Creativity and Madness
356500
A mesmerizing, fragmented novel of unique and bereft characters. These compulsive, creative souls feed off each other, competing furiously for their art and their personal space.
A lesson here for artists and authors: ground your work in self care - not obsession and compulsion.
1330599
This chic was bat-sh*t crazy but her book demonstrates the difference between being crazy and stupid. Although it's pure insanity her thoughts are coherently and effectively communicated. Unfortunately much of what she wrote of is coming to pass. However,The book has some very good points  although it's based on an utterly insane philosophy.
2247322
R.D.Laing's "The Divided Self" is a zoo of schizophrenic. (I am not making fun of schizoids. I am one too. And I was not offended at all.) There was David who looked into the mirror and acted like his dead mother. There was Peter who had this non-existent smell. And he was planning to disappear. Julie who was a good child, who became nutty and then mad. And etc...

What is more interesting is to see the psychoanalyst's relation to these schizophrenics. How the analysts take apart the patients relation to the world. I keep thinking "well yeah, Dr, I am looking in to your psych world too." And when I think of system, I think of Newtonian mechanics. (Freud was impressed by Newtonian mechanics too.) But the stream of language, an abstract one at that, reveals me to a level of thought that is not often reached. And I believe, the Doctors, see their own doctors, and this doctor sees his, etc.. Its a hierarchy of power. Its just amazing we have these structures that we don't know.

Laing's system is based on Self, Body, and World. The healthy will organize their experience as (Self, Body) and the World. While the ill will organize their experience as Self (Body, World). The (Self) is an Unembodied entity. Perhaps not unlike a robot.
1688606
This is a wild wild wild book by Joanna Ruocco. It's a book broken by madness and developed for voracious characterizations. It's not a light book and has to be devoured immediately. And, best not on your own terms or on your own time. Characters in this book behave outrageously. They fall from the sky and they perform tasks not designed for humans or animals. Sometimes if you pay attention, you might get anecdotal insights into the heart of the author. It's a book designed to showcase undulating, misperceived randomness. There are no investigations here; just an outlet. A medicine cabinet. A wild drive into the compulsive, gluttonous highway of Joanna Ruocco's mind. Help her hold the wheel made of human skin.
4743068
" .. that place where parallel lines go out of their mind and intersect."
This is my favorite work by Nabokov - I first encountered this in a course entitled "The Irrational in Russian Literature."  To see how extreme rationality (quote unquote) becomes madness and nonreason --> it is akin to the bureaucratic "reasons" and regulations in Kafka's Castle or the supposed laws that reigned king in the U.S.S.R. (The Man in the Black Coat, Cancer Ward, etc.)
Anything taken to ^infinite degree ceases to remain a reflection of itself; Nabokov's depiction of extreme rationality toppling into utter madness is genius.  (See also Notes from Underground.)
2135814
This writer is crazy and I loved it. Make me smile a lot. I could completly understand that this kind of humor is not for everyone and some people can be fed up with the craziness but not me. Be free, be yourself, be furiously happy!
2528443
This book was a very interesting read. At times, the author goes on a road that I don't follow, but above and beyond, the first person narrative is brilliant. Dealing with mental illness, drug abuse and some very bad behavior without making excuses or apologies, this book chronicles parts of the author's psyche that most of us keep locked away.
My personal favorite was 'Schizophrenia 101'. It is a step by step guide for "new" schizophrenics. Though written with humor, one can't help but wonder if the advice and detailed guide of symptoms and meanings WOULD be a useful tool for people experiencing their first psychotic episode.
I read this book in a day. It's easy to get caught up in the stories, as bizarre or brutal as some may be. It's blunt while poetic, surreal but honest. Not for the faint of heart, you have to be willing to go for a bumpy, engrossing ride.
3158679
As a fan of "Deep Thoughts" back in the day, I was excited to read this book--and it's even crazier than I ever imagined.  I think the author is deeply disturbed--or smoked a lot of pot when he wrote it--and it made him a GENIUS!!!  Highly recommended for anyone with a twisted sense of humor and a healthy apprecaition of the absurd.
316252
Within this book is a powerful universe of madness, possibilities, ingeniousness, and apparently miracles. The protagonist Harold Winslow has inspired mixed emotions throughout the book, his character changing constantly through each flashback. Miranda is both the goal of the story, yet is seemingly cast aside, her father Prospero metamorphoses from a kind (if strange) wizard to a mad genius bent on immortality at any cost.
The world changes from a place of amazing miracles to maddening machines, from endless possiblity, to a resignation about the human existance, the end of individual written word, as every possible story, sentence, will be used.
Somehow these dichotomies are maintained and are percieved easily, without having to backtrack through the book to ensure understanding; all due to the power of Dexter Palmer's powerful passages. It is a highly entertaining book, though it becomes very dark as time goes on.
1535699
There were times of sanity and insanity.  McLarty depicts it well.  Look forward to reading his next book.  Thank you Steven King
1942968
This book is a compilation of essays from different women about madness. It is a wonderful book in all, but my absolute favorite story in it (which alone is worth buying the book for) is "The Yellow Wallpaper," by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. "The Yellow Wallpaper" is strange and bizarre, shocking. It's just genius, and beautifully written. An extraordinary short story.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" and Annie Dillard's "Total Eclipse" (the latter not in this book) are my all-time favorite short stories.

The other essays in this book are good and well worth reading as well.
564776
What did I just read? Seriously, this writing duo never cease to blow my mind with the madness they create. They upped their level of twisted once again in Pretty New Doll and I loved it. Lets be honest, there is highly disturbing elements in this book and its not for everyone, but I cant get enough it!

Benny is back and more demented than ever. He wants to seek revenge after being left for dead by Dillon and Jade three years before. Hes helped by a new partner as deranged as him and it generates some brutal scenes. Murder, rape, kidnapping, theres no bound to Benjamins obsession with his dolls and anyone in his way is must be careful. Hes still pretty delusional in his fixation with Jade, but soon a new doll catches his eyes and a new fascination begins.

This time around, the story is told in Benny, Dillon and Elizabeths point of views. Dillon is doing the investigation on new homicides accumulating, still thinking Benny is dead. Jade is less present in this book. I must admit that I missed her and I would have liked to see a little more of her. Elizabeth is a new heroine I enjoyed. Entering her irrational mind was quite fascinating.

Pretty New Doll has a constant flow of jaw-dropping moments. I felt like I was constantly bombarded with new elements that kept me rooted to the book and Im more than impressed with all these twists. I don't know where Ker Dukey and K. Webster find all these ideas, but they must continue because I adore the psychotic world of Benny and his dollies. It is definitely my favorite of the series and Pretty Broken Dolls will be another trip into crazy town Im sure of it after this sudden cliffhanger.
960003
The author has mad writing skills. So much talent it is almost sick. Interesting book that will likely make you feel better about your own life.
4303346
Such a strange book, I don't know where to start.  Matt Kindt writes and draws a mind-bending tale involving every possible kind of mental manipulation imagininable.  The book has quite a few twists that even the main character, Meru struggles with.  At times, there were too many high level ideas that possibly made the story harder to follow.  If the ideas were spread out more it might have been a better decision.  Kindt's art isn't normal comics fare but it works well other than multiple female charcaters being too similar.  On the editorial side, the book's design is gorgeous.  Overall, a head-scratching good time.
1576773
This is a Michel Foucault masterpiece that delves into the history of insanity. Foucault was a student of philosophy and psychology, and it opened up his mind so that he could study the history of mental health. His book provides a compelling exploration of leprosy and other ailments that plagued Europe.

One of the biggest questions Foucault strives to answer is whether or not madness is a social construction. In exploring the idea, the author is able to negate many classical ideas that have dominated culture in recent years. He even relates treatment of madness to the process that eliminated leprosy as he states, "the formulas of exclusion would be strangely repeated" with "poor vagabonds, criminals and `deranged minds'."

While this book centers on the treatment of the insane in the clinical settings, it also explores other facets of mental health. In this book, Foucault talks about early doctors and nurses in psychiatry. He also explores the relationship between religious fanaticism and the concept of moral treatment for those who were deemed insane. This makes for an intriguing book that is also easily accessible for readers of varying levels.

Foucault is also the author of the book "Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison", a book that is comparable to "Madness and Civilization". Both are books about society's reactions to something deemed "not normal." On the same topic, I really like the work of Sander Gilman, who applies his understanding of psychology and psychiatry to role as historian when writing the books&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Seeing-the-Insane/dp/162654915X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Seeing the Insane</a>.

"Madness and Civilization" is a great choice for anybody working or interested in working in the field of mental health. This book encompasses a wide range of ideas from art, literature, history and philosophy as they relate to confinement, delusions and social ideology. As a philosopher contemplating madness, Foucault is a genius.
1516717
I love this book and couldn't resist buying it in paperback. The copy I received looked brand new (it was a good used copy).

If you are a creative type of suffer from Bipolar, ADD, or ADHD you may want to read this book. It gives you food for thought.
1593565
Wonderland Volume 3 is a dark, twisted, and very innovative imagination of Alice in Wonderland as envisioned by Raven Gregory.  And while I have not read any of the other graphic novels about this version of Wonderland, I find myself leaning toward getting them in the near future to understand this captivating world.

The story itself - hopefully Im getting this right here - focuses on one of Alices descendants, Calie, who has escaped from Wonderland in the recent past, reconnected with her daughter , Violet, and is now on the run in the real world from pursuers from Wonderland.  Calie seems to be trying to make up for lost time with her daughter, eager to be a mother and plays the role of overprotective mom to the fullest.  On the other hand, Violet is your typical annoyed at everything but still pretty decent teenager.  Together, they are trekking across America, trying to discover how to escape the ominous presence of Wonderland and lead a normal life.

In contrast to the real world of Calie and Violet, a reader is given the maddening distortions of Wonderland; a psychedelic scene filled with its devious queens and strange denizens.  In this other world, a power struggle is brewing; one that is causing its denizens to craft perplexing schemes of power that are both bloody and insidious.  And to fuel these grand designs, the power players of Wonderland are reaching through the rabbit hole into the real world ensnaring unsuspecting souls to turn into demonic minions for war.  A war that threatens not only wonderland but the real world itself and somehow involves both Calie and her daughter, Violet.  (I never quite understood the how of all this but assumed it was explained in earlier volumes.)

As for the artwork in Wonderland, it is top notch.  The images and colors here are dazzling, able to both vividly display the psychedelic madness of the land of the jabberwacky and the real world of present day America.  The women are stylized beauties, which may or may not be to your personal preferences, and the men are  - well, they are normal men, which worked fine with me.  And the layout of the pages here are well thought out, making it easy to follow the story even when it drifted off into back story and flashback scenes.

Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel.  The artwork mixed the beautiful and sinister while capably moving the complex story forward.  And quite honestly, the whole Alice in Wonderland psychedelic madness just struck a cod with me - perhaps I had an acid flashback.  But whatever the reason, I believe Ill be going down the rabbit hole here a bit more in the future.

Netgalley provided this book to me for free in return for an honest review.  The review above was not paid for or influenced in any way by any person, entity or organization, but is my own personal opinions.