review 1: Autumn isn't a bad writer. She has a strong grasp on language and an interesting voice in literature. But I found the story to be just so/so, contradicting, and full of vanity, which made it difficult for me to keep turning pages. What I did find particularly interesting and compelling were the few glimpses she allowed into her own very real and personal struggle with Bipolar disorder and manic depression. review 2: I can't explain all the complicated emotions I felt when reading The Asylum. Despite the fact that the US and Australia are two very different countrys separated by thousands of miles I found myself having flash backs to my stay in the second mental hospital I was admitted to. Modern day mental hospitals run by the government are just as horrific a... morend traumatic as The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls is, Emilie Autumn's experience in her hospital was much like my second admission. The self harm section was so real and true I had to read it in small doses because it resonated so strongly with me. There where however other times when I'd be reading her personal entries and laugh because I'd say things exactly like she'd said in her diary. I also found it interesting to be on the outside of someone's 'crazy' ravings and I realised how crazy I can sound to some people some times. The relief and joy that comes from knowing someone else thinks, behaves and feels like you do is something that can't be underestimated. I've read this book three times so far and still I'm washed away with emotions each time I read it. I can't recommend this enough to anyone who is mentally ill, who is interested in mental illness and for anyone who is wanting to get an idea of what a mentally ill friend/family member is feeling and thinking. The Asylum is a true masterpiece for those of us who are crazy and not afraid to talk about it! less
Download links for: The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls
