I read Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar which is a fictional story, but is somewhat autobiographical about the author’s life. It was a very good read, touching on the topic of mental illness. At the end of the book, after being in a hospital ward, Ester (the main character) is questioning if there should be a ritual, like the one for marriage, of being rehabilitated or what she calls “patched, retreaded, and approved for the road.”
I liked this analogy of people to cars. Often times it seems like people believe there is some easy fix. And that’s a lot of why they don’t understand an illness. But unfortunately, we can’t just be “patched, retreated, and approved for the road” and it was sad that Ester felt this of her time spent at the ward and the care that was provided.
However, it did speak to my experience of the state run hospital. A quick patch with medicine, then out the door I went. Luckily, I have a great family.
Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone else had recommendations of fictional books dealing with mental illness??? I would love to read more. And wouldn’t it be great if there was a ritual? A graduation from insanity? Any reason to have a party right!!?
Cool. Thanks. Have you read any of his work? I read a little about some of his writings and am thinking about checking out VALIS or maybe A Scanner Darkly.
Eh no I’ve never been much of a sci-fi reader more fantasy. Although have seen most of the movies. He’s only come up on my radar recently. Some reason he’s on the list of wikipedia’s famous people with schizophrenia but reading into it seems it’s not the case. Just had some prolonged pain killer related hallucinations. Which the experience gets portrayed in his many of his books and fits into your fictional story request.
The one I had read sort along the lines was Spike Milligans seven-volume autobiographical account of his time serving during the Second World War. Debate if he was Bipolar or Depressive but includes his accounts of his fist hospitation. Sort of facts mixed with fictional humour. You will also have to be a big fan of British humour to get into this book.
Thanks @Twang I’ve got The Man in the High Castle and Surviving Schizophrenia on hold at the library. Thanks for the suggestions.
@Dreamscape I just watched some Monty Python’s Flying Circus last night. But I don’t know if I could handle British humour in book form. Plus, it’s seven volumes and I’m not much for war stories. Sounds interesting though, in that he gives accounts of his first hospitalization.