Repercussions of Papadakis' book & Cizeron's response

Theatregirl1122 said:
Interesting that you’re not reading it and you don’t plan to but you do feel the need to share your opinion based on absolutely nothing…
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That is why my comment was articulated in that context. I have read many similar books such as the Spare, This is my Story, I Tonya and the list goes on (and on). They all have some level of resentment in them and not saying that it is wrong to have those feelings, but just that I have been there done that before. I am sure she has good reason to feel the way she does but why does it have to be public? To make money? To get back at those who did her wrong? To practice writing?
 
Winnipeg said:
That is why my comment was articulated in that context. I have read many similar books such as the Spare, This is my Story, I Tonya and the list goes on (and on). They all have some level of resentment in them and not saying that it is wrong to have those feelings, but just that I have been there done that before. I am sure she has good reason to feel the way she does but why does it have to be public? To make money? To get back at those who did her wrong? To practice writing?
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Right, so you formed your opinion on her book based on what you assume it is like based on other books. Which is the same as nothing.
 
Theatregirl1122 said:
Right, so you formed your opinion on her book based on what you assume it is like based on other books. Which is the same as nothing.
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Not very nice! Message Boards are for opinions based on whatever the writer wants say! Since you wrote something, I would venture to say it is something!
 
A book by a retired skater about her life in a sport that most of the world ignores in between Olympics - and that includes information that will upset a lot of people in the tiny world of that sport - is not going to make money. At least not enough money to offset the costs of writing it. That is true for the majority of authors.

And no one writes a book to "practice writing". There are lots of ways to practice writing that don't involve the time and effort it takes to write a full-length book.

I think the title (So As Not To Disappear) is a pretty good explanation of why she wrote the book. She wants her story to be remembered, and she wants to tell her story herself so that her experiences are known. And so that her story is not overshadowed or distorted by other voices with their versions of the same story.
 
Karen-W said:
Can you lay off the tone policing? People are free to express their disagreement with other posters however they see fit.
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Okay, fully fair. As long as people are allowed to share their opinions on a forum where freely sign-up for as sharing their opinions on skating, then I will stop tone policing which I am not even sure what that means, Karen. Can you please explain to me so I don't do it moving forward if it is offensive to you and against the by-laws of being a member of this forum! <3
 
It's all quite irrelevant now, I feel. People are now reading the actual book, and they're beginning to understand the narrative. The book is about enduring in a difficult job that you love, but fundamental inequalities took their toll. She's not writing the book to accuse anyone, but rather to inspire those at the helm to grow the proverbial balls required to manage the sport, especially the power imbalance imposed on women. That's all. But we're so desperately invested in excusing toxic male behaviour and shaming victims that we're determined to miss the point. Don't come for me now, this is just my opinion.
 
For those interested in signing this petition:
www.change.org

Sign the Petition

Publish an English-language translation of Gabriella Papadakis's "Pour ne pas disparaître"
www.change.org www.change.org


In January 2026, 2022 Olympic ice dance champion Gabriella Papadakis released her memoir Pour ne pas disparaître.

By writing honestly about her experiences, Gabriella is breaking the culture of silence and obedience to authority that pervades the sport. There are many, many skating fans across the world who are eager to hear Gabriella’s story in her own words.

With its analysis of the systems and culture that prevent women from owning their own lives and successes, Pour ne pas disparaître will also resonate with readers beyond the figure skating world.

The book has already generated significant buzz on the English-language internet, with bilingual fans stepping up to translate excerpts from the book. There is high demand for an official English release.

We believe that Gabriella’s story should be heard across the world.
 
Sylvia said:
www.instagram.com

Tessa Virtue on Instagram: "Quest for Gold helped make our careers possible. That support meant we were able to be present and focus entirely on our training. It allowed us the freedom to pursue extra practice time, bedazzled costumes, physiotherapy,

18K likes, 265 comments - tessavirtue17 on January 8, 2026: "Quest for Gold helped make our careers possible. That support meant we were able to be present and focus entirely on our training. It allowed us the freedom to pursue extra practice time, bedazzled costumes, physiotherapy, additional...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com

(V/M's paid partnership with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation in Canada)
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Our daughter was one of the first athletes to get quest for gold funding as well during that era, very helpful. The only time I actually bought some lottery tickets for gift etc as knew it was helping the athletes. Scott and Tessa will always be special friends.
It sounds like an interesting book and from the heart. I will read it and make up my own mind.
 
From those who have actually read Papadakis' book, I get the impression it is in many ways like Gracie's book, and not a hit piece but instead a psychological self exam put down in prose.

And while it wasn't a long running best seller, Gracie's book was in the NY Times top ten and even got her invited to speak at ISU conferences because her message was impactful. Perhaps Gabi's book will also inspire conversation and reflection within the skating community, if that same audience is open to listening to her message.
 
peibeck said:
From those who have actually read Papadakis' book, I get the impression it is in many ways like Gracie's book, and not a hit piece but instead a psychological self exam put down in prose.

And while it wasn't a long running best seller, Gracie's book was in the NY Times top ten and even got her invited to speak at ISU conferences because her message was impactful. Perhaps Gabi's book will also inspire conversation and reflection within the skating community, if that same audience is open to listening to her message.
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I read Gracie's book last year and now, with very out-of-date high school French, I'm about halfway through Pour Ne Pas Disparaitre. So far, I'd agree completely with your assessment of their similarity. I'm finding Gabi's prose surprisingly accessible for a reader like me, who hasn't thought about French for decades but loves to watch ice dance and still remembers the events and people she discusses. Glad I decided to get the online version and give it a try (with Google Translate there to help occasionally with vocabulary).
 
Winnipeg said:
That is why my comment was articulated in that context. I have read many similar books such as the Spare, This is my Story, I Tonya and the list goes on (and on). They all have some level of resentment in them and not saying that it is wrong to have those feelings, but just that I have been there done that before. I am sure she has good reason to feel the way she does but why does it have to be public? To make money? To get back at those who did her wrong? To practice writing?
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What about to raise awareness about what's happening in sports and the toxic culture that prevails there? Why don't you cite it as a possibility? Because that's precisely what it's all about and nothing of what you mention. And to raise awareness, you go public. She is way too clever to think that she will make significant money with her book. She had already practiced writing for decades before being offered the opportunity to publish a book. (For the record she never looked for a publisher, a publisher came to her with the idea of the book after reading her blog). There is nothing in the book that even only hints to getting back at anyone. She is not seeking revenge at all. First, she started writing her autobiography before FB/C partnership was announced. I have read countless times that she was "jealous" of her former partner's association with FB. She is the one who decided to quit in order to protect her mental health, so why would she be jealous of something that previously threatened and damaged her psyche? I have a hard time with people who say "I won't read the book but I think she wrote it for negative reasons". How can you know? French media, immediately copied by their foreign counterparts, cherry picked a few sentences totally out of context and made the whole book look like if it was an anti Cizeron lampoon. Which it is not at all. But it worked wonders, people gobbled it up like the scriptures because Cizeron is now on his way to (maybe) win a second Olympic gold medal so he is the hero and he can only be the victim of a vengeful and acerbic bitch. She spent 20 years skating with Cizeron so of course she talks about him and about the controlling jerk he was, but the book does not revolve around this at all. And whether people like or not, believe it or not, Cizeron was a controlling jerk at times, something some of us witnessed. But he is also into a system that turns men into controlling jerks. Not that it is an excuse, but it is something Papadakis has explained in her book and still explains when she is interviewed. Unlike what you think, with no valuable ground as you obviously have no idea what her book indeed is, it has nothing to see with I Tonya, This is My Story or The Spare. All autobiographies are not about resentment. Papadakis is well aware of her own flaws and does not spare herself a bit. So say that you are not interested in reading what she wrote because you are not interested in her and in what she has to say, it's a perfectly valid reason. But do not say you won't read it because you think that it is something you have already read many times and that has been issued out of greed or revenge. It's not, and you just can't know.
 
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cholla said:
What about to raise awareness about what's happening in sports and the toxic culture that prevails there? Why don't you cite it as a possibility? Because that's precisely what it's all about and nothing of what you mention. And to raise awareness, you go public. She is way too clever to think that she will make significant money with her book. She had already practiced writing for decades before being offered the opportunity to publish a book. (For the record she never looked for a publisher, a publisher came to her with the idea of the book after reading her blog). There is nothing in the book that even only hints to getting back at anyone. She is not seeking revenge at all. First, she started writing her autobiography before FB/C partnership was announced. I have read countless times that she was "jealous" of her former partner's association with FB. She is the one who decided to quit in order to protect her mental health, so why would she be jealous of something that previously threatened and damaged her psyche? I have a hard time with people who say "I won't read the book but I think she wrote it for negative reasons". How can you know? French media, immediately copied by their foreign counterparts, cherry picked a few sentences totally out of context and made the whole book look like if it was an anti Cizeron lampoon. Which it is not at all. But it worked wonders, people gobbled it up like the scriptures because Cizeron is now on his way to (maybe) win a second Olympic gold medal so he is the hero and he can only be the victim of a vengeful and acerbic bitch. She spent 20 years skating with Cizeron so of course she talks about him and about the controlling jerk he was, but the book does not revolve around this at all. And whether people like or not, believe it or not, Cizeron was a controlling jerk at times, something some of us witnessed. But he is also into a system that turns men into controlling jerks. Not that it is an excuse, but it is something Papadakis has explained in her book and still explains when she is interviewed. Unlike what you think, with no valuable ground as you obviously have no idea what her book indeed is, it has nothing to see with I Tonya, This is My Story or The Spare. All autobiographies are not about resentment. Papadakis is well aware of her own flaws and does not spare herself a bit. So say that you are not interested in reading what she wrote because you are not interested in her and in what she has to say, it's a perfectly valid reason. But do not say you won't read it because you think that it is something you have already read many times and that has been issued out of greed or revenge. It's not, and you just can't know.
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I'm not going to comment on this thread again until I finish reading the book (which I'm very much enjoying) but yes to all of the above.
 
I would like to add the following to what @cholla has said.

Maybe I am out of it, but I don't recognize the title "This Is My Story." My search engine suggests that this may refer to several memoirs, particularly one Eleanor Roosevelt published in 1937. :shuffle: "I, Tonya" is not a book; it is a movie based in part on the recollections of Tonya Harding and her first husband, but also shaped by the filmmakers' use of facts that conflict with those recollections.

Be that as it may, Papadakis has written a book in French for a French-speaking audience that may have little familiarity with or interest in "Spare," "This Is My Story" (whatever that may be), or "I, Tonya." I find the post that first referenced these books reflects a very provincial belief that everyone shares the same cultural references. Even reading this entire thread should be enough to establish the falsity of that assumption.
 
Vagabond said:
I would like to add the following to what @cholla has said.

Maybe I am out of it, but I don't recognize the title "This Is My Story." My search engine suggests that this may refer to several memoirs, particularly one Eleanor Roosevelt published in 1937. :shuffle: "I, Tonya" is not a book; it is a movie based in part on the recollections of Tonya Harding and her first husband, but also shaped by the filmmakers' use of facts that conflict with those recollections.

Be that as it may, Papadakis has written a book in French for a French-speaking audience that may have little familiarity with or interest in "Spare," "This Is My Story" (whatever that may be), or "I, Tonya." I find the post that first referenced these books reflects a very provincial belief that everyone shares the same cultural references. Even reading this entire thread should be enough to establish the falsity of that assumption.
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I took "This is My Story" as Alma Montgomery Blackmon's book written in the early 2020s.

For the record The Spare was published in French too (Le Suppléant) and I Tonya was in French theatres, it's still available on French streaming channels. But all that certainly does not mean that everyone shares the same cultural refs.
 
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