Rick is wracked by the ravages of mental illness. Bipolar disorder, to be exact, although being just a twentysomething he still has enough optimism to see himself through the vagaries of depression and anxiety. His friendships help him, and his love for Lucy, and then there’s his passion for electronic music: Rick doesn’t want a job behind some desk, he wants to be a superstar DJ.
In this coming of age novel, we follow Rick through a week of his life, a week in which he must as ever work through and with his mental illness, treading the tightrope between sanity and bipolar disorder, stability and depression, peace and anxiety, and all whilst he’s dealing with the fluctuating love of friendships for his mates, his sister and his girlfriend.
As the climax of the week approaches, two paths lie open for Rick – an interview on Thursday with the possibility of seeing his twentysomething years morph into mundane, calamitous thirties, or a DJ gig on Friday when electronic music could win the day and see his coming of age crowned by a possible cure for his mental illness, the melody of the music overcoming bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety alike.
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My review
What an amazing story this was! This is a slice of life served with the very taste and spice.
Rick With a (Bipolar) View by Christopher Griffith is a heartwarming story of a person with mental illness. Rick has been suffering from depression and bipolar disease. He has to row past his overwhelming thoughts to find the thin line between sanity and instability. We get a glimpse of his life in a week. How he tries to overcome each day through the help of his sister, girlfriend and mates.
What makes this book a unique work is its realistic take on life. The author never attempts to exaggerate Rick’s life. He is an ordinary guy with a normal life and aspirations. Through the ever-changing thoughts of Rick, the author tries to incorporate the daily struggles everyone has to bear. Life is a race for the next big thing. You can’t sit ideal. It is all about decisions. Life is hard for even a sane human being. It will be too hard for someone with a mental illness. To find the meaning of life amidst all the restlessness and instability is the hardest part.
I loved the central theme of this story. Author Christopher Griffith deserves a huge applause for bringing this theme into his work. Bipolar and depression are often two less talked topics in literature. You can rarely find a protagonist struggling with mental illness in stories. Representation matters and this should snowball to a much greater discussion on this subject. It is already too late to normalize these conversations. The community support system is a major factor for the survival of persons with mental illnesses. They have the same right to live a life like us.
A story will not be complete without a good climax. I loved how Rick managed to find his passion and a breakthrough in life at the end. Hope cures most of our problems. Without hope, we are truly helpless. Rick’s story is an example of this. Overall, this was a well written and skillfully narrated story.
Rating:5/5
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