Confessions of a Sociopath by M. E. Thomas

Title: Confessions of a Sociopath

Author: M. E. Thomas

Published: 2013

Genre: Memoir

Grade Level: Adult

-Movie Rating: R for domestic violence and sexual content

-Features: Sociopathy, Autism

Audiobook

Read by: Bernadette Sullivan

Length: 10hrs 9mins

Recommend: Yes!

Blurb (from goodreads):

The first memoir of its kind, Confessions of a Sociopath is an engrossing, highly captivating narrative of the author's life as a diagnosed sociopath.

Drawn from the author's own experiences; her popular blog, Sociopathworld.com; and scientific literature, Confessions of a Sociopath is part confessional memoir, part primer for the curious. Written from the point of view of a diagnosed sociopath, it unveils for the very first time these people who are hiding in plain sight. The book confirms suspicions and debunks myths about sociopathy, providing a road map for dealing with the sociopath in your life.

Disclaimer: My review of this memoir is not in any way a reflection upon the author or their life. I am a book reviewer, I review books… not people.

My Scores:

Writing Style: Solid

The writing style is not at all typical for memoirs. Instead, it fell more in line with essay writing. Though it still maintained a personal quality to it, there was definitely a moment where I wondered if I was reading a scholarly article about sociopaths or a personal account.

Turns out it was a little bit of both, and for me the statistics were just as fascinating.

Characters: Memorable
(I known they’re at least based on real people. I’m referring to them as character’s anyway.)

I seek out books like this not only because I personally find psychology fascinating, but also so that I can practice looking at the world through different perspectives.

The way M. E. Thomas looks at herself so objectively and so precisely put it to words is a very remarkable thing, whether or not you could fully relate to it. I will fully admit that there were many things I could not comprehend about her, like enjoying making-out with a guy but knowing you’d be fine with watching him die a violent death afterwards.

However, because I am slightly autistic (SPCD), I could fully understand the way she could compartmentalize her emotions, being able to completely shut them off or let them take control at will. I also understood how empathizing with others, especially in terms of break-ups, is particularly challenging.

When I finished the book, it surprised me how sad I was, because I really enjoyed getting to know M. E. Thomas and her unique perspective on life.

Plot: Slow Burn

It took me longer than I expected to finish. Between work and college and life in general, I got to a point where I lost interest in the book. Most likely, the book struggled to keep my attention because of the lack of suspense given the format of half statistics and half personal account.

Nonetheless, it was still a fascinating read for anyone interested in understanding atypical minds.

Overall: Obsessed

This book is rather unlike any memoir I have ever read, and I loved it! If you find psychology to be a fascinating subject, then this might be a wonderful read for you. 

This is not a tale of a Ted Bundy wanna-be, quite the contrary. M. E. Thomas wants to be understood for the person she is rather than the criminal or violent menace people assume her to be. You might not be able to relate to her on every front, but that’s not her goal. Relating to her a any front whatsoever would a success in her book.

Messaging:

Sociopaths, while not normal in terms of empathy, are not any more prone to becoming criminally inclined than anyone else.

Goodreads Rating: 4 out of 5 stars