geminiusa's review against another edition
5.0
"Such smart writing. It really grabs you from the start, and keeps a hold of you to the very end." So many twists and turns even though I read the overview of the book I was still surprised. A dream like version into mental illness unlike any other book on the subject.
Perfect casting of Dan Butler for this audio version. You really believe he is the main character.
I can't say enough positive things about this book without spoiling it. I look forward to reading more of Juliann Garey's writings.
Perfect casting of Dan Butler for this audio version. You really believe he is the main character.
I can't say enough positive things about this book without spoiling it. I look forward to reading more of Juliann Garey's writings.
billie_visible's review against another edition
4.0
This book was pure, unbridled chaos. In an era before social media and modern technology, a man named Greyson with Bipolar Disorder I who has managed to keep his illness under wraps while working as a Hollywood executive abandons his family and goes on a worldwide trek with no constraints. He has almost endless cash to spend. No medication to subdue him. Limited legal constraints as a white middle-aged male.
The journey alternates between Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the downward spiral in Requiem for a Dream . Hypersexuality, hallucinations, delusions, and impulses drive Greyson from one period of instability to another and further from his family. Sometimes there are laughs, sometimes there are tears, often there's horror, and unexpectedly there's catharsis.
The journey alternates between Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the downward spiral in Requiem for a Dream . Hypersexuality, hallucinations, delusions, and impulses drive Greyson from one period of instability to another and further from his family. Sometimes there are laughs, sometimes there are tears, often there's horror, and unexpectedly there's catharsis.
bearlysara's review
5.0
Brilliant book. It hooked me in and took me on one of the most intricate and emotional journeys I've read through. Such a beautiful and delicately accurate depiction of what it is like to live with such an intense mental disorder.
lori_reads_everything's review
5.0
My first thought on finishing this book was, "How have I not heard of this book before?!"
Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See is a raw and very real look at the effects of Bipolar Disorder on three generations of family, told from the point of view of Greyson - as he remembers flashes of his past while undergoing ECT. Through Greyson's eyes we see his father struggle with severe and undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder, and the effects it has on his mother. We then see Greyson himself begin to struggle with the disorder - eventually deciding to leave home when "acting normal" becomes too much.
This story is emotional and memorable, and an important look at life with mental illness.
Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See is a raw and very real look at the effects of Bipolar Disorder on three generations of family, told from the point of view of Greyson - as he remembers flashes of his past while undergoing ECT. Through Greyson's eyes we see his father struggle with severe and undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder, and the effects it has on his mother. We then see Greyson himself begin to struggle with the disorder - eventually deciding to leave home when "acting normal" becomes too much.
This story is emotional and memorable, and an important look at life with mental illness.
goreting's review against another edition
2.0
Going by the concept of the book (man with bipolar disorder has flashbacks of his life during the twelve 30-second electroshock therapy session he goes through after leaving his family to travel the world), I thought I would greatly enjoy it. I was mistaken.
Juliann Garey has bipolar disorder herself, so it's not surprising that she manages to do what I presume is a good job when it comes to the writing of the disorder and what it feels like to live with it. However, all that is overshadowed by the fact that she has an undeniable power to write like a man. You could hand this book to a hundred people and I doubt one of them would believe you if you told them it was written by a woman. But I do not mean it in a any sort of good way. Apart from the chapter-starters and the ending, this book is riddled with cringe worthy over sexualized descriptions of every woman who crossed the main character's sight, to say the least.
I just feel like this book had the potential to be so much more that it ended up being.
Juliann Garey has bipolar disorder herself, so it's not surprising that she manages to do what I presume is a good job when it comes to the writing of the disorder and what it feels like to live with it. However, all that is overshadowed by the fact that she has an undeniable power to write like a man. You could hand this book to a hundred people and I doubt one of them would believe you if you told them it was written by a woman. But I do not mean it in a any sort of good way. Apart from the chapter-starters and the ending, this book is riddled with cringe worthy over sexualized descriptions of every woman who crossed the main character's sight, to say the least.
I just feel like this book had the potential to be so much more that it ended up being.
lola425's review
4.0
Accurate and harrowing portrayal of life with a mental illness. You both hated Grayson for leaving and totally understood at the same time. Watching his deterioration while watching him watch his father deteriorate, was a brilliant technique.
loliver100's review
4.0
The world inside Greyson Todd's head is fascinating, horrifying, jaw-dropping, and painful to experience.
imalwayswrite's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Greyson Todd is a successful Hollywood exec who leaves his family to travel the world for the next ten years, while cycling through manic and depressive episodes from untreated bipolar disorder. He wreaks havoc on himself and others, globally. He sleeps with various women and throws money—lots of money—around. When he hits rock bottom, he ends up in a psychiatric ward in New York, where he finally begins to heal. As much of an asshole as he is (quite unlikable), you can’t help but root for him. Still, his illness is not an excuse to behave the way he does. I haven’t read an anti-hero story in a while, so this was refreshing. He’s also an unreliable narrator, I think, certainly during the scenes where he’s manic or depressed.
Narrative structure? Brilliant. It follows his course of treatment. While he is hospitalized, he undergoes electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The first few paragraphs of each chapter are italicized, and indicate the immediate present, taking place while preparing for ECT. The passages in between are written in alternating timelines that cover his past. They jump from year to year, so not in chronological order. It would be interesting to read the book with the events happening in sequence.
I do have a question: how does Willa find him? How would she know where to look? He hasn’t been in touch with her or her mother in ten years, so how would she know he’s in New York?
I enjoyed this book very much.
Narrative structure? Brilliant. It follows his course of treatment. While he is hospitalized, he undergoes electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The first few paragraphs of each chapter are italicized, and indicate the immediate present, taking place while preparing for ECT. The passages in between are written in alternating timelines that cover his past. They jump from year to year, so not in chronological order. It would be interesting to read the book with the events happening in sequence.
I do have a question: how does Willa find him? How would she know where to look? He hasn’t been in touch with her or her mother in ten years, so how would she know he’s in New York?
I enjoyed this book very much.