Posted by jane d on February 15, 2002, at 7:32:09
In reply to noonday demon » jane d, posted by anniebananie on February 13, 2002, at 19:15:33
> > 3. Noonday Demon - Andrew Solomon. I've been having trouble getting through this book. I think there are things that bother me and I wouldn't mind trying to figure out what by discussing it with other posters.
>
> I only got about halfway through it and was also bothered by some of it and found some of it very helpful. It'd be great to have incentive to finish it and to see if we were troubled by the same things.> Because something about it really rubbed me the wrong way and I want to know what it is, Girl Interrupted.
> And because Lauren Slater is one of my favorite writers and it brings up so many things like how getting better brought up good memories from her childhood, Prozac Diary.
Annie,
Perhaps we should compare notes on Noonday Demon even if it isn't ever selected. I've never read Girl Interrupted but I am a bit curious about it. I did read Lauren Slater's books (not the latest) and didn't care for them much. My big worry about discussing this kind of book here is that people will get too personally involved with the stories. I find I react to these books in two ways. Either I really identify with the author or I feel that the author is a complete alien and the book leaves me totally cold. For some reason I do not find that these books broaden my understanding of or sympathy for people different from myself. This isn't true of all books. Just most of the true life "How I struggled with mental illness" books. I really do think it has something to do with the quality of the books. Perhaps it is just that the authors are relying on instant acceptance from people who have experienced the same thing and don't bother to make their writing generally accessible. Perhaps their editors are afraid to be too critical since the subject is mental illness. I do worry that if we try to discuss these books here people who relate to a particular book will interpret criticism of the book as criticism of them.
Jane
poster:jane d
thread:2
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/books/20020206/msgs/155.html