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52nd out of 402 books
—
911 voters
Manic: A Memoir
by
Terri Cheney
"I didn't tell anyone that I was going to Santa Fe to kill myself."
On the outside, Terri Cheney was a highly successful, attractive Beverly Hills entertainment lawyer. But behind her seemingly flawless facade lay a dangerous secret--for the better part of her life Cheney had been battling debilitating bipolar disorder and concealing a pharmacy's worth of prescriptions mean...more
On the outside, Terri Cheney was a highly successful, attractive Beverly Hills entertainment lawyer. But behind her seemingly flawless facade lay a dangerous secret--for the better part of her life Cheney had been battling debilitating bipolar disorder and concealing a pharmacy's worth of prescriptions mean...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
February 5th 2008
by William Morrow & Company
(first published 2008)
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I asked my local library to order this book so I could read it. Boy, what an eye-opener! I sat down on my couch with this book last night...and 3 hours later, I was done with it.
Amazing. I was practically out of breath, fatigued, all by this woman's words describing her life. I can't even begin to imagine living in her skin.
Amazing.
Read this if you are not faint of heart. It ain't pretty. But it sure is real.
Amazing. I was practically out of breath, fatigued, all by this woman's words describing her life. I can't even begin to imagine living in her skin.
Amazing.
Read this if you are not faint of heart. It ain't pretty. But it sure is real.
To be clear: there are bipolar rich people and there are bipolar pretty people and there are bipolar pretty, rich people, and all of their experiences are as valid and worthy of attention as people from humbler backgrounds who, by no fault of anything except nature and human vapidness, fade while said pretty, rich people glow.
Cheney knows this glow really well and knows she has it. In fact, half of this book seems to be about how pretty and well-off Terri Cheney is. That grates on me. It doesn'...more
Cheney knows this glow really well and knows she has it. In fact, half of this book seems to be about how pretty and well-off Terri Cheney is. That grates on me. It doesn'...more
16 likes · like · see review
This was a really interesting book that gave excellent insight on a patient suffering from manic-depression. It's a quick read, and you'll find yourself thinking about it long after you finish the book. Also, if you are wondering what may go on in Britney Spears' mind, this is a great book for you! :)
I guess you could call me an aficionado of books that depict mental illness in any of it's myriad forms. I still contend that "Darkness Visible" by William Styron is the best book I've ever read on depression. As far as bi-polar, I'm a huge fan of Kay Redfield Jamison's accounts.In any event, when I began this book I had high hopes. However, for me it just fell flat. While I obviously empathize with anyone who has bi-polar, this was one of those books where I just didn't 'like' the author--even...more
2 likes · like · see review
It feels too personal writing a review of such a revealing autobiographical book, as though criticizing any aspect of the writing would amount to criticizing the life of a person who has obviously suffered a great deal from mental illness, which would not at all be my intent. I would guess, though, that the author would want it reviewed straight, with no sense of affirmative action or what have you, so here goes.
What I loved about this book is the vividness of description. She doesn't just say "...more
What I loved about this book is the vividness of description. She doesn't just say "...more
Jul 17, 2008
Ruby
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
rich white people and their friends
Shelves:
memoir
There's nothing wrong with the writing in this memoir. It's not astounding, but it's clear and compelling. The description of bipolar disorder seems accurate (to one who is not afflicted, but has known many who are), and it's told in an interesting way -- episodically, which is in keeping with the subject matter.
What's wrong is the protagonist. Should I be allowed to judge the person behind the memoir? That the Universe should save me from such judgment.
I brought the book back to the library, so...more
What's wrong is the protagonist. Should I be allowed to judge the person behind the memoir? That the Universe should save me from such judgment.
I brought the book back to the library, so...more
13 likes · like · see review
I learned of this book while watching a PBS station and Barry Kibrick was thoroughly reviewing Manic with its author, Terri Cheney. He is a great reviewer. I thought it would be an interesting book. I just finished it and it truly is an amazing account of Cheney's life as a manic depressive. Each chapter is an "event" in her life, wherein she describes in vivid detail her feelings and thoughts about what is occuring in her body and mind during that time. I found it fascinating. It's not a long b...more
Cheney tells her story of being bipolar as a series of non-chronological vignettes because that's what having the disorder is like for her--episodic experiences that are vivid but not always easily related. In the tradition of Jamison's An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness, Cheney's account is not only frenetic at times, but also self-reflective and insightful. A sensitive and well-delivered account of how pervasively bipolar disorder can affect one's life.
This was certainly a disturbing book to read. Having several friends and family members with milder forms of bipolar than this woman exhibited, it helped me understand more clearly how the physiological affects the emotional and behavioral components of our actions. The author stated that she could physically feel the change coming on, as evidenced by the raising of the hairs on the back of her neck. Also her descriptions of her almost manic stage, that magical stage when she can be so alluring...more
I'm not manic, nor have I ever been manic. But I could relate to a lot of what was in the book because she talks about the depression side of manic depression a great deal, and I have experience with that. We both have people in our lives who tell us that our medications (mood stabilizers, antidepressants, etc.) are addictive (they are not) and we should stop taking all that stuff and just pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. We both know how impossible that is. Adn I am frankly amazed that none...more
I could almost feel what it must be like to be manic and mixed-state from Terri Cheney's descriptive writing. I think that what to her was her most shameful secret has become her salvation. It's led her to the career and life she's longed for, with many losses and much pain along the way.
My only difficulty was in following her story, since she did not write sequentially.
page 196: "I was six months into my freshman year when the next depression struck...My body ached with lethargy. I could barely...more
My only difficulty was in following her story, since she did not write sequentially.
page 196: "I was six months into my freshman year when the next depression struck...My body ached with lethargy. I could barely...more
OK, I got to chapter 14 out of 17. I just could NOT bring myself to finish this dreck of a book. How much more can I hear about the beautiful, pretty, petite, redheaded, virtually hairless, wonderful, redheaded, rich, refined, redheaded, educated, fantabulous, heroic, redheaded, amazing, terrific, redheaded, wealthy, sympathetic, redheaded Terri Chenney? This wasn't an account of her illness, this was an account of all the nice stuff she has and how pretty she is and how all that, still - to her...more
7 likes · like · see review
"Happiness management was a cruel science."
This does a fabulous job of capturing the essence of what a manic high feels like in full sensory detail.
I agree with other reviewers that Cheney would have been better served capturing her story using a chronological arc or other structure. However, the episodic (non)structure of the memoir is revealing: by eschewing any kind of anecdotal retelling of her depressive episodes (with the exception of one lone paragraph toward the end of the book) - or ph...more
This does a fabulous job of capturing the essence of what a manic high feels like in full sensory detail.
I agree with other reviewers that Cheney would have been better served capturing her story using a chronological arc or other structure. However, the episodic (non)structure of the memoir is revealing: by eschewing any kind of anecdotal retelling of her depressive episodes (with the exception of one lone paragraph toward the end of the book) - or ph...more
MANIC: A MEMOIR provides excellent insight into the events in the life of an adult with bipolar disorder (aka manic-depressive disease). Cheney highlights key markers along the progression of her mental illness as an adult. Touching on events that occurred prior to her diagnosis, as well as some that occurred after, Cheney takes us on a retrospective journey through these events from the perspective of her internal process of recognizing specific thought patterns, physical sensations, moods, and...more
This was a decent book though it was not as compelling as I had expected - perhaps due to the lack of chronology. It was quite matter-of-fact and not as emotional as I had thought it would be considering the subject matter. It did however give a good insight to living life with bipolar disorder and it was interesting to read about manic experiences alongside depressive episodes. The main reason I enjoyed this book was because it was different - facing up to mania.
1 like · like · see review
2.5 stars. Memoir about a bipolar woman. Although she states from the beginning the reason the book is told in non-linear fashion, and though this format does indeed give a deeper context to her disease, I found it off-putting. I guess I must like my memoirs linear or something. I just found her really, really hard to like because we're just dropped into a manic episode with no background, etc. The book felt like an endless loop of her telling us she's a redhead, a super duper successful lawyer,...more
7 likes · like · see review
This particular book just flew by for me. As a diagnosed Manic Depressive, it was extraordinarily interesting to me to see how the illness manifests itself in another person with the same diagnosis. For me, it was interesting because I have not had a truly "manic" episode in years. Her whole experience is with euphoric hypomania that inevitably becomes true and terrifying manic behavior. She writes very honestly about her suicide attempts, her hospitalizations, her behavior when manic, and the...more
Terri Cheney's vivid memoir is a raw look at life as a manic-depressive. Each chapter is written in a direct style, but the overall layout of the story is by no means linear. This jigsaw angle reveals the unhinged nature of this illness, as she finds herself constantly swinging between two extremes and aching for life in the middle. People who live with this illness struggle each day, whether it's through a silent scream or a trip off a cliff. William Styron wrote one of the most right-on descri...more
Cheney provides a turbulent account of bipolar disorder. Her broken recollections mirror her disoriented extremes - from soul-killing despair and lethargy to the out-of-control exuberance and impetuousness. Caught in her impulsive behaviors, she shifts from numerous seductions - men and danger - to suicide attempts - danger and death. Her memoir exposes the frustration inherent in bipolar disorder - the difficulty to sustain relationships and employment as well as the inability to judge your own...more
I don't like the term "bipolar." Even though I am, I much prefer "manic depressive" because I think it describes the condition more accurately. Bipolar makes me think of Bicoastal--part of the year I reside at the North Pole while during the harsh winter I head to the South Pole. So I like that Teri Cheney titled her book MANIC. She left out the DEPRESSIVE because what's the allure of that?
This isn't the first memoir I've read by a manic depressive--mental illness makes for good stories. The thi...more
This isn't the first memoir I've read by a manic depressive--mental illness makes for good stories. The thi...more
I did not choose to read this book because it is about bi-polar disease. I choose to read it because I was hooked from the first sentence, "I didn't tell anyone that I was going to Santa Fe to kill myself." I stayed riveted all the way through one of the most chilling and nakedly honest first chapters I've ever read.
Her presentation is not chronological, but it is pieces of a life, put together in an order that she remembers, not always with total clarity, but with precision of its own right. H...more
Her presentation is not chronological, but it is pieces of a life, put together in an order that she remembers, not always with total clarity, but with precision of its own right. H...more
This book paints a picture of mental illness in a way that is both familiar and brand-new. Terri Cheney takes what you already know about manic depression and pulls you into the reality of it.
It is a vivid, beautiful, painful tale of one woman's attempts to both fight her insanity and find a balance inside of it.
While the author's decision to print her story out of chronological order might bother some, I found it very fitting. As with her life, the progression of her memoir centers around the...more
It is a vivid, beautiful, painful tale of one woman's attempts to both fight her insanity and find a balance inside of it.
While the author's decision to print her story out of chronological order might bother some, I found it very fitting. As with her life, the progression of her memoir centers around the...more
Terri Cheney was able to give a pretty complete view of each event by describing fully the event itself and the feelings and thoughts she experienced at the time. The book was not a chronological memoir as much as a collection of short stories presented as a timeline of her mental and emotional journey through manic-depression. It was an interesting read that gives the you a mere glimpse of the behaviors and emotions that ensue when suffering from a bipolar disorder.
While seeing how difficult i...more
While seeing how difficult i...more
Terri Cheney details her fight with manic depression through a sequence of non-chronological chapters. She makes it clear at the beginning that this book reflects her life as she has experienced it. It does, on the other hand, result in some doubling-up in the chapters that maybe a part of the mania itself. For example, in quite a few chapters, Cheney describes how sharp each sense develops into during manic episode. The descriptions are the same from chapter to chapter although the circumstance...more
2 likes · like · see review
Apr 29, 2008
Jennifer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who knows me
Recommended to Jennifer by:
Lesley
This book is amazing. It really puts you in the shoes of a bi-polar person rather then just reading about the illness. If you know anyone who is Bi-polar, this is a must read. While I am certainly not a severe as this woman, it does give you a very good idea of what this illness is like.
2 likes · like · see review
Reading this book, I had never identified more with an account of what it was like to be bipolar before, and it struck me silly. I've heard and read many things I could see mysel in and understand, but never an entire book. My life is nothing like Terri's. I'm 20 tears old, poor, had a crappy childhood--but the way she described her manias and depressions and mixed states and moods and feelings and thoughts and sensatioms... I was ecstatic with how much I could relate. For the first time in awh...more
Manic is a memoir by Terri Cheney about living with bipolar disorder. Terri was an entertainment lawyer in LA who worked with high profile clients like Michael Jackson. She's also manic-depressive. What I really loved about this book is how much it taught me about bipolar disorder, something I previously knew little about. It was entertaining and opened my eyes to the issues and discrimination that comes with having a mental illness. Terri describes past suicide attempts, the death of her father...more
I'm not entirely sure what purpose this memoir is supposed to serve. As a guide to men for spotting and picking up manic women, it succeeds enormously. As an insider's glimpse of bipolar disorder, it reads more like a series of war stories than any serious dissection. Perhaps that's the point . . . the world loves a good war story, stories I'm sure the author has been barred from telling in therapy and just needed to get out. In that sense it's very self-serving; more or less a vehicle for the a...more
She tells us she's not writing a linear memoir, but the book suffers for that. Instead, as events jumped around, it seems like "Oh, didn't we just read about that?"
In some ways, I find the constant reminders of her wealth and privilege to be irritating. And the swipe at fat people on p. 202 wasn't necessary it even prompted me to write this and register my irritation with this.
But mental illness strikes at anyone - even well educated, thin, well to do, sizeist redheads who wear cashmere dresse...more
In some ways, I find the constant reminders of her wealth and privilege to be irritating. And the swipe at fat people on p. 202 wasn't necessary it even prompted me to write this and register my irritation with this.
But mental illness strikes at anyone - even well educated, thin, well to do, sizeist redheads who wear cashmere dresse...more
*excerpt*
*True beauty, I realized, is not the absence of ugliness, but the acceptance of it. And I knew then what I had refused to admit all along: that I was indeed mentally ill.
I welcomed the monster. I gave it a home.
It was March 22. I remember the date because, every year, I send an anonymous card to Pheobe, for that was the young girl's name. It's a simple card. There are only two words printed on it: "Thank you." I send it anonymously because I don't know how to explain. I only know that...more
*True beauty, I realized, is not the absence of ugliness, but the acceptance of it. And I knew then what I had refused to admit all along: that I was indeed mentally ill.
I welcomed the monster. I gave it a home.
It was March 22. I remember the date because, every year, I send an anonymous card to Pheobe, for that was the young girl's name. It's a simple card. There are only two words printed on it: "Thank you." I send it anonymously because I don't know how to explain. I only know that...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Equity Book G...: Manic: A Memoir | 1 | 9 | Jul 02, 2012 03:50pm |
After graduating Vassar College with honors, Ms. Cheney attended UCLA School of Law. After years of secretly struggling with manic depression, Ms. Cheney decided to leave the law and devote her advocacy skills toward a cause that is closer to her heart: writing about her illness, and encouraging the mentally ill to tell their own stories.
--from the author's website
More about Terri Cheney...
--from the author's website
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