What do you think?
Rate this book
The Octopus Man
Bir zamanların hukuk öğrencisi Tom, gençliğinde kullandığı uyuşturucuların da etkisiyle yirmi yıldır ondan başka kimsenin duymadığı bir sesle konuşur. Bu ses onu azarlayan, onunla alay eden, nadir anlarda
ona olan sevgisini de açık eden Ahtapot Tanrısı’na, yani Malamock’a aittir.
Doktorların şizofreni teşhisi koyduğu Tom, hayatını sürdürmek için kız kardeşine bağımlıdır ki bu, onun için kolay bir şey değildir... Nihai çözüm, zihnindeki sesi susturmak, Ahtapot Tanrısı olmadan yeniden
bir hayat kurmaktır ve bunun da tek bir yolu vardır: Deneysel bir ilaç tedavisine katılmak. Bu noktaya geldiğinde Tom, onun için önemli bir
soruya yanıt ararken bulur kendini: Malamock’u susturmayı gerçekten istiyor mudur?
Kesintiye uğramış hayatların dokunaklı hikâyesini anlatan Ahtapot Adam, insanlığın inanç ve anlam arayışını sorgularken yıpranmış bir aşkın ve dostlukların melodramını da gözler önüne seriyor.
"Gerçekten sıradışı bir eser...Dâhice yazılmış ve mutlaka okunması gereken bir roman!"
Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain'in yazarı
ona olan sevgisini de açık eden Ahtapot Tanrısı’na, yani Malamock’a aittir.
Doktorların şizofreni teşhisi koyduğu Tom, hayatını sürdürmek için kız kardeşine bağımlıdır ki bu, onun için kolay bir şey değildir... Nihai çözüm, zihnindeki sesi susturmak, Ahtapot Tanrısı olmadan yeniden
bir hayat kurmaktır ve bunun da tek bir yolu vardır: Deneysel bir ilaç tedavisine katılmak. Bu noktaya geldiğinde Tom, onun için önemli bir
soruya yanıt ararken bulur kendini: Malamock’u susturmayı gerçekten istiyor mudur?
Kesintiye uğramış hayatların dokunaklı hikâyesini anlatan Ahtapot Adam, insanlığın inanç ve anlam arayışını sorgularken yıpranmış bir aşkın ve dostlukların melodramını da gözler önüne seriyor.
"Gerçekten sıradışı bir eser...Dâhice yazılmış ve mutlaka okunması gereken bir roman!"
Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain'in yazarı
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 21, 2021
61 people are currently reading
1463 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
September 25, 2021
Tom has lived with schizophrenia for nineteen years communicating in private with this octopus god, but then is hospitalized when his condition is triggered. One solution is for him to take part in a clinical trial of a new drug, an option that is being pushed upon him by his well-meaning family and the not so concerned doctors. I found the whole thing quite unconvincing. I found the main character, and virtually every character in the hospital, to be a shallow sketch, and the conversations there seemed quite unrealistic. I was also irritated when his beautifully poetic descriptive powers endured in the face of heavy medication. I really did struggle to get to the end. Having said that, the message of the novel was good and the last few pages almost, and I stress the ‘almost’, made it worth reading. Not my favorite critique of psychiatry, but at least a critique!
January 14, 2021
This was a really difficult read for several reasons. It caught my eye initially because I have experience of schizophrenia in my family history and I hoped it would give me a better understanding of what is to me, a frightening illness.
After laughing out loud after just a few pages, I knew it was going to be special. Tom was a wonderful character, who I laughed at and with, and my heart ached for him throughout.
The dealing with schizophrenia was heartbreaking for me but it opened my eyes to how sufferers cope with it on a daily basis, and also epitomised the feelings of a sufferer's family, watching someone they love manage their life with the condition.
This was so moving and poignant and will stay with me long after reading the final page.
Stunning.
After laughing out loud after just a few pages, I knew it was going to be special. Tom was a wonderful character, who I laughed at and with, and my heart ached for him throughout.
The dealing with schizophrenia was heartbreaking for me but it opened my eyes to how sufferers cope with it on a daily basis, and also epitomised the feelings of a sufferer's family, watching someone they love manage their life with the condition.
This was so moving and poignant and will stay with me long after reading the final page.
Stunning.
November 10, 2025
Wow, Jasper Gibson, just wow.
I remember as a nursing student, doing my requisite psychiatric placement and coming across a florid schizophrenic. It was simultaneously the most frightening yet fascinating experience as I literally could not fathom how this man's brain was working at all. He had jumped out of a window during an episode when he thought he had superpowers and could fly, and had impaled himself on railings, sustaining damage to his internal organs but miraculously surviving!! In the weekly psychiatrist meeting with the patient, the thought processes and speech patterns continued to baffle me- the patient displayed elaborate glossolalia or word salad (like Tom does when he's talking to Kiki on his own). I remember thinking, how does a health professional even process this collection of words, let alone plan for management of symptoms/care of the patient?
Jasper Gibson shows his intricate knowledge of schizophrenia and the broken mental health system that attempts to "crisis manage" such sufferers. This work should be applauded for its accuracy in showing how devastating mental health conditions can be, not just for the patient but for their families and loved ones who feel powerless to help.
The work is engaging, informative and so so true.
Hats off to you Mr Gibson. Job well done.
Re-read November 2025 : -
This remains a fantastic depiction of a florid schizophrenic in times of crisis and "symptom management". Gibson has a spectacular way with words and some of the one liners that Tom comes out with had me cackling to myself, they are so witty. Since my last read the NHS mental health system remains painfully broken with no outlook for a brighter future at all so kudos to Gibson for showing what a shitshow the whole process is.
I remember as a nursing student, doing my requisite psychiatric placement and coming across a florid schizophrenic. It was simultaneously the most frightening yet fascinating experience as I literally could not fathom how this man's brain was working at all. He had jumped out of a window during an episode when he thought he had superpowers and could fly, and had impaled himself on railings, sustaining damage to his internal organs but miraculously surviving!! In the weekly psychiatrist meeting with the patient, the thought processes and speech patterns continued to baffle me- the patient displayed elaborate glossolalia or word salad (like Tom does when he's talking to Kiki on his own). I remember thinking, how does a health professional even process this collection of words, let alone plan for management of symptoms/care of the patient?
Jasper Gibson shows his intricate knowledge of schizophrenia and the broken mental health system that attempts to "crisis manage" such sufferers. This work should be applauded for its accuracy in showing how devastating mental health conditions can be, not just for the patient but for their families and loved ones who feel powerless to help.
The work is engaging, informative and so so true.
Hats off to you Mr Gibson. Job well done.
Re-read November 2025 : -
This remains a fantastic depiction of a florid schizophrenic in times of crisis and "symptom management". Gibson has a spectacular way with words and some of the one liners that Tom comes out with had me cackling to myself, they are so witty. Since my last read the NHS mental health system remains painfully broken with no outlook for a brighter future at all so kudos to Gibson for showing what a shitshow the whole process is.
June 19, 2022
*Mild spoilers ahead with regards to the tone of the ending only*
The Octopus Man is an incredible piece of writing. It's a story about schizophrenia and psychosis that cleverly observes and examines the problems and contradictions within the British mental health system.
Some of the writing is so, so powerful. Jasper Gibson describes what it's like to navigate the world having distressing experiences that are poorly understood by others. He describes what it's like to be in the thrall of something invisible to the outside world. We experience, with Tom, what it's like to be tortured, dismissed and stuck, to be "behind the glass wall of medication, blood and thoughts all mixed with lead."
Within these pages, there is a scathing critique of society, psychiatry, the benefits system and our ideas about wellness.
The characters are so very recognisable to me - the way they converse, the limits of their empathy, their efforts to be compassionate. Culturally, this is a very British book, especially with regards to the dialogue.
The jarring attempt at a happy ending didn't work for me, because so many of these stories don't have a happy ending. The claustrophobic feeling of despair and of helplessness described throughout, the catch-22s, the injustices are all very real and the attempts to cobble together a hopeful ending made me all the more sad that, for so many, there is no escape.
Altogether a devastatingly moving piece of writing. If it is read as it is intended, the reader will come away with more compassion and understanding for persons suffering from mental illness as a result. I'm glad I gave Gibson another go and I may even revisit his first book - there were things I liked about it, after all.
The Octopus Man is an incredible piece of writing. It's a story about schizophrenia and psychosis that cleverly observes and examines the problems and contradictions within the British mental health system.
Some of the writing is so, so powerful. Jasper Gibson describes what it's like to navigate the world having distressing experiences that are poorly understood by others. He describes what it's like to be in the thrall of something invisible to the outside world. We experience, with Tom, what it's like to be tortured, dismissed and stuck, to be "behind the glass wall of medication, blood and thoughts all mixed with lead."
Within these pages, there is a scathing critique of society, psychiatry, the benefits system and our ideas about wellness.
The characters are so very recognisable to me - the way they converse, the limits of their empathy, their efforts to be compassionate. Culturally, this is a very British book, especially with regards to the dialogue.
The jarring attempt at a happy ending didn't work for me, because so many of these stories don't have a happy ending. The claustrophobic feeling of despair and of helplessness described throughout, the catch-22s, the injustices are all very real and the attempts to cobble together a hopeful ending made me all the more sad that, for so many, there is no escape.
Altogether a devastatingly moving piece of writing. If it is read as it is intended, the reader will come away with more compassion and understanding for persons suffering from mental illness as a result. I'm glad I gave Gibson another go and I may even revisit his first book - there were things I liked about it, after all.
January 9, 2021
Tom, living with a long-term diagnosis of schizophrenia, is in communication with Malamock, the Octopus God. Should Tom please those who care for him, and relinquish his belief, or follow his own trajectory?
From the off, the reader is propelled into the mind of a person labelled schizophrenic at sea in the mental health system. Through Tom’s eyes, we are acutely observant of the outside world, and feel its constraints on those whose behaviour and belief systems don’t conform to what is deemed ‘normal’.
Gibson maintains the voice of his character throughout. His writing combines all the turmoil, horror and humour of the mind.
Deeply affecting.
My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC.
From the off, the reader is propelled into the mind of a person labelled schizophrenic at sea in the mental health system. Through Tom’s eyes, we are acutely observant of the outside world, and feel its constraints on those whose behaviour and belief systems don’t conform to what is deemed ‘normal’.
Gibson maintains the voice of his character throughout. His writing combines all the turmoil, horror and humour of the mind.
Deeply affecting.
My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC.
May 14, 2021
I struggled through the first 120 pages as I couldn't get into the writing and was waiting for a storyline to appear. I was about to give up, but decided to persist for another 30 minutes of uninterrupted reading.
I am glad I did.
What an interesting look into the life of someone who is living with mental health disorders. Tom has lived with the voice of his Octopus God dictating how he lives his life. In a desperate attempt to regain control over his own life Tom takes part in a drug trial to quieten the voice. Once the Octopus God's voice is gone, Tom has an opportunity to build his life as he wants, without the rules and regulations he has lived under for the past 20 years.
The impact of Tom's struggles on his sisters' life was tough to read. Tess was his safe place but that comes at a cost.
Well worth a read if you have an interest in mental healh and its impact on families and society.
I am glad I did.
What an interesting look into the life of someone who is living with mental health disorders. Tom has lived with the voice of his Octopus God dictating how he lives his life. In a desperate attempt to regain control over his own life Tom takes part in a drug trial to quieten the voice. Once the Octopus God's voice is gone, Tom has an opportunity to build his life as he wants, without the rules and regulations he has lived under for the past 20 years.
The impact of Tom's struggles on his sisters' life was tough to read. Tess was his safe place but that comes at a cost.
Well worth a read if you have an interest in mental healh and its impact on families and society.
December 28, 2020
How can you describe this book? Funny, confusing, moving and emotional.
Following Tom who has been living with the Octopus god Malamok. The Octopus controls everything Tom does and as his life breaks down around him, Malamok and his sister Tess are all he has.
This book highlights just how complicated mental illness is, especially as Tom describes that because he worships Malamok people think he is ill, but what if he were to worship a conventional God as fervently. What would the difference be if he spent his time in Church? It also highlights how once you are in the mental health system, how do you get out? Especially when treatment seems to rely on being medicated and pacified.
This book shows the complex nature of both living with and treating mental illness. Tom resists treatment for so long because what is he life without the comfort of the Octopus God who controls everything he does.
This book gets more chaotic as it goes on, it’s difficult to follow Tom as he spirals more into the depths of schizophrenia. It highlights just how difficult it is to live with mental illness in a family member and the toll on all of your lives.
The Octopus Man is out on January 21st, this was another @netgalley special with an ARC from Orion publishing.
Following Tom who has been living with the Octopus god Malamok. The Octopus controls everything Tom does and as his life breaks down around him, Malamok and his sister Tess are all he has.
This book highlights just how complicated mental illness is, especially as Tom describes that because he worships Malamok people think he is ill, but what if he were to worship a conventional God as fervently. What would the difference be if he spent his time in Church? It also highlights how once you are in the mental health system, how do you get out? Especially when treatment seems to rely on being medicated and pacified.
This book shows the complex nature of both living with and treating mental illness. Tom resists treatment for so long because what is he life without the comfort of the Octopus God who controls everything he does.
This book gets more chaotic as it goes on, it’s difficult to follow Tom as he spirals more into the depths of schizophrenia. It highlights just how difficult it is to live with mental illness in a family member and the toll on all of your lives.
The Octopus Man is out on January 21st, this was another @netgalley special with an ARC from Orion publishing.
January 17, 2021
My thanks to the Orion Publishing Group/W&N for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Octopus Man’ by Jasper Gibson in exchange for an honest review.
I have a fascination with octopuses, not only in terms of natural history but their mythic manifestations such as Cthulhu, so a novel about a man convinced that he is communicating with the Octopus God naturally drew my interest.
Twenty years ago Tom had been an outstanding law student. However, his overindulgence in mushrooms triggered a major psychotic break that resulted in Tom becoming lost in the British mental health system, talking to a voice that no one else can hear: the voice of Malamock, the Octopus God - sometimes loving, sometimes cruel, but always there to guide him through life.
Following his latest florid psychotic break, Tom is pressured to take part in an experimental drugs trial that promises to silence the voice forever. Yet will this prove the answer for Tom or cripple him in a different manner? Are his experiences with Malamock a symptom of madness or a spiritual connection?
‘The Octopus Man’ is a powerful work of literary fiction that seeks to provide insight into the inner life of someone experiencing schizophrenia as well as highlighting the inadequacies of aspects of the mental health system. In his Author’s Note Gibson advises that the novel was inspired by and dedicated to the life of his cousin, who had struggled with a schizophrenic diagnosis for twenty years.
‘The Octopus Man’ is a tragicomedy that like Ken Kesey’s seminal novel before it explores both the camaraderie that occurs between patients in mental health wards along with the abuses that sadly are found in some.
The novel also focuses upon the relationship between Tom and his sister, Tess, and how his condition deeply distresses her. There were some quite harrowing scenes between them as Tom seems to be unable to appreciate the pain his behaviour continues to cause her. I came to care very much about Tom, Tess, and his quirky fellow patient, Missy.
There is also pushback against the over reliance upon powerful anti-psychotic medications that can induce a kind of chemical lobotomy. This is a subject of special interest for me as years ago I was quite involved with transpersonal psychology where advocates such as Stanislav Grof questioned the nature of psychosis and suggested alternative approaches to treatment. Indeed, Tom’s initial experience with Malamock appeared to have resonances with what is known as Kundalini syndrome.
This proved a fascinating, raw work though admittedly it was at times challenging. I am glad that I read it and I expect that it will remain with me for a long time. I would hope that it might also serve to open up further dialogue about various mental health issues.
Given the quality of writing and its themes I wouldn’t be surprised if it is among the novels featured in the running for the 2021 Booker Prize.
I have a fascination with octopuses, not only in terms of natural history but their mythic manifestations such as Cthulhu, so a novel about a man convinced that he is communicating with the Octopus God naturally drew my interest.
Twenty years ago Tom had been an outstanding law student. However, his overindulgence in mushrooms triggered a major psychotic break that resulted in Tom becoming lost in the British mental health system, talking to a voice that no one else can hear: the voice of Malamock, the Octopus God - sometimes loving, sometimes cruel, but always there to guide him through life.
Following his latest florid psychotic break, Tom is pressured to take part in an experimental drugs trial that promises to silence the voice forever. Yet will this prove the answer for Tom or cripple him in a different manner? Are his experiences with Malamock a symptom of madness or a spiritual connection?
‘The Octopus Man’ is a powerful work of literary fiction that seeks to provide insight into the inner life of someone experiencing schizophrenia as well as highlighting the inadequacies of aspects of the mental health system. In his Author’s Note Gibson advises that the novel was inspired by and dedicated to the life of his cousin, who had struggled with a schizophrenic diagnosis for twenty years.
‘The Octopus Man’ is a tragicomedy that like Ken Kesey’s seminal novel before it explores both the camaraderie that occurs between patients in mental health wards along with the abuses that sadly are found in some.
The novel also focuses upon the relationship between Tom and his sister, Tess, and how his condition deeply distresses her. There were some quite harrowing scenes between them as Tom seems to be unable to appreciate the pain his behaviour continues to cause her. I came to care very much about Tom, Tess, and his quirky fellow patient, Missy.
There is also pushback against the over reliance upon powerful anti-psychotic medications that can induce a kind of chemical lobotomy. This is a subject of special interest for me as years ago I was quite involved with transpersonal psychology where advocates such as Stanislav Grof questioned the nature of psychosis and suggested alternative approaches to treatment. Indeed, Tom’s initial experience with Malamock appeared to have resonances with what is known as Kundalini syndrome.
This proved a fascinating, raw work though admittedly it was at times challenging. I am glad that I read it and I expect that it will remain with me for a long time. I would hope that it might also serve to open up further dialogue about various mental health issues.
Given the quality of writing and its themes I wouldn’t be surprised if it is among the novels featured in the running for the 2021 Booker Prize.
December 31, 2020
The Octopus Man is an intense and visceral novel, written from the point of view of a young English man called Tom. After a period of extreme drug use at university, Tom starts to hear the voice of an octopus god called Malamock, who controls and tortures him. The novel is the story of how Tom and his sister deal with Tom’s fluctuating mental health and the steps and setbacks on the way to regaining some sort of normal life.
The novel is in turns heartbreaking and hilarious. There is no let up as the reader is with Tom every step of the way, experiencing his highs and lows. I found the book very absorbing, but needed to be aware of my own mental health and take breaks from Tom’s head when it got too much.
A recommended read for those who want to gain a better understanding of schizophrenia.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.
The novel is in turns heartbreaking and hilarious. There is no let up as the reader is with Tom every step of the way, experiencing his highs and lows. I found the book very absorbing, but needed to be aware of my own mental health and take breaks from Tom’s head when it got too much.
A recommended read for those who want to gain a better understanding of schizophrenia.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.
February 21, 2022
The Octopus Man should have been right up my alley. I've got the interest in mental health, my lack of existing knowledge about schizophrenia and the critique of current mental health care in the United Kingdom. It really should have ticked every box for me. It's a real shame therefore that it didn't.
Maybe it was the writing style, maybe it was the disorganised haze of thoughts, but I really struggled to engage with this. I'm erring on the side of caution in case it's the latter, as I suspect it's a reasonably realistic view of a schizophrenic mindset. But I think the largest issue was the pacing and complete lack of actual plot. You can essentially get 95% of this novel from reading the blurb and then the final 5% from the last chapters. Yes, within that there is some very nice writing and some poignant thoughts, but those are kind of lost to the jarring style and the disconnect I had with the characters.
The book does have some really touching moments and offers an interesting, if not necessarily strong, critique on the mental health services in the country. I found it disappointing however that much time was given to the obvious abuses in the system by one abusive nurse; whilst I'm sure this does happen, the protective measures in place to prevent this kind of abuse are actually fairly stringent. The more pressing matters of systematic failures are kind of neglected and they are far more widespread and problematic.
All in all, an interesting if disappointing novel. I definitely struggled with the writing style, but I'm being relatively generous in my rating on that because I think it is a deliberate choice to demonstrate the schizophrenic thought process. More problematic for me is the fact that I struggled to connect with any of the characters other than perhaps Missy, the slow pacing and lack of actual plot and the hijacking of what could be a really important conversation on the failure of mental health services by the individual abuse.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.
Maybe it was the writing style, maybe it was the disorganised haze of thoughts, but I really struggled to engage with this. I'm erring on the side of caution in case it's the latter, as I suspect it's a reasonably realistic view of a schizophrenic mindset. But I think the largest issue was the pacing and complete lack of actual plot. You can essentially get 95% of this novel from reading the blurb and then the final 5% from the last chapters. Yes, within that there is some very nice writing and some poignant thoughts, but those are kind of lost to the jarring style and the disconnect I had with the characters.
The book does have some really touching moments and offers an interesting, if not necessarily strong, critique on the mental health services in the country. I found it disappointing however that much time was given to the obvious abuses in the system by one abusive nurse; whilst I'm sure this does happen, the protective measures in place to prevent this kind of abuse are actually fairly stringent. The more pressing matters of systematic failures are kind of neglected and they are far more widespread and problematic.
All in all, an interesting if disappointing novel. I definitely struggled with the writing style, but I'm being relatively generous in my rating on that because I think it is a deliberate choice to demonstrate the schizophrenic thought process. More problematic for me is the fact that I struggled to connect with any of the characters other than perhaps Missy, the slow pacing and lack of actual plot and the hijacking of what could be a really important conversation on the failure of mental health services by the individual abuse.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.
March 13, 2021
Tom has the ambition of being a lawyer but he's lost in the mental health system. Tom finds himself talking to a voice that no one else can hear - the voice of Malamock the Octopus God. Tom is guided by the Octopus God he sees him as a friend but sometimes he can be cruel. After a psychotic break Tom feels pressured to take part in an experimental drugs programme which the Doctors promise will clear his mind forever however the Octopus God does not want to be silenced.
Firstly before I get into it I'll say this is my favourite book of the year so far! It's moving, tragic but comical yet sensitive towards the subject at hand. The Octopus Man is a hybrid of Fight Club and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (I make this comparison as I felt the same way about Tom as I did about Charlie and it has the ballsyness of Fight Club).
Gibson has personal experience with schizophrenia and this is echoed in the stunning narrative. There were some real laugh out loud moments with dad jokes galore but the core of the novel had my heart aching for Tom as he struggled to control his thoughts. As well as the heartache for Tom we also had his sister who is struggling to keep her life on track and make sure Tom is safe - I really felt for her.
Tom never seen himself as having a mental health problem and from the beginning Tom was being labelled as a schizophrenic and put into a mental health clinic to subdue his thoughts just because his thoughts and behaviour was out of the ordinary.
The Octopus Man is an intense read but I highly recommend it!
Firstly before I get into it I'll say this is my favourite book of the year so far! It's moving, tragic but comical yet sensitive towards the subject at hand. The Octopus Man is a hybrid of Fight Club and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (I make this comparison as I felt the same way about Tom as I did about Charlie and it has the ballsyness of Fight Club).
Gibson has personal experience with schizophrenia and this is echoed in the stunning narrative. There were some real laugh out loud moments with dad jokes galore but the core of the novel had my heart aching for Tom as he struggled to control his thoughts. As well as the heartache for Tom we also had his sister who is struggling to keep her life on track and make sure Tom is safe - I really felt for her.
Tom never seen himself as having a mental health problem and from the beginning Tom was being labelled as a schizophrenic and put into a mental health clinic to subdue his thoughts just because his thoughts and behaviour was out of the ordinary.
The Octopus Man is an intense read but I highly recommend it!
April 11, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up - very heavy subject material - please check trigger warnings before you read!
Not too sure how to round up my experience reading this one? It was obviously a very difficult subject to read about and I struggled with the writing style at first but then I got into it and I was quite hooked after that. Can’t say I enjoyed it but also didn’t not enjoy it?! Not sure this review really sums it up well but basically I think this is worth a read if mental health and the system is something you’re interested in!
Not too sure how to round up my experience reading this one? It was obviously a very difficult subject to read about and I struggled with the writing style at first but then I got into it and I was quite hooked after that. Can’t say I enjoyed it but also didn’t not enjoy it?! Not sure this review really sums it up well but basically I think this is worth a read if mental health and the system is something you’re interested in!
January 20, 2021
A difficult and important subject, handled with humour and kindness. Well researched and carefully thought through, this book is a lot more accessible than it might seem. We talk a lot about mental health these days. It is so refreshing that this doesn't just skirt around the subject but instead takes us right to the heart of an experience that throws up a lot of questions, about our health care system and our view of health and normality in general. (I read an ARC given to me by the author.)
November 16, 2020
3.5 stars
I felt like I was thrown head first into this book,and wasnt quite sure where I was going.
Soon charmed by Tom though.
This book is funny,but darkly so.
I felt bad at times finding it funny.
On the more serious side,it was a look at mental health issues,and how they effect not just the patient,but those around them.
Interesting stuff.
I felt like I was thrown head first into this book,and wasnt quite sure where I was going.
Soon charmed by Tom though.
This book is funny,but darkly so.
I felt bad at times finding it funny.
On the more serious side,it was a look at mental health issues,and how they effect not just the patient,but those around them.
Interesting stuff.
January 20, 2021
*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*
*CONTENT WARNING: MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, INCLUDING SUICIDE*
Many of us will probably describe themselves as progressive, modern, even woke, but we all have our taboos, and schizophrenia and mental health are most certainly some of them.
If you are shaking your head and want to contradict me because actually you do know a lot about this topic, well good for you then, you will be happy to see a book like The Octopus Man published and you will certainly appreciate the narration of this story. Seriously, you should read it.
On the other hand, if you recognize yourself in the first category, then you have your chance to redeem yourself and peek through the curtain of the taboo that envelopes schizophrenia thanks to this novel.
Inspired by the life of Jasper Gibson’s cousin, Ed Metcalfe, who died in 2011 after suffering with schizophrenia for 20 years, the book follows our character Thomas Tuplow’s life.
Tom has been living with schizophrenia for nineteen years; he is not self-sufficient and relies heavily on his sister Tess’ help. Tom does not believe he has schizophrenia, he is adamant that the voice in his head belongs to Malamock, the Octopus God, who guides him on a spiritual path towards a mission.
Tom cannot eat meat, cannot drink alcohol and has to give up any sexual impulse. He leads a chaste existence, under a regime of medications and Malamock’s electrocution threats.
Tom has experienced a turbulent youth, abusing alcohol and all sorts of drugs, and his diagnosis indicates that these elements have affected Tom’s psyche to the point where Tom created a voice in his head to save himself from this destructive path.
The perspective of a trial for a new medication, the fictional Bildinocycline, is a major trigger for Tom and his relationship with Malamock, and that is what will lead us to a series of events which will change Tom’s life.
Gibson does not spare us any details, we dive deep into Tom’s mind and his perception of the world, we look at it through his eyes, both under the Octopus God’s and the new medication’s influence. We struggle and feel uncomfortable when faced with the brutality of mental health issues on patients and their families. We learn how inadequate the health system is in supporting them (not really a surprise). We suffer from the inability Tom feels to do anything, even the most basic activities such as reading a book or babysit his nephew for one evening.
We meet a number of characters gravitating around Tom, each one of them a suffering soul in their very own particular way. Tess has been taking care of Tom all this time on top of balancing her career and her personal life as a single mother of two children and a complicated relationship with Byron, who has a conflicted relationship with Tom himself. There is Missy, a teenage girl Tom meets in Hilldean, the hospital where he ends up after he triggers in Uxbridge, who has spent years in hospitals since she does not have a family outside to go back to. She will be part of Tom’s recovery later on in the story and will play a major role in the unfolding of the final events. Rashid, the abusive nurse at Hilldean, who attempts to frame Tom accusing him of sleeping with Roseanna, another patient in the hospital, when we actually know it is Rashid who is having an illicit and unprofessional affair with her. And a number of other patients at Hilldean and people in the outside world who interact with Tom and leave, unknowingly, a mark on his life and his relationship with Malamock.
This book unveils the problematic approach to a very sensitive topic such as schizophrenia, both in literature and society. We cannot know the full extent of mental struggles or even begin to fathom what they feel like just by reading this book, but it definitely provides a good introduction to the much wider topic of mental health and the precarious lives people affected by mental conditions live.
Living the story through Tom’s eyes and mind, we grow close to him and we care about his life and worry about his struggles. The ending is left relatively open for the reader to imagine and fill the gaps in, but it is certainly a positive one. I was quite pleased to see Tom recovering in the first place during the Bildinocycline trial, so when he seems to be back on his feet pursuing his legal career, with or without Malamock, it is inevitable to root for him.
However, the novel brings the reader in pretty dark corners of the human mind, and finding a happy ending in the last few pages seems a bit out place. I did not see it coming and however pleased to see a positive unfolding of the events, the whole story seems to lose authenticity towards the end.
Overall I find The Octopus Man a fundamental reading in a more inclusive perspective on literature, a good example of how to talk about topics that are still a taboo in our society in an intelligent and knowledgeable way. I highly recommend it to all those who are ready to confront themselves with how little we know about our mind and its intricate logic.
*CONTENT WARNING: MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, INCLUDING SUICIDE*
Many of us will probably describe themselves as progressive, modern, even woke, but we all have our taboos, and schizophrenia and mental health are most certainly some of them.
If you are shaking your head and want to contradict me because actually you do know a lot about this topic, well good for you then, you will be happy to see a book like The Octopus Man published and you will certainly appreciate the narration of this story. Seriously, you should read it.
On the other hand, if you recognize yourself in the first category, then you have your chance to redeem yourself and peek through the curtain of the taboo that envelopes schizophrenia thanks to this novel.
Inspired by the life of Jasper Gibson’s cousin, Ed Metcalfe, who died in 2011 after suffering with schizophrenia for 20 years, the book follows our character Thomas Tuplow’s life.
Tom has been living with schizophrenia for nineteen years; he is not self-sufficient and relies heavily on his sister Tess’ help. Tom does not believe he has schizophrenia, he is adamant that the voice in his head belongs to Malamock, the Octopus God, who guides him on a spiritual path towards a mission.
Tom cannot eat meat, cannot drink alcohol and has to give up any sexual impulse. He leads a chaste existence, under a regime of medications and Malamock’s electrocution threats.
Tom has experienced a turbulent youth, abusing alcohol and all sorts of drugs, and his diagnosis indicates that these elements have affected Tom’s psyche to the point where Tom created a voice in his head to save himself from this destructive path.
The perspective of a trial for a new medication, the fictional Bildinocycline, is a major trigger for Tom and his relationship with Malamock, and that is what will lead us to a series of events which will change Tom’s life.
Gibson does not spare us any details, we dive deep into Tom’s mind and his perception of the world, we look at it through his eyes, both under the Octopus God’s and the new medication’s influence. We struggle and feel uncomfortable when faced with the brutality of mental health issues on patients and their families. We learn how inadequate the health system is in supporting them (not really a surprise). We suffer from the inability Tom feels to do anything, even the most basic activities such as reading a book or babysit his nephew for one evening.
We meet a number of characters gravitating around Tom, each one of them a suffering soul in their very own particular way. Tess has been taking care of Tom all this time on top of balancing her career and her personal life as a single mother of two children and a complicated relationship with Byron, who has a conflicted relationship with Tom himself. There is Missy, a teenage girl Tom meets in Hilldean, the hospital where he ends up after he triggers in Uxbridge, who has spent years in hospitals since she does not have a family outside to go back to. She will be part of Tom’s recovery later on in the story and will play a major role in the unfolding of the final events. Rashid, the abusive nurse at Hilldean, who attempts to frame Tom accusing him of sleeping with Roseanna, another patient in the hospital, when we actually know it is Rashid who is having an illicit and unprofessional affair with her. And a number of other patients at Hilldean and people in the outside world who interact with Tom and leave, unknowingly, a mark on his life and his relationship with Malamock.
This book unveils the problematic approach to a very sensitive topic such as schizophrenia, both in literature and society. We cannot know the full extent of mental struggles or even begin to fathom what they feel like just by reading this book, but it definitely provides a good introduction to the much wider topic of mental health and the precarious lives people affected by mental conditions live.
Living the story through Tom’s eyes and mind, we grow close to him and we care about his life and worry about his struggles. The ending is left relatively open for the reader to imagine and fill the gaps in, but it is certainly a positive one. I was quite pleased to see Tom recovering in the first place during the Bildinocycline trial, so when he seems to be back on his feet pursuing his legal career, with or without Malamock, it is inevitable to root for him.
However, the novel brings the reader in pretty dark corners of the human mind, and finding a happy ending in the last few pages seems a bit out place. I did not see it coming and however pleased to see a positive unfolding of the events, the whole story seems to lose authenticity towards the end.
Overall I find The Octopus Man a fundamental reading in a more inclusive perspective on literature, a good example of how to talk about topics that are still a taboo in our society in an intelligent and knowledgeable way. I highly recommend it to all those who are ready to confront themselves with how little we know about our mind and its intricate logic.
July 18, 2024
i absolutely LOVED this book. such an interesting way of writing and exploring a serious mental illness. the ending felt real, and i much preferred that over some fairy tale conclusion. would highly recommend this to anyone looking to read something unique
July 19, 2022
3.5⭐ rounded up
February 8, 2021
A painfully powerful account of mental illness. The narrator is both charming and sensitive, with a fragility that is clear to the reader and mostly absent in himself. A real surprise, with some stunning nature writing - I loved it.
May 10, 2021
The Octopus Man was a really intense and emotional read following a man’s suffering of schizophrenia. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. Definitely give this book a read.
January 26, 2021
The Octopus Man by Jasper Gibson
This is a book that will stay with me for a long time – perhaps the rest of my life. It brought me close to edges in my own psyche that are not comfortable, to thought patterns, to an inner world that sometimes has created a stronger reality than what is happening outside. I don’t suffer from mental illness, I don’t have any diagnosis of schizophrenia, I live a fairly normal life with family and friends and work. And yet, this book showed me all too clearly how close we all live to another frightening, unmanageable world. I don’t know how easy it would be to slip across that border but I do know that reading this wonderful, compassionate and terrifying book brought me uncomfortably close.
Tom Tuplow is a very engaging character and I totally fell for him. He is kind and brave and insightful and intelligent. But his world has been taken over by his relationship with The Octopus God – a strict and punishing god that appears to be leading him on a path of spiritual enlightenment but whose methods include electrocuting him and forcing him to do and say things that he, Tom, doesn’t want to.
The story takes us deep into the British mental health system, peopled by both the well meaning and the cruel. His stay in hospital is a nightmare of trying to keep faith with his God at the same time as survive a chaotic and uncaring system which seems designed to abuse and humiliate the patients. What is real and what is fantasy? We are asked to make our own judgements on this. Yet, Tom is such a sympathetic character that even when he ‘liberates’ his friend into an impossible freedom, we still root for him.
Tom is put into terrible dilemmas – faced with impossible choices. To take the medication that might separate him from his closest companion, the Octopus God, or to continue on a downward spiral which is destroying his own life and the health of his beloved sister Tess.
I had to put the book down several times. It is an intense and disturbing read but it is also always entertaining and full of love and honesty, even hope sometimes although there are times when hope itself seems an impossible dream.
I love how Tom sees the world yet I also am terrified of it. His sensitivity gives him an immense creativity and compassion for others as well as deep insight. The writing is excellent, throwing new light on everything the author describes. We are inside Tom’s head so we see the world as he sees it and we find, it sort of makes a lot of sense.
“The ticket inspector comes. He has grey teeth and doesn’t look at anyone when he askes for their tickets and has a kind of bark on his soul”
And..
“The man is still scowling at me but I feel nothing but love for him. I don’t mind if he thinks I am a loony. Malamock’s presence becomes very strong. I can almost lean my head into it and feel His arms, His compassion around me”
Living in Tom’s world, in Tom’s head – who amongst us would find it easy to let go of a god who wraps us up in such strong tentacle arms of love.
I could write a much longer review of this book – I loved it and it terrified me. It disturbed me and asked of me that I really examine sanity and madness, reality and fantasy, and most importantly, how we humans have not yet found a compassionate and healing way to help our fellows who are suffering spiritual and emotional distress of this kind.
This is a book that will stay with me for a long time – perhaps the rest of my life. It brought me close to edges in my own psyche that are not comfortable, to thought patterns, to an inner world that sometimes has created a stronger reality than what is happening outside. I don’t suffer from mental illness, I don’t have any diagnosis of schizophrenia, I live a fairly normal life with family and friends and work. And yet, this book showed me all too clearly how close we all live to another frightening, unmanageable world. I don’t know how easy it would be to slip across that border but I do know that reading this wonderful, compassionate and terrifying book brought me uncomfortably close.
Tom Tuplow is a very engaging character and I totally fell for him. He is kind and brave and insightful and intelligent. But his world has been taken over by his relationship with The Octopus God – a strict and punishing god that appears to be leading him on a path of spiritual enlightenment but whose methods include electrocuting him and forcing him to do and say things that he, Tom, doesn’t want to.
The story takes us deep into the British mental health system, peopled by both the well meaning and the cruel. His stay in hospital is a nightmare of trying to keep faith with his God at the same time as survive a chaotic and uncaring system which seems designed to abuse and humiliate the patients. What is real and what is fantasy? We are asked to make our own judgements on this. Yet, Tom is such a sympathetic character that even when he ‘liberates’ his friend into an impossible freedom, we still root for him.
Tom is put into terrible dilemmas – faced with impossible choices. To take the medication that might separate him from his closest companion, the Octopus God, or to continue on a downward spiral which is destroying his own life and the health of his beloved sister Tess.
I had to put the book down several times. It is an intense and disturbing read but it is also always entertaining and full of love and honesty, even hope sometimes although there are times when hope itself seems an impossible dream.
I love how Tom sees the world yet I also am terrified of it. His sensitivity gives him an immense creativity and compassion for others as well as deep insight. The writing is excellent, throwing new light on everything the author describes. We are inside Tom’s head so we see the world as he sees it and we find, it sort of makes a lot of sense.
“The ticket inspector comes. He has grey teeth and doesn’t look at anyone when he askes for their tickets and has a kind of bark on his soul”
And..
“The man is still scowling at me but I feel nothing but love for him. I don’t mind if he thinks I am a loony. Malamock’s presence becomes very strong. I can almost lean my head into it and feel His arms, His compassion around me”
Living in Tom’s world, in Tom’s head – who amongst us would find it easy to let go of a god who wraps us up in such strong tentacle arms of love.
I could write a much longer review of this book – I loved it and it terrified me. It disturbed me and asked of me that I really examine sanity and madness, reality and fantasy, and most importantly, how we humans have not yet found a compassionate and healing way to help our fellows who are suffering spiritual and emotional distress of this kind.
January 15, 2021
Inspired by his cousin, who suffered for more than 20 years on long term medication as a diagnosed schizophrenic, Jasper Gibson’s novel is heart-felt and deeply moving.
Written from the perspective of Gibson’s central protagonist Tom, once an outstanding law student, the novel provides a glimpse into the life of a man struggling with the impact of voice-hearing, and a schizophrenia diagnosis on both himself and his loved ones.
In Tom, Gibson has created a character with wit and humour, endearing the reader to him. I found myself smiling and laughing with him...but hurt all the more for him in his pain, sadness and suffering.
There are a number of other strong, likeable and believable characters, in particular his sister Tess, who don’t detract from Tom’s battle at all, but I found added to, and heightened my engagement with the novel, and the emotional impact that it had on me.
I did become confused at points in the novel where there was a lot of dialogue, and I wasn’t always clear who’s voice was speaking. I also got a little lost when Tom was reflecting on moments in the past, and think this could have been presented a little more clearly in an otherwise incredibly well written novel.
Gibson doesn’t shy away or gloss away from reality. This novel is deeply unsettling...but through sensitivity and humour, it both provokes thought and provides valuable insight. It is one that I feel will stay with me for some time.
Thank you so much to Orion Books and Net Galley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review and feedback.
Written from the perspective of Gibson’s central protagonist Tom, once an outstanding law student, the novel provides a glimpse into the life of a man struggling with the impact of voice-hearing, and a schizophrenia diagnosis on both himself and his loved ones.
In Tom, Gibson has created a character with wit and humour, endearing the reader to him. I found myself smiling and laughing with him...but hurt all the more for him in his pain, sadness and suffering.
There are a number of other strong, likeable and believable characters, in particular his sister Tess, who don’t detract from Tom’s battle at all, but I found added to, and heightened my engagement with the novel, and the emotional impact that it had on me.
I did become confused at points in the novel where there was a lot of dialogue, and I wasn’t always clear who’s voice was speaking. I also got a little lost when Tom was reflecting on moments in the past, and think this could have been presented a little more clearly in an otherwise incredibly well written novel.
Gibson doesn’t shy away or gloss away from reality. This novel is deeply unsettling...but through sensitivity and humour, it both provokes thought and provides valuable insight. It is one that I feel will stay with me for some time.
Thank you so much to Orion Books and Net Galley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review and feedback.
January 20, 2021
4.5 stars
Oh this book is heartbreaking. Tom is a very clever man, formally a law student with great prospects, he has fallen down the mental health black hole. His one constant is Malamock, the Octopus God who is always there for him, guiding him, talking only to him, appearing only to him, praising him when he does good and punishing him when he tries to resist.
After a psychotic break, Tom is invited to take part in a new drug trial. One which could change his life for the better. Only thing is, Malamock isn't keen and when he feels threatened... well... that doesn't bear thinking about.
I do have to admit that it did take me a wee while to get to grips with this book but then that's par for the course for mental health. Tom is one of the most complex characters I have met in time and it too a while to get to grips with how he ticked. But once I managed that, it was all plain sailing and we rubbed along very nicely indeed. I laughed with him, I cried for him. I sympathised with those who care for him. Having sailed the sea of mental health issues myself I am no stranger to a lot of what was going on for Tom, not personally but through volunteering in that sector, so I have a good handle on things and found what was going on to be wholly accurate albeit harrowing.
The humour - and there's quite a bit of that - keeps the book from going too dark but the message is retained throughout. Tom is a character that I feel privileged to have met and one who will stay with me a while yet. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Oh this book is heartbreaking. Tom is a very clever man, formally a law student with great prospects, he has fallen down the mental health black hole. His one constant is Malamock, the Octopus God who is always there for him, guiding him, talking only to him, appearing only to him, praising him when he does good and punishing him when he tries to resist.
After a psychotic break, Tom is invited to take part in a new drug trial. One which could change his life for the better. Only thing is, Malamock isn't keen and when he feels threatened... well... that doesn't bear thinking about.
I do have to admit that it did take me a wee while to get to grips with this book but then that's par for the course for mental health. Tom is one of the most complex characters I have met in time and it too a while to get to grips with how he ticked. But once I managed that, it was all plain sailing and we rubbed along very nicely indeed. I laughed with him, I cried for him. I sympathised with those who care for him. Having sailed the sea of mental health issues myself I am no stranger to a lot of what was going on for Tom, not personally but through volunteering in that sector, so I have a good handle on things and found what was going on to be wholly accurate albeit harrowing.
The humour - and there's quite a bit of that - keeps the book from going too dark but the message is retained throughout. Tom is a character that I feel privileged to have met and one who will stay with me a while yet. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
January 14, 2021
Tom has had a diagnosis of schizophrenia for 19 years, possibly caused by the copious amounts of drugs he imbibed as a young man. A brilliant student, his life is now small and almost wholly controlled by Malamock, The Octopus God. At times loving, at times, punishing, his aim is to reach a higher level of consciousness achieved by doing good deeds, and abstaining from alcohol, meat and sex. His sister Tess has spent the last 19 years caring for Tom, but this has put an incredible strain on her own life. When Tom is again admitted to a psychiatric hospital, she pleads with him to take part in a trial of a new drug that has had positive results for those suffering from psychosis.
It is a success in that Malamock disappears and he is able to live without the psychotic breaks that have been so painful to experience. But the side effects are such that Tom is unable to concentrate on anything and is constantly exhausted. And his life feels meaningless without Malamock. So he flushes his meds and the voice returns.
A searingly honest depiction of mental ill health, and a system that is under resourced and under funded and that keeps people trapped in the system. What does it mean to live a meaningful life and is it possible to be accepted without being medicated into a zombie like state?
Thought provoking, darkly humorous and poignant.
It is a success in that Malamock disappears and he is able to live without the psychotic breaks that have been so painful to experience. But the side effects are such that Tom is unable to concentrate on anything and is constantly exhausted. And his life feels meaningless without Malamock. So he flushes his meds and the voice returns.
A searingly honest depiction of mental ill health, and a system that is under resourced and under funded and that keeps people trapped in the system. What does it mean to live a meaningful life and is it possible to be accepted without being medicated into a zombie like state?
Thought provoking, darkly humorous and poignant.
January 15, 2021
The Octopus Man is a remarkably books full of warmth and a tongue in cheek wit that belies its vital exploration of the mental health of Tom. GIbson masterfully examines the life of a man living with mental illness, never belittling or judging Tom as he decides how to navigate his life. There are episodes that echo One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but this book is not about the external presentation of mental illness but rather invites us into the internal mind and experience the daily battles and the difficult choices that Tom takes in order to feel balance in his life. The Octopus God who exists within Tom is both a malignant and a positive force and this dichotomy is perhaps what we should extract from this rich narrative - Tom is not Tom without this central aspect and to deny his existence lessens the life that he can lead.
Outstanding and eye opening.
Outstanding and eye opening.
January 22, 2021
Tom has been a schizophrenic for almost twenty years. His life has been controlled by drugs, periods in hospital and by Malamock, the Octopus God. His sister has stood by him every step of the way.
Jasper Gibson is an important new voice in fiction. Tom's story is extraordinary, touching, harrowing and unforgettable. It is a powerful evocation of someone trapped in a mental health system that cannot cope.
This is a story of beauty and brutality, of humanity and inhumanity, of friendship and rejection. A truly remarkable book.
Jasper Gibson is an important new voice in fiction. Tom's story is extraordinary, touching, harrowing and unforgettable. It is a powerful evocation of someone trapped in a mental health system that cannot cope.
This is a story of beauty and brutality, of humanity and inhumanity, of friendship and rejection. A truly remarkable book.
March 2, 2021
I honestly didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did (and if you’ve read this, you’ll understand how deranged that might sound). It takes a skilled type of author to turn a dark topic into something that is both heart-wrenching and hilarious. When I wasn’t on the verge of tears, I was laughing out loud — a truly dark comedy in moments you expect to be utterly burdened. The experience is raw, abrupt, and tawdry - but visceral and true to the struggles of a mental illness not so easily treated. Grateful for insights such as these, no matter how difficult it was to read.
January 30, 2021
Wow.
Such a great witty and informative read about early onset schizophrenia. Tom Tuplow is a brilliantly flawed character but oh, how my heart broke for him. What was most shocking, but not, was that I feel like could understand Tom. Whilst I don't have the manifestation in a physical sense. I definitely feel the way Tom does. It was like reading a diary. Overall an affecting read but it's full of heart and warmth. And my own mental health issues resonate deeply.
Such a great witty and informative read about early onset schizophrenia. Tom Tuplow is a brilliantly flawed character but oh, how my heart broke for him. What was most shocking, but not, was that I feel like could understand Tom. Whilst I don't have the manifestation in a physical sense. I definitely feel the way Tom does. It was like reading a diary. Overall an affecting read but it's full of heart and warmth. And my own mental health issues resonate deeply.
January 24, 2021
Wow! What a journey this book took me on! I felt as if the lid on Tom's brain had been opened upon and I had been slipped inside as I witnessed his every day life as a schizophrenic. Moving, shocking and sometimes funny. The author was inspired by his cousin who suffered with schizophrenia for twenty years. A book that will stay with me and won't forget
April 15, 2021
3.5 rounded down. The beginning and end of this book were pretty good! The middle was.... meh. You could easily cut 100 pages of this book. A decent critique of the UK's failing mental health service, and a perspective on psychosis that clearly came from a place of care, but it kinda lost it's way structurally and I found myself waiting to reach the end 😬
January 6, 2024
3.5 STARS.
Admittedly this book took me at least 100 pages to get into as I had no idea where it was going to go but the writing is so unique and Tom, the main character, made me want to laugh and cry throughout the story. This portrayal of schizophrenia is extremely well-researched and thought-provoking. This book is a definite must read.
Admittedly this book took me at least 100 pages to get into as I had no idea where it was going to go but the writing is so unique and Tom, the main character, made me want to laugh and cry throughout the story. This portrayal of schizophrenia is extremely well-researched and thought-provoking. This book is a definite must read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews