The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of DepressionThe Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression
Score Modern
What it's about
Andrew Solomon draws on his own experience of severe depression, which at its worst left him unable to get out of bed, and on years of interviews with patients, doctors, scientists and policymakers. He explores depression from every angle: its history, its biology, the drugs and therapies used to treat it, how it is understood in places from Senegal to Greenland, how it relates to poverty and politics, and suicide. The result is part memoir and part encyclopedia.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award and was a Pulitzer finalist. Readers who have lived with depression often say it's the first book that described their experience exactly, and it's one of the Guardian's best books of the century.
You'll love it if you liked
Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness
The Body Keeps the Score
When Breath Becomes AirGood to know
It deals frankly with suicide and severe mental illness. It's long, and the chapters can be read in any order.
By the numbers
- Readers79 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics87 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller15 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
- #16 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #37 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #100 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #194 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, True story
More by Andrew Solomon
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All 36 best-of lists →
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award and was a Pulitzer finalist. It ranks #194 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 83.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression about?
Andrew Solomon draws on his own experience of severe depression, which at its worst left him unable to get out of bed, and on years of interviews with patients, doctors, scientists and policymakers. He explores depression from every angle: its history, its biology, the drugs and therapies used to treat it, how it is understood in places from Senegal to Greenland, how it relates to poverty and politics, and suicide. The result is part memoir and part encyclopedia.
How long does it take to read The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression?
About 17 hours (688 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (2001).
What should I read after The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression?
If you liked it, try Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William Styron, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk or When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.