This deeply disturbing account of coming out the other side of madness won every award going at the time. I started it without realising its intensity, and very soon felt a kind of panicky, claustrophobia; like being underwater, holding your breath, and wondering how much longer you could keep going. It's beautifully written, both stark and florid in its lyricism and sort of exhumes the fragmented mind of its narrator, the reulctantly-named Joy, who is recovering from the sudden death of her lover. As her life starts to fall apart, we follow the exact nature of this breakdown as it happens, day by day, sometimes minute by minute. It's never boring, nor self-obssessed; not one for readers who demand a strong narrative, as the book is full of shifting, repeating patterns, and sometimes a bit like looking through a kaleidascope.

I read this very recently too and it was lovely to read indeed. excellent portrayal

The band Garbage made a song of the same name after the book. It's on their Version 2.0 album, and is pretty good.

JB