Posted by karaS on October 16, 2004, at 20:55:27
In reply to Noonday Demon, 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?
I have not read it yet but there was a discussion of it on this board a while back so a search should provide that. I just finished reading another book that I would make the same comments about however. It's called "The Beast" by Tracy Thompson. She is or was a journalist for "The Washington Post". I really enjoyed her eloquence and her insights into her condition. My only complaint is that, although therapy and attitude changes helped her, her primary salvation came from Prozac. I believe it's Celexa for Andrew Solomon. Those of us who have are treatment resistant and can't be "fixed" with a simple SSRI may be disappointed or sad at the end of the book when we realize that this cure isn't in store for us. We still have to continue to fight "the Beast" everyday.Kara
poster:karaS
thread:403838
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/books/20041006/msgs/403978.html