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Trauma
As a psychiatrist Charlie Weir has seen every kind of trauma New York has to offer. Yet he has never managed to overcome the tragic mistake, seven years earlier, that lost him his wife and his daughter, leaving him prone to corrosive loneliness and restless anger. Then into his life walks the alluring Nora Chiara, with her inescapable air of sadness and mystery, and Charlie falls for her quickly, hungrily. But he is increasingly haunted by ghastly half-memories from his childhood and as he retreats further and further into the recesses of his mind the delicate fabric of his life ruptures - with horrifying consequences.
210 pages, Print on Demand (Paperback)
First published January 1, 2007
49 people are currently reading
1537 people want to read
About the author
Patrick McGrath
96 books563 followersPatrick McGrath was born in London and grew up near Broadmoor Hospital where his father was Medical Superintendent. He was educated at Stonyhurst College. He is a British novelist whose work has been categorized as gothic fiction. He is married to actress Maria Aitken and lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
May 6, 2009
i was hesitant to read this because it got the worst reviews ever, but no one can keep me from patrick mcgrath, not even the new york times book review!! that being said - it is way better than the press for it, and a lot better than port mungo. it doesn't have the same depth as the grotesque or spider, but its still a great, dark tale from one of my favorite storytellers. so, in this review, i will simply mention other books by the author and hope that this is somehow helpful. be helped!
April 7, 2018
“Come ormai avrete compreso, sono uno psichiatra.Ho scelto questa professione a causa di mia madre, e non sono l’unico. Sono le madri che hanno spinto la maggior parte di noi verso la psichiatria: di solito, perché le abbiamo deluse.” Con questa frase sul retro del libro , capisci che non sarà una lettura “leggera “.
Capacissimo l’autore di inchiodare letteralmente il lettore alle pagine,e con la capacita’ di rendere patologico tutto cio’ che scrive , lasciandoci la sensazione di osservare la storia quasi fosse filtrata dalle maglie moderatamente larghe della trama di cotone del camice bianco di un medico.
La storia è ambientata a New York, ma non ci saranno descrizioni delle ambientazioni, ridotte all’osso, giusto il minimo indispensabile per permettere a chi legge di dare una collocazione ai vari personaggi. L’interesse di McGrath è invece l’analisi psicologica di ogni personaggio, le motivazioni profonde che spingono gli individui ad assumere determinati comportamenti, l’effettiva alterazione della realtà che può produrre una mente di fronte a fatti che vengono vissuti, ritenuti inaccettabili così come sono; da qui il titolo del libro stesso “TRAUMA”.
Questo è il cuore del libro, questa deve essere l’ottica da tenere nella lettura della vita di Charlie, della sua famiglia di origine, del suo matrimonio con Agnes naufragato in seguito alla morte del fratello di lei, curato da Charlie stesso, della nuova relazione che vive lo psichiatra….
Veramente bello, molti sono gli spunti di riflessione, Charlie è un personaggio complesso, non si può fare a meno di vivere con lui il disagio procurato da ricordi della sua infanzia, il senso di inadeguatezza, la difficoltà di amare e farsi comprendere…..
Non delude e tiene alta l’attenzione fino alla fine, sono entusiasta di questa lettura.
Capacissimo l’autore di inchiodare letteralmente il lettore alle pagine,e con la capacita’ di rendere patologico tutto cio’ che scrive , lasciandoci la sensazione di osservare la storia quasi fosse filtrata dalle maglie moderatamente larghe della trama di cotone del camice bianco di un medico.
La storia è ambientata a New York, ma non ci saranno descrizioni delle ambientazioni, ridotte all’osso, giusto il minimo indispensabile per permettere a chi legge di dare una collocazione ai vari personaggi. L’interesse di McGrath è invece l’analisi psicologica di ogni personaggio, le motivazioni profonde che spingono gli individui ad assumere determinati comportamenti, l’effettiva alterazione della realtà che può produrre una mente di fronte a fatti che vengono vissuti, ritenuti inaccettabili così come sono; da qui il titolo del libro stesso “TRAUMA”.
Questo è il cuore del libro, questa deve essere l’ottica da tenere nella lettura della vita di Charlie, della sua famiglia di origine, del suo matrimonio con Agnes naufragato in seguito alla morte del fratello di lei, curato da Charlie stesso, della nuova relazione che vive lo psichiatra….
Veramente bello, molti sono gli spunti di riflessione, Charlie è un personaggio complesso, non si può fare a meno di vivere con lui il disagio procurato da ricordi della sua infanzia, il senso di inadeguatezza, la difficoltà di amare e farsi comprendere…..
Non delude e tiene alta l’attenzione fino alla fine, sono entusiasta di questa lettura.
November 7, 2015
Another author I've decided to check out based on the impression from his film adaptations. This one to greater results than Walter Kirn. McGrath is certainly a talented author, his narrative is great, the rest I'm not so sure about. Following the maxim of psychiatrists being crazier than those they try to help, Charlie Weir is a psychiatrist adrift. He specializes in, of course, trauma, and yet is so profoundly haunted by his own traumatic childhood that he finds himself unable to sustain any sort of loving relationship for a duration. An interesting character certainly, but he and the entire book is so lost in constant analysis that the effect is distancing and occasionally tiresome. And yes, according to Socrates the unexamined life isn't worth living, but I'm not quite sure examining it to such extent is a great idea either. I suppose your opinion of psychiatry is integral to your enjoyment of this book. Another thing is that McGrath's writing is often referred to as gothic. Well, unless the definition has changed and quick internet search shows that it hasn't, with exception of a particularly atmospheric asylum setting towards the end, this really isn't gothic at all. Didn't matter to me, but might to some. It's dark, but of a distinctly different penumbral variety. A specific brand of bleak, sanity questioning meditation on the subtleties of madness. Compelling enough and quick enough of a read to get through in one afternoon, but not quite engaging enough to, pun alert, go crazy over.
December 25, 2023
A very dark novel. But I think dark is this author's genre. Although a short book, it took me longer than anticipated to finish it. I liked the descriptions of New York City; and I will say that the novel's ending was not what I had expected. Happy to have gotten this one off my shelves after having owned for a ridiculously long time.
I felt a great deal of sympathy for our narrator, Charlie. I'm not sure how you couldn't. Maybe something you'd want to pick up and read, but be prepared for a very disturbing story.
I felt a great deal of sympathy for our narrator, Charlie. I'm not sure how you couldn't. Maybe something you'd want to pick up and read, but be prepared for a very disturbing story.
April 23, 2016
I like books that have a first sentence that pulls the reader in. Patrick McGrath does this really well; Paul Auster is another author that excels with these killer opening lines. Trauma opens with these lines:
The novel is told from the viewpoint of Charlie Weir. From the beginning we find out about his mother who in her latter years drank and smoked heavily, was depressed and lived in squalor. His father was only a periodic presence in his childhood and his mother and father had a violent relationship. Charlie has an argumentative relationship with his older brother Walter. Both Charlie and Walter seem to thrive on their arguments and their dad would often encourage them to argue and fight when they were children.
Previous McGrath books that I've read have had a gothic and/or horror feel to them but Trauma is told in a short, punchy style more reminiscent of an old U.S. detective story. There is also a lot of smoking, drinking and sleeping around, which all adds to the seedy feeling of the book, which is the effect that McGrath is presumably after. All the characters are in some way damaged and yet none, including Charlie, seem to be enthusiastic about getting professional help. So we view these characters at times when they're at their lowest. McGrath handles this excellently as they could so easily become stereotypes but each character is believeable if not particularly likeable.
So, the main thrust of the story is to see whether Charlie can resolve the issues concerning Danny and his marriage breakup as well as his relationships with his mother and brother. As the book progresses there are enough revelations of everyone's past history to keep the novel ticking over at quite a speed. In the blurb on the back, the book was regularly described as a thriller, and whilst I can see that it could be described as such, I prefer Hilary Mantel's description of it: 'The novel works beautifully as a sober, tightly written character study.'
When reading novels I always pick out and save quotations. Trauma had several good 'one-liners' but I especially liked this longer one:
I couldn't help but look at some other reviews before reading the book and was a little surprised to see many bad reviews. The criticisms were mainly that the characters were unlikeable, they drank and smoked constantly, the ending was rushed and some thought the ending was predictable. Well, I didn't think the ending was rushed, it was just that the novel did pick up speed a little near the climax. At least it wasn't one of those enigmatic 'work it out for yourself' type of endings. I thought the ending was quite 'natural' and believeable; McGrath wasn't trying to concoct an ending that was overly clever just to confound those readers that pride themselves on working it out.
Now I'll have to sort out what my next McGrath book will be.
My mother's first depressive illness occurred when I was seven years old, and I felt it was my fault. I felt I should have prevented it. This was about a year before my father left us.And so, along with the title, we are left in no doubt that we are about to read a story about depression, suicide, dysfunctional families & relationships and other mental illnesses.
The novel is told from the viewpoint of Charlie Weir. From the beginning we find out about his mother who in her latter years drank and smoked heavily, was depressed and lived in squalor. His father was only a periodic presence in his childhood and his mother and father had a violent relationship. Charlie has an argumentative relationship with his older brother Walter. Both Charlie and Walter seem to thrive on their arguments and their dad would often encourage them to argue and fight when they were children.
Walt and I could get angry at each other in seconds. It alarmed others. It worried Agnes, my wife, to whom I was still married at the time, when she first saw it happen, that two otherwise civilized men could so quickly become so abusive.At the point the book starts Charlie has been separated from his wife, Agnes, for seven years though he is still in touch with her and his daughter Cassie. Agnes is now married to Leon, a fireman, but Charlie lives alone. Oh, and Charlie is a psychiatrist who specialises in trauma, especially trauma experienced by war veterans. As the book is set in late 1970s New York there are a lot of Vietnam veterans that need help. The story dips into the past frequently and we discover that he met Agnes through her brother Danny, who was one of Charlie's Vietnam patients. Danny rarely talked about what happened in Vietnam but it is hinted that the failure of Charlie's and Agnes's marriage had something to do with Danny's treatment.
Previous McGrath books that I've read have had a gothic and/or horror feel to them but Trauma is told in a short, punchy style more reminiscent of an old U.S. detective story. There is also a lot of smoking, drinking and sleeping around, which all adds to the seedy feeling of the book, which is the effect that McGrath is presumably after. All the characters are in some way damaged and yet none, including Charlie, seem to be enthusiastic about getting professional help. So we view these characters at times when they're at their lowest. McGrath handles this excellently as they could so easily become stereotypes but each character is believeable if not particularly likeable.
So, the main thrust of the story is to see whether Charlie can resolve the issues concerning Danny and his marriage breakup as well as his relationships with his mother and brother. As the book progresses there are enough revelations of everyone's past history to keep the novel ticking over at quite a speed. In the blurb on the back, the book was regularly described as a thriller, and whilst I can see that it could be described as such, I prefer Hilary Mantel's description of it: 'The novel works beautifully as a sober, tightly written character study.'
When reading novels I always pick out and save quotations. Trauma had several good 'one-liners' but I especially liked this longer one:
I often wondered how it would be to tramp off into the mountains and keep going until I was exhausted, then simply sink into the snow and fall asleep. Then the wolves could have me.
To want to die in the forest and be eaten by wolves: another marker of incipient madness.
I couldn't help but look at some other reviews before reading the book and was a little surprised to see many bad reviews. The criticisms were mainly that the characters were unlikeable, they drank and smoked constantly, the ending was rushed and some thought the ending was predictable. Well, I didn't think the ending was rushed, it was just that the novel did pick up speed a little near the climax. At least it wasn't one of those enigmatic 'work it out for yourself' type of endings. I thought the ending was quite 'natural' and believeable; McGrath wasn't trying to concoct an ending that was overly clever just to confound those readers that pride themselves on working it out.
Now I'll have to sort out what my next McGrath book will be.
February 18, 2020
"Me desperté con un sobresalto, sudando, tembloroso, sin aliento. Sentí que me estaba asfixiando. Era aquel horror ya familiar, ver el cadáver como si fuera la primera vez. Eso es precisamente el trauma. El suceso siempre está teniendo lugar ahora, en el presente, por primera vez".
Pese a que se podía haber sacado más jugo de la historia del trauma y el final es algo precipitado, me ha parecido una novela bastante entretenida.
Pese a que se podía haber sacado más jugo de la historia del trauma y el final es algo precipitado, me ha parecido una novela bastante entretenida.
October 7, 2019
Maljka - per RFS
.
Charlie Weir, psichiatra newyorkese con studio a Park Avenue si trova ad affrontare la prima crisi depressiva della madre alla tenera età di 7 anni, circa un anno prima che il padre se ne andasse di casa.
Come molti psichiatri fanno, anche lui ha scelto di intraprendere questa professione a causa del suo rapporto con la figura materna e delle molteplici delusioni familiari di cui è stato vittima.
L’accesa rivalità con il fratello Walter affermato pittore; il gelo nei confronti di un padre senza nerbo e il soffocante rapporto con la madre lo portano alla continua ricerca di pace per sé stesso.
La sua vita è continuamente segnata da eventi tragici (quello peggiore accaduto anni addietro) che hanno causato l’allontanamento dalla moglie e dalla figlia.
Finalmente dopo tanto dolore un po’ di felicità: il fratello Walter gli presenta Nora Chiara, una donna irresistibile e vulnerabile di cui si innamorerà alla follia.
Solo con il tempo realizzerà di avere accanto a sé una paziente più che un’amante e ciò lo obbligherà ad affrontare ricordi ormai sepolti nel suo inconscio.
Generalmente amo i thriller psicologici, ma confesso che purtroppo questo romanzo mi ha davvero delusa.
Tanto ho amato “Follia” sicuramente il romanzo migliore di McGrath, tanto ho faticato a concludere la lettura di questo suo ultimo libro.
Il paradosso sta nel fatto che proprio colui che dovrebbe aiutare a risolvere i problemi psicologici del prossimo, più di chiunque altro dimostra di avere bisogno di aiuto.
Ho trovato la scrittura poco fluida e questo ha appesantito ulteriormente la lettura di una storia, senza né suspense né colpi di scena, già trascinata di suo.
Personalmente, arrivare alla fine mi è sembrato più un obbligo che un piacere!
Per contro la caratterizzazione di ogni personaggio è perfetta.
Arrivare a dire che, dopo “Follia” leggere questo libro è stato un trauma, sarebbe eccessivo e davvero crudele, per cui mi limito ad affermare che non mi è piaciuto affatto.
Assolutamente sconsigliato agli amanti del genere.
.
Charlie Weir, psichiatra newyorkese con studio a Park Avenue si trova ad affrontare la prima crisi depressiva della madre alla tenera età di 7 anni, circa un anno prima che il padre se ne andasse di casa.
Come molti psichiatri fanno, anche lui ha scelto di intraprendere questa professione a causa del suo rapporto con la figura materna e delle molteplici delusioni familiari di cui è stato vittima.
L’accesa rivalità con il fratello Walter affermato pittore; il gelo nei confronti di un padre senza nerbo e il soffocante rapporto con la madre lo portano alla continua ricerca di pace per sé stesso.
La sua vita è continuamente segnata da eventi tragici (quello peggiore accaduto anni addietro) che hanno causato l’allontanamento dalla moglie e dalla figlia.
Finalmente dopo tanto dolore un po’ di felicità: il fratello Walter gli presenta Nora Chiara, una donna irresistibile e vulnerabile di cui si innamorerà alla follia.
Solo con il tempo realizzerà di avere accanto a sé una paziente più che un’amante e ciò lo obbligherà ad affrontare ricordi ormai sepolti nel suo inconscio.
Generalmente amo i thriller psicologici, ma confesso che purtroppo questo romanzo mi ha davvero delusa.
Tanto ho amato “Follia” sicuramente il romanzo migliore di McGrath, tanto ho faticato a concludere la lettura di questo suo ultimo libro.
Il paradosso sta nel fatto che proprio colui che dovrebbe aiutare a risolvere i problemi psicologici del prossimo, più di chiunque altro dimostra di avere bisogno di aiuto.
Ho trovato la scrittura poco fluida e questo ha appesantito ulteriormente la lettura di una storia, senza né suspense né colpi di scena, già trascinata di suo.
Personalmente, arrivare alla fine mi è sembrato più un obbligo che un piacere!
Per contro la caratterizzazione di ogni personaggio è perfetta.
Arrivare a dire che, dopo “Follia” leggere questo libro è stato un trauma, sarebbe eccessivo e davvero crudele, per cui mi limito ad affermare che non mi è piaciuto affatto.
Assolutamente sconsigliato agli amanti del genere.
May 1, 2008
I had high hopes for this not-too-suspenseful novel. After all, I had heard great things about one of his other books, Asylum, and I had read a positive review of this novel. The reviews referred to his unreliable narrators, which really appealed to me.
The narrator, Charlie Weir, is a psychiatrist who specializes in victims of trauma. Traumas treated by him include: rape, war, and even the trauma of killing someone (accidentally) with one's car. Two of his notable patients include the aforementioned driver and his late brother-in-law, who served in Vietnam and eventually killed himself.
As we learn more about Charlie, we discover that his childhood was not great (no surprise), that he is engaged in heavy duty sibling rivalry with his older brother Walt, an artist (also no surprise), and that he's not great at relationships with women. What we don't learn is what Charlie's own experience with trauma is.
And when we do learn about his trauma experiences, we don't care. Lame is a good word for what I thought of McGrath's attempt at an unreliable narrator. Really lame.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed this slim novel. The psychiatrist as narrator was interesting, and McGrath created a certain level of suspense, which kept me reading. I just wasn't impressed with the ending.
The narrator, Charlie Weir, is a psychiatrist who specializes in victims of trauma. Traumas treated by him include: rape, war, and even the trauma of killing someone (accidentally) with one's car. Two of his notable patients include the aforementioned driver and his late brother-in-law, who served in Vietnam and eventually killed himself.
As we learn more about Charlie, we discover that his childhood was not great (no surprise), that he is engaged in heavy duty sibling rivalry with his older brother Walt, an artist (also no surprise), and that he's not great at relationships with women. What we don't learn is what Charlie's own experience with trauma is.
And when we do learn about his trauma experiences, we don't care. Lame is a good word for what I thought of McGrath's attempt at an unreliable narrator. Really lame.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed this slim novel. The psychiatrist as narrator was interesting, and McGrath created a certain level of suspense, which kept me reading. I just wasn't impressed with the ending.
January 31, 2020
Uno psichiatra ci racconta la sua cupa vicenda familiare e sentimentale. Alle prime pagine ho trovato fastidioso il suo linguaggio da psichiatra, il suo gergo da strizzacervelli, tutto quel “gestire”, “rielaborare”, “rimuovere”, e via dicendo. Ma la vicenda è appassionante, allo sfortunato e simpatico protagonista, Charles Weir, ne capitano di tutte i colori, perciò ci si abitua al gergo e si legge con piacere. Romanzo tipico di McGrath, che sempre indaga il confine tra salute mentale e follia, e qui anche lo scambio di ruoli fra chi cura e chi viene curato: vi siete mai chiesti cosa succede quando è lo psicanalista a sprofondare in una nera depressione?
March 10, 2012
Ye gods, how the mighty are fallen! McGrath has written some excellent, broody, downright strange Gothic novels, but this one is a sucker punch to every astute reader's sensibilities. None of the characters are likeable and none of the situations are especially compelling. The main character is a self-absorbed pig which makes me wonder why any woman would sleep with him. And why is everybody smoking in the novel? You'd think it was a movie from the 1950s instead of a recent read. Read Spider, The Grotesque, Asylum or even Dr. Haggard's Disease before picking up this poo.
January 24, 2021
Un romanzo che si legge tutto d'un fiato. McGrath mi è sembrato meno accurato, nella caratterizzazione dei personaggi, rispetto a Follia, che reputo migliore. Qui si concentra sul personaggi principale, uno psichiatra narcisista. Tutto il resto passa sotto la sua lente d'ingrandimento, che alcune volte sembra rimpiccolire, effetto voluto o no. Alcuni personaggi secondari sono molto interessanti, per esempio Nora, ma per niente approfonditi.
January 18, 2021
Si tratta di un libro psicologico che analizza i fatti dal punto di vista di uno psichiatra. Ho faticato a trovare un senso e uno scopo quasi fino alla fine e sinceramente non è un libro che mi ha lasciato più di tanto. Forse non l'ho capito fino in fondo ma trovo che l'analisi psicologica di alcuni pazienti sia stata molto interessante.
June 15, 2025
Charlie Weir è uno psichiatria specializzato nel curare i disturbi legati al trauma. Ha egli stesso problemi irrisolti, e presto si trova costretto a fare i conti con il proprio trauma, un evento passato sepolto nel proprio inconscio e così tragico da indurlo ad un costante senso di colpa, ad una dolorosa incapacità di stabilire rapporti empatici, in particolare con le donne, e alla solitudine.
Lo scrittore inglese esplora, come di consueto, i lati oscuri della mente e l’evanescente confine che separa benessere psichico da alienazione e depressione. E lo fa in un romanzo scorrevole e sobrio, in cui succede poco, se non nella mente e nei ricordi del protagonista.
Peccato per il finale, che ho trovato un po’ frettoloso. Non siamo ai livelli di altri romanzi di McGrath (come Follia e Il morbo di Haggard), ma è comunque una lettura godibile.
Lo scrittore inglese esplora, come di consueto, i lati oscuri della mente e l’evanescente confine che separa benessere psichico da alienazione e depressione. E lo fa in un romanzo scorrevole e sobrio, in cui succede poco, se non nella mente e nei ricordi del protagonista.
Peccato per il finale, che ho trovato un po’ frettoloso. Non siamo ai livelli di altri romanzi di McGrath (come Follia e Il morbo di Haggard), ma è comunque una lettura godibile.
August 15, 2022
Questo libro mi è piaciuto più di Follia.
Non riesco a trovare le parole giuste per descrive come mi sento dopo aver finito di leggere Trauma.
Mi sono immersa così tanto nella storia che credevo che le cose successe a Charlie fossero accadute a me.
Il Trauma psicologico è al centro di tutto il libro.
Charlie non mi ha fatto impazzire come personaggio principale, anzi credevo fosse una testa di cazzo nonostante fosse uno psichiatra.
Ho amato tanto le descrizioni psicologiche, il dettaglio su come Charlie osserva le persone per capire come comportarsi e cercando di far male il meno possibile con le parole.
Alla fine mi è dispiaciuto tanto per quello che ha dovuto passare il protagonista, ma mi ha lasciato comunque una sorta di vuoto dentro.
Non riesco a trovare le parole giuste per descrive come mi sento dopo aver finito di leggere Trauma.
Mi sono immersa così tanto nella storia che credevo che le cose successe a Charlie fossero accadute a me.
Il Trauma psicologico è al centro di tutto il libro.
Charlie non mi ha fatto impazzire come personaggio principale, anzi credevo fosse una testa di cazzo nonostante fosse uno psichiatra.
Ho amato tanto le descrizioni psicologiche, il dettaglio su come Charlie osserva le persone per capire come comportarsi e cercando di far male il meno possibile con le parole.
Alla fine mi è dispiaciuto tanto per quello che ha dovuto passare il protagonista, ma mi ha lasciato comunque una sorta di vuoto dentro.
January 3, 2015
Un romanzo che fonda le sue radici nella psichiatria coinvolgendo il lettore in questo complicato mestiere e stravolgendo la storia grazie, appunto, al trauma. Il libro si può dividere in due parti: una nella quale è il protagonista a psicanalizzare, e l'altra nella quale è il protagonista ad essere psicanalizzato. L'analista diventa l'analizzato, e il nostro compito è appunto quello di intuire quale trauma lo abbia portato a stravolgere la realtà. La trama porta totalmente fuori strada e spinge il lettore a concentrarsi sui casi studiati, che hanno spesso come sfondo la guerra del Vietnam, mentre solo nelle ultime pagine emerge il vero succo del romanzo.
Buona lettura.
Buona lettura.
June 16, 2020
Ho letto questo libro spinta dalla grande emozione e tensione scaturita dalla lettura di Follia, dello stesso autore naturalmente, ma non ho ritrovato qui la stessa voglia di procedere così voracemente per giungere al finale. La prima parte del libro scorre più a fatica, ma via via che la storia si delinea meglio diventa più coinvolgente. Ne emerge una bella analisi psicologica sui traumi che ognuno di noi deve affrontare nella propria vita per diventare persone risolte.
Leggerò sicuramente altro.
Leggerò sicuramente altro.
January 28, 2023
Ho letto questo libro tutto d’un fiato in un pomeriggio. Mi ha tenuto incollata alla storia fino alla fine. La voce narrante è interessante, umana, contorta. Il finale spiazzante, una lettura che vale la pena.
October 20, 2024
DNR
A story of psychologist dissecting his own psyche after a loss of a parent. Looking for meaning and reason in the human condition. Trying to balance professional integrity and personal life, and failing.
The life of Charlie is subjectively bleak. All chapters are from his pov or narrational exposition. 'Trauma' felt like a french, noir story - nihilistic, self-destructive, unapologetic.
The story doesn't have an action based or adventurous plot. It's more of a diary novel. Slogging through the admittedly not interesting daily life of a divorcee father of one, academically successful, scraping by in private practice psychologist who's going through a depressive episode, mid-life crisis isn't what one would generally consider entertaining or comedically fun.
Conclusion: 1/5. I imagine, the sort of book one could pick-up to spend the time during the commute, waiting for an appointment. Thought, why would you? At it's core a (journal-like) novel following a depressive episode of an introspective and adulterous man.
A story of psychologist dissecting his own psyche after a loss of a parent. Looking for meaning and reason in the human condition. Trying to balance professional integrity and personal life, and failing.
The life of Charlie is subjectively bleak. All chapters are from his pov or narrational exposition. 'Trauma' felt like a french, noir story - nihilistic, self-destructive, unapologetic.
The story doesn't have an action based or adventurous plot. It's more of a diary novel. Slogging through the admittedly not interesting daily life of a divorcee father of one, academically successful, scraping by in private practice psychologist who's going through a depressive episode, mid-life crisis isn't what one would generally consider entertaining or comedically fun.
Conclusion: 1/5. I imagine, the sort of book one could pick-up to spend the time during the commute, waiting for an appointment. Thought, why would you? At it's core a (journal-like) novel following a depressive episode of an introspective and adulterous man.
January 6, 2022
I quite enjoyed reading this book which is full of controversies.
Although I couldn't stand the protagonist because I honestly think he is the most unsuitable person for the role of the psychiatrist due to his personal unsolved issues.
The book is so well structured. The characters presented are all suffering the causes of different traumas -as for the death of a brother, a dysfunctional family, the war, unclear traumas, etcetera- which affect them in multiple ways and I think the portrayal the author gives is brilliant.
I really enjoyed running a psychological analysis of this book, perhaps because the author merely describes the various problems but does not outline them particularly, this helps the reader (with even a basic knowledge of psychology) build their own hypothesis, which is outstanding and is what makes the reading exciting and curious.
Although it might appear as a difficult reading because sometimes it gets a little bit hard to take.
Although I couldn't stand the protagonist because I honestly think he is the most unsuitable person for the role of the psychiatrist due to his personal unsolved issues.
The book is so well structured. The characters presented are all suffering the causes of different traumas -as for the death of a brother, a dysfunctional family, the war, unclear traumas, etcetera- which affect them in multiple ways and I think the portrayal the author gives is brilliant.
I really enjoyed running a psychological analysis of this book, perhaps because the author merely describes the various problems but does not outline them particularly, this helps the reader (with even a basic knowledge of psychology) build their own hypothesis, which is outstanding and is what makes the reading exciting and curious.
Although it might appear as a difficult reading because sometimes it gets a little bit hard to take.
December 7, 2022
⭐️⭐️,5
Ho iniziato e abbandonato questo libro anni fa, dopo aver letto Follia e non ritenendolo all’altezza.
Gli ho dato un’altra occasione ma il mio pensiero rimane invariato.
Il tema di questo libro è sicuramente complesso ma è solo per questo motivo che ho continuato la lettura (un po’ mi sono sentita obbligata a continuare durante le prime 130 pagine).
Ho trovato la seconda metà del libro molto più interessante e non vedevo l’ora di arrivare alla fine per comprendere il tormento del protagonista. Un finale inaspettato, che riempie di dubbi e riflessioni. Cosa sarà successo dopo la scena finale?
La cosa che sicuramente non mi ha aiutato a rimanere incollata al libro è la scrittura. L’ho trovata molto “rigida”, poco fluida rispetto a come viene narrato Follia e a volte non sempre a fuoco.
Tutto sommato sono contenta di aver ultimato la lettura anche se mi aspettavo molto di più per quanto riguarda la narrazione, sarebbe potuto essere un altro romanzo da cinque stelle.
Ho iniziato e abbandonato questo libro anni fa, dopo aver letto Follia e non ritenendolo all’altezza.
Gli ho dato un’altra occasione ma il mio pensiero rimane invariato.
Il tema di questo libro è sicuramente complesso ma è solo per questo motivo che ho continuato la lettura (un po’ mi sono sentita obbligata a continuare durante le prime 130 pagine).
Ho trovato la seconda metà del libro molto più interessante e non vedevo l’ora di arrivare alla fine per comprendere il tormento del protagonista. Un finale inaspettato, che riempie di dubbi e riflessioni. Cosa sarà successo dopo la scena finale?
La cosa che sicuramente non mi ha aiutato a rimanere incollata al libro è la scrittura. L’ho trovata molto “rigida”, poco fluida rispetto a come viene narrato Follia e a volte non sempre a fuoco.
Tutto sommato sono contenta di aver ultimato la lettura anche se mi aspettavo molto di più per quanto riguarda la narrazione, sarebbe potuto essere un altro romanzo da cinque stelle.
September 27, 2025
Questo romanzo psicologico è narrato in prima persona dal protagonista: Charlie, uno psichiatra.
Naturalmente, dato il titolo del libro, si parla in svariate occasioni di traumi di diverso tipo. È una lettura molto immersiva in cui ci si identifica spesso e volentieri in frasi che si leggono; anche perché in fondo tutti quanti abbiamo dei traumi (più o meno interiorizzati) e/o conosciamo qualcuno che ne ha. È un argomento delicato ma che al tempo stesso è giusto affrontare e sul quale è giusto riflettere (intendo sia sul trauma di per sé sia su come certe situazioni, comportamenti e legami possono farne sviluppare nelle persone). 📝
Come è ovvio che sia, si toccano dei topic molto tosti e quindi è giusto, ritengo, elencare qualche trigger warning: molestie infantili, rapporti tossici con abusi domestici, depressione, alcolismo, stress post traumatico, suicidio, e tanto altro. Ci sono anche riferimenti alle storie di alcuni dei pazienti di Charlie e quindi anche ai loro problemi, non solo a quelli dello psichiatra protagonista della storia. ⚠️
Si esplorano rapporti familiari e già solo questo è molto interessante, perché vengono trattati legami a dir poco particolari. Gli intrecci sono molto complessi e intricati, e ciò li rende assolutamente realistici e plausibili. 🪢
Questo autore ha un modo tutto suo di trattare certe cose, e uno stile di scrittura e di struttura del romanzo molto riconoscibili. Personalmente lo adoro. 🫂
Il finale è molto duro e fa riflettere tanto, inoltre (come è abbastanza usuale per McGrath) contiene un punto di svolta che lascia senza parole. Quello di questo libro non è il plot twist più spiazzante tra quelli dei suoi libri che ho letto, ma ha comunque un forte impatto sulla storia e risulta molto incisivo. Inoltre, risponde a domande che il lettore si è inevitabilmente posto durante la lettura del romanzo, su alcune dinamiche fra Charlie ed i suoi familiari. 🔫
Naturalmente, dato il titolo del libro, si parla in svariate occasioni di traumi di diverso tipo. È una lettura molto immersiva in cui ci si identifica spesso e volentieri in frasi che si leggono; anche perché in fondo tutti quanti abbiamo dei traumi (più o meno interiorizzati) e/o conosciamo qualcuno che ne ha. È un argomento delicato ma che al tempo stesso è giusto affrontare e sul quale è giusto riflettere (intendo sia sul trauma di per sé sia su come certe situazioni, comportamenti e legami possono farne sviluppare nelle persone). 📝
Come è ovvio che sia, si toccano dei topic molto tosti e quindi è giusto, ritengo, elencare qualche trigger warning: molestie infantili, rapporti tossici con abusi domestici, depressione, alcolismo, stress post traumatico, suicidio, e tanto altro. Ci sono anche riferimenti alle storie di alcuni dei pazienti di Charlie e quindi anche ai loro problemi, non solo a quelli dello psichiatra protagonista della storia. ⚠️
Si esplorano rapporti familiari e già solo questo è molto interessante, perché vengono trattati legami a dir poco particolari. Gli intrecci sono molto complessi e intricati, e ciò li rende assolutamente realistici e plausibili. 🪢
Questo autore ha un modo tutto suo di trattare certe cose, e uno stile di scrittura e di struttura del romanzo molto riconoscibili. Personalmente lo adoro. 🫂
Il finale è molto duro e fa riflettere tanto, inoltre (come è abbastanza usuale per McGrath) contiene un punto di svolta che lascia senza parole. Quello di questo libro non è il plot twist più spiazzante tra quelli dei suoi libri che ho letto, ma ha comunque un forte impatto sulla storia e risulta molto incisivo. Inoltre, risponde a domande che il lettore si è inevitabilmente posto durante la lettura del romanzo, su alcune dinamiche fra Charlie ed i suoi familiari. 🔫
March 13, 2022
Ratings:
Writing 4
Story line 4
Characters 4
Impact 4
Overall rating 4
Writing 4
Story line 4
Characters 4
Impact 4
Overall rating 4
April 17, 2024
McGrath é una vera garanzia, non dulude mai.. ❤️
July 18, 2014
This is the first time I came across a book from this author, a friend of mine lent it to me a while ago and I finally got around to reading it. While it is a very short, easy book to read I didn’t care much for the plot or, for that matter, any of the characters.
Charlie Weir is a psychiatrist that specializes in trauma. From accidentally killing someone, to post-traumatic stress due to war experiences or sexual abuse as children, the array of patients is entirely made out of people traumatized by something. And while Charlie has had quite a traumatic life of his own - like his extremely dysfunctional upbringing, with an alcoholic and depressive mother with a blatant preference for his brother, Walter – he seems to have reasonably overcome this chapter of his life. At this point everything indicates that the only thing disturbing Charlie’s psyche is the death of his brother-in-law and consequent outcome in his marriage to Agnes. We find ourselves being told this story by someone we think is reliable as a narrator.
The storytelling ability of the author is quite remarkable. The story flows really well even in the least eventful parts of the plot and the writing is fluid and achieved. The character development, however, except for Charlie - who we get to know quite well - leaves a bit to be desired. We don’t know much about anyone else and - especially in the case of Agnes - I think it would’ve been nice to have some more character development.
By the end we realize Charlie has some trauma of his own deeply ingrained in his brain. Being a psychologist and so self-absorbed, he failed to notice the symptoms in himself. That definitely didn’t seem right to me, especially him, being a specialist in trauma. He tries to diagnose everyone around him, from his brother-in-law to Nora and blatantly fails to do so with himself. Other than that the ending felt incredibly rushed. It came and went and you don’t even have enough time to absorb what has happened.
In my opinion, it could have been really, really good but fell short of its potential.
Charlie Weir is a psychiatrist that specializes in trauma. From accidentally killing someone, to post-traumatic stress due to war experiences or sexual abuse as children, the array of patients is entirely made out of people traumatized by something. And while Charlie has had quite a traumatic life of his own - like his extremely dysfunctional upbringing, with an alcoholic and depressive mother with a blatant preference for his brother, Walter – he seems to have reasonably overcome this chapter of his life. At this point everything indicates that the only thing disturbing Charlie’s psyche is the death of his brother-in-law and consequent outcome in his marriage to Agnes. We find ourselves being told this story by someone we think is reliable as a narrator.
The storytelling ability of the author is quite remarkable. The story flows really well even in the least eventful parts of the plot and the writing is fluid and achieved. The character development, however, except for Charlie - who we get to know quite well - leaves a bit to be desired. We don’t know much about anyone else and - especially in the case of Agnes - I think it would’ve been nice to have some more character development.
By the end we realize Charlie has some trauma of his own deeply ingrained in his brain. Being a psychologist and so self-absorbed, he failed to notice the symptoms in himself. That definitely didn’t seem right to me, especially him, being a specialist in trauma. He tries to diagnose everyone around him, from his brother-in-law to Nora and blatantly fails to do so with himself. Other than that the ending felt incredibly rushed. It came and went and you don’t even have enough time to absorb what has happened.
In my opinion, it could have been really, really good but fell short of its potential.
April 9, 2009
The story of a psychiatrist with plenty of psychiatric problems of his own, here McGrath once again delves into questions of pathology and all the dark little crunchy bits at the back of a person's head.
Told from the perspective of the main character, it is a record of the events following the death of his mother, which leads to him reconnecting with his ex-wife (now re-married), dating a woman who ought to be a patient, and dealing with his free-spirited artist brother. His specialty is trauma-recovery, though it becomes apparent that he is the one who needs to face his past.
The tale is spun brilliantly, reminding me a bit of Benjamin Black's Christine Falls, a sort-of mystery without action. The psychiatrist, simply through relationships and the changes in those dynamics, uncovers the truth about the events of his childhood, and realizes how they defined his entire life. McGrath does a great job of getting all of the twisted, ugly potential that love and relationships offer into his prose, likely made easier by the fact that his main character has been trained to recognize these pathologies and patterns.
The only problem I really had with this book was that the pacing was a bit odd. It skips back and forth between the present and past, and the development/revelation comes rather quickly and all at the end. I suppose this mirrors how memory works, but it felt a bit strange at times while reading it. Overall, though, highly recommended!
Told from the perspective of the main character, it is a record of the events following the death of his mother, which leads to him reconnecting with his ex-wife (now re-married), dating a woman who ought to be a patient, and dealing with his free-spirited artist brother. His specialty is trauma-recovery, though it becomes apparent that he is the one who needs to face his past.
The tale is spun brilliantly, reminding me a bit of Benjamin Black's Christine Falls, a sort-of mystery without action. The psychiatrist, simply through relationships and the changes in those dynamics, uncovers the truth about the events of his childhood, and realizes how they defined his entire life. McGrath does a great job of getting all of the twisted, ugly potential that love and relationships offer into his prose, likely made easier by the fact that his main character has been trained to recognize these pathologies and patterns.
The only problem I really had with this book was that the pacing was a bit odd. It skips back and forth between the present and past, and the development/revelation comes rather quickly and all at the end. I suppose this mirrors how memory works, but it felt a bit strange at times while reading it. Overall, though, highly recommended!
January 5, 2011
I liked this book a lot. The writing is direct and clear with cool time shifts that lay out the story. It is a fast read but don't go too fast or you miss sentences like this one about insomnia, which I occasionally have strong bouts of:
"Once woken I do not find it easy to get back to sleep. In the darkness, in the relative silence of the city late at night, anxiety steals in like a wolf. Glimpsing weakness of spirit it circles for the kill, while I would struggle to drive it off but fail..."
I was startled by the veracity of this statement and found myself re-reading it over and over. I do like his style, the plot...I plan to read another by McGrath called Asylum.
"Once woken I do not find it easy to get back to sleep. In the darkness, in the relative silence of the city late at night, anxiety steals in like a wolf. Glimpsing weakness of spirit it circles for the kill, while I would struggle to drive it off but fail..."
I was startled by the veracity of this statement and found myself re-reading it over and over. I do like his style, the plot...I plan to read another by McGrath called Asylum.
August 20, 2008
Jeez. The writing is outstanding--without ever standing out. McGrath is a pro. And I can just imagine the wicked glee McGrath took in composing this ruthlessly lightless story--Charlie Weir is a shrink specializing in trauma, who (of course) is suffering from his own trauma. Which, the trauma, is pretty harrowing. It's a very 'old New York' story, and the city rarely improves this guy's mood. Read it on a stormy afternoon (it's not that long) with a glass of wine and the bullets safely removed from your gun beforehand.
March 5, 2012
This is a novel about the early recognition and treatment of post traumatic stress disorder.
The pluses:
*Easy/fast reading.
*Decent character development.
The minuses:
*Unnecessarily asks more questions than it answers.
*Rushes to conclusion without enough depth.
The sense that I got reading this book was the the author had some great ideas but was rushed to publish before he could fully develop all of the elements of the book to make it great.
It found this book to be fairly entertaining, but by no means a "must read."
The pluses:
*Easy/fast reading.
*Decent character development.
The minuses:
*Unnecessarily asks more questions than it answers.
*Rushes to conclusion without enough depth.
The sense that I got reading this book was the the author had some great ideas but was rushed to publish before he could fully develop all of the elements of the book to make it great.
It found this book to be fairly entertaining, but by no means a "must read."
November 30, 2017
Un libro scuro, denso, che esplora le profondità del trauma e delle sue conseguenze.
Charlie Weir è uno psichiatra e il paziente di se stesso, che quasi inconsapevolmente si trova a dover affrontare un percorso verso il sé più recondito. Un percorso tetro e tortuoso, ma che porta ad una evoluzione e ad una riscoperta.
La pesantezza delle pagine rispecchia il disagio con cui il protagonista è costretto a vivere quotidianamente. Caratterizzazione e idea impeccabili, ma narrazione macchinosa e al limite della noia.
Charlie Weir è uno psichiatra e il paziente di se stesso, che quasi inconsapevolmente si trova a dover affrontare un percorso verso il sé più recondito. Un percorso tetro e tortuoso, ma che porta ad una evoluzione e ad una riscoperta.
La pesantezza delle pagine rispecchia il disagio con cui il protagonista è costretto a vivere quotidianamente. Caratterizzazione e idea impeccabili, ma narrazione macchinosa e al limite della noia.
August 3, 2009
This didn't work for me as well as previous McGrath novels. Perhaps because I found the central character rather irritating, which was probably the point. The cover blurbs suggested it would be quite a thrilling read, which I didn't find. The study of the characters and their interactions was it's main strength, not any particular plot thrills. I did however like the multiple references to the notion of trauma - always good to see a title having real relevance and presence within a novel.
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