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The Rapids : Ways of looking at mania
Writing and mental illness make excellent bedfellows, for better or worse. The Rapids — creative and courageous — is an extraordinary personal memoir peppered with film and literary criticism, as well as family history. With reflections on artists such as Carrie Fisher, Kanye West, Robert Lowell, Delmore Schwartz, Paul Thomas Anderson and Spalding Gray, Twyford-Moore also looks at the condition in our digital world, where someone’s manic episode can unfold live in real time, watched by millions.
His own story, told unflinchingly, is shocking and sometimes blackly comic. It gives the book an edge that is not always comfortable but full of insight and empathy. Smart, lively and well-researched, The Rapids manages to be both a wild ride and introspective at once, exploring a condition that touches thousands of people, directly or indirectly.
'Sam Twyford-Moore’s The Rapids is a fascinating exploration of the fragility of the mind, states of mania and how mental ill-health is treated in art and popular culture...his insightfulness, intelligence and skill as a writer make The Rapids a compelling read. It will particularly appeal to art and culture nerds and anyone interested in learning more about the realities of living with manic depression.' — Meelee Soorkia, Books+Publishing
His own story, told unflinchingly, is shocking and sometimes blackly comic. It gives the book an edge that is not always comfortable but full of insight and empathy. Smart, lively and well-researched, The Rapids manages to be both a wild ride and introspective at once, exploring a condition that touches thousands of people, directly or indirectly.
'Sam Twyford-Moore’s The Rapids is a fascinating exploration of the fragility of the mind, states of mania and how mental ill-health is treated in art and popular culture...his insightfulness, intelligence and skill as a writer make The Rapids a compelling read. It will particularly appeal to art and culture nerds and anyone interested in learning more about the realities of living with manic depression.' — Meelee Soorkia, Books+Publishing
260 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2018
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99 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 25, 2019
Struggling to provide much of a review that isn't too personally revealing - I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an understanding of a shade of mania. A lot of people will struggle with the style but I think that's the point.
August 20, 2020
This ARC was set to me from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review
In the beginning, the Rapids talked about Jason Russell, I understand that he was publicly targeted for having a manic episode in public while naked. I just wish we didn’t have so much time on him, I didn’t care about what others were saying about him. I appreciate that the author talked about different types of manic episodes while talking about himself or others he knows about that have Bipolar Disorder 1 or 2. I love that this book was so open about the “cultural identity of manic-depression “ I learned so much reading this book from the perspective of someone who suffers for the illness, i know people that do and it was interesting to get to know how Jason deals with it himself and what came to be for manic depressive. I like that he talked a lot about celebrities and their experiences and what they wrote about relating to the mental illness they suffered. It shows the reality of the situation that everyone suffers, “The twentieth century is littered with literary figures who stumbled into some form of madness.” Perfectly describes how he writes this book. Amazingly.
Favorite Quotes : “Mania has the potential to increase sensitivity to both visual and auditory senses - there were time that even the smallest sound alone could send me into a violent rage - and so even something as boring as the Hume becomes so loud”
“The history of the psychiatrically ill has been one of a dispossession off voice.”
“Life is filled with unknowns, but not knowing quite why or how a certain medication works is somewhat terrifying - taking it, not knowing how it affects you bodily, what it’s long-term effects might be, caused unease.
“Human beings can lose their lives in libraries. They ought to be warned”
In the beginning, the Rapids talked about Jason Russell, I understand that he was publicly targeted for having a manic episode in public while naked. I just wish we didn’t have so much time on him, I didn’t care about what others were saying about him. I appreciate that the author talked about different types of manic episodes while talking about himself or others he knows about that have Bipolar Disorder 1 or 2. I love that this book was so open about the “cultural identity of manic-depression “ I learned so much reading this book from the perspective of someone who suffers for the illness, i know people that do and it was interesting to get to know how Jason deals with it himself and what came to be for manic depressive. I like that he talked a lot about celebrities and their experiences and what they wrote about relating to the mental illness they suffered. It shows the reality of the situation that everyone suffers, “The twentieth century is littered with literary figures who stumbled into some form of madness.” Perfectly describes how he writes this book. Amazingly.
Favorite Quotes : “Mania has the potential to increase sensitivity to both visual and auditory senses - there were time that even the smallest sound alone could send me into a violent rage - and so even something as boring as the Hume becomes so loud”
“The history of the psychiatrically ill has been one of a dispossession off voice.”
“Life is filled with unknowns, but not knowing quite why or how a certain medication works is somewhat terrifying - taking it, not knowing how it affects you bodily, what it’s long-term effects might be, caused unease.
“Human beings can lose their lives in libraries. They ought to be warned”
January 5, 2020
This is a beautiful book that deserves a large audience. Its range of literary and cultural reference is wide without being precious or ponderous and it’s treatment of mania and its manifestations is beautifully nuanced and digressive (in the best sense of that latter term - befitting it’s subject matter). But it is more than just a book about bipolar and mental health - it contains a wonderful series of reflections on the world we love in and the ways it contributes to our pathologies. (And it is, at points, brilliantly funny.) Seriously recommended.
November 18, 2019
It took me a while to get the rhythm of this work, but by the end I really appreciated what he’d done. I can wish all I want that it was wrapped up in a neat little bow, but that’s not how these things work, I know.
April 6, 2021
Lots of references to books, films, and people I wasn't too familiar with, so I didn't get all I could out of it. It's really important that this is an #ownvoices read, and I added some books and films to my reading/viewing list.
March 21, 2021
Portrayals of mental illness that are this blunt and this nuanced are so rare and so crucial.
September 9, 2022
I loved this! Great style and a nice reference to Kambah Pool where I was once saw an old man's testicles fall out of his pants (very relevant, I promise)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews