Trauma is an anthology of thirty-two essays by contemporary writers, sharing with remarkable frankness their experience of mental illness caused by, and sometimes causing trauma. Some of the writers have experienced physical, sexual and emotional abuse; others have lived with drug and/or alcohol addiction. Their illnesses have been diagnosed (and sometimes misdiagnosed) as depression; schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, gender dysphoria and insomnia. All of them are survivors, and art of one kind or another has been intrinsic to their sense of having a future.

The book is not one that can be read in a sustained way. I've read it over successive afternoons, just one or sometimes two essays at a time. It takes time to reflect on, and absorb the story that the contributors have to tell. Some stand out more than others: I mentioned 'We Awful, Awful' by Ian Boutlon in my review of The Morbids because it had such an impact on me. It made me admire the self-mastery of people who suffer this debilitating condition by developing powerful coping strategies.

Avoid the words, he said. And repetition. No Philip Glass. No Terry Riley. Earworms lie in wait under all harmony. Oddly, the more mad-sounding the music, the harder it is for it to attack you when you break. So embrace discord. Stockhausen. Soft Machine. There's nothing your head can do to make them sound worse. (p.153)

Momina Masood in 'We Still Went to the Movies' writes about the importance of going to the cinema as a distraction and healing—and how this became a covert activity when religious extremists took over in Pakistan. Going to the movies became something more than seeking entertainment because it was considered un-Islamic and cinemas were often summarily shut down or burnt and destroyed.

[General] Zia had banned all types of collectivisation. Cinema was the only space where you could be part of a public, without it being a jalsa (protest rally) or a janaza (funeral.) (p.236)

Rowena Macdonald's essay is a brilliant piece using format to make a powerful point. In the left hand column the reader sees the anxiety and panic; in the right hand column we see the facade of 'reality.'

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2021/03/14/trauma-essays-on-art-and-mental-health-edite...… (mehr)

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anzlitlovers | Mar 13, 2021 |

The Boys Who Saved the World von Sam Mills

This book was extremely compelling and disturbing. Jon was a likeable character, caught up in something that quickly spirals out of control. He is very conflicted and heavily influenced by the cult leader, leading him to change his mind about what he believes. It was good getting some background on the boys and finding out about their lives and seeing what might have pushed them to do something this awful.

The themes of religion are very strong and I liked that religion was not dismissed entirely because of a few extremists. It was handled sensitively and seemed quite realistic.… (mehr)

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zacchaeus | 2 weitere Rezensionen | Dec 26, 2020 |

The Quiddity of Will Self von Sam Mills

If On A Winter's Night some post-modern meta-fan-fiction perhaps?

A strange multi-layered book which takes as its starting point the death of a Will Self -lookalike and a bookclub-come-cult and spirals on from there into the future with shifting narrators and a realities.

Often mistakenly filed under S in bookshops, this is a niche book of most interest to those familiar with Self's works.

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rrmmff2000 | Sep 26, 2012 |

Black-out von Sam Mills

La Grande-Bretagne, dans un futur proche. Après que des attentats terroristes ont fait régner la peur, le pays est entre les mains d'un état dictatorial qui prétend assurer la sécurité nationale. Hélas, cette protection conduit très rapidement à une privation des libertés fondamentales telles que le droit de s'exprimer, de débattre, de contester et tout simplement de penser... Bien-sûr, les livres, qui corrompent les esprits, vont faire les frais d'une censure impitoyable, des récrivains récrivent des versions officielles, aseptisées, des oeuvres littéraires : 1984 et Sa majesté des mouches, entre autres, sont des Livres Interdits. Or, à sa grande stupeur, Stefan, fils de libraire, découvre que son père non seulement appartient aux Mots, une organisation clandestine de résistance, mais qu'en plus, il cache chez lui un écrivain condamné à mort pour la teneur de son dernier roman. Ce jeune ado, parfaitement endoctriné, se trouve alors face à un cas de conscience terrible : soutenir son père, au risque de devenir complice, ou le dénoncer.

Ce roman est un formidable roman d'anticipation, il nous entraîne à un rythme haletant, au long de ses presque 450 pages, dans les pas de Stefan, qui va apprendre peu à peu à renouer avec la liberté pour enfin se sentir vivant ; l'apprentissage sera douloureux, semé de pertes et marquera un terme à l'enfance. On se sent proche des personnages de ce roman, par ce qu'ils ont d'humain : des doutes, des faiblesses, des émotions ; les Mots sont au service de la paix et de la liberté mais sont divisés sur une question cruciale : le recours (ou non) à la violence. Les livres quant à eux ont une place d'honneur dans le texte. Mais c'est aussi un livre qui interroge la responsabilité de tout un chacun puisque «l'état (...) reflète la conscience collective» (p. 403). Alors que les slogans martèlent inlassablement «Pour votre sécurité, soyez vigilants», c'est un autre message qui se dégage implicitement du roman à l'adresse du lecteur : «Pour votre liberté, soyez vigilants». Un livre à mettre entre toutes les mains, dès 13 ans.… (mehr)

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fabina22 | 1 weitere Rezension | Jun 12, 2011 |

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