Fluffy: A Journey Through Depression
by Michael John-Ryler
Star Rating: 2.5 / 5
The real reason I choose to read this book is because, from the front cover and title, I thought it may be a young teen account or a book for children (about a depressed rabbit called Fluffy) which would guide youngsters through some of the key features of depression. I was pretty wrong about that! This book doesn’t really tell the ‘journey’ of a man through depression, so much as it gives you a glimpse into his world. It isn’t written chronologically, so if you want a story and a plot, you won’t find it here. Instead this book is written with alphabetically themed chapters that can be read singularly rather than in order as a whole.
While you won’t get an emotional and moving account of a man and his family’s struggles (I found it difficult to really connect with the voice of the author), you will get a frank account. I found it interesting that the title seems inspired from a small event that I think all people who have experienced depression have felt: a moment when the people that you love or feel aligned to find something heart-warming, amusing or happiness inducing while you feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. I think the title and cover are generally misleading, but it was interesting to see where the ‘fluffy’ came in to it.
I feel that the grammar and writing style could be improved, but I understood what the author was trying to say. The ending was a nice, brief and uplifting send off. It’s a quick read and might make you feel not so alone if you have depression. I do believe there are probably more relatable, emotional, scientific and/or informative books out there to read on the topic of depression. But hey, this is real life. Sometimes it doesn’t have a pow factor. It’s a nice read, but as someone with an interest in psychology I certainly would have liked more background on his parents and how his depression came about. I don’t think I would read this book again, but it certainly made me more interested in finding good books about depression.
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