A review by beththebookdragon
Voluntary Madness: My Year Lost and Found in the Loony Bin by Norah Vincent
4.0
At first, this book isn't as richly detailed as Self-Made Man. That's actually appropriate as we start out with Norah checking herself into a public mental ward that is pretty blank except where it's squalid.
Norah Vincent's storytelling gets richer in detail and depth as it goes on. Her observations direct and unflinching. For example: when relating the story of a "too good for this ward" middle-class newcomer, Norah acknowledges her own snobbery regarding other patients.
This bright light turned both outward and inward continues to illuminate in the second part, when Norah Vincent checks into a private mental hospital/addiction rehabilitation center for people who have insurance. Ms. Vincent expands even more on her own experiences and opinions about various aspects of mental-illness treatment.
Norah Vincent's storytelling gets richer in detail and depth as it goes on. Her observations direct and unflinching. For example: when relating the story of a "too good for this ward" middle-class newcomer, Norah acknowledges her own snobbery regarding other patients.
This bright light turned both outward and inward continues to illuminate in the second part, when Norah Vincent checks into a private mental hospital/addiction rehabilitation center for people who have insurance. Ms. Vincent expands even more on her own experiences and opinions about various aspects of mental-illness treatment.