Hello Midnight: The Insomniac's Literary Bedside Companion

When I first heard of this book on National Public Radio, I was intrigued by the concept and charmed by the hyperkinetic co-author being interviewed. Now that it's been on my bedside table for a week or so, I'm also delighted by its voluminous points of view on sleeplessness.It's difficult to build a coherent presentation out of a potpourri of quotes and anecdotes, but the authors (and their invaluable partner, a smart graphic designer in tune with the text's ever-changing moods) have turned this obstacle to its best advantage. Their source material -- which ranges from pop song lyrics to the musings of Balzac, Kerouac, and Hemingway -- is designed to be dipped into randomly. Ultimately, the book's structure mirrors the way my mind works when I'm awake at 3 a.m.: skipping from one thought to another, by turns amused or terrified, morose or elated.Behind this "open-any-page- & -discover-what's-there" strategy, there is a master plan by which the authors artfully investigate the many facets of this strange and uniquely human phenomenon. Insomnia can be a muse, a mistress, an omen of madness, a stimulus to imagination, a chance to get work done, a temporary malady or a lifelong obsession. All of these states of mind -- plus a number of amusing historical, biographical, cultural and scientific anecdotes -- are celebrated quite nicely in this unusually diverting volume.Ultimately, the book is something like insomnia itself -- not a road you travel from A to Z, but a world you experience in bouts of agony, ecstasy, and wry amusement.

Death, taxes, debt, regret, fear...just a few of the cheery topics running through my brain while sleepless--so thank Goodness for "Hello Midnight"--a witty reminder that I am not alone! I must say though, that it is so engaging, funny and entertaining that it doesn't work as a remedy, but at least I am chuckling instead of thrashing!

Now instead of lying awake at night resenting my bedmate's even breathing and easy state of REM, I have something better to do - like read this book. It almost makes you proud to be an insomniac, when you find out what superb company you're in. It seems that a good many of the world's finest writers and thinkers have spent the early morning hours with their eyes wide open; it's somehow comforting to know I'm in such good company.Bishop and Levy have produced a masterful work that combines rigorous and fascinating research with a deft, humorous, and writerly hand. This highly entertaining compendium is an absolutely delightful melange of state-of-the-art academic insights, wonderful literature (everything from Raymond Chandler to William Shakespeare), and edgy graphics. Highly recommended!

Insomniacs unite! We are not alone! Between these covers there's a shockingly compelling assortment of thoughts on insomnia from such unlikely bedmates as Raymond Carver, Leadbelly, Kafka, Bob Dylan, Proust, R.E.M., Dorothy Parker, The Barenaked Ladies, Nabokov...and a whole bunch more. Plus all kinds of fascinating little science tidbits (learn what all these sleepless nights are doing to our brains - ouch!) and historical anecdotes about mythologizers from Stalin to Marilyn Monroe. I especially liked the sidebars about books and movies that feature sleeplessness as a theme; now I can hold my own Insomnia Film Festival. I also like the balance of humor and seriousness about what seems to be the epidemic of the new millennium. I know five or six insomniacs I have to buy this for.

A perfect little tome for the post-midnight set. Funny and fascinating anecdotes from behind the wall of no-sleep, served up just long enough to forget the irony of reading about insomnia with the hope of dozing off. Highly recommended.