Angelhead: My Brother's Descent Into Madness

I almost did not pick up this book due to the subject matter - too depressing. But I did pick it up, I read it, and I have no regrets. Yes, it is a terrible sad story of the horrific effects of mental illness on one young man and his entire family. But the story is told so well, so cleanly by Greg Bottoms that I could not put it down after the first page. Bottoms touches all the bases, including the differing theories on the causes and treatment of schizophrenia. He admits the tragic truth that what happens to these poor people is very much a mystery. That aside, the story itself is riveting and frequently scary (the 'smell' of madness....). At the end I was filled with sadness and compassion for this family. And I will look for more writings by Greg Bottoms who showed so much courage and heart in opening his painful world for us to see. Read it!

at least in my opinion.i noticed several negative reviews of this book...particularly the few bashing the book because of it's portrayal of how schizophrenia affects the family's life.well, hey, i'm sorry if that offends you, ya know, but guess what? it's true. that's just how it is. i'm sorry all of you parents of schizophrenic people(and other activists) are too engrossed in your sympathy to realize that there are other's affected by schizophrenia than the patient.i would know.i've been dxd with undifferentiated schizophrenia since i was 15 years old(i'm currently 19) i've been through this. far and away this book is one of the most artistic books i've seen on schizophrenia, rivalled only, perhaps, by "quiet room" or "imagining robert".this is an incredibly engrossing read and moves at a fast pace. even when the story is at a would-be boring part, the author's beautiful use of language carries it through. highly recommended.btw, just to let it be known, the author does not seem to have a great grasp on the normal outcome of schiz...however such trivialties can be easily forgotten - if even noticed.great book and a great read.**this book should be read for what it is, rather than what the topic or genre is.

I was very moved by this book--to tears, which is unheard of for me. How Greg Bottoms gets into his brother's head creates amazing feeling. I couldn't explain how he does it. I'm no critic, alas, just an avid reader, particularly of books having to do with abnormal psychology, and also Southern literature. One of the reviewers below didn't like this tact (the same person mentions a trial when in fact there is no trial, only an admission of guilt to arson and attempted murder and then a sentence to the psych ward of a maximum security prison). To me this kind of imaginative writing and conjecture as to the state of the subject's mind during his crimes made what could have just been an interesting memoir into a special one, even a great one. I felt this rose above the level of personal tragedy and said something important about illness, family, and even contemporary society. Fine work, indeed.

I read this book straight through. Bottoms' account of what his family went through while his older brother descended into madness is an amazing and gut-wrenching work. Most impressive of all perhaps is that out of such pain and darkness, Bottoms was able to create such a genuinely moving and beautiful work. I'm looking forward to the next book by this talented young writer.

I want to do this book justice, but my prose is inadequate to describe how well it is written. It is not my type of book at all - I'd rather go to the dentist than read the story of someone's descent into madness and the impact on the family. But this book is written with the power and excitement of the very best fiction.All that comes to my mind is cliches -- it is gut-wrenching -- I couldn't put it down -- I am sorry -- Read it.