Darkness Visible: A Memoir of MadnessDarkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness
Score Modern
What it's about
In 1985, while in Paris to accept a literary prize, the novelist William Styron felt himself sinking into a severe depression. Over the following months it became nearly unbearable, and he came close to suicide before he was hospitalized and slowly recovered. In this short memoir he tries to describe what depression actually feels like, for those who've never had it.
Why it's worth reading
It hit #1 on the New York Times list and is on the Modern Library list of the best nonfiction. It helped change how the world talks about depression.
You'll love it if you liked
A Grief Observed
The Year of Magical Thinking
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of DepressionGood to know
It's under a hundred pages. It discusses suicide openly.
By the numbers
- Readers41 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller29 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #188 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #707 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1331 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
More by William Styron
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Quick answers
Is Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness worth reading?
Yes. It hit #1 on the New York Times list and is on the Modern Library list of the best nonfiction. It ranks #1,331 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness about?
In 1985, while in Paris to accept a literary prize, the novelist William Styron felt himself sinking into a severe depression. Over the following months it became nearly unbearable, and he came close to suicide before he was hospitalized and slowly recovered. In this short memoir he tries to describe what depression actually feels like, for those who've never had it.
How long does it take to read Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness?
About 2 hours (96 pages), or about 4 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness?
If you liked it, try A Grief Observed by CS Lewis, The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion or The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression by Andrew Solomon.