65 pages • 2 hours read
The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness
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Book Brief
351
Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction
USA • Contemporary
2007
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
The Center Cannot Hold is a memoir about Elyn R. Saks's journey with schizophrenia, detailing her life from the early signs of mental illness in childhood, through her struggles and hospitalizations during her academic years at Oxford and Yale, to her eventual management of the condition. Saks achieves professional success as a professor and legal scholar, marries, and lives a fulfilling life despite her challenges. The book includes discussions of mental health issues, self-harm, and suicide.
Informative
Emotional
Challenging
Inspirational
Contemplative
Reviews & Readership
24,795 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
The Center Cannot Hold by Elyn R. Saks is widely praised for its raw and compelling insight into living with schizophrenia. The memoir's clarity and honesty elicit empathy and respect. Some critics feel the narrative occasionally lacks cohesion, but overall, Saks' profound bravery and resilience shine through, making it a powerful read on mental health.
Who Should Read The Center Cannot Hold?
Readers who appreciate powerful memoirs about mental health, particularly those who were moved by Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar or Kay Redfield Jamison's An Unquiet Mind, will be captivated by Elyn R. Saks's The Center Cannot Hold. They are likely interested in psychological struggles, resilience, and the intersection of illness and professional achievement.
24,795 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
351
Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction
USA • Contemporary
2007
Adult
18+ years
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