Posted by Noa on October 16, 2004, at 12:40:49
I've finally gotten around to starting Andrew Solomon's "The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression."
It is a huge book, so I don't expect to read it straight through. I've only read about 50 pages at this point, but here are some impressions thus far:
He is clearly a very intelligent and intellectual writer. He has this broad fund of knowledge that he draws from, so it's interesting because it's not like other books on depression--it's not just a personal story, it's not just useful information, etc.
He writes so beautifully. His word craft is elegant and a pleasure to read. There is depth to it. It is not just an ordinary book--it feels like a work of art.
The way he describes the experience of depression is so moving to me, bringing me to tears sometimes.
The reading level is high, so although it is very satisfying reading, it can be challenging reading at times--especially when I encounter unfamiliar vocabulary words--something that I rarely find in a popular book! I should start tagging these words to come back later and look up. For now, knowing the definition hasn't been necessary, as I can approximate by context sufficiently so that it doesn't detract from the reading.
I'll post more impressions as I progress through the book.
Has anyone else read this?
poster:Noa
thread:403838
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/books/20041006/msgs/403838.html