What do you think?
Rate this book
In Two Minds
Dr Martin Homer is a GP with a naturally sunny disposition. Honourable, attentive and trusted by all of his patients, Martin has only ever loved one woman – his wife, Sarah.
When his mother dies suddenly, Martin’s comfortable life is thrown into complete disarray. After sinking into the black dog of grief and depression, he ascends to new heights in a frenzied, manic high. Now, he’s never felt better!
In between riding his new skateboard around the streets at night and self-medicating from his stash at work, the artificially elated and self-entitled Martin crosses paths with Bella, a beautiful and sexual young woman profoundly damaged by trauma of her own.
In Two Minds takes you on a quirky, rollicking journey that unveils the complexities of mental illness with wit and warmth. Gordon Parker’s impressive career in psychiatry reveals itself through extremely rich descriptions of depression, bipolar and borderline personality characteristics
When his mother dies suddenly, Martin’s comfortable life is thrown into complete disarray. After sinking into the black dog of grief and depression, he ascends to new heights in a frenzied, manic high. Now, he’s never felt better!
In between riding his new skateboard around the streets at night and self-medicating from his stash at work, the artificially elated and self-entitled Martin crosses paths with Bella, a beautiful and sexual young woman profoundly damaged by trauma of her own.
In Two Minds takes you on a quirky, rollicking journey that unveils the complexities of mental illness with wit and warmth. Gordon Parker’s impressive career in psychiatry reveals itself through extremely rich descriptions of depression, bipolar and borderline personality characteristics
- GenresFictionMental Health
320 pages, ebook
Published April 1, 2017
7 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Parker
37 books16 followersGordon Parker is Scientia Professor of Psychiatry at the University of NSW, Professorial Fellow at the Black Dog Institute, and a renowned researcher and expert on mood disorders. Kerrie Eyers is a psychologist based at the Black Dog Institute, Sydney. Gordon Parker and Kerrie Eyers are editors of the bestselling Journeys with the Black Dog and several other books on depression. Philip Boyce is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Sydney, Professorial Fellow at the Black Dog Institute, and an international expert on postnatal depression.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 14, 2017
I received a copy of this title from Ventura Press for review.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Dependable, trustworthy and empathic GP Martin experiences a deep depression after the death of his mother. When it seems his mood is looking up, chaos is just around the corner for a man who has always stayed in the middle lane of life.
It must be said that when you've read a lot of books, both fiction and nonfiction, featuring mental illness of one form or another, things do tend to get a bit samey. This is one of the reasons I am in two minds about In Two Minds - if this had been the first novel I had read in which the protagonist has a breakdown and ends up in a psychiatric unit, I may have been more interested in the outcome. Indeed, if I had not had the pleasure of spending some time in a psychiatric hospital myself, I may have been more entranced by the ins and outs of what happens when you are deemed no longer able to manage your own affairs without cocking things up in spectacular fashion. If you have not had such an experience yourself, and you aren't elbow deep in the back catalogue of "books about people losing their marbles in various painful and unexpected ways" then you should find In Two Minds to be compelling reading.
Martin Homer is an all-around good bloke. He loves his wife, is wholeheartedly devoted to his work as a GP and generally sets the standard for good behaviour and personal growth everywhere he goes. Bella is a woman with a past and a borderline personality disorder (**I've always wondered why the "borderline" part is added to the "personality disorder" part of that description, because there ain't nothin' "borderline" about Bella's crazy, vitriolic antics**). When Martin's self-medicating after the death of his mother leads to a manic episode, the trajectories of Bella and Martin cross and Martin's prior grip on his identity, his marriage and his work is shattered.
The story is told in alternating sections between Martin and Bella, with Martin's story taking the primary position. Really, this is a story about Martin and Bella is a bit player, albeit one whose back story is essential to the plot for her actions toward Martin to be in any way believable. The author mentions the Madonna-whore complex early on in the story and all of the women presented here in any detail are indeed Madonnas (Edina, Martin's mother, and Sarah, Martin's wife) or whores (Bella, the Trophettes). Bella's early history, which the reader discovers at the end of the book, even indicates that she was a literal whore, working as a prostitute. There was something unsettling about this for me, and I would have liked to have seen a few chapters written from Sarah's point of view. It seemed a little unfair to have such a focus on the man-slaying Bella and the existential crisis of Martin (post-mania) and so little focus on the woman who chooses to "stand by her man" as it were, despite the fact that he's just undergone a major change in personality and behaviour. In fact, had there been more of a focus on Sarah, this would have been a point that set this novel apart from the multitude that have gone before it; as important as the perspective of the sufferer of mental illness undeniably is, it would be instructive to read something from the point of view of the supporter - the spouse, significant other, family member - of the sufferer.
One thing that really does set this book apart is that it isn't focused on talking therapy in any way. Much is made in the early chapters of Martin's past and the various tragedies and triumphs that shaped who he is. I was expecting that this information would be somehow revisited later in the book as part of Martin's recovery, but this wasn't the case. Instead, the section of the book dealing with Martin's recovery is focused almost entirely on the various medications he is treated with, their side effects and the way they interact. This may explain the slight disconnect I felt between the early parts of the story, in which Martin's family and Sarah play such a strong role, and the latter parts, in which all of the key stressors and factors that almost certainly factored into Martin's illness are glossed over in favour of his response to medication. Even though it wasn't what I was expecting, this certainly was a point of difference that makes this book stand apart from others on a similar topic.
The author may have even not-so-subtly inserted himself into the story by means of Saxon Marshall, Martin's treating psychiatrist. The name of this character struck me as interesting, and this may just be me receiving coded messages through the TV and novels here, but Saxon is the surname of the Master as played by John Simm in David Tennant's run of Doctor Who, while Marshal is the given name of one of a psychiatrist character in Irvin Yalom's Lying on the Couch (see below). I can't help but wonder if this was a conscious choice of character moniker and if so, what does it say about ol' Gordon Parker, eh? (**Probably not much because it's probably not a conscious naming device, and just me projecting. It should have been though - mashing the two characters together is quite evocative, imo**).
I was a little confused at the ending of the book. There is an ambiguous ending for Martin, which I think worked well given we, as readers, leave him so soon after his diagnosis and early recovery. It was a clever move to end his story at this point and leave us wondering what became of him. More curious however was the ending of Bella's narrative trajectory. Toward the very end of the book, we are privy to even more of Bella's backstory and the introduction of a new key character in Bella's life. I couldn't get a grasp on why this was included, unless it was only to set up Martin's ambiguous departure, because it certainly didn't heighten my empathy for Bella in any way and felt like too much of an information dump after the climax of the story.
Having finished up the book, I had a quick flick through some similar books of my acquaintance and, as I mentioned at the beginning of the review, books featuring mental illness of one kind or another do tend to blend together after a while. I definitely experienced shades of The Mirror World of Melody Black by Gavin Extence (female protagonist with bipolar disorder), Terms and Conditions by Robert Glancy (professional male protagonist coming to terms with a change of identity concept and mental trauma), and most obviously, Irvin Yalom's, Lying on the Couch (multiple psychiatrists go through various psychiatrist-y problems and as in all of Yalom's work, boobs are mentioned a lot).
If you are looking for a truly original story about the whirlwind of depression, mania and psychosis, then I would suggest trying Kathleen Founds' brilliant When Mystical Creatures Attack! If you are an entry level journeyperson regarding novels about mental health or you have an interest in bipolar disorder, depression and mania generally, definitely give In Two Minds a go.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Dependable, trustworthy and empathic GP Martin experiences a deep depression after the death of his mother. When it seems his mood is looking up, chaos is just around the corner for a man who has always stayed in the middle lane of life.
It must be said that when you've read a lot of books, both fiction and nonfiction, featuring mental illness of one form or another, things do tend to get a bit samey. This is one of the reasons I am in two minds about In Two Minds - if this had been the first novel I had read in which the protagonist has a breakdown and ends up in a psychiatric unit, I may have been more interested in the outcome. Indeed, if I had not had the pleasure of spending some time in a psychiatric hospital myself, I may have been more entranced by the ins and outs of what happens when you are deemed no longer able to manage your own affairs without cocking things up in spectacular fashion. If you have not had such an experience yourself, and you aren't elbow deep in the back catalogue of "books about people losing their marbles in various painful and unexpected ways" then you should find In Two Minds to be compelling reading.
Martin Homer is an all-around good bloke. He loves his wife, is wholeheartedly devoted to his work as a GP and generally sets the standard for good behaviour and personal growth everywhere he goes. Bella is a woman with a past and a borderline personality disorder (**I've always wondered why the "borderline" part is added to the "personality disorder" part of that description, because there ain't nothin' "borderline" about Bella's crazy, vitriolic antics**). When Martin's self-medicating after the death of his mother leads to a manic episode, the trajectories of Bella and Martin cross and Martin's prior grip on his identity, his marriage and his work is shattered.
The story is told in alternating sections between Martin and Bella, with Martin's story taking the primary position. Really, this is a story about Martin and Bella is a bit player, albeit one whose back story is essential to the plot for her actions toward Martin to be in any way believable. The author mentions the Madonna-whore complex early on in the story and all of the women presented here in any detail are indeed Madonnas (Edina, Martin's mother, and Sarah, Martin's wife) or whores (Bella, the Trophettes). Bella's early history, which the reader discovers at the end of the book, even indicates that she was a literal whore, working as a prostitute. There was something unsettling about this for me, and I would have liked to have seen a few chapters written from Sarah's point of view. It seemed a little unfair to have such a focus on the man-slaying Bella and the existential crisis of Martin (post-mania) and so little focus on the woman who chooses to "stand by her man" as it were, despite the fact that he's just undergone a major change in personality and behaviour. In fact, had there been more of a focus on Sarah, this would have been a point that set this novel apart from the multitude that have gone before it; as important as the perspective of the sufferer of mental illness undeniably is, it would be instructive to read something from the point of view of the supporter - the spouse, significant other, family member - of the sufferer.
One thing that really does set this book apart is that it isn't focused on talking therapy in any way. Much is made in the early chapters of Martin's past and the various tragedies and triumphs that shaped who he is. I was expecting that this information would be somehow revisited later in the book as part of Martin's recovery, but this wasn't the case. Instead, the section of the book dealing with Martin's recovery is focused almost entirely on the various medications he is treated with, their side effects and the way they interact. This may explain the slight disconnect I felt between the early parts of the story, in which Martin's family and Sarah play such a strong role, and the latter parts, in which all of the key stressors and factors that almost certainly factored into Martin's illness are glossed over in favour of his response to medication. Even though it wasn't what I was expecting, this certainly was a point of difference that makes this book stand apart from others on a similar topic.
The author may have even not-so-subtly inserted himself into the story by means of Saxon Marshall, Martin's treating psychiatrist. The name of this character struck me as interesting, and this may just be me receiving coded messages through the TV and novels here, but Saxon is the surname of the Master as played by John Simm in David Tennant's run of Doctor Who, while Marshal is the given name of one of a psychiatrist character in Irvin Yalom's Lying on the Couch (see below). I can't help but wonder if this was a conscious choice of character moniker and if so, what does it say about ol' Gordon Parker, eh? (**Probably not much because it's probably not a conscious naming device, and just me projecting. It should have been though - mashing the two characters together is quite evocative, imo**).
I was a little confused at the ending of the book. There is an ambiguous ending for Martin, which I think worked well given we, as readers, leave him so soon after his diagnosis and early recovery. It was a clever move to end his story at this point and leave us wondering what became of him. More curious however was the ending of Bella's narrative trajectory. Toward the very end of the book, we are privy to even more of Bella's backstory and the introduction of a new key character in Bella's life. I couldn't get a grasp on why this was included, unless it was only to set up Martin's ambiguous departure, because it certainly didn't heighten my empathy for Bella in any way and felt like too much of an information dump after the climax of the story.
Having finished up the book, I had a quick flick through some similar books of my acquaintance and, as I mentioned at the beginning of the review, books featuring mental illness of one kind or another do tend to blend together after a while. I definitely experienced shades of The Mirror World of Melody Black by Gavin Extence (female protagonist with bipolar disorder), Terms and Conditions by Robert Glancy (professional male protagonist coming to terms with a change of identity concept and mental trauma), and most obviously, Irvin Yalom's, Lying on the Couch (multiple psychiatrists go through various psychiatrist-y problems and as in all of Yalom's work, boobs are mentioned a lot).
If you are looking for a truly original story about the whirlwind of depression, mania and psychosis, then I would suggest trying Kathleen Founds' brilliant When Mystical Creatures Attack! If you are an entry level journeyperson regarding novels about mental health or you have an interest in bipolar disorder, depression and mania generally, definitely give In Two Minds a go.
September 24, 2017
Written by a professor of psychiatry, I felt as if I was reading notes from his case studies for much of this novel. In the first 100 pages alternative chapters give detailed accounts of the personalities of Martin Homer, a GP and Bella Donna, a young woman with serious emotional issues. There are occasional asides to discuss the meetings of the Trophettes, a group of women who are fortune hunters and while mildly entertaining it was difficult to see how these asides advanced the plot.
Eventually, the psychiatric disorders of the two main characters take over the plot and we are taken on a roller-coaster ride which ends in a secure mental health unit. Unfortunately, while the author has copious knowledge of mental illness and its treatment, he is less successful in creating believable characters.
Eventually, the psychiatric disorders of the two main characters take over the plot and we are taken on a roller-coaster ride which ends in a secure mental health unit. Unfortunately, while the author has copious knowledge of mental illness and its treatment, he is less successful in creating believable characters.
August 18, 2017
This book by Australian author Gordon Parker blew my mind because it hits home so hard. The novel focuses mainly on two characters, Dr Martin Homer (who is married to Sarah) and Bella whom he has a brief sexual encounter with while Sarah is on a business trip. Dr Homer prescribes himself tricyclics (anti-depressants) to deal with the guilt following the death of his mother whom he believes he may have prevented which leads to the unauthorised use of self-prescribed medication pushing him into a full-blown manic episode.
Read the full review of In Two Minds: A Novel by Gordon Parker at Writerful Books.
Read the full review of In Two Minds: A Novel by Gordon Parker at Writerful Books.
April 20, 2017
4 1/2 stars
This is an excellent portrait of mental illness wrapped in a personal narrative that is highly relatable and so engaging you will not be able to put this book down!
Martin’s Early Story (yes that is the chapter heading) was so sad – a child who tries to please everyone, a peacekeeper, a child carrying a burden of guilt…most who read this introduction to Martin’s life will feel compassion, sadness and perhaps a little anger directed at the adults in his life. Some will anticipate that the roads Martin will travel in the future will be potholed with mental health issues, and they will be right.
Bella’s introduction – such a revelation - her personality is uncanny in its familiarity, I recognise the “Bella” in so many women I have worked with/for – such damaged souls are everywhere! The author does not provide the same amount of personal history and information about Bella or her early life or the events that shaped her thought processes, we don’t hear Bella’s story or her voice, so much as see her reactions to the world around her and the damage she inflicts on herself and to those close by. We see Bella via her actions, her behaviours, her reactions, her manipulations… the author has created an excellent device to show how mental illness, (including depression) can affect individuals in different ways.
The two protagonists however are equal in the amount of pain they feel.
What happens when these two damaged individuals meet is devastating, yet like the drivers on a road compelled to watch the scene of an accident, we are compelled to read on, to watch this crash as it happens; brutal, destructive and bloody.
This is an excellent, thought provoking read! The author has created a captivating narrative written with a touch of dark humour and wit that will influence the way you perceive/judge the people around you. Gordon Parker has taken a socially taboo illness, shone a light on it, personalised it and thereby provided opportunities for further discussion. Well done Gordon Parker.
PS
A question for the author – did you deliberately create one empathetic protagonist (Martin) and one not so for a reason? Perhaps to highlight the many faces of depression/mental illness and the way society responds?
This is an excellent portrait of mental illness wrapped in a personal narrative that is highly relatable and so engaging you will not be able to put this book down!
Martin’s Early Story (yes that is the chapter heading) was so sad – a child who tries to please everyone, a peacekeeper, a child carrying a burden of guilt…most who read this introduction to Martin’s life will feel compassion, sadness and perhaps a little anger directed at the adults in his life. Some will anticipate that the roads Martin will travel in the future will be potholed with mental health issues, and they will be right.
Bella’s introduction – such a revelation - her personality is uncanny in its familiarity, I recognise the “Bella” in so many women I have worked with/for – such damaged souls are everywhere! The author does not provide the same amount of personal history and information about Bella or her early life or the events that shaped her thought processes, we don’t hear Bella’s story or her voice, so much as see her reactions to the world around her and the damage she inflicts on herself and to those close by. We see Bella via her actions, her behaviours, her reactions, her manipulations… the author has created an excellent device to show how mental illness, (including depression) can affect individuals in different ways.
The two protagonists however are equal in the amount of pain they feel.
What happens when these two damaged individuals meet is devastating, yet like the drivers on a road compelled to watch the scene of an accident, we are compelled to read on, to watch this crash as it happens; brutal, destructive and bloody.
This is an excellent, thought provoking read! The author has created a captivating narrative written with a touch of dark humour and wit that will influence the way you perceive/judge the people around you. Gordon Parker has taken a socially taboo illness, shone a light on it, personalised it and thereby provided opportunities for further discussion. Well done Gordon Parker.
PS
A question for the author – did you deliberately create one empathetic protagonist (Martin) and one not so for a reason? Perhaps to highlight the many faces of depression/mental illness and the way society responds?
October 21, 2018
I read this to try to understand more about bipolar and mental health. The literary aspect of the book wasn't great. I understood the central characters and how their mental health issues developed and were managed, but it didn't really answer the big picture questions about bipolar that I have. All it really did was give me insight into the one character and how his illness developed and affected his life.
I was hoping that Parker would have given a more general perspective (Professor Gordon Parker AO is currently Scientia Professor of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales and was Executive Director of the Black Dog Institute) but maybe I just read the wrong book.
I was hoping that Parker would have given a more general perspective (Professor Gordon Parker AO is currently Scientia Professor of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales and was Executive Director of the Black Dog Institute) but maybe I just read the wrong book.
February 14, 2020
'In Two Minds' reads like a blend of fiction and non-fiction. I felt real emotion for the characters whom all had rich, intricate backstories. As Gordon Parker is a psychiatrist, the thought patterns and resulting behaviours of those suffering mental illness are described with precision. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to gain a greater understanding of bipolar disorder and manic depression. Very insightful.
Also loved the many quotes from classic literature throughout.
Also loved the many quotes from classic literature throughout.
September 3, 2017
I enjoyed this book, but felt it was almost non-fiction at times. It seemed the author, a professor of psychiatry, was sorting through his patient files in order to give us a real life picture of mental illness in the form of a novel, with education as high on his agenda as entertainment. But regardless of this it was an enjoyable read, particularly for medical tragics like me.
May 11, 2017
Oh my, I have so many emotions running through me after reading this book. Not an easy read but one that can benefit anyone wanting to know about mental illness and how it affects loved ones too.
An exceptional, thought provoking read!
An exceptional, thought provoking read!
November 24, 2022
A fictional account which gives a fascinating insight into both bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. The author is a respected psychiatrist with many years experience working with both.
November 12, 2017
Quite a moving and believable account of the effect mental illness can have on someone's life.
January 31, 2025
A clever and insightful portrayal of mental illness and how it affects those around them.
June 21, 2017
An unusual read, but interesting. I was a bit troubled by the book until it got a lot closer to the end. Whilst we were able to get inside Martin's head, and he was presented as a pretty nice fella, this was definitely not the case for Bella. I was thinking that perhaps women were not thought of very highly in this novel, with Bella and her "Borderline Personality", and the team of wealthy ladies actively looking for ways to profit from their husbands' demise (maybe it's a class thing, but I've never met any women quite like that, let alone a mobilised and organised group)! I also felt that whilst Bella definitely had her share of issues, she was allocated a disproportionate share of the blame for the chaos that surrounded her. In fact, there was a lot of external dysfunction that allowed her behaviour to flourish (Martin's issues; lecherous male staff members; poor recruitment and performance management processes, and so on). However, it was refreshing to obtain an alternative view of Bella through the more compassionate lens of Jameson at the end of the novel, including his astute observation that the people surrounding Bella did a lot to reinforce her "life script".
April 23, 2017
As a book blogger, you get access to thousands of books to review. There are some I want to take a chance on, something new. There are some in a genre I favour, or an author I avidly follow. Then, there are books that come with an endorsement from Stephen Fry. My hero. In Two Minds is one such book and I eagerly requested it for review.
Before you assume that I loved this book purely because Mr Fry did, then I would disagree. What the cover endorsement did do though, was give me an opportunity to read a book that no doubt would have passed me by and I would be worse off for it.
‘I can more or less guarantee that you know someone for whom this book will be important and inspiring. There’s a very strong chance that person will be you.’ Stephen Fry
In Two Minds is the story of Martin and how he came to be. From his sensitive childhood, through his awkward teens and into manhood as a well-respected, happily married GP on the lower north shore. Quite an average, yet comfortable life that seemed touched with distance, a gap, that is never quite filled. In Martins 40's his mother dies. The sudden death of his beloved mother has far reaching consequences when a tidal wave of overwhelming grief triggers Martin and sends him on a quirky, funny, acerbic, frightening, heartbreaking ride.
What Did I Think Of In Two Minds?
Author, Gordon Parker delivers a prose which swings in perfect harmony with Martins personality and reflects the changes in his state of mind as it goes from deep melancholia to the buzzing, confusing world of the high. It's obvious that Parker has a deep understanding of mental illness.
Bipolar Disorder Statistics
There are two kinds of bipolar disorder: BPI and BPII
BP II has the highest suicide rate of all psychiatric conditions
The lifetime risk of bipolar disorder is up to 5%
Bipolar is over-represented in creative people (especially poets and writers), but also British Prime Ministers (16% of the first 51 - up to, but not including Blair)
Gordon Parker developed a bipolar self-test for the Black Dog Institute website that has 60,000 hits a month - it is anonymous, not cost and has about 80% accuracy
The lives of Martin, Bella, and the family and friends who bear the brunt are handled with reality, delicate humour, and empathy. The situations which arise from bipolar episodes can be comedic, but they are always layered with a veil of heartbreak, sadness, and guilt. Not only for the people who suffer alongside but the sufferers themselves who are trying their damn best to keep it under control. I felt the ending of the book reflected this struggle perfectly.
In Two Minds is an insightful book which deals with the realities of mental illness. The more books out there that break down the taboos, the better equipped we will become to understand it.
A favourite of mine.
4 out of 5.
Like my reviews? Find more @duffythewriter
Before you assume that I loved this book purely because Mr Fry did, then I would disagree. What the cover endorsement did do though, was give me an opportunity to read a book that no doubt would have passed me by and I would be worse off for it.
‘I can more or less guarantee that you know someone for whom this book will be important and inspiring. There’s a very strong chance that person will be you.’ Stephen Fry
In Two Minds is the story of Martin and how he came to be. From his sensitive childhood, through his awkward teens and into manhood as a well-respected, happily married GP on the lower north shore. Quite an average, yet comfortable life that seemed touched with distance, a gap, that is never quite filled. In Martins 40's his mother dies. The sudden death of his beloved mother has far reaching consequences when a tidal wave of overwhelming grief triggers Martin and sends him on a quirky, funny, acerbic, frightening, heartbreaking ride.
What Did I Think Of In Two Minds?
Author, Gordon Parker delivers a prose which swings in perfect harmony with Martins personality and reflects the changes in his state of mind as it goes from deep melancholia to the buzzing, confusing world of the high. It's obvious that Parker has a deep understanding of mental illness.
Bipolar Disorder Statistics
There are two kinds of bipolar disorder: BPI and BPII
BP II has the highest suicide rate of all psychiatric conditions
The lifetime risk of bipolar disorder is up to 5%
Bipolar is over-represented in creative people (especially poets and writers), but also British Prime Ministers (16% of the first 51 - up to, but not including Blair)
Gordon Parker developed a bipolar self-test for the Black Dog Institute website that has 60,000 hits a month - it is anonymous, not cost and has about 80% accuracy
The lives of Martin, Bella, and the family and friends who bear the brunt are handled with reality, delicate humour, and empathy. The situations which arise from bipolar episodes can be comedic, but they are always layered with a veil of heartbreak, sadness, and guilt. Not only for the people who suffer alongside but the sufferers themselves who are trying their damn best to keep it under control. I felt the ending of the book reflected this struggle perfectly.
In Two Minds is an insightful book which deals with the realities of mental illness. The more books out there that break down the taboos, the better equipped we will become to understand it.
A favourite of mine.
4 out of 5.
Like my reviews? Find more @duffythewriter
April 22, 2018
I get the impression that the ending is Martin heading back into a wave of mania.. Anyone else?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2019
I absolutely loved this novel. I was surprised that such a serious subject as mental illness could make me laugh so much. The way Gordon Parker has written Martins thoughts and speech when overtaken by his mania is just brilliant and had me in stitches - "Look Mum, no hands" and Martins interaction with Jesus 1 and Jesus 2 plus the other patients reactions to them is priceless.
I felt so many emotions reading this book, sadness for Sarah, Bella and Martin. Feeling the emotional pain of all three characters who for different reasons were all so tragically raw and vulnerable. How this author has written about so many issues and covered so many aspects of dealing with mental health with compassion, humour and knowledge in this one book shows his skilful writing. I would have liked a happy ever after ending but with bi polar what happened to Martin happens, often, over and over again for some patients and that I guess is the tragedy.
I felt so many emotions reading this book, sadness for Sarah, Bella and Martin. Feeling the emotional pain of all three characters who for different reasons were all so tragically raw and vulnerable. How this author has written about so many issues and covered so many aspects of dealing with mental health with compassion, humour and knowledge in this one book shows his skilful writing. I would have liked a happy ever after ending but with bi polar what happened to Martin happens, often, over and over again for some patients and that I guess is the tragedy.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews