senses is terrifying and fascinating。 I have always h I enjoyed The Night the Lights Went Out。 It is an interesting memoir about Drew Magary's traumatic brain injury （TBI） It really gets into the emotions that a family goes though when waiting to see if a loved one will live or die by this experience。 Later in the book it gets into the emotions Drew went through to pull the pieces of his life back together and get back to a life similar to his past。 His experiences with losing his several of his senses is terrifying and fascinating。 I have always heard that if you lost a sense that another would help pick up the slack。 Mr。 Magary did not get into this theory but losing 3 of 5 senses my be too heavy of a lift for the other two。 I am on many FB groups about books。 This book does have foul language that could technically have been left out and not changed the story。 I especially noticed it in the beginning and the end。 It was not that big of turn-off for me because I can talk like a sailor but for those easily offended by language， this may not be a book for you。One thing I really got out of this book came from his therapist。 Anger has five root causes: A need for revenge， feeling helpless， feeling discouraged， a need to prove your importance， and feeling overwhelmed。 Well this tells me a lot about my ex husband and his desperate need for a therapist。 I thought alcohol was his vice but anger may be the root of the problem。 Drew's experience was really an awaking to me。Thank you to NetGalley， Penguin Random House， and Drew Magary for fascinating read。 I am giving an honest review in exchange for an advanced copy of this book。 @Netgalley @DrewMagary @PenguinRandomHouse @thenightthelightswentout 。。。more
Letty
，
4。5/5What a wonderfully written medical memoir。 I enjoyed this one very much and found it hard to put down。 It was filled with stressful moments， especially the ones where Drew was in a coma and his difficulty afterwards with the hearing and tasting， that kept me turning the pages。 The touch of humor by Drew was added in the right moments and I found myself laughing out loud at times。 The perspective by friends and family at the beginning of the book was very well done。 If you are a fan of medic 4。5/5What a wonderfully written medical memoir。 I enjoyed this one very much and found it hard to put down。 It was filled with stressful moments， especially the ones where Drew was in a coma and his difficulty afterwards with the hearing and tasting， that kept me turning the pages。 The touch of humor by Drew was added in the right moments and I found myself laughing out loud at times。 The perspective by friends and family at the beginning of the book was very well done。 If you are a fan of medical memoirs with a touch of humor， then this book is for you。 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy。 。。。more
Amber
，
As a fan of the formerly great Deadspin （now currently great Defector）， I remember when Drew Magary went dark from the site and the outpouring of worry & support from his coworkers， friends， and readers。 One fateful night in December， Drew fell and suffered a serious brain injury。 The memoir chronicles not only his struggles， but also how it impacted his family and friends。 You will laugh， you will cry， and you will be grateful you read it。 Thank you to NetGalley and Harmony for the e-ARC of thi As a fan of the formerly great Deadspin （now currently great Defector）， I remember when Drew Magary went dark from the site and the outpouring of worry & support from his coworkers， friends， and readers。 One fateful night in December， Drew fell and suffered a serious brain injury。 The memoir chronicles not only his struggles， but also how it impacted his family and friends。 You will laugh， you will cry， and you will be grateful you read it。 Thank you to NetGalley and Harmony for the e-ARC of this book。 。。。more
Linda
，
What a humorous struggle to get back to “ordinary life” after suffering a traumatic brain injury。 How lucky he was to have friends， family， and doctors all do the right thing at the right moment to not only save his life but to also ensure he was able to have the best possible quality of life after。 His humor was fun but the information about memory， taste and hearing loss and the current remedies （or lack of， in some instances） was most valuable。Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Harmony Publ What a humorous struggle to get back to “ordinary life” after suffering a traumatic brain injury。 How lucky he was to have friends， family， and doctors all do the right thing at the right moment to not only save his life but to also ensure he was able to have the best possible quality of life after。 His humor was fun but the information about memory， taste and hearing loss and the current remedies （or lack of， in some instances） was most valuable。Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Harmony Publishing for the ARC to read and review。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
A beautiful book written with style and humor。 Magary's ability to acknowledge and build on his differences after his TBI is impressive。 This could have gone a lot of ways and Magary chose to go with the direct approach- it's hard and hard work to recover as he did， not just on the patient but also on the family;。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 It's a great read。 A beautiful book written with style and humor。 Magary's ability to acknowledge and build on his differences after his TBI is impressive。 This could have gone a lot of ways and Magary chose to go with the direct approach- it's hard and hard work to recover as he did， not just on the patient but also on the family;。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 It's a great read。 。。。more
Justin
，
I've never been one for medical memoirs。 My general feeling of dread is large enough that I don't need to feed it imagining what would happen if my brain exploded。 So you've got to write an awfully compelling medical memoir to suck me in， and Drew Magary has done just that。 To be fair， I'm coming at this already as a fan of Drew。 When he went silent on Deadspin and Twitter and everyone was piecing together cryptic messages that insinuated that something terrible had happened， looking for some tr I've never been one for medical memoirs。 My general feeling of dread is large enough that I don't need to feed it imagining what would happen if my brain exploded。 So you've got to write an awfully compelling medical memoir to suck me in， and Drew Magary has done just that。 To be fair， I'm coming at this already as a fan of Drew。 When he went silent on Deadspin and Twitter and everyone was piecing together cryptic messages that insinuated that something terrible had happened， looking for some truth， I was right there， refreshing and even reading the comments/replies （a low place to be）。 It was a great relief to see Drew's comeback， and incredible that he was able to rebound so well that he put this book together。 The beginning of this book walks you through the two harrowing weeks when Drew quite easily could have died， all through the words of his family and friends。 You'll hear from his co-workers， whose quick actions and insistence that he be treated both saved his life。 You'll watch as Drew's wife， parents， and siblings all struggle with the idea that he may never come back， or how different he could be if he ever makes it there。When Drew takes control of the book once again， you get to experience his frustration as his senses seem to dull or disappear entirely， and the battle he endures to get them back。 This could be a woe-is-me tale， or a story only about hope and perseverance， but it's a Drew Magary book， so it's funny。 It shouldn't be， but it is。 The Night the Lights Went Out is a story about being human， about what our loss could mean to others， and about living with disabilities。 And about smelling your dog's poop on the side of the road， desperately hoping that the stench comes through。 Because it is a Drew story after all。 。。。more
Barbara
，
I won an uncorrected proof through a Goodreads giveawayI began The Night the Lights Went Out on my work lunch break。 Bad idea because I wanted to move along in the book and not return to work。 What I affectionately call "comeback stories" （come back from massive injuries， major health conditions or being technically dead） are my favorite type of memoirs。 I enjoy the personal account of stamina， dedication， faith in self and perhaps a higher being an individual has to overcome their issue。 This b I won an uncorrected proof through a Goodreads giveawayI began The Night the Lights Went Out on my work lunch break。 Bad idea because I wanted to move along in the book and not return to work。 What I affectionately call "comeback stories" （come back from massive injuries， major health conditions or being technically dead） are my favorite type of memoirs。 I enjoy the personal account of stamina， dedication， faith in self and perhaps a higher being an individual has to overcome their issue。 This book meet my expectations on what it takes to overcome serious brain damage。 。。。more
Kasa Cotugno
，
This is a medical memoir unlike any other。 Drew Magary collapsed at an after-party in a Karaoke bar， waking up two weeks later having suffered a mysterious subdural hemorrhage， causing him to crash to concrete and fracture his skull in three places。 This is the account in his own words of what happens when a person encounters a traumatic brain injury （TMI）。 At times hilarious and harrowing， Drew is unstinting in his descriptions of the physical insults delivered to his body， the losses （yes， plu This is a medical memoir unlike any other。 Drew Magary collapsed at an after-party in a Karaoke bar， waking up two weeks later having suffered a mysterious subdural hemorrhage， causing him to crash to concrete and fracture his skull in three places。 This is the account in his own words of what happens when a person encounters a traumatic brain injury （TMI）。 At times hilarious and harrowing， Drew is unstinting in his descriptions of the physical insults delivered to his body， the losses （yes， plural） of several of his senses， and the long road to in some cases recovery， in some， acceptance in dealing with permanent loss。 As with that of his right ear。 Being a gregarious soul and a sensual lover of all life has to offer， he fights hard to regain those pleasures。 But when the cerebrum is damaged， there are untoward consequences， mood swings， unexpected anger。 Magary's writing is honest， vivid， informative， and what really stands out is his love for his friends， his family （what a remarkable wife is Sonia）， and the knowledge that this is really a life worth preserving。 。。。more
Anne
，
This book is completely outside of my usual genre comfort zone but the synopsis intrigued me so I decided to give it a chance。 I’m glad I did！ I found the story to be both interesting and frightening while still maintaining some humor。
Melinda
，
Linda Holmes raved about this on a podcast so I had to try it; I swallowed it in a day。 You wouldn't think a book about a TBI could be laugh out loud hilarious， but this one - at times - is。 A completely absorbing medical memoir。 Linda Holmes raved about this on a podcast so I had to try it; I swallowed it in a day。 You wouldn't think a book about a TBI could be laugh out loud hilarious， but this one - at times - is。 A completely absorbing medical memoir。 。。。more
Nancy
，
I agree with another reviewer who said 4。5 stars。 Thank you to NetGalley for the digital galley。Sports writer and novelist Drew Magary had a good life。 He had just hosted the Deadspin Awards in 2018 and was at an after party at a karaoke bar in New York City when he went to use the restroom。 Alone in a concrete hallway， he fell: he doesn’t remember it， and nobody saw it happen， but the result was catastrophic。 He cracked his skull in several places， resulting in a traumatic brain injury。The Nigh I agree with another reviewer who said 4。5 stars。 Thank you to NetGalley for the digital galley。Sports writer and novelist Drew Magary had a good life。 He had just hosted the Deadspin Awards in 2018 and was at an after party at a karaoke bar in New York City when he went to use the restroom。 Alone in a concrete hallway， he fell: he doesn’t remember it， and nobody saw it happen， but the result was catastrophic。 He cracked his skull in several places， resulting in a traumatic brain injury。The Night the Lights Went Out is Magary’s memoir of the event and its aftermath， and it reads like a page-turning， sometimes hilarious， novel。 Obviously he recovered sufficiently to write this book， but after reading about the extent of his injuries， I wasn’t sure what that meant until the end。 Magary is thoughtful and doesn’t spare himself in his account but injects humor throughout。 It’s an interesting--and， incredibly， entertaining--look at what it means to have suffered a traumatic brain injury and what it takes to recover。 Highly recommended for anyone interested in TBI and the brain。 。。。more
Heather
，
I feel like I learned so much from this book and not just about TBI。 I loved how honest and open Drew was in his account for his recovery。 He didn't paint himself as so grateful to be alive that he could manage all the other things that came from his incident。 I think that he is probably doing better now than he even was at the end of the memoir， but I appreciated his need not to sugarcoat his trials。 His family and friends are truly amazing people。 Thanks to Rodale Inc， and NetGalley for the AR I feel like I learned so much from this book and not just about TBI。 I loved how honest and open Drew was in his account for his recovery。 He didn't paint himself as so grateful to be alive that he could manage all the other things that came from his incident。 I think that he is probably doing better now than he even was at the end of the memoir， but I appreciated his need not to sugarcoat his trials。 His family and friends are truly amazing people。 Thanks to Rodale Inc， and NetGalley for the ARC of this book。 All opinions are expressed are my own。 。。。more
Megan
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A fascinating （and even funny！） read about what happened to Drew when something happened to his brain that caused him to have horrific brain damage。 There were parts that made me read faster to find out what happened next， and parts that made me laugh out loud。 This is a really well-written book！ Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。
Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader
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Highly recommended for fans of memoirs， especially medical memoirs。Thank you to Random House for the gifted book。The Nights the Light Went Out is the story of columnist Drew Magary’s life， especially after his traumatic brain injury when he fell and cracked his skull， causing a brain hemorrhage。 Drew spends two weeks in a coma， and when he awakes， it’s a long road to recovery。 I love love loved this book so much。As soon as he can， Drew does what he knows best。 He writes。 It takes him two long ye Highly recommended for fans of memoirs， especially medical memoirs。Thank you to Random House for the gifted book。The Nights the Light Went Out is the story of columnist Drew Magary’s life， especially after his traumatic brain injury when he fell and cracked his skull， causing a brain hemorrhage。 Drew spends two weeks in a coma， and when he awakes， it’s a long road to recovery。 I love love loved this book so much。As soon as he can， Drew does what he knows best。 He writes。 It takes him two long years to recover， and he boldly shares his personal journey with the reader。 I loved his sense of humor， even in the midst of this challenging journey， and I was not expecting this book to make me laugh and smile as much as it did。 I also enjoyed getting to know his family。Overall， The Night the Lights Went Out is a smoothly written memoir that’s interesting， refreshingly honest， absorbing， and completely enjoyable。 Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www。jennifertarheelreader。com and instagram: www。instagram。com/tarheelreader 。。。more
Anjali
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Calling all fans of medical memoirs！ Magary was a writer for Deadspin when he inexplicably suffered a traumatic brain injury at a Manhattan karaoke bar in 2018 and almost died。 This darkly funny account of what he went through on his road to recovery is hard to put down and written in a very engaging， relatable style。 For the two weeks Magary was in a medically induced coma， he called on his friends and doctors to share their memories and anecdotes， which worked really well for that section。 As Calling all fans of medical memoirs！ Magary was a writer for Deadspin when he inexplicably suffered a traumatic brain injury at a Manhattan karaoke bar in 2018 and almost died。 This darkly funny account of what he went through on his road to recovery is hard to put down and written in a very engaging， relatable style。 For the two weeks Magary was in a medically induced coma， he called on his friends and doctors to share their memories and anecdotes， which worked really well for that section。 As Magary navigated deafness in one ear， a loss of his sense of smell， and a partial loss of his sense of taste， I did find myself a little frustrated with him at times， only to be won back when he finally got himself into therapy and sang its praises， genuinely committing to the process。 This is a fascinating read with a lot of heart。 Thank you to NetGalley， Harmony Publishing， and Drew Magary for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Ashley Peterson
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The Night the Lights Went Out by Drew Magary tells the author's story of experiencing a traumatic brain injury and the gradual process of recovery。 After hosting the 2018 Deadspin Awards， he collapsed， breaking his skull and his brain。 In this book， he brings readers along as his life is turned upside down。 Since the author was not conscious for several weeks following his injury， that part of the story is pulled together from colleagues， family members， and doctors。 It was laid out with a few s The Night the Lights Went Out by Drew Magary tells the author's story of experiencing a traumatic brain injury and the gradual process of recovery。 After hosting the 2018 Deadspin Awards， he collapsed， breaking his skull and his brain。 In this book， he brings readers along as his life is turned upside down。 Since the author was not conscious for several weeks following his injury， that part of the story is pulled together from colleagues， family members， and doctors。 It was laid out with a few sentences at a time from one person， then another person， then another person， etc。 It captures the franticness and confusion of the time， as people tried to piece together what had happened。 I think that this is probably a very captivating way of telling a story that would be compelling for a lot of readers; however， my concentration is crap because of the effects of depression， so I found it hard to follow。When the story reached the point that Magary was conscious and alert again， it shifted to first-person storytelling， which I found much easier to read。 The author's writing style is informal and candid， with plenty of humour and profanity thrown in。 I learned some new lingo， too， including crack of ass （I'd heard butt crack of dawn， but I like crack of ass more）， and butt-rock， which is apparently the genre that Hemorrhage by Fuel falls into。 I also liked descriptions along the lines of "the requisite assless hospital gown: the one scientifically designed to rob you of your dignity。"The brain injury， as well as the effects of later cochlear implant surgery， had significant sensory effects， impairing his hearing， smell， and taste。 I thought the author did a great job of conveying how these deficits influenced the way he related to the world， including what it felt like to lose sensory memories and be unable to replace them。As a result of the injury， the author joins the young old people club that many of us with chronic illness are already members of。 He needed to use a walker， get a pillbox， and transition to being "a Hearing Aid Guy，" and wrote that， "In the span of less than two months， I had aged thirty years。" It's interesting to hear the perspective of someone who experiences those changes suddenly compared to the slower adjustment in chronic illness。The author is open about how hard it became to interact with the world with a brain that wasn't working properly。 He talked about being a "cranky old turd" and "an overly sensitive prick，" and realizing he needed to figure out a way to "get the fuck over myself。" He observed， "The more I recovered from my hemorrhage， the more pronounced my losses became to me。" It was one of the many points in the book that highlighted how much commonality there is in different kinds of wonky brain experiences。The book also addresses the push/pull of wanting to be normal yet wanting people to accommodate his limitations。 He grappled with acceptance， and realized stubbornness was serving as "a flimsy cover for outright denial。" When he found out that a coworker was also deaf in one ear， he discovered something a lot of us in the mental health blogging community have already learned: "It never hurts to know someone who's been through your very specific brand of shit。"Vulnerability was another theme that came up， including the need to get over his own mental block that made him reluctant to see a therapist。 This book is certainly proof that he's prepared to be vulnerable， even if it isn't easy。Culturally， I live in a very different world from the author， who is currently a columnist at Defector， which I hadn't heard of before I read this book （nor had I heard of Deadspin）。 I think many of my cohabitants in the chronic illness world will likely be able to relate to a lot of the issues that come up in this book。 Where I think this book will really have value， though， is in bringing these kinds of issues and this vulnerability to audiences within the author's cultural world。 。。。more
I Brake For Books
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2。5 stars。 Interesting story and odd injury， but my problem with this book is in the storytelling。 I feel there was unnecessary repetition throughout which made me lose interest and caused my mind to wander。
Jill Elizabeth
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