5 comments about The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: Manic Depression and the Life of Virginia Woolf.

1. It never ceases to amaze me how different people can arrive at such different conclusions from the same set of facts. This book is a great example of that. With nearly every page I found myself marveling at the unsupported conclusions, the questionable assumptions, and the moralistic (and misguided) value judgements left right and center. I found myself editing as I read, deleting whole paragraphs of blather as I went along. There is a set of facts about her illness, and you must arrive at your own interpretation of those facts. But some conclusions come nearer the truth than others -- and if you ask me, this one misses by a mile. If you want a book about Woolf's illnesses, read Caramagno's book "The Flight of the Mind: Virginia Woolf's Art and Manic Depressive Illness".



2. I was window shoppping at Amazon.com as I often love to do when I came across a book that I have treasured for some time. I was dismayed to see that Peter Dally's magnificent tour de force was not being recognized as such. Frankly, it is beyond comprehension that this would be so! One cannot understand the scope and depth of Virginia Woolf without reference to the marriage to which she so desperately needed in order to achieve the balance and stability necessary (given her illness) which resulted in our watershed of wonder in having such Masterpieces to read and enjoy today! Also, Dally's most compassionate view of her bipolar disorder provides to anyone who has had real experience with this disease profound insight into a curse, really, for so many artists that surely would have resulted in her suicide far sooner had it not been for Leonard Woolf. Surely, he is not perfect. No one is. But Dally provides that all-important insight into the need for all of us to accept the fact that no man or woman is an island unto themselves and in the absence of another upon whom we can rely in times of trial and trouble -- we are all lost. Given the unimaginable low price for this book, if you love VW -- you will not be disappointed!



3. This is far and away the least insightful, least knowledgeable, least useful book I've ever read about Virginia Woolf. If I ever come across a book by this doctor again, I will shun it like the plague. Here are a few of the many, many ways he went wrong:

   1) The "family tree" in the back of the book that supposedly supports his claim that Woolf's mental health issues were genetic is totally incomplete. So far as an informed reader can tell, he only named and "diagnosed" immediate family members of Leslie Stephen and family members who he could identify as having some kind of problem related to Woolf's. Another problem is that he doesn't appear to have presented his evidence for having determined that these people even suffered from the same difficulties one to the other, let alone to Virginia Woolf's manic depression.

   2) He constantly undermines the evidence given by women (Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell -- Bell is supposed to have not even known whether or not she had a miscarriage in 1911) while bolstering the evidence given by men. He promotes the causes of George Duckworth and Leslie Stephen, and belittles the evidence that George at least may have committed some serious offenses against his half-sisters. In the spirit of humility and a recognition that he was not there and did not know these people, Dally should at least have indicated that the evidence might be sketchy and presented the evidence for his views as *possible*. His attitude towards women is, at best, outdated. Given that, I don't think he should have undertaken to write about one.

   3) Dally "diagnoses" medical conditions of people for whom he has extremely limited information without defining his terms. What is cyclothemia? Well, I could look it up in a book, but what it means to Dally or how he came to his conclusion, I'll never know.

   4) Dally uses only published sources for his book. Yes, some of them may have been out of print and quite difficult to find, but that doesn't change the fact that he allowed himself to be limited to published sources. There are a lot of documents (Leonard Woolf's letters, for one) that were not published or were published only in part at the time that Dally's book was written. But many of these resources are readily available at university libraries. How he can presume to diagnose and criticize based on an incomplete record -- well, it's an astonishing act of arrogance, and if he were practicing REAL medicine would probably get him sued.

   I could say a lot more about Dally's characterizations of Woolf's motivations, his overlooking the importance of various people in her life, his lack of understanding of the period about which he wrote, his utter lack of sympathy for the values of Bloomsbury -- but I don't have enough space.

   Bottom line -- this book is junk and although it could have been a terrific addition to Woolf scholarship, any half-competent graduate student could have produced something really useful and far more insightful than this exercise in medical chauvinism. It's exactly the sort of thing Virginia Woolf would have expected from a doctor.




4. Interesting title, promising subject. But the book is a huge disappointment. If you are looking for a brief biography of Woolf that touches on her bipolar disorder, then this may be what you want. If you want any real discussion of the disorder and a decent analysis of how she developed it and how it manifested itself, go elsewhere.

   Dally is a psychiatrist who came of age in the 1950s. He is particularly interested in "manic depression" and anorexia nervosa, and he found both in Woolf. He used her extensive diaries to divine what troubled her, and his own background to determine why.

   Dally has a tendency to trot out theories and present them as facts. From the beginning he describes Woolf's illness as genetic and attributes it to her father's side of the family. His "proof" is a family tree that shows that some members of her father's family suffered from various nervous disorders and he could not find as much evidence of such illness on her mother's side. He offers no proof of the genetic basis but merely proclaims it. In the appendix he notes that the genetic basis has not been proven "but it is only a matter of time".

   Yet, in his own description of Virginia's childhood, he offers a much more potent and believable basis for her later depressions. Her mother did not want her, essentially rejected her, and always considered her of less value than the males of the family. There was nothing Virginia could do to win her mother's approval, yet she continued to try. As is typical with those with depression, she could not outright reject her mother or blame her for her own pain, and as a result her anger turned inward. This seems a far more plausible reason for her bipolar disorder than some vague genetic predisposition.

   He also provides absolute treatment prescriptions, as if he were prescribing an antibiotic for a bacterial infection. Manic-depressives need quiet. They need to be kept from becoming excited. They need people around who will support them. They need to be protected from stress.

   Is this true? Would Virginia have not killed herself if she had never had to face stress, if she were kept in the country, if nobody ever offered her any excitement? Even though she herself craved excitement, social interaction? Would she have truly been better off without the parties, the various stresses of everyday living? I was not at all convinced.

   Dally's assumptions don't stop with Virginia and Leonard. He proclaims that Virginia's lover, Vita Sackville-West, was incapable of forming long-term intimate bonds. By what means did he make this diagnosis? He never met the woman. He can't possibly know if she was outright "incapable", and he certainly offers no basis for this assertion.

   I found the book offensive for these reasons. He has reduced a writer of amazing creativity to a creature with a genetic disease, and has offered no substance for his simplistic analysis.




5. I never did figure it out or finish it. It might be a fine book but it bored me to sleep every night for weeks until I just tossed it on the shelf for good.

5 comments about Conquering the Darkness : One Woman's Story of Recovering from a Brain Injury.

1. Deborah Quinn details a nightmare of personal, financial, legal and medical entanglements. Her story is one relatively few brain injury victims experience. The lifestyle she describes is an exclusive one and the rehabilitation resouces available to her are not generally accessible to any but the very well funded.

   She reveals strategies and priorities of the legal and insurance world in an interesting way as well as her means of arriving at decisions during the process.

   Many survivors do not reach the level of insurance disputes or legal representation she generated because they are not as lucrative a subject as Ms. Quinn. This does not diminish the anguish she endured, her sense of loss or the difficulty of her journey. That is a part of each person's recovery and no amount of money can spare that.




2. I am a brain injury surviver just like Deborah is. I was in an automobile accident in January of 1998, but my injuries weren't as bad as Deborah's and my recovery time was much less. I thought the description of the legal battles was too long and boring, but the emotional aspects kept my interest. I sat crying while reading this, remembering my similar experiences and pain. This book is great for anyone who has suffered from a brain injury and also for their family members. I would definitely recommend this!



3. This young woman's struggle to recover from devastating head injuries is compounded by her problems with the law and lawyers. The way she recovers from both difficult situations is a fabulous read.



4. When I first bought this book, I thought I would never be able to finish it until I read the introduction and I couldn't put it down. I passed it on to my sister. Debbie's story is heartbreaking and her recovery miraculas. I can't wait for Ms. Quinn's next book.



5. My mother suffered a brain injury when the family house burned down and my father and brother died. She was left in a coma. We are grateful to still have her but some times it has been hard. this book had helped us understand better. Thanks for your book.

5 comments about One Particular Harbor: The Outrageous True Adventures of One Women With Multiple Sclerosis Living in the Alaskan Wilderness.

1. In this fascinating book, Janet Lee James describes her adventures while living in the Alaskan wilderness. While that may be enough of a challenge for many, this author suffers from multiple sclerosis. Coming to grips with this devastating diagnosis, Ms. James decides to live life to its fullest extent--and follows her dreams----to Alaska. She starts out in Anchorage working at a radio station, but eventually seeks out more remote areas of the state. Traveling to Cooper Landing, on the Kenai peninsula, Ms. James finds work as a cook/waitress/bar maid in a small lodge. As part of the deal, she can live for free in a rustic cabin. 60 feet up the side of a mountain, with no running water or electricity. This would normally be enough of a challenge for anyone, but imagine doing this with the exacerbations of MS. Ms. James provides an infinitely readable and entertaining book. She is frank and honest about the problems encountered with MS, some of which can be pretty humiliating. After reading this I immediately googled her name to see if she had written more books, but was unable to find her or any other books she has written. This book is highly recommended.



2. I was on the fence about buying this book due to what seemed may be mostly about MS and it's horrors . But, took a chance and am glad I did . I realize it was first published in 1993 and here it is 2007 and I just got around to it .
   
   I was captivated by Ms. James sheer gutsiness ( is that a word ? )to leave the safety of her home and family to pursue a dream she might have otherwised put off like the rest of us do , thinking we have all the time in the world . She made me laugh , and made me shake my head at some of her antics before MS got a real hold on her . amazing adventure ..worth your time and $$$ .
   
   the last 1/3 of the book was un-nerving tho . I'm happy I didn't read it as a young girl , i would have been looking for every symptom . I learned more about MS then i wanted to also ....all the promises to her and every patient of that time over 30 years ago ...saying a cure was probably going to be found in a few years with all the research . How sad . they are no closer to a cure now then 30 years ago .
   
   I would have been terrified to go it alone in a state such as Alaska with no real friends waiting for me knowing that I had MS yet not knowing what to truly expect from it as being newly diagnosed and each case different.
   
   I do have many questions tho , BUT those I wrote in a letter to her home . I hope she is still with us . In any case ...God Bless and may she find peace & happiness wherever she is .



3. What an excellent, excellent, excellent book and a brilliant author. The author had the courage to share the often unspeakable truths of what can happen, which doctors NEVER tell you about. She also has a warm and charming way of infusing humor and inspiration so others to gain a sense of hope and to "go for their dreams and make them happen. I can't think of a gutsier auther!
   I loved it and would love to meet her!



4. This book is great - positiveley the best book I've ever read. It follows the story of Janet, a woman with MS. Instantly, you feel as if Janet is an old friend. A good book for when you're feeling frustrated with the world and wishing you could do like Janet did...fly away to Alaska. A true story of adventure!



5. I have read all sorts of books on MS--- Medical journals, personal accounts, alternative healing.. This wonderful book brought me to new heights in my understanding of the disease.. I wanted to jump on a plane to Alaska and pick up where Janet left off! I loved her bravery, her honesty and especially her sincerity. I, too, am a vagabond and traveler with MS... One of my favorite books ever on the subject!

2 comments about Girls. . . Just Let Your Mascara Run.

1. Lillian Elizabeth Anne takes readers on an exhilarating ride of emotions experienced at various stages of womanhood. Sharing from her personal journey, she offers a slideshow of slices of life that elicit feelings ranging from joy to sorrow. She creatively and effectively injects humor.This encourages the reader to "let their hair down" and not take life so seriously,as the book title suggests. As a baby boomer I enjoyed the ride. I was encouraged to embrace all of life and its rich intensity and view it through the eyes of faith. Woman of all ages will enjoy this fun narrative!



2. After reading this book, which is very entertaining, I found myself remembering things that otherwise I would not have remembered. But even more ineteresting, it challenged me to think of things in ways I had not thought of!! I feel this book should be read by all, and especially those in the impressionable years of 12-25. The writer has a wonderful sense of humor and an honest and heartfelt desire to help others. It would make a great gift!!!

No comments about One Brief Shining Moment.

No comments about Ms. Doesn't Stand for Multiple Sclerosis.

No comments about Mary Barnes: Two Accounts of a Journey Through Madness.

4 comments about Shattered: True Story of an American Teenager.

1. I felt like I was just watching a movie on TV while I read this book. I would especially recommend this to all youth nearing driving age or those that may have just received their license.
   
   As an adult, I can remember that in my teenage years ... I felt like nothing I did could harm me. Yet this is just one of many examples that in less than a second, a tragedy can happen that changes your life and the life of everyone around you forever. This book helps us all understand how fragile we all are and how blessed we are to have the burdens in our lives that are so small in comparison.



2. This is a great story. I had a chance to meet Holly after reading her book, and she was such a wonderful person when we met. She has an incredible wit and a terrific sense of humor.



3. I enjoyed the book, I had to finish the book the same day I started it. When my children, ages 9 and 11, are older I plan to have them read it. I hope that they will realize that every action had a consquence. I wish that every teen would understand that.



4. I couldn't put this book down. One I started it I had to finish this true story of a young girl whose life was turned upside down. A must read for every teenager every parent of a teenager and for anyone who realizes that life is so precious and our lives can change in a matter of minutes.

5 comments about Tomato Juice- A Tribute to my Mom: A Journey about Progressive Bulbar Palsy (ALS).

1. The book was well written and greatly helped my sister who also has ALS and I to understand how other people both patient and caregiver deal with the disease. I was especially pleased that my sister enjoyed it.



2. This book was not professionally written, but Thoughtful Reader Lynn missed the meaningful point of this book. The book was written to share a journey through a disease, and provide an insight into what one may expect, if ever faced with the horrible reality of progressive bulbar palsy.



3. I found this book choppy, poorly written, and difficult to read. This book is very much in need of a good proofreader to help fix the poor grammar, misspellings, bad punctuation, and incorrect word usage. As far as content, it dealt very little with progressive bulbar palsy, and mostly with documenting her own family relationships, the names of the helpers, personal memories of her mother, and pushing her religion on the reader. I found this book a complete waste of my time.



4. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with Progressive Bulbar Palsy A.L.S. in July of this year. Diane's book was an honest look at the journey we have ahead of us. She wrote about the illness, as well as the special bond that developed between she and her mom at this time. Diane and I have also communicated via E-mail and she has become a wonderful friend!



5. I REALLY ENJOYED READING THIS BOOK.IT WAS SUCH A HEART WARMING JOURNEY. TO READ ABOUT A FAMILY THAT REALLY PULLED TOGATHER DURING ONE OF THE MOST HEART BREAKING JOURNEYS OF THEIR LIVES.

5 comments about Under the Devil's Thumb.

1. Found this to be an ejoyable read. It fits on the shelf next to edward abbey and bill bryson quite nicely. I recently read an essay by David Gessner in Orion - Learning to Surf - find the article online and read that if you want a quick taste of the superb writing gessner is capable of. I found this book to be close to that level of greatness; no "desert solitaire" but thoroughly enjoyable. I don't understand the previous reviewers abhorrence of beer - those contradictions contribute to a rich life. But fair enough, if you are the type who will occasionally negate your lightweight hiking gear by packing in a bottle of wine to share around the campfire, you will love this book.
   Be Well,
   Art



2. After 143 pages of drinking in the great outdoors, on page 144 David blunders onto the idea that he might be an alcoholic. Gee, dyathink? This book sounds like work of a man who desperately wants his words or his life to mean something big. He must refer to "personal myths" a dozen times in this book. He uses an incident where he leaves his sick, laboring wife behind on a x/c ski trip, only to "rescue" her and carry her pack near the end as a launching pad into an essay on heroism and heros (a title he doesnt claim, but one gets the sense he thinks he deserves). Oh puhlease! David is obviously well-read and I think he has potential when he writes about something other than himself. But his personal essay is too personal, he is too shallow for me to care about his character, and he never does anything interesting to write about (unless you call ski-drinking interesting). His essays of "place" about his affection for his new home in the west ring hollow to me, as if he desperately wants to believe what he has written. The book has its good moments, he occasionally turns a few good paragraphs when he is talking about something other than himself. But they seem like window dressing when viewed in the context of the whole. This was a hard book to finish because I just didnt care.



3. It sounded good. And I could relate to parts of it, as a recent transplant to Denver and having just experienced the deaths of close relatives. But the pomposity was too much. Some interesting stuff, but a lot of disorganized rambling. It feels like Gessner is just trying too hard to write the book he wants to be so proud of. The word "narcissistic" pops up a lot in the book. Totally appropriately. Does the guy mention beer in every single essay in the book? Yes, David, you're cool - you carried beer along on your hike.



4. Though I enjoyed much of this book immensely, calling it a book would be a bit generous. Though its major theme of the importance of a person establishing connectedness to a place rings true, the disparate chapters and their topics do not lead to a book that is greater than the sum of its parts. It stands better as a series of essays. Some chapters are full of the overwrought musings of an overly sentimental tree hugger, others are just too downright giddy and reek of so much gosh gee willikers amazement as to be pure drivel. There is also a narcissistic tone to the book that detracts from many of the aithors very moving and genuine observations. However, other sections ring so true that they should be lifted straight out of the book and put on a travel brochure. Mr. Gessner is at his best when waxing eloquently about the past (his own or anyone else's) or when he is on his bike ( a kindred spirit with this reviewer), but when he drifts into reflections on the zen of the moment it seems just too drippingly forced for this rreviewers taste.



5. From start to finish, I was deeply moved by Gessner's insightful and creative prose. This is perhaps the greatest book I've ever read. Thank you, Mr. Gessner, for making an invaluable contribution to contemporary American literature.