Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See

By: Juliann Garey

Narrated by: Dan Butler

Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

In her tour-de-force first novel, Juliann Garey takes us inside the restless mind, ravaged heart, and anguished soul of Greyson Todd, a successful Hollywood studio executive who leaves his wife and young daughter and for a decade travels the world giving free reign to the bipolar disorder he's been forced to keep hidden for almost 20 years.

The novel intricately weaves together three timelines: the story of Greyson's travels (Rome, Israel, Santiago, Thailand, Uganda); the progressive unraveling of his own father seen through Greyson's eyes as a child; and the intimacies and estrangements of his marriage. The entire narrative unfolds in the time it takes him to undergo 12 30-second electroshock treatments in a New York psychiatric ward. This is a literary page-turner of the first order, and a brilliant inside look at mental illness.

©2012 Juliann Garey (P)2012 AudioGO

When the universe is stacked against you

Excellent! What a poignant and fortright telling of the struggle with mental illness. It was beautifully written and eloquently read. My favorite part was his reuniting with a daughter he no longer recognizes. And their slow progress in reconnecting. It shows the stigma of the illness of the mind and heartbreaking pain and anguish of the sufferers. Its not sugar coated. But, deals with it very honestly. The pain, the loss and the utter feelings of hopelessness and despair. I loved this book. I hope many others will read this and come away more enlightened, even if only just a little. "A must read"

bipolar experience

a pretty empathetic portrayal of one man's life with bipolar people. both himself and his own father, it was great to juxtapose the effect of bd on 2 lives.

A story of a lifetime of Depression.

If you can handle the emotional ups and downs of manic depression this is a good book. It doesn't soften the edges of the life of not only the those inflicted but also those around them. Best read on a sunny day.

moving story and fantastic narrator

I'm not sure what all the complaints were about regardng the explicit scenes. I found them integral to the story and created even more depth to Grayson's journey. a must read for anyone who loves someone with a mental illness.

Very Good!

Credible development of a bipolar character as well as the people around him. The format is structurally interesting. Overall this was a very well written book. I purchased it randomly and was pleasantly surprised. Note that I normally dislike works by female authors, since they tend to be sentimental and focus on gender issues. This book was remarkably gender neutral.

I wanted to stop listening!

Any additional comments?

The story compelled me to continue listening even though, at times, I wanted to return the book. I really wanted to hear and make sense of what was happening. Parts of the story was awful and sad. I've never, to my knowledge, encountered a person with such emotional strife. One reviewer said "A gripping tale of a man's unraveling." Nothing can sum up this book better. I appreciated the ending and was truly in tears. I'm glad I listened to the book because I believe that my understanding of mental illness has quite expanded.

Completely entrancing from page 1

What did you love best about Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See?

Greyson's character was so direct, edgy, flippant, vulnerable, intellectual, intimate, enraged, generous and, yes, well, manic. I just kept thinking, he's smart and amazingly successful and resourceful - so can he overcome himself?

What was one of the most memorable moments of Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See?

The Kampala adventure. Whoa, that was brave. I've been to those places, but not like that and not so close to the core.

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

Dan Butler brought the perfect attitude, accent and timing to the story. I will look for more of his narrations.

If you could take any character from Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Greyson. Who could possibly be more interesting?

Any additional comments?

It is hard to believe that this is Juliann Garey's first novel. Well done. Write more.

Real look into a sufferer and survivor

The book took me to so many familiar places. Thoughts and emotions resonate. Depressing and pretty
raw.

!Language!

The story was intense and an overall good read. The language in some parts, made it awkward to listen to without earphones and then still a bit uncomfortable. I get that it was in context, but this IS a review! Reminded me a lot of "Running With Scissors".

Flawless

I can't quite put into words how this book captured my attention so completely, I could NOT put it down. This compelling read is an anthem of one man's odyssey from celebrated Hollywood agent into the depths of selfishness, despair, hedonism, recklessness, friendship, and ultimately hospitalization via Bi-Polar disorder. This raw account of Greyson Todd's decent into hell, and his tedious slow climb back to life is a real page-turning masterpiece. The narrator did a brilliant job of bringing this tortured character to life while keeping him human and even likable in his unlikableness. Can't wait to read more from this gifted author.