I found myself immediately jumping to the 1-star reviews, curious of what the criticisms were. As I read them, I realized that what we read touches us in a way that is so personal based on the specific place we are in our lives.
I loved CKs story. I could relate to it. I didn't find it inauthentic or self-indulgent. (Similar to the negative reviews of Eat Pray Love haters). It was her way of telling the story of her own personal experience with alcoholism.
Perhaps it is because I too, on the surface perhaps, am a very successful, happy, well-adjusted woman. A successful, happy, well-adjusted woman with a secret. The secret of a lover, a best friend, a confidante, that I call...alcohol.
That being said, I am only just halfway through the book, so my opinion could change towards the end, as apparently several readers have experienced.
But in any case, I am appreciative of a voice which speaks from a unique viewpoint - a viewpoint which is differentiated from the stereotypical 'brown-paper-bag-hitting-rock-bottom-bum'. As we know, alcoholism is a prevalent issue, which far transcends the class barriers, and it is refreshing to hear someone speaking up to that.