Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester

10 reviews

thesonnetsilence's review against another edition

challenging dark informative slow-paced

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Body horror, and Self harm

Moderate: Murder

dominicangirl's review against another edition

dark informative sad slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Self harm, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Gun violence

musicalpopcorn's review against another edition

challenging informative slow-paced

2.5

This book chronicles the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, focussing on the contributions of one man writing from an Asylum after a brutal murder.

I had higher hopes for this book than it could deliver on. Aspects of the story were interesting, but I just found it too wrapped up in the British Victorian ideals, with the constant commentary on people’s backgrounds feeling more like classism than anything else. Lines about how Minor had “distinctly American hand-writing” confused me…a lot. 

I will say the parts about his life and the murder he committed were what kept me reading. There were a few aspects of his story that were more than mildly shocking and I did appreciate learning about him.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Classism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: War and Confinement

ssione5's review against another edition

informative slow-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Torture, Murder, Violence, Suicide, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Dementia

daskor's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious medium-paced

4.75

Perfect book for anyone with double interests in psychology and the English language. Very well-written and clever. While packed with well-researched facts and history, reads smoothly and the story unfolds at the perfect pace. If you’re into niche nonfiction, or are a big word nerd, you’ll love it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, and Murder

auntie_em's review against another edition

challenging informative sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Self harm, and Physical abuse

julied's review against another edition

informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Dementia, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, and Suicide

emilysbookishlife's review

informative slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Murder

thisiscourt's review

informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Self harm

Moderate: Murder, War, and Gun violence

Minor: Suicide

beulah_devaney's review

dark informative sad slow-paced

4.0

Just as entertaining and tragic as it sounds. <i>The Professor</i> is about one of publishing's most enduring urban myths: the time the editor of the Oxford Dictionary discovered his chief contributor was resident in a London psychiatric hospital. It's incredibly entertaining and the sections on the history of dictionaries as a form of cultural colonialism is especially interesting.

Content warnings: as you've probably guessed from the title, Winchester talks about everyone who isn't a white wealthy man as if they were some unique, vaguely repulsive alien species. Stand by for racism, sexism, abelism, and in depth discussion of body horror and self-harm.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Self harm

Minor: Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Violence