I picked this up from the library because it sounded interesting but it just wasn't for me. At lest it was short. I kept hoping it would get more interesting, but I just couldn't get into it properly. ( )

I was very impressed with Campbell's insight into the world of mental illness- his experiences in his personal life add a richness to the characters. My only gripe is the occasional clumsy language and the surfeit of characters. I would have preferred fewer characters developing a deeper relationship with their psychiatrist. ( )

(BookCrossing 25 February 2012)

I picked this up because my friend, Meg, pressed it upon me, and because I’ve already read Campbell’s “The Happy Depressive” and was interested to read his novel on the subject. I was not disappointed. Martin Sturrock is a top psychiatrist, entrusted with the care of a range of people, from a Kosovan refugee to a Cabinet Minister, and his favourite patient, David, who expresses his own and Martin’s depression in a way that is both lyrical and precise.

Over the course of a long weekend, several lives appear to start to unravel, including Sturrock’s own, spiralling into boundaries being overstepped in a variety of ways, both positive and negative. Thoughtful, very perceptive about men’s and women’s experiences, and with a surprise denouement that is part of a schema or process of surprises that leave the book with a hopeful and positive ending, notwithstanding the somewhat brutal events along the way.

Recommended, especially for the eloquent portrayal of depression. ( )

A powerful exploration of depression in which every character is portrayed with sympathy. The only real weaknesses for me were an occasional clumsy phrase and an abrupt denouement. A psychiatrist's six patients are depicted with rather heavy emphasis on their symptoms and their stories gradually interweave and shed light on the life of weary protagonist. ( )