‘Frustrations of Being Deaf’ Book Review

Finished reading book number 26 for the year – “Frustrations of Being Deaf” by Dave Blackwell. This non-fiction compilation of personal incidents where people are nothing but arrogant assholes to the author who cannot hear. It is a frustrating but entertaining read.

The language is quite simple and it’s super easy to read. The book could’ve benefited from some more editing, but it wasn’t much of a problem for me, because there were few mistakes and thankfully didn’t disrupt one’s reading experience. What works for the book is the personal factor, it’s peppered with amusing and often ridiculous behavior by people who don’t know how to deal with somebody who cannot hear.

“You don’t look deaf” is something Dave Blackwell is often told. “How does one look deaf?” he constantly wonders. One lady takes the cake for assuming deafness is a disease that can be transmitted. Not joking.

While I was appalled at the kind of insensitivity displayed by “regular” folks, it reminded me that maybe having a relative who couldn’t hear or talk had made us more thoughtful than others. As a reader, you might feel second-hand embarrassment over the horrible ways in which people treat those who are deaf.

Blackwell has written a fun book, which ends rather abruptly, but is an essential for anybody who has never met someone who cannot hear.