Contributed by Jade, gr. 12, Jan. 2019
Brain On Fire is a memoir by Susannah
Calahan, a New York Post journalist whose life took a sudden and unexpected
turn into madness. This novel illustrates Calahan’s seemingly unbelievable
journey as she starts to lose herself due to a mysterious disease. Through the
narration of Susannah, the audience can experience a roller coaster of emotions
since the book also explores the topic of the importance of family and love.
Susannah is twenty-four years old and is beloved by others,financially independent, and successful in her job. Everything seems to be perfect for Susannah until her behaviors start to change. Numerous doctors try to diagnose Susannah by assessing her “psychotic” symptoms, but no precise conclusions are given. Due to her sudden illness, maintaining relationships becomes more difficult as people around her must adapt to this life-defining change.
The novel resembles a detailed journal which consists of photos and personal notes from different people involved, giving the reader a diverse perspective on the situation. In my opinion, this novel is a quick and easy read as Calahan’s diction is extremely clear and engaging although the book contains medical jargon that may be difficult to comprehend. I found this book to be informative; I Iearned many new things about Susannah’s disease and would highly recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in psychology and neurology.
Susannah is twenty-four years old and is beloved by others,financially independent, and successful in her job. Everything seems to be perfect for Susannah until her behaviors start to change. Numerous doctors try to diagnose Susannah by assessing her “psychotic” symptoms, but no precise conclusions are given. Due to her sudden illness, maintaining relationships becomes more difficult as people around her must adapt to this life-defining change.
The novel resembles a detailed journal which consists of photos and personal notes from different people involved, giving the reader a diverse perspective on the situation. In my opinion, this novel is a quick and easy read as Calahan’s diction is extremely clear and engaging although the book contains medical jargon that may be difficult to comprehend. I found this book to be informative; I Iearned many new things about Susannah’s disease and would highly recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in psychology and neurology.
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