any good fiction books on mental health

[NotYoMomma]

Hi!

I have been really interested recently in psychology and mental health, both historically, fictionally, and in real life.

books I have found interesting are 'the interpretation of murder' - I loved reading about freud and Jung in a fictional sense

and 'the ghost road' by pat barker - I enjoyed reading about shell shock back in the day (the equivalent of ptsd?)

I loved K-Pax (the whole trilogy!) and found it utterly utterly fascinating.

does anyone have any other recommendations for me please?
x

[Hobbes8]

Ooh and I've just remembered The Yellow Wallpaper, which is a fantastic story/novella. Charlotte something something - I forget.

[PinkFairyArmadillo]

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

[MrsCakesPremonition]

Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood is very good - talking about the mother's mental health from the perspective of her daughter.

[Takver]

I'd second The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

Not fiction, but 'Girl, Interrupted' is well worth reading.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

The Yellow Wallpaper is superb.

[Digestive28]

There is a website... Madnessandliterature.org (I think, may have to google it but it is very similar to that!). I met someone who ran it as part of a research project at a conference and think it's quite good. It gives a whole list of mental health fiction books, but what is useful is it has extracts and reviews so helpful before you buy. They are often looking for new reviewers to volunteer.

[coffeeandcream]

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden by Hannah Green is on my bookshelf waiting to be read. I believe it is about a girl with schizophrenia and the delusions she has.

Scarred by Sophie Andrews (the head of the Samaritans) is one if the most harrowing reads I have ever struggled through. That said I couldn't put it down and will never forget it.

[SinisterSal]

Wally Lamb is quite good as I recall.

I know This Much Is True deals with severe schizophrenia and the impact on the patient's family including on their mental health.

She's Come Undone deals with eating disorders and depressive disorders.

Both very compassionate towards everyone involved

[headoverheels]

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides - one of the characters is a manic depressive.

Also The Heart Shaped Bullet by Kathryn Flett - not fiction, but an account of the breakdown of her marriage (which includes a mental breakdown) which I found fascinating.

[LEMisafucker]

Marking place - some interesting ones on here

Sebastian Faulks wrote a brilliant story about schizophrenia - Human TRaces.

Have just finished "the psychopath test" can't remember who it was by but i'll leave you to decide if its about mental "illness" it was an eye opener!

Cotedazuer I have downloaded Umbrella, i forgot i had it on there, i gave up in the first chapter, its a bit of a stream of conciousness thing and i struggled with it. I did like "My Idea of Fun" by will self though - disturbing!

Definately some interesting reads on here - I am interested as i suffer from anxiety/depression but i also find the mind an interesting place to explore.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Not fiction but this was v interesting.

[LEMisafucker]

Oh yes, and i forgot "girl interrupted" i don't know how becuase it was brilliant and i read it in one sitting - partly because my hours commute turned into a four hour slog due to some idiot putting a shopping trolley on the tracks :) I got to finnish my book - result :)

[neolara]

"Girl interrupted" was good.

[Ahardyfool]

Second Wally lamb suggestion. Also, 'A Spot of Bother' by mark haddon

[skolastica]

Susan Howatch 'Starbridge' series - very very good on the mind/religion/spirituality thing. Some of it is like being in a counselling session.

[TheWanderingUterus]

Antonia White - Beyond the Glass. I can't see if anyone else has suggested that, but its very good

I can suggest lots of non-fiction (doing a phd in women/madness) if you are interested but all the fiction I was going to suggest has been suggested, pretty much.

[Stevie77]

Sebastian Faulks' Engelby and Sister by Rosamund Lupton

[BasketzatDawn]

Poppy Shakespeare - by Clare Allan
Alastair Campbell's All in the Mind
Marian Keyes' recent novel The Mystery of Mercy Close has depression as a theme
Her baking book is good too - includes bits on depression - Saved by Baking

[BasketzatDawn]

And Sylvia Brownrigg's novel The Delivery Room has a therapist as the main character, with Balkans war as background, so a bit of trauma there too.

[CircassianLeyla]

The WanderingUterus - I am doing my dissertation on women and feeble mindedness and would be extremely interested in your recommendations.

[TheWanderingUterus]

Related to women and mental/physical health:

Mad, bad and sad by Lis Appignanesi
Hysteria by Andrew Scull
The female Malady by Elaine Showalter
Women and Madness by Phyllis Chesler
Hot flushes, cold science by Louise Foxcroft
The technology of Orgasm by Maines
A history of women's bodies by Shorter
Agnes's Jacket by Hornstein
Freud on women by Elizabeth young-Bruehl
Nymphomania by groneman
Menstruation and psychoanalysis by Lupton
Medical muses by hustvedt (although she misses out the whole sex side of hysteria it is a good read)
Women of the asylum by Geller and Harris
The curse by Delaney et al is a good introduction to menstrual madnesses.


Madness in general

From paralysis to fatigue by shorter
The lives they left behind by Darby Penney
Presumed curable by Gale and Howard
Asylum bound by Townsend
Gentle asylum by Andersen
Gracefully insane by beam
Inconvenient people by wise
Customers of the mad trade by scull
Psychiatry for the rich by MacKenzie
Psychiatry for the poor by Hunter and Macalpine
Bedlam by Arnold (I think) is very readable.

The Showalter and Apignanesi are the best general ones IMO. Apologies about lack of capitals etc, did it on my Ipad in a rush. Would love to hear more about your dissertation Circassian.

[CircassianLeyla]

Oh super thanks. Don't want to hijack but loosely it is about early 20 century infanticide in Britain. I can't click in your name to PM. Would be delighted to hear about your research too.

[NotYoMomma]

this is really cool :) thank you so much for the recommendations! the non fiction suggestions look intriguing too so I will definatley have a look at those too!

[SarahAndFuck]

True Things About Me by Deborah Kay Davies.

I was sent this to review in 2010 and remember it as being quite good, but with some pretty grim sex scenes later on.

A Kind of Intimacy by Jenn Ashworth.

I've read this several times now and no matter how often I do read it I find it has a slow build up that's worth waiting for.