Niklas' blog

The first pages of the book (in Swedish) are available for free reading here.

This book is a swift jump into The World of Ann Heberlein, author, Doctor of ethics and diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. Heberlein writes of her life and I think this book can be divided into two parts:

The first, where she writes of her everyday circumstance as it rolls by; her everyday life, caring for her kids and breaking down completely, all written very stream-of-consciously. There is an obvious difference between her lucid state and the manic, where the latter not only expresses her emotions but displays how she describes the passing of time.

The second, where she uses her intellectual side more and tries to sort out and understand the very nature of breaking down, of being ill, also reading into the meaning of life, turning things very philosophical and ethical. Heberlein is, after all, very well-versed in Ethics.

At the same time, while wearing her Doctor’s hat, she does point out that “doing well in life” is a pipe dream and a highly subjective mirage: every person who requires help in combatting their ill mental health has their own cross to carry, and might as well earn millions per day or be millions in debt. Money, material possessions, kin, waves of emotional support, the keen intellect – these things don’t matter; when feeling like shit hits, it does hit hard.

It’s a heart-felt book and I recommend it to everyone. Heberlein’s language and trains of thought are immensely roller-coasting and highly interesting, hopefully grabbing the reader’s interest psychologically rather than just being an entertaining read, which I really cannot see it as. Entertainment, it is not. The fabric of life, it does touch upon by being so everyday. I recommend it.

Here are some personal favourite pages of mine, as photographed off the book. Click the object below to read it in full-screen.