Review done by Angela for alchemyofscrawl Mental illness is so misunderstood, but Kenneth Weene does a wonderful job at trying to inform the reader of the depth of that darkness. Like a good novel it invokes in me the passion to try to help these characters. It is an enormous challenge to portray the mind and thoughts of the mentally insane, but you find yourself wondering, are we all that far from falling over the edge of sanity. It can be graphic and disturbing, but necessary I believe for the subject matter. Tragic at times and enlightening at others. It makes you question the treatment of the mentally insane. It is a riveting tale from the prospective of a self-proclaimed schizophrenic. Ambrose a new resident trying to make a difference in a place, where the employees do not care for the patients or the treatment they receive to keep them "quiet" and under control.
Marylin, a catatonic, Jamul a child of the state, and Dr. Ken Weene takes you inside three very poignant characters. Kenneth Weene's Memoirs from the Asylum is thought provoking, and at times confusing. I hope this book gets the attention it deserves because it is truly an eye-opening tale(s) that demands a reader's attention and empathy for those who are often shunned or ignored by society. He brings up real problems that are often not discussed, and humanizes his characters in a way that few authors have been able to. This is a powerful portrayal of what life is in an institutionalized setting and how corruption can and does exist for some residents. Ken Weene introduces his reader to numerous, dynamically-drawn characters that absolutely come alive on the page, not only through their private battles but how these patients interact and perceive the institution they've been relegated to.
What distinguishes Memoirs from the Asylum is the fact that the reader is introduced not only to individuals in a mental institution but the larger community of the institutionalized lifestyle.
Many books take on the subject of mental illness, many more are set in psychiatric wards, but usually these are narratives that recount a single story or perspective.
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