raven_morgan's review against another edition
5.0
A memoir of kinds in which a psychiatrist recounts some of her more memorable patients from her residency, interweaving these stories with recollections of other patients, information about psychiatric phenomena and her own life.
Reading this made me more aware of the limitations of psychiatry, and how damn heartbreaking it must be for people working in the field. Montross presents cases of people unwell enough to be hospitalised - for swallowing foreign objects to self harm, to a woman tormented by thoughts of hurting her baby - and none of them have any conclusion. Montross treats the patients for the their stays in the hospital, and then they are discharged, never to be heard from again. It must be really, really difficult for psychiatrists who don't then get to follow up - how do you know if what you did was the right thing, if you got the right diagnosis?
A truly fascinating read, and one that had me promptly ordering another book by Montross.
Reading this made me more aware of the limitations of psychiatry, and how damn heartbreaking it must be for people working in the field. Montross presents cases of people unwell enough to be hospitalised - for swallowing foreign objects to self harm, to a woman tormented by thoughts of hurting her baby - and none of them have any conclusion. Montross treats the patients for the their stays in the hospital, and then they are discharged, never to be heard from again. It must be really, really difficult for psychiatrists who don't then get to follow up - how do you know if what you did was the right thing, if you got the right diagnosis?
A truly fascinating read, and one that had me promptly ordering another book by Montross.
circularcubes's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
Last month I read Body of Work, which is Montross's first book about her reflections during and after taking a first-year medical school human anatomy lab. I was struck by the beauty of Montross's writing - her training as a poet comes across, and she has as an eye for historical anecdotes (thus, a woman after my own heart). When I saw she had another book published, I knew I'd enjoy reading it.
And I did - Falling Into the Fire has a lot of the same lyricism and story-telling that I liked about Body of Work. The only thing is, I couldn't get as into the subject matter of this book. Montross went on to become a psychiatrist after medical school, and this book is an examination of some of the cases that have stuck with her. They're fascinating stories, but I liked how universal the themes of human anatomy and dissection were in Body of Work. I also had a difficult time with some of the stories - surprisingly, I find human dissection easier to stomach than the obsessive swallowing of metal objects.
Still, enjoyable.
Last month I read Body of Work, which is Montross's first book about her reflections during and after taking a first-year medical school human anatomy lab. I was struck by the beauty of Montross's writing - her training as a poet comes across, and she has as an eye for historical anecdotes (thus, a woman after my own heart). When I saw she had another book published, I knew I'd enjoy reading it.
And I did - Falling Into the Fire has a lot of the same lyricism and story-telling that I liked about Body of Work. The only thing is, I couldn't get as into the subject matter of this book. Montross went on to become a psychiatrist after medical school, and this book is an examination of some of the cases that have stuck with her. They're fascinating stories, but I liked how universal the themes of human anatomy and dissection were in Body of Work. I also had a difficult time with some of the stories - surprisingly, I find human dissection easier to stomach than the obsessive swallowing of metal objects.
Still, enjoyable.
selkieteeth's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Ableism, and Mental illness
Minor: Child death, Child abuse, Grief, Forced institutionalization, and Alcoholism
niinjah's review against another edition
5.0
As a psychologist I recommend this book. Full of case stories and knowledge I learnt a lot about psychiatry and psychology. It`s up to date when it comes to research, and I also like that the book is so diverse in what it covers.
leahrglicker's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
skyroxy's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book fascinating as it takes you into the hardcore lives of people living with very serious emotional problems,not those who check in and check out of mental hospitals for attention. The cases Ms. Montross presemts are interesting, historical and heartbreaking.
I only gave it a 4 because of the end of the chapters which focus on her own "normal" family and seem pointless.
I only gave it a 4 because of the end of the chapters which focus on her own "normal" family and seem pointless.
brogan7's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting read, but oftentimes she points to systemic problems and yet carries on with what seems to me a fairly narrow, pharmaceutical approach to her patients.
Some of the stories are truly devastating, and can feel a little voyeuristic after a bit.
I wanted to know more about some of the stories. What happened to the man who laid under a blanket of depression so thick it seemed the whole room weighed upon him? The bulk of his own body, the request for her not to interfere.
What happened to him after that?
Some of the stories are truly devastating, and can feel a little voyeuristic after a bit.
I wanted to know more about some of the stories. What happened to the man who laid under a blanket of depression so thick it seemed the whole room weighed upon him? The bulk of his own body, the request for her not to interfere.
What happened to him after that?
jeo224's review against another edition
4.0
A good read, covering some of the same territory as The Tell-tale Brain, but from a psychiatrists view.
tanyarobinson's review against another edition
4.0
Falling Into the Fire is a tough book to classify. On the one hand it is a collection of medical tales reminiscent of Sach's renowned The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (though I found Montross's book much more enjoyable). On the other hand, it is a memoir of a psychiatrist, learning to "abide with" her distressed and disturbed patients while navigating balance in her role as wife (in a same-gender relationship) and mother. The principle focus is on her patients and their unusual symptoms, but the approach is human rather than clinical. I learned a lot, and feel even greater empathy toward those who suffer with mental disorders.
amandanan's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting read of a psychiatrist explaining mental illnesses in layman terms. Crossed more into a memoir than I expected.