The idea to read this book came to me when I was driving to work and was listening to a radio program about the nature of depression. They quoted the author many times throughout the interview and it intrigued me enough to buy it. This book has been cited as being "the most vivid and insightful, first-hand account of a major depressive episode to date "
In my line of work, I deal with a lot of people with mental health 'issues' and this book was useful for me to use as a template for understanding more clearly the thought process of someone locked in to the crippling idealizations of suicidal depression.
I recommend this book for anyone who is suffering from depression, thinks they might be, or knows/deals with people who are. It can be a very useful and informative book, not to mention an all around good read and look at William Styron's personal struggle.
This book is only 84 pages and can be read in an afternoon for most. If you're familiar with Styron from previous works you already know he is very 'wordy' for better lack of terms. On my sliding scale I gave this book a solid 8/10 for its usefulness to my profession and for its ability to stand on its own as a great personal memoir of a very talented writer.
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