Rating: 
Summary: Prozac poetry
Review: A deeply thoughtful meditation on what it means to have one's mental state altered by a pill, written in the same subtle and poetic voice that made Slater's earlier book "Welcome To My Country" so memorable. Slater's view of Prozac is balanced and honest; unlike other writers, she isn't out to present it as either a panacea or a poison, just to give a truthful account of what it has meant for her as an individual, encompassing both benefits and side-effects. Anyone currently trying to decide whether or not to take Prozac or any other psychiatric medication would find Slater's account valuable, whatever they ultimately decided. But the book also deserves to be read by a wider audience because of its rare combination of lyricism and intellect.
Rating: 
Summary: Mercifully short book
Review: A sheltered and self-indulgent author who believes that every trivial thought that passes through her head is fascinating to the reader. It isn't.
Rating: 
Summary: Eye-opening and disturbing!
Review: After suffering from severe depression for over a decade, Lauren Slater begins to take Prozac. In this disturbing and dark memoir, Lauren chronicles her life as it begins to take some unexpected turns. Without the feelings of worthlessness to shelter and protect her, Lauren is exposed to the harsh realities surrounding her as she embarks on a journey to self-discovery.This is one of the most poignant memoirs I have read in a long time. I loved Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel, but I think Slater's views on depression are more insightful and realistic. It illustrates the complex factors of this illness in an eye-opening way. This book should be read from cover to cover. I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: Thank you
Review: As a 21 year old who was given Prozac at the age of 18, I was more than happy to read a book chronicling the 10 year journey Ms. Slater has had with drug.The humor she mixes with the facts displays a more "normal" outlook on the lives of Zac people who are sometimes seen as not so "normal"
Rating: 
Summary: Caveat
Review: As a fellow depressive, I agree with a lot of things Lauren Slater writes about depression, and especially with her feelings of loss of creativity whilst taking medication. I experienced the same thing. I've given the book three stars because I found her writing oddly flat; and even with Prozac as a reason for this, I still found it an uninspiring read- unlike Elizabeth Wurtzel's Prozac Nation, which was so well written I could hardly read more than 10 pages at a time without having to go and do something to cheer myself up. Still, some good points are made in this book, and I wouldn't _not_ recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: silk purse for a sow's ear
Review: As a writer with a mood disorder I am usually impressed and touched with those who publish memoirs centering around mental illness. At first "Prozac Diary's" amazing way with language clouded me to its very real flaws. Yet as I read it again, I was a bit disgusted. Date rape is reduced to a metaphor about riding on the backs of stags. And very little of the pain of depression while leading a "regular" life comes through, instead we get this kind of elitist attitude that those who work full time and have families are prosaic and plebian. Given the implied financial bracket of Slater, I must point out that people who set their alarm clocks for work are not existentially inferior, just people who need to pay the rent - and that includes a lot of the mentally ill. It was almost like Slater was afraid to include the more mundane and humiliating details of her recovery without prettying them up, lest we take her as less "special." For example, her attendance at Harvard was mentioned, but not Boston University (except on the back flap). For some reason, that really annoyed me.
Rating:
Summary: Unimpressed
Review: I agree with the reviewer before me. I started this book and set it aside because there was nothing on it that has not already been told better somewhere else. I would much better recommend The Beast, by Traci Thompson, for an honest, emotional but sober account of what it means to live with depression. Believe me, I know.
Rating:
Summary: Much Better than Prozac Nation
Review: I am not surprised that someone would compare PROZAC NATION to PROZAC DIARY. They are both autobiographical books about women dealing with severe mental problems, problems that were helped by Prozac. When Prozac was prescribed for me, I decided to read every book with the word 'Prozac' in the title, starting with LISTENING TO PROZAC and PROZAC NATION. I'm amazed that a previous reviewer praised PROZAC NATION over this book. I'd probably give NATION a 2 or 3 stars at best, I found the author of NATION, irritating, repetitive, boring and presumptious.
I think Slater (the author of PROZAC DIARY) is a much, much better writer. True, she uses a lot of metaphors and poetic language but, for me, that language worked. I have no symptoms of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) which plagued Slater, yet I could really empathize with her. The author of NATION lost my sympathy at about the fifth or sixth whining diatribe on what her parents did to her. Or maybe it was when she slept with her friend's boyfriend (that's a sore spot with me!).
Slater's language is so moving, that I wondered what this book would have been if she hadn't lost some of her creativity to Prozac. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put down the book
Review: I can't recommend this book highly enough. Though I don't take Prozac, I was totally touched by Slater's story of her struggle towards mental health: I laughed, I cried, I wanted to know her more and more. Her writing is excellent, and her insights thought-provoking. Also, as a psychologist, she is able to seamlessly weave into the story her knowledge of pills, drug dependency, and human behavior in a way that expands the narrative. Some of the most touching parts of the book for me, were the descriptions of her relationship with Bennett, her lover, who loves her not in spite of who she is, or was, but because of who she is--Prozac and all.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Poetry
Review: I couldn't put this book down. The poetic descriptions of her sights, sounds, feelings, inner and outer world transformed me into a colorful inner place I didn't want to leave. Being a Prozac user myself for 7 years, I know what she means by being "better than well". It's a feeling I had never had before Prozac. Almost like being in love. I recommend the book (and Prozac) to anyone who's inner world is so terrible that they need to be transformed to a better reality.
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