''Abzurdah'' is a 2006 autobiographical book by Argentine author

Cielo Latini Cielo Latini (born 14 June 1984) is an Argentine writer. As a teenager, she wrote ''Abzurdah'', an autobiography that detailed her problems with anorexia and bulimia. The book was a success, and got a film adaption in 2015 starring María Eugenia ...

. It was adapted to an eponymous film in 2015.

Creation

The book was written as an

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

, who was a teenager at the time. Born in

La Plata La Plata () is the capital city of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. According to the , it has a population of 654,324 and its metropolitan area, the Greater La Plata, has 787,294 inhabitants. It is located 9 kilometers (6 miles) inland from th ...

, she started and dropped studies of Journalism. She fell in love with a man, and developed

anorexia Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gre ...

and

bulimia Bulimia nervosa, also known as simply bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging or fasting, and excessive concern with body shape and weight. The aim of this activity is to expel the body of calories eate ...

in her attempts to improve her physical image. She was the webmaster of a page that encouraged girls to stop eating. She attempted to commit suicide when her boyfriend left her, but was stopped, and started a treatment to be cured of her bulimia and anorexia. She told her story at , and got a new boyfriend. This gave her the idea to write a book about her eating disorders, her rocky relation with her old boyfriend, and her attempted suicide.

Reception

The book was a big success, and Latini was interviewed at several TV and radio programs about it, including ''

Almorzando con Mirtha Legrand Rosa María Juana Martínez Suárez (born 23 February 1927), known by her stage name Mirtha Legrand (″Legrand″ being a portmanteau for the French , "the great") is an Argentine actress and television presenter. With an 80-year career, Legran ...

''. She then started tours to present the book in other Latin American countries. The film renewed the interest in the book. The book received mixed reviews, as some reviewers considered it an intelligent treatment of eating disorders, while others thought that it made an apology of anorexia instead. Latini pointed that she is well aware that anorexia is an eating disorder.

Adaptations

The book has been adapted by an eponymous film, starring

María Eugenia Suárez María Eugenia Suárez Riveiro (born 9 March 1992), better known as China Suárez, is an Argentine actress, singer and model. Biography María Eugenia Suárez Riveiro was born on March 9, 1992 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is the daughter ...

. The film was made a decade after the release of the book, and Latini was not involved with the production. She praised the work of actresses Suárez and

Gloria Carrá Gloria Andrea Curra (born June 15, 1971 in Banfield, Buenos Aires, Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an ...

, and director Daniela Goggi. She pointed that the film is more focused on the love story, while the book has more detail about the eating disorders.

References

Argentine autobiographies 2006 non-fiction books Books about women {{bio-book-stub