I just finished a great book, Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Marriage Plot. Literary and thought provoking with compelling characters and an absorbing story, it captured my interest from start to finish.  But this isn’t a culture blog, and I wouldn’t be writing about it if not for one significant plot point:  one of the three protagonists has Manic-Depression.

That’s what it was called back in the early eighties when the book takes place.  Now the official diagnostic term is Bipolar Disorder.   Either way, I’ve never seen such a realistic rendering of this devastating illness in a work of literature.

Most literary and cinematic depictions of psychiatric illnesses tend either to overdramatize them or trivialize and ridicule them.  Take Russell Crowe’s mathematician with schizophrenia in A Beautiful Mind, or Jack Nicholson’s character with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in As Good as It Gets.

Eugenides did his research because he doesn’t glamorize Bipolar Disorder.   He describes with painful accuracy the devasting slide into depression; the spinning out of control brought on by a manic episode; the weight gain, lethargy, and mental confusion resulting from a poorly calibrated medication regimen.    He also presents the gradual erosion of hope in a devoted spouse and the corrosive effects of mental illness on a committed relationship.  As in real life, love doesn’t conquer all.

The book reminded me of all the misconceptions about psychological problems and treatment spawned by the popular media.  In the next few weeks, I’ll be addressing some of them.     .