The Collected Schizophrenias

Essays

By: Esmé Weijun Wang

Narrated by: Esmé Weijun Wang

Powerful, affecting essays on mental illness, winner of the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize and a Whiting Award

An intimate, moving book written with the immediacy and directness of one who still struggles with the effects of mental and chronic illness, The Collected Schizophrenias cuts right to the core. Schizophrenia is not a single unifying diagnosis, and Esmé Weijun Wang writes not just to her fellow members of the “collected schizophrenias” but to those who wish to understand it as well. Opening with the journey toward her diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, Wang discusses the medical community’s own disagreement about labels and procedures for diagnosing those with mental illness, and then follows an arc that examines the manifestations of schizophrenia in her life. In essays that range from using fashion to present as high-functioning to the depths of a rare form of psychosis, and from the failures of the higher education system and the dangers of institutionalization to the complexity of compounding factors such as PTSD and Lyme disease, Wang’s analytical eye, honed as a former lab researcher at Stanford, allows her to balance research with personal narrative. An essay collection of undeniable power, The Collected Schizophrenias dispels misconceptions and provides insight into a condition long misunderstood.

©2019 Esmé Weijun Wang (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Wang invariably describes her [bipolar-type schizoaffective disorder] symptoms and experiences with remarkable candor and clarity, as when she narrates a soul-crushing stay in a Louisiana mental hospital and the alarming onset of a delusion in which ‘the thought settles over me, fine and gray as soot, that I am dead.’ She also tackles societal biases and misconceptions about mental health issues, criticizing involuntary commitment laws as cruel. Throughout these essays, Wang trains a dispassionate eye onto her personal narrative, creating a clinical remove that allows for the neurotypical reader’s greater comprehension of a thorny and oft-misunderstood topic.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

Okay

I enjoyed the book overall. While this the author's autobiography, there were some points in the book that seemed to last longer than how long the book is.

Poor insight

I listened to this book to help better understand psychiatric patients, but about half way through I started questioning the author’s insight into her own illness.

Thankful to have this book

I cannot recommend this book enough, it is a unique resource entirely its own.

compelling and thought-provoking

More then your average memoir, visa essays include personal experiences, clinical information, and thoughts about some of the big questions and mental health care. today. A truly powerful read, highly recommend.

Very enlightening view

I wish I had access to this years ago it would have helped me better understand the struggles my brother faces. Thank you for allowing me this insight. Your ability to articulate what he has not been able to is extremely helpful.

Loved it!

Brilliant and personal essays that made me feel less alone. My friend recommended this book, and now I can recommend it to you! A balanced mix of intellectual essays and personal insights on the art of living.

Beautifully Written

Intelligent, thoughtful and insightful stories. I especially enjoyed listening to the author on Audible. Very helpful in understanding the schizophrenias.

Reads Like a Dissertation

This is unlike other popular first person accounts of mental illness. While it is personal it is also detached and clinical. The author has a lot of information she has researched to convey and instead of drama, she educates the reader about schizophrenia.

important topic from a unique point of view

Those topic is so important in this day and age. Too often this topic is explained by people who have never experienced the conditions presented in this book. Finally, it is nice to hear a new perspective.

wonderful

it was a thought provoking read. I learned a lot from this book and highly recommend it.