Self-Contained: Scenes from a single life
- Downloads：1592
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-07-31 08:51:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Emma John
- ISBN：1788403428
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
There is a piece of cod-wisdom regularly dispensed to single women: romance will arrive when you least expect it。 I had assumed it would also make its own travel arrangements too。
Emma John is in her 40s; she is neither married， nor partnered， with child or planning to be。
In her hilarious and unflinching memoir， Self-Contained ， she asks why the world only views a woman as complete when she is no longer a single figure and addresses what it means to be alone when everyone else isn't。
In her book， she captures what it is to be single in your forties， from sharing a twin room with someone you've never met on a group holiday （because the couples have all the doubles with ensuite） to coming to the realisation that maybe your singleness isn't a temporary arrangement， that maybe you aren't pre-married at all， and in fact you are self-contained。
The book is an exploration of being lifelong single and what happens if you don't meet the right person， don't settle down with the wrong person and realise the biggest commitment is to yourself。
Emma John is in her 40s; she is neither married， nor partnered， with child or planning to be。
In her hilarious and unflinching memoir， Self-Contained ， she asks why the world only views a woman as complete when she is no longer a single figure and addresses what it means to be alone when everyone else isn't。
In her book， she captures what it is to be single in your forties， from sharing a twin room with someone you've never met on a group holiday （because the couples have all the doubles with ensuite） to coming to the realisation that maybe your singleness isn't a temporary arrangement， that maybe you aren't pre-married at all， and in fact you are self-contained。
The book is an exploration of being lifelong single and what happens if you don't meet the right person， don't settle down with the wrong person and realise the biggest commitment is to yourself。
Reviews
Lochanreads
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From stories about university life， workplace dissatisfaction， family， online dating and holiday-making， John takes us on a journey through the events in her life that have led to her eventual singledom。 At times gut-busting in its hilarity and at times sombre， these recollections explore the dichotomy of loneliness and independence， synonymous with singleness。 It is also probing in the way it considers how language associated with ‘growing up’ always seems to point to coupledom。 I thought refle From stories about university life， workplace dissatisfaction， family， online dating and holiday-making， John takes us on a journey through the events in her life that have led to her eventual singledom。 At times gut-busting in its hilarity and at times sombre， these recollections explore the dichotomy of loneliness and independence， synonymous with singleness。 It is also probing in the way it considers how language associated with ‘growing up’ always seems to point to coupledom。 I thought reflective moments such as this and others like it were perfect in terms of rethinking the societal norms of being single。Self-Contained is a funny， intelligent and laid-back book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading。Full review: https://lochanreads。com/2021/07/16/bl。。。 。。。more
What Do I Read Now
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Life dictates that we as humans， pair up。 Bonnie and Clyde， Adam and Eve， Tom and Jerry。 It's not a set rule on who with which sex we pair up with， but the ultimate goal it would seem， is to be a partnership。 Or is it？Some people are actually just happy， to be single。 And we should respect that。 Not always make the first question we ask， when we meet someone new， after what you do for a job， are you married？ Then the enviable once you are in a partnership it evolves to - getting married， then yo Life dictates that we as humans， pair up。 Bonnie and Clyde， Adam and Eve， Tom and Jerry。 It's not a set rule on who with which sex we pair up with， but the ultimate goal it would seem， is to be a partnership。 Or is it？Some people are actually just happy， to be single。 And we should respect that。 Not always make the first question we ask， when we meet someone new， after what you do for a job， are you married？ Then the enviable once you are in a partnership it evolves to - getting married， then you must be thinking about children？ again， some people choose not to have children， its their right。 And some choose to be single。 But it makes people react and question， they want to know why。And its not that she doesn't want to be part of a couple， its just that having always been better at being friends with men than women and working in a male dominated sports industry， she's worked with and made friends easier with men than she has intimate relationships with men。 And she's come to peace with it and isn't always upset that it didn't work out， but is able to carry on living happily， as a single person。 Because it really is possible and should be acceptable as a life choice。 Situations of arriving at children's parties， adult dinners and the awkwardness of strangers that make Emma feel not complete all add to these 'Scenes from a Single Life'。Well done Emma John for writing openly， a funny and honest book about a heart-ache issue。 Theres lots of books out there about relationships and family life， parenting。 But Self Contained is a memoir about self chosen single life。 And the fact it may be easier than being a couple。 。。。more
Rachel Bridgeman
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My thanks to Charlotte at Lovereading for the invite， and publishers Octopus Books for my gifted review copy of 'Self-Contained' which is out in e-book now， and hardcover in September。This book is a memoir， drawing on real life scenarios from holidays with platonic male friends （and the ensuing reaction from family and friends）， to wedding parties， engagements and other social occasions where that question comes up。'Are you with somebody？'Sigh。 I remember it well。 Being treated as if you， as a s My thanks to Charlotte at Lovereading for the invite， and publishers Octopus Books for my gifted review copy of 'Self-Contained' which is out in e-book now， and hardcover in September。This book is a memoir， drawing on real life scenarios from holidays with platonic male friends （and the ensuing reaction from family and friends）， to wedding parties， engagements and other social occasions where that question comes up。'Are you with somebody？'Sigh。 I remember it well。 Being treated as if you， as a single person， were somehow less than the sum of the whole that you are with another person。Coupledom。Reproduction。The ultimate goal， the smug looks when people say 'when you meet the one， you will change your mind。'MAHOOSIVE sigh。But this is not an angry book。 It is not a judgemental book。 It doesn't rail against those people who look down on/pity the singles， it is an extremely well written， and erudite exploration of the modern life of a single woman。 And it is a bloody good one。What Emma does so very succinctly is skewer the perceptions of a patriarchal society that seeks to define you by the parameters it sets。A life is no less worthy because it is flown solo。And it is no less hilarious and moving。I loved it and， no matter where you are in your relationship with yourself， or a partner， this book has so much to offer its readers。I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend this unreservedly。 。。。more
Clare Marsland
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Great read。 Loved it！
Lyn Failes
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you to @ EM_JOHN @octopus_books_ @randomtours for allowing me a spot of the blog tour for #selfcontainedAs a single woman， this book totally resonated with me。 A funny and charming story of a single girl who is hopeful for love but her Prince Charming seems to be taking his time and she finds her myself consistently unlucky in the love department。 Surrounded by couples is sometimes hard， but with a good group of friends around， she finds life a bit easier。The onus sides of being si ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you to @ EM_JOHN @octopus_books_ @randomtours for allowing me a spot of the blog tour for #selfcontainedAs a single woman， this book totally resonated with me。 A funny and charming story of a single girl who is hopeful for love but her Prince Charming seems to be taking his time and she finds her myself consistently unlucky in the love department。 Surrounded by couples is sometimes hard， but with a good group of friends around， she finds life a bit easier。The onus sides of being single: the whole bed to yourself to starfish and be comfy， no mes left by untidy men， and most of all。。。。learning how to be that independent woman that is inside all of us。 A great read that I would totally recommend x#bookblog #bookreadersofinstagram #bookcommunity #bookreview #goodreads #bookaddict #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #girlsthatread #scottishreader #bookchallenge #popsugarreadingchallenge #bookgeek #givemeabookandimhappy #bookreviewer #bookreviewersofinstagram #bookobsessed #readingisgood #scottishbookstagrammer #bookaholic #whatiread #readerssupportingauthors #pageturners #booklife #bloggergirl #themagicofbooks #turnthepage #bookwormsunited #readinggos 。。。more
Susan Corcoran
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Sometimes you see a book that just seems to have been written with you in mind and Contained Scenes From A Single Life by Emma John seemed to be one of those books。 It was and it is！ I am single， resolutely so， happily so most of the time and yet I have often felt like a square peg the world is trying to shove into a round hole， because society sees my single hood， as a failure to be a meaning member of a club that caters only for couples。 There are many women out there， that are single by choic Sometimes you see a book that just seems to have been written with you in mind and Contained Scenes From A Single Life by Emma John seemed to be one of those books。 It was and it is！ I am single， resolutely so， happily so most of the time and yet I have often felt like a square peg the world is trying to shove into a round hole， because society sees my single hood， as a failure to be a meaning member of a club that caters only for couples。 There are many women out there， that are single by choice or circumstances and most are living happy and fulfilled lives。 While others want to be in a relationship， but one that nourishes them and so while they enjoy a single life， the pressure from families， who just want them to be happy， feels like a weight of expectation that threatens to stifle them。Emma John’s Contained Scenes from a Single Life is an often funny， moving tale of how she has comes to understand that it is important for all women to live the life that fits them best， that babies are not for everyone， that women can love sport， travelling and deserving of friendships that cater to their interests。 That they can be both whole and happy individuals if marriage doesn’t happen， because the significant other， whom we are all told is out there， simply isn’t， or is rather annoyingly hiding in plain site。 This is a book that says， my life may not be the one I expected to lead， not the one I thought I wanted， but despite all of that， it is when I take a step back， look closely， one that is full of endless possibilities and many wonderful memories。What I found incredibly moving is when she writes abut how she didn’t feel whole， because the man， meant to make her feel a complete unit hasn’t arrived yet。 The complex emotions she has to deal with when facing the fact that he might never。 How hard it is when all her friends are pairing off into couples and she feels surplus to requirements。 The moments of loneliness and frustration。 Even more touching is when she talks of how when travelling， she made friendships that will be with her for life， that she is wanted， that she is whole， that she perfect as she is， even without a partner。 She takes us on a journey through a life that she spends time making others feel less uncomfortable with her single-hood， to one in which she celebrates and she can be happy single， while being open to meeting someone。 But until then and if it never happens， she is ‘whole’ and fantastically so。Reading this book has made he more determined not feel weighed down by others expectations of my life choices。 I’m going to embrace sitting alone in a cafe watching the world go past。 Go to the theater on my own if no one wants to join me， or just because I want to。 I will cherish the friendships of people that both nourish and sustain me。 。。。more
Jennifer Li
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This is an honest and personal insight into Emma’s observations of her single life at different points in time and events。 It is funny， it is sad， it is reflective - Emma captures aspects of single life that only a person who is not attached to someone can see and feel and experience - from having to endure parties where everyone’s chats centre around the baby to crushing rejection by getting zero matches on a dating app。 She notes how despite a world where we are embracing more inclusivity and This is an honest and personal insight into Emma’s observations of her single life at different points in time and events。 It is funny， it is sad， it is reflective - Emma captures aspects of single life that only a person who is not attached to someone can see and feel and experience - from having to endure parties where everyone’s chats centre around the baby to crushing rejection by getting zero matches on a dating app。 She notes how despite a world where we are embracing more inclusivity and diversity， there is still a stigma in being single and how you’re somehow incomplete without having a partner。 However， she realises that love can come in all shapes and forms and romantic love isn’t necessarily the only love that we us humans have。 So while there are poignant and painful moments in Emma’s life being single， she also celebrates the joy in her single life and how she can live a whole and fulsome life without a partner。This is a refreshing memoir to read that looks at life from this perspective， particularly as there are so many books that deal with motherhood and relationships。 The writing style also makes this very readable where you feel like you’re befriending Emma as she shares her personal experiences。Thoughtful， reflective and poignant accounts of navigating life as a singleton， and reflecting that life can be full of joy and happiness even if you go through life on your own。 。。。more
CJ Mason The Fallen Librarian Reviews
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My review for this incredible book is on my blog https://thefallenlibrarian。Wordpress。。。。 My review for this incredible book is on my blog https://thefallenlibrarian。Wordpress。。。。 。。。more
Vishy
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