Down the Drain by Julia Fox
Rating: nil (No ratings for memoirs)
Real quick. Two truths and a lie:
- I love this book.
- I’ve been obsessed with Julia fox since forever.
- I’ve heard about Julia Fox but never actually knew who she was until this book.
Since reading When breath becomes air, my interest in memoirs, autobiographies, and documentaries of the public figures who seem interesting to me, has peaked greatly.
Most of the time, I find myself wondering about the skeletons they might have in their closets. Do the views of the public really interpret who they are? or do they influence who they become? How did they get to the point where I found them, and the point where they’re at now. What was their point of view on their own experiences that I had my own personal opinions about?
I remember the deep sadness I felt when I read Jennette McCurdy’s memoir, “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” It wasn’t just about her difficult life; it was the absolute difference between her real experiences and the image I had of her. I know that TV shows aren’t real life, but I always assumed that actors shared some traits with their characters. I never equated playing a bad role with being a bad person, but I thought those roles must reflect some part of who they are.
When I came across Julia Fox’s book, I was eager to read it because I knew so little about her. Who is Julia Fox, really? Why is she popular? What does she do? How did she become wealthy?
These were questions I had thought about before, but I never cared enough to dig deeper. Discovering her memoir meant I had the chance to learn about her directly, through her own words, as she wants to be known. It was a unique and exciting opportunity for me, something that doesn’t happen often.
I love to read memoirs as audiobooks, especially when read by the author. I think the message is passed across better that way. Listening to Julia’s voice let me understand how she felt about certain experiences, and I think she did a great job communicating those feelings with her listeners. One of my major takeaways from this book is that Julia has lived many lives. In one she worked as a dominatrix, in another, she’s in the psych ward.
Blurb
Julia Fox is famous for many her captivating acting, such as her breakout role in the film Uncut Gems ; her trendsetting style, including bleached eyebrows, exaggerated eyeshadow, and cutout dresses; her mastery of social media, where she entertains and educates her millions of followers. But all these share the trait for which she is most unabashedly and unapologetically being herself.
This commitment to authenticity has never been more on display than in Down the Drain . With writing that is both eloquent and accessible, Fox recounts her turbulent path to cultural her parents’ volatile relationship that divided her childhood between Italy and New York City and left her largely raising herself; a possessive and abusive drug-dealing boyfriend whose torment continued even from within Rikers Island; her own trips to jail as well as to a psychiatric hospital; her work as a dominatrix that led to a complicated entanglement with a sugar daddy; a heroin habit that led to New Orleans trap houses and that she would kick only after the fatal overdose of her best friend; her own near-lethal overdoses and the deaths of still more friends from drugs and suicide; an emotionally explosive, tabloid-dominating romance with a figure she dubs “The Artist”; a whirlwind, short-lived marriage and her trials as a single parent striving to support her young son. Yet as extraordinary as her story is, its universality is what makes it so powerful. Fox doesn’t just capture her improbable evolution from grade-school outcast to fashion-world icon, she captures her transition from girlhood to womanhood to motherhood. Family and friendship, sex and death, violence and love, money and power, innocence and experience—it’s all here, in raw, remarkable and riveting detail.
More than a year before the book’s publication, Fox’s description of it as “a masterpiece” in a red carpet interview went viral. As always, she was just being honest. Down the Drain is a true literary achievement, as one-of-a-kind as its author.
My review on Down the drain by Julia Fox
This book was like gossip.
Reading it was incredibly eye-opening, revealing how life can push someone in so many different directions. While I did notice a few inconsistencies in her story and am not sure everything happened exactly as she described, it’s ultimately her narrative to tell. Despite its heavy themes—drug use, paedophiles, sex, childhood trauma, child neglect, overdose, suicide, and domestic violence—I found the book engaging and appreciated learning more about her.
The book outlines her journey through the hoods—girl, woman, mother. It would have been great to see her self-reflect in the book, but it seemed a bit like she just wanted to recount the story. Personally, I found this approach lacking because she touched on many profound and heavy topics, but only at a surface level. It makes me wonder if she fully realises the extent of the victimisation she has experienced throughout her life.
Another challenge is keeping track of the many characters involved.
She also discusses her brief relationship with Kanye, referring to him only as “the artist.” It’s wild that they were together for just a month given how much she went through during that time. And the fact that he asked her to sign an NDA to remain friends after their breakup? That’s suspicious.
Despite the occasional confusion and awkward pauses, I enjoyed reading this book. It allowed me to see Julia more as a person than just an “influencer.” However, it left me with two lingering questions:
- Why did she name her son after her dominatrix alias? Honestly, I find that a bit odd.
- Why did she dedicate the book to her dad?