Join Terri Cheney in her bouts of manic-depression. Fly with her when she is manic, and flirts with the partners of her best friends; shop with her when she cleans out her savings accounts; when ever cell of her body is on fire; and then when she decends into hell and join her in her many suicide attempts or when she is suffering from malnutrition.

This is the closest I ever want to come to this awful disease! ( )

Terri Cheney attempts to give an accurate picture of what it's like living with bipolar disorder by telling her story in disjointed fragments. The stories are not chronological and often being thrown into them is disorienting -- much like I imagine having bipolar disorder itself is.

Manic may accurately tell what it's like to live under this all-encompassing mental illness, but that doesn't mean it's particularly good for the reader. It left me feeling disjointed -- and not in a good way. Cheney comes off as deeply unlikable (a common problem that afflicts sufferers), even to her readers. It's one thing to tell the reader that you are unlikable (maybe even make them dislike you to some extent), but if you do it enough, well, the reader just stops reading.

If you're interested in a first person narrative regarding bipolar disorder, try picking up 'Madness' by Marya Hornbacher. ( )

I have to admire Terry Cheney for being so truthful and brave in writing this book about her struggles with bipolar disorder and manic depression. It is a very revealing expose. I am very surprised that she was able to function so normally at times that she was a very successful, high-profile lawyer. The book was a good read, but I suppose, not for everyone's taste in literature. ( )

Manic takes its readers on a journey through the treacherous bouts of mania and the bleak depths of depression. Terri Cheney is a prime example of how mental illness and tragedy can afflict even the brightest, most educated, wealthy and above all pristine looking individuals. As a powerful and respected entertainment lawyer, she represented high profile clients and mingled with A-list celebrities, all while keeping up the illusion of normalcy.

For most people, there is no such thing as too much happiness. However, for Cheney, surges of happiness tend to foreshadow danger because they signify a descent into mania. The manic episodes become charged by bursts of unlimited energy which spurn sexual impropriety and complete lack of self control. Her portrayal of her experience with depression reveals her vulnerability and loneliness, leading to a number of suicide attempts, both spontaneous and planned. There is no chronological order to the book, as Cheney explains, because “life for me is not defined by time, but by mood”. While this disjointed style takes some getting used to, it is also effective in mirroring the chaotic nature of manic depression, just as Cheney had wanted.

Cheney’s writing style is personal and inviting, as though she is recounting her tragic tales to a close friend. Many events in her life are quite shocking and the vivid descriptions of her suffering are sometimes hard to digest. Nonetheless, these stories are an important part of her past and a reality of those who must cope with manic depression. They remind us of how fragile human beings can be and that appearances are not always as they seem. Cheney’s pain is clearly manifested throughout the novel but the humor intertwined in her narration shows a sense of acceptance and maturity. Her ability to look back upon the most excruciating years in her life with insight and understanding is remarkable. Terri Cheney should be applauded for her courage to open up to the world about her struggle with bipolar disorder. I know I am grateful to her for letting me in. ( )

I recently read this memoir and frankly, found it to be poorly written and confusing. There was not a continuous narrative, rather the chapters seemed to be incoherently strung together. I found it very frustrating to read, not knowing in what stage of the author's life I was placed at the beginning of each chapter. I would not recommend this to a curious reader. There are other, better, memoirs on mental illness and manic depression. ( )