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A review by travelseatsreads
Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me by Ellen Forney
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I was immediately drawn to the gorgeous bright cover of Marbles when I spotted it on the library shelf. When I read that it was about someone dealing with Bipolar Disorder I was really curious to see how it would work so I brought it home.
Marbles is a memoir style graphic novel in which Ellen Forney takes us with her on her journey with Bipolar Disorder as she negotiates her diagnosis, her many medications, her moods, her behaviours and her creativity.
Ellen is brutally honest and so forthcoming throughout the whole book allowing the reader to see pretty much every detail she experiences on her journey, from her devastating lows to her euphoric mania fueled highs. It's this honesty that enables the book to be so emotional, deeply entertaining and fun while also being hugely educational at the same time.
The drawings are absolutely spectacular from start to finish. Her depictions of her episodes of mania and dysthymia are done so well that you can almost feel the experience from the pages. I found myself getting a little worn out by some of them at times which I think totally highlights their effectiveness. Ellen also included some drawings which she drew while unwell and it was absolutely fascinating to see her creativity and perceptions morph between each episode. The only thing is, I would have loved to have seen some splashes of colour included at times rather than the black and white palette on every page. Ellen's style elsewhere pops with vibrancy and it would have been nice to see some of that echoed here, maybe even in some of the mania related sections.
Ellen discusses the link between mental illness (mainly Bipolar Disorder) with particular reference to her own experience and includes a great selection of referenced information which was really interesting to see. The list of "famous sufferers" was definitely an eye opener.
An absolutely fascinating, honest and engaging read about one woman's journey with Bipolar Disorder.
*TWs for Mental Illness, Mild Sexual Content, Drug Use and Suicidal Ideation.
Marbles is a memoir style graphic novel in which Ellen Forney takes us with her on her journey with Bipolar Disorder as she negotiates her diagnosis, her many medications, her moods, her behaviours and her creativity.
Ellen is brutally honest and so forthcoming throughout the whole book allowing the reader to see pretty much every detail she experiences on her journey, from her devastating lows to her euphoric mania fueled highs. It's this honesty that enables the book to be so emotional, deeply entertaining and fun while also being hugely educational at the same time.
The drawings are absolutely spectacular from start to finish. Her depictions of her episodes of mania and dysthymia are done so well that you can almost feel the experience from the pages. I found myself getting a little worn out by some of them at times which I think totally highlights their effectiveness. Ellen also included some drawings which she drew while unwell and it was absolutely fascinating to see her creativity and perceptions morph between each episode. The only thing is, I would have loved to have seen some splashes of colour included at times rather than the black and white palette on every page. Ellen's style elsewhere pops with vibrancy and it would have been nice to see some of that echoed here, maybe even in some of the mania related sections.
Ellen discusses the link between mental illness (mainly Bipolar Disorder) with particular reference to her own experience and includes a great selection of referenced information which was really interesting to see. The list of "famous sufferers" was definitely an eye opener.
An absolutely fascinating, honest and engaging read about one woman's journey with Bipolar Disorder.
*TWs for Mental Illness, Mild Sexual Content, Drug Use and Suicidal Ideation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts