Darkness Visible

A Memoir of Madness

By: William Styron

Narrated by: William Styron

Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER •

A literary tour de force that chronicles a prize-winning author's descent into an almost suicidal depression.

"Compelling ... Harrowing ... a vivid portrait of a debilitating disorder ... It offers the solace of a shared experience."—The New York Times

A work of great personal courage and a literary tour de force, this bestseller is Styron's true account of his experience of crippling depression. Styron is perhaps the first writer to convey the full terror of depression's psychic landscape, as well as the illuminating path to recovery.

©2016 William Styron (P)2016 Random House Audio

A must read and a necessary share..,

What made the experience of listening to Darkness Visible the most enjoyable?

The spot on and hands on descriptive analysis made this book a must read for me. I too suffer from depression although mine is of the bipolar type which includes manic and depressive episodes.

What did you like best about this story?

What I liked best (it was hard to choose just one) was Styron's ability to bring to life the horrible and debilitating disease of melancholia (depression) while continuously highlighting the highly sought and achieved occurrence of recovery that comes with understanding and awareness.

Which scene was your favorite?

The author did such a fantastic job of writing this book I could not nor would not pick out a particular scene to which I would claim favoritism.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Had the time been available to me I would have listened to the book in one sitting. I did read the book prior to listening to the audible version. I will no doubt listen to this countless times so I can share with effectiveness the truths about depression and recovery.

Any additional comments?

I believe this book has great potential to assist those who suffer from melancholia (depression). I will share Styron's memoir with countless people in the hope that they will embrace the promise of a better time ahead after suffering through each episode of despair. Great write and great read! Thank you William and God bless.

You are not alone

If you’re coming to this book, you’re here for a reason. I would unreservedly purchase this book right now.

If you are going through the dark forest of depression, this book is your torch to help you lead yourself out. Depression is a conquerable. Many have beat it before, as will you.

“To get back up to the shining world from there
My guide and I went into that hidden tunnel,

And Following its path, we took no care
To rest, but climbed: he first, then I-so far,
through a round aperture I saw appear

Some of the beautiful things that Heaven bears,
Where we came forth, and once more saw the stars.

Dante Alighieri, Inferno

Life changing

Having suffered with melancholia I know only too well what a battle it can be. Regarding suicide, I have said many times that I understand how a person would find it as their only option.
I was given Darkness Visible by a neighbor I barely knew. I had no reason to expect it would be one of the most important tools I had as I struggled to stay alive. I was incapable of describing the pain and desperation I was experiencing. I am so very thankful Styron had the ability to tell the world what a person suffering with depression is going through. Thank you William Styron.

The best

This is the BEST book to understand the black hole that depression is. And I have read many books on the disease so it is with confidence that I say it is deservedly the best. Read it about 10 years ago. Listened to the Audible version a week ago. If you truly want to understand and have deep empathy for your loved one with this affliction, this is the book. A chronicle, not by a clinician, but one whose triumph over depression gives us hope.

Outstanding

Describes MDD PERFECTLY. This is a very real form of mental illness .. it’s as real as the worst kind of cancer,,

Intimate and revealing

Eloquent and intensely personal extended essay about the author's major depressive episode. Many writers have attempted to put into words the inexplicable and indescribable despair that accompanies serious depression. The physical aspects, the loss of hope and desire and pleasure, the mental tailspin, the slipping away of concentration and focus, the inability to engage in life's necessities (like sleeping and eating) let alone life's pleasures. Styron lays himself bare and in doing so, has added to the canon of works revealing that desolation that seems unique to the human condition.

What is Mental Illness?

The author tries hard to generalize about his depression so that the public can understand the power the disease has over adults in the prime of their creative lives. Severe non-bi-polar depression and its effects on productivity, social interactions, and the will to live are presented to non-professional readers. Having had this problem in my 30’s-40’s, l think the author created a realistic but mild description of the symptoms and a cure that worked for him.

Very Interesting

I love how the author describes his mental illness, it is almost like being inside the mind of someone who is suffering from depression!

Changed my whole outlook completely on depression!

I used to judge somewhat internally those whole would commit suicide due to depression. This book changed my whole outlook on what depression really is or can become.

words for an unspeakable affliction

This book received a great deal of press when it first was published. We are often drawn to the breaking of taboos, of which psychiatric disease is one. Mr. Styron's tone of voice, which I first found dry and boring, allows his subject and his prose to reveal itself without any embellishment. He avoids hyperbole; this seems to make his experience and analysis more profound. in breaking the taboo of mental illness, it is possible that he has saved more than one person, directly or indirectly, from self-harm.