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hgullegrogan's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Exceptional memoir. Elyn does a great job describing the terrifying world inside of her mind. She urges the reader to emphasize with those with mental illness, and her life symbolizes a revolt against society's expectations of people with mental illness.
readingryleigh's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Very informative book, changes your perspective on schizophrenia
lilcurious's review against another edition
4.0
Elyn Saks has led a very interesting life, certainly more accomplished than what most would expect a schizophrenic to lead. Her academic curriculum is impressive by itself, even more so after knowing what she was going through during those years. And of course, it is important that people see stories like hers, that show different possibilities than a mental facility or a forever dependent life, but the book is also just awesome, Saks narrates it so well. She was able to balance almost perfectly educating readers about different aspects of schizophrenia with telling an engaging and heartfelt story.
Something particularly interesting is that she was hospitalized both in England and the USA, with vastly different experiences. I was aware US American psychiatric hospitals were awful, but reading about the same person, with only a year of difference, going through hospitalization in both countries really puts things in perspective. It was horrifying.
leahpoplestone's review
4.0
Elyn is an intelligent, kind-hearted, warm, successful, individual. Elyn also has schizophrenia. The Center Cannot Hold is a memoir where Elyn speaks to her lived-experiences living with schizophrenia. It is emotional to read Elyn navigate her paranoia, her experiences in the healthcare system and her experiences with how others treated her.
Books that discuss mental illness honestly have such a special place in my heart... there is this rawness and sense of vulnerability that is so beautiful.
The overall narrative of this book is premised on how Elyn has “defied the odds” of living a fulfilling and “normal” life, despite her mental illness. Acknowledging that a bulk of her retellings was taken place in the 80s - a time where mental health and illness was so misunderstood... Elyn guides the reader through how ableist our society is. We have been wired to internalize an ableist mentality - framing disability as the ‘Other’... making you less than... which is not true. We all have intersecting identities that privilege and oppress us and affect our positioning in society.
We are always critiquing “the insane in the world”, instead of thinking about the “the world of the insane” - an ideology I learned about in my undergrad at McMaster. The former referring to how the “insane” are perceived in this world; and the latter referencing a glimpse into the mind of the “insane” and HOW they experience their reality. As a memoir, naturally, Elyn gives the reader a perspective of “the world of the insane”.
For anyone that knows me, knows how passionate I am about mental health. I absolutely adored this book and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys memoirs and books that discuss mental illness.
Books that discuss mental illness honestly have such a special place in my heart... there is this rawness and sense of vulnerability that is so beautiful.
The overall narrative of this book is premised on how Elyn has “defied the odds” of living a fulfilling and “normal” life, despite her mental illness. Acknowledging that a bulk of her retellings was taken place in the 80s - a time where mental health and illness was so misunderstood... Elyn guides the reader through how ableist our society is. We have been wired to internalize an ableist mentality - framing disability as the ‘Other’... making you less than... which is not true. We all have intersecting identities that privilege and oppress us and affect our positioning in society.
We are always critiquing “the insane in the world”, instead of thinking about the “the world of the insane” - an ideology I learned about in my undergrad at McMaster. The former referring to how the “insane” are perceived in this world; and the latter referencing a glimpse into the mind of the “insane” and HOW they experience their reality. As a memoir, naturally, Elyn gives the reader a perspective of “the world of the insane”.
For anyone that knows me, knows how passionate I am about mental health. I absolutely adored this book and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys memoirs and books that discuss mental illness.
apoulsonfriesen's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.5
percy_roy's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.75