Nothing Was the Same

A Memoir

By: Kay Redfield Jamison

Narrated by: Renée Raudman

Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Perhaps no one but Kay Redfield Jamison---who combines the acute perceptions of a psychologist with writerly elegance and passion---could bring such a delicate touch to the subject of losing a spouse to cancer. In spare and at times strikingly lyrical prose, Jamison looks back at her relationship with her husband, Richard Wyatt, a renowned scientist who battled severe dyslexia to become one of the foremost experts on schizophrenia. And with characteristic honesty, she describes his slow surrender to cancer, her own struggle with overpowering grief, and her efforts to distinguish grief from depression. Jamison also recalls the joy that Richard brought her during the nearly twenty years they had together. Wryly humorous anecdotes mingle with bittersweet memories of a relationship that was passionate and loving---if troubled on occasion by her manic depression---as Jamison reveals the ways in which Richard taught her to live fully through his courage and grace. A penetrating study of grief viewed from deep inside the experience itself, Nothing Was the Same is also a deeply moving memoir by a superb writer.

©2009 Redfield Jamison (P)2009 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A soul-baring love letter to the author's loving life partner." ( Kirkus)

The poetry of grief

The author' clear-eyed reflections on the differences between grief and depression, spoken from her heart and informed by her personal experience, is both moving and profound.

Wonderful!

this is not only a follow-up to An Unquiet Mind but also but also a love story. As she recounts the fall of to her public disclosure of mental illness and the illness and passing of her beloved husband, Kay Jamison, with eloquence, dignity, and candor, continues to show the complexity and humanity of people with mental illness.

An insight into a personal experience

Would you consider the audio edition of Nothing Was the Same to be better than the print version?

I enjoy listening to books on my iphone more than reading because of the convenience. I usually listen while traveling in my car.

What did you like best about this story?

Personal experience of the Bi-polar author and her struggles with depression during her husband's illness and death.

What does Renée Raudman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She is an excellent reader - not too emotional or dramatic, pleasant to listen to.

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

I can rarely listen to a book in one sitting - I usually

Any additional comments?

This book is a sequel to Dr. Jamison's book -

Liked the story better than the narrator

This is a good little "slice of life" memoir. I read it because it deals with mental illness, as well as physical illness, and the writing did not disappoint. Though I couldn't relate to the level of involvement the main character had with her husband, I still loved the nuanced story of the relationship. And that's really the message here - it's not about someone dying from cancer, it's more about how this couple lived, and connected with each other. I think the book could have easily been twice as long, with more detail from the "I" voice. I know Jamison has written a book "The Unquiet Mind" but IMO it's too short to waste a credit.

This narrator's voice is rather shrill, however, and the reading suffers, especially when she portrays crying. Ugh! I think the really good narrators stay away from trying to portray realistic whimpers and sobs and there is a good reason why.