An astounding book. I don't know what I expected, but I certainly didn't expect to learn viscerally what being psychotic FEELS LIKE. It's an amazing account, which I am so glad I read. ( )

Daniel Paul Schreber's "Memoirs of My Nervous Illness" is pretty fascinating. It is by no means an easy read, but I found it worthwhile and interesting.

Schreber, a well-respected judge, had a nervous breakdown, which has all the hallmarks of schizophrenia. "Memoirs" follows his time in the asylum and he vividly describes his hallucinations and delusions. He believes God talks to him and "nerves" or souls continually enter his body in an attempt to turn him into a woman. He is clearly logical and intelligent and "Memoirs" is his (ultimately successful) attempt to reason himself out of commitment to the asylum and back home to his wife.

This book is a strange addition to the 1,001 list since it really isn't a novel, but it was certainly worth reading. ( )

I am reading this for the third time. Radically certain of his delusions, Schreber writes his story and quite aptly develops his theory of a "nerve language."

Amazing stuff. For added entertainment, read all the nonsense written about the book in the Amazon.Com reviews section. Classic Comedy.
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