Rating: 
Summary: A singular and quite self-serving experience.
Review: Unquestionably, Noonan has confronted the demons of depression, and this book in great measure is testimony to his valor, his candor, his good intentions to help others--not only through his own autobiographical account but through the exhaustive research to which it led him.But while Noonan's narrative is self-confessional, it is also frequently self-serving. His narrator leaves no doubt that he has experienced the worst that clinical depression has to offer and that "cure" is, at best, metaphoric for the day-by-day battle of coping, drawing upon every human and medicinal resource currently available. He does not, however, register the utter, existential "despair" that can also accompany the disease, leaving its prey with no doubt whatsoever about the complete and total isolation of the self, about its insignificance and irrelevance to anything or anyone outside its own boundaries. Noonan apparently has many friends, and they pop up all over the place, practically on very page. They're there to listen to him, implore him, counsel him, shower him with unwanted gifts, and shower him with cold water to insure he makes it through his day. And he has many transparent narrative "defenses." He's bright and disciplined enough to accomplish a lifetime of research on depressive illness, yet is capable of characterizing an incident of unprotected sex in which he was the active, not the passive, partner as no less than a voluntary act of suicide! Subsequent encounters, like the first, find the narrator as the one solicited, not the solicitor. He is quick to assure us that these incidents for him contained no pleasure. And when he finally decides to stop them, the decision is characterized as a noble gesture of concern for those he may be infecting. First, the reader cannot help but wonder if the unmistakable note of self-justification is any less self-serving than the disavowal of self-gratification. Second, when the narrator consults a friend who, as an expert on HIV, informs him that his behaviors are not of the sort to guarantee infection, we have to question this author's reliability as a spokesperson for the far more complex disease of depression. Apparently he's capable of researching and presenting all of the scientific information about the psychopharmacological interactions within the neurotransmitters of the brain but is unaware of common, pamphlet knowledge that would have indicated his was not even moderate-risk, let alone suicidal, behavior.
The above, granted, is but one instance, but there's something self-serving about this book, written by the son of a major entrepreneur in the antidepressant drug industry, that limits its value. The author has constructed an elaborate edifice, fortified by generous amounts of research, annotations, and footnotes. No doubt it serves him well, but to be served equally well, the reader may need to qualify some of the claims. It's not a matter of sincerity (one senses the author very much believes his own narrative) but of integrity, albeit a relatively small matter. For the discriminating, selective reader this is a book one might profit from. Or, to quote Harold Bloom's endorsement on the back cover, it's an immensely readable, potentially useful "work of benign intelligence."
Rating: 
Summary: A gripping and tragic story - beautifully written
Review: Atlas is such an appropriate word. This book is one of those rare finds; a combination of truth, tragedy and ultimately hope. This book is beautifully written and is incredibly painful to read because the descriptions of the author's despair are described in such vivid detail. "The Music of Madness" by Tracy Harris is similar in its vivid portrayal of mental illness (I recently completed reading that one as well) and I am thrilled to see a new crop of books about mental illness that tell it like it is and help instill empathy in others who can only imagine the suffering. I recommend this book to anyone who suffers from depression.
Rating:
Summary: A. Solomon speaks to his readers as intellectual equals
Review: This is not a "pop-psychology" book, and it is one of the first books on depression that I have read where the author does not treat his readers as neophytes. One of the ways I have been able to get a grasp of my depression is to study it intellectually. It's a bit like trying to hold water in your hand, thanks to the literature I have read before this. Solomon gives a throughly complete, compeling and riviting account of depression, and I love him for it! I especially enjoyed the chapter about the history of depression from the Greeks on. Andrew, you're my hero. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Helpful but not uplifting
Review: In many ways, this is an excellent book. It covers a great deal of territory, it is personal and empathic, and there are passages that are truly inspirational. But, in the end, despite all that, it was not as satisfying as I'd hoped. In the process of trying to understand why the book left me feeling that way, I kept coming back to the notion that most of the people whose stories are told in "The Noonday Demon" suffer from mental illness far more severe than I've dealt with directly or indirectly That's not a bad thing. In some ways, it's a very good thing. But, it does mean that a person suffering from mild-to-moderate depression who's looking for an uplifting or inspiring read -- like me when I bought the book -- might not find what he or she is looking for here. Maybe this is what the author intended, but if so the overall tone of the book tends to undermine the message of the chapter on "Hope." I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject matter, but I would want prospective readers to know that this is not a "feel good" book with a straightforwardly happy ending. Rather, it is often dark and discouraging, and not necessarily something a person in the midst of a depressive episode will find solace in reading.
Rating:
Summary: A window into the depressed psyche...
Review: I ran across this book at the book store and picked it up, intending to read a few paragraphs here and there in the store, expecting to simply put it down and move on. I ended up reading the entire chapter entitle plainly "Suicide", rivited to it's accuracy and compassion. I ended up buying the book and reading it over the next few days, finding more and more of myself on each page. In many ways, "Noonday Demon" illustrated aspects of my life-long battle with Major Depressive Disorder, my suicide attempts, and my hospitalization, that I couldn't bring myself to say or couldn't find the words to express. I've passed around my heavily highlighted copy to my friends and family, giving them a chance to better see what the world of depression is like from the inside.
Rating:
Summary: Hope and Great Information for A Pervasive Problem
Review: Andrew Solomon is indeed deserving of the recognition given him for Noonday Demon as recipient of the National Book Award. In Demon, Solomon assists us all in realizing how crippling depression is for so many people. He provides informed and depthful information on the full range of manifestations through which depression shows itself in life. For those suffering and those seeking to understand this illness, there is a fine review of all of the causes and the treatment modalities. He gives the reader an understanding of how complex this illness can be and just how widespread it is. Most important of all, Solomon tells of his own depressive illness, and offers through his example, a tremendous hope for those still suffering. There can be life again, and you are not alone! A singularly important book for our times!
Rating:
Summary: Hope,and Great Information for a Pevasive Problem
Review: Andrew Solomon is indeed deserving of the recognitionl given him for Noonday Demon as receipient of the National Book Award. In Demon, Solomon assists us all in realizing how crippling depression is for so many people. He provides informed and depthful information on the full range of manifestations in which depression shows itself in life. For those suffereing and those seeking to understand this illness, there a fine review of all of the causes and the treatment modalities. He gives the reader an understanding of how complex this illness can be and just how widespread it is. Most important of all, Solomon tells of his own depressive illness, and offers through his example, a tremendous hope for those still suffering. There can be life again, and you are not alone! A singularly important book for our times!
Rating:
Summary: A Comic Masterpiece
Review: I was depressed when I bought this book. Now I'm out of bed and running track. This is a rollicking DART of a book, a hilarious faux-serious tale of a character named Andrew Solomon who makes my troubles and yours seem ridiculous by comparison. Terrific!
Rating:
Summary: Book Sings Volumes
Review: Having personally endured 8 psychiatric hospitalizations (breakdowns), attempted suicide 3 times, undergone a grueling series of bilateral ECT's as well as tried every psychotropic medicine known to man...I am intimately acquainted with clinical depression and its treatment. Mr. Solomon never once made a single statment that I took exception to, from a medical standpoint. His sources were superbly researched. But what made me want to buy the book was the soulful way in which he spoke his craft. I read the book at the library, but it is one that I also must own, so that I can go back and contemplate, and sing with the lyricism of its passages whenever the mood strikes me.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE
Review: This is a truly remarkable book. You might wonder why on earth anyone would want to read a 400+ page book about depression, but this is not just any book about depression. It is an intelligent, comprehensive, and compassionate study of one of the most pervasive illnesses of our time. Mr. Solomon, himself a victim of severe depression, has explored every possible aspect of this devastating condition: Psychological, sociological, historical, scientific, and more. Solomon attempts to demystify the illness, offering insight into how, and possibly why, it affects its victims. I myself have been in treatment for depression for almost 20 years. I have a highly stressful job working for the District Attorney's Office, have raised two daughters (17 and 21), and have been married for 25 years. I have been successful and productive in all these aspects of my life. This book is invaluable to those who suffer from depression. It helps us better understand what is happening to us, and how to somehow make sense of the "why me" aspect of depression. But more important, this book should be read by anyone who knows, or loves, someone who suffers from depression. Knowing, loving, and/or living with someone who suffers from depression can be a miserably frustrating experience. Solomon attempts to shed insight into the physiology and psychology of depression, as well as a comprehensive exploration of the many treatment options available. Not all of his stories have happy endings. He doesn't pretend to have all the answers. But sometimes just understanding the illness makes it less overwhelming and frightening. This book could save lives. At the very least it will educate both the depressed and non-depressed, allowing them to accept depression as a real and valid illness, which for many is highly treatable. Mr. Solomon even goes so far as to suggest that those who suffer from depression can be better people for it. I am certainly one of the lucky ones. I will never be "cured", but I have learned how to work around the illness. Mr. Solomon has done the same. For your sake and/or the sake of a loved one, you should read this extraordinary book.
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