Rating:  Summary: Captivating-Read It In One Sitting. Review: I finished this book in one sitting--could not tear myself away from Wurtzel's stories about her travels into the abyss of depression. Good book for someone who has either experienced depression or needs to gain greater insight into the nature of depression. However, the title is somewhat inaccurate considering that Prozac is not even discussed until the last few chapters--so if the reader is looking for a book about Prozac/or an individual accounting of the effects of Prozac try another book. This book is about Wurtzel herself and her life in dealing with depression.
Rating:  Summary: Great! But Only For Some Review: This is a wonderful book! It probably seems better to those who have suffered or who are suffering from depression, but some happy people could learn about what they go through by reading it. Although a person will never understand what it's like unless they live it, this book helps.
Rating:  Summary: Interesting Review: i first picked up this book at a used book store because alot of people old me it was great, and i was pleasantly surprised. this book is not light reading, but interesting and at times humerous. definatly recommended.
Rating:  Summary: xoxo Review: when reading through the reviews of this book, i get the feeling that depressed people like it, while not-depressed people resent it. that is very sad. it actually means,that depressed people will only ever be understood by other depressed people. People who have never been touched by depression will never udnerstand. Depression isn't something you choose to be interesting or out of fun. In fact, I think that of most people you don't know they are depressed because they are well at hiding.From some of the reviews I get the feeling people think that it's just her own fault. That really makes me cringe. For me personally, this book was a revelation which told me for the first time the name of the 'problem' which i have. Depression. To anyone who suffers from depression themselves I can only recommend this book. It has made me feel better in fact.Oh well...
Rating:  Summary: A Self-Absorbed Rant Review: Elizabeth Wurtzel does a decent job of conveying what depression is like. But the fact that she has been depressed does not make this an insightful book. One of the jobs of a writer is to take personal experience and make it transcend their own individual experience, to make it relevant and emphathetic to many people. Wurtzel, however, seems convinced that she is the only depressed person to walk the earth. Yes, that is how many depressed people feel, but if she means to summarize her experiences and give them literary merit, some reflection and perspective is necessary. Her self-absorbtion dominates this book. In addition, Wurtzel feels the need to constantly remind us that she went to Harvard, and exactly how many awards she has won for her writing. These assertions of her brilliance would seem a little more plausible if the book was at all well written. Instead, it reads as if Wurtzel spoke it into a tape recorder and had it transcribed. A little judicious editing might have made this into a readable book instead of a self-absorbed riff.
Rating:  Summary: necessary read for those afflicted Review: Unless you are afflicted with depression or know somebody afflicted with depression, you may see Wurtzel as a whining young woman. After reading some of these reviews, that is the vibe I get. What Wurtzel does is gives you the view of a depressed individual through the eyes of a depressed individual, not through the empirical eyes of some therapist, nor a third person account. What Wurtzel writes is real, what one does under depression may not be rational, nor does it always make sense, but for whatever reason they happen. Maybe if I, or Wurtzel did not have such conditions then we would be seen as "normal" people that do not "whine," or "complain," or handle things ratitionally. After reading this book, it made me feel better to know that depression is a real thing, and that here was another young woman dealing with it too. Perhaps Wurtzel did not act lady-like enough (e.g. when she celebrates her deflowering) for those who criticize her account. If you are diagnosed with any type of depression, bipolar disorder, or are involved with anyone, or friends of anyone with such disorders, please read this book. It will give you a greater insight into what is going on through their head. Maybe you and your relationships will benefit from it.
Rating:  Summary: I couldn't finish it. Review: I just could not finish this book. I was well above page 100, and it was the same droning on and on about the same stuff. I thankfully don't suffer from depression and my heart goes out to those who do, but damn, girl! You could have cut to the strength and hope a bit sooner. In fact, I think the book may have been making ME feel depressed. But Wurtzel is not in bad company here; reading Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment did the same thing to me and I couldn't finish it, either. Perhaps it speaks for the books' realism. I hope she got help. Depression seems like a horrible disease to be striken with, and I know I wouldn't be able to keep going if I suffered from it.
Rating:  Summary: A powerful insight Review: Wurtzel's book depicts a powerful insight into the chaotic state of depression so many people find themselves in. The beauty of the book does not lie in its literary grandeur or its potential to become a classic (I am not confident that it has either hence 4/5 stars); but in the priceless ability it has to speak personally to the reader. It has a nack for exploiting the gritty, tangled truth that is so difficult to pin-point. A tangible account which is an absolutely essential read for anyone trapped in the termoil of depression (or one involved with someone who is). The virile images the author indulges in are striking and at times grotesque, illustrating with horrific honesty the reality of an ellusive sickness. It will help you understand the logic of the depressed mind!
Rating:  Summary: A Powerful And Absorbing Book Review: Elizabeth Wurtzel hides nothing when writing about depression. I found myself laughing and crying all the way through this book. Thank you for being so honest about this illness.
Rating:  Summary: hosestly the best most thought prevocing book i've ever read Review: this book was a real page turner. even now 2 years after i read it it still flashes back to me reminding me of things in my every day life. i recomend it to everyone i know who loves to read.
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