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samdalefox's review
informative
reflective
2.5
This is a difficult one for me to rate because 1, I have epilepsy, and 2, I also work in the medical field so I have lived experience of epilepsy and exposure to others with epilepsy. I first picked up this book a few years ago when I was killing time in Brixton Library in south London, and I remember being thrilled at finding something to do with epilepsy. I restarted it again this year and this time round was disappointed.
The book is framed as a memoir, but crucially the author does not have epilepsy himself and is not a neurologist working with people with epilepsy. His exposure is second-hand through his brother who criticically cannot speak for himself since he has died from SUDEP and his academic/clinical encounters with epilepsy as a physician. I feel that this book would have worked better as one or the other. e.g. a memoir of Dr Grant's personal experience with his brother's epilepsy, or a factual history of epilepsy. It seemed incongrous to me smushing the two together and I found the readability of the book difficult. This may be because I found Grant's reflections on his brother Christopher as paternalistic and infantilising; something I find infuriating in my own experience with epilepsy. There were moments where I did relate though, especially with M's story on pg174-175, where he describes missing 'his brighter self' from before being medicated.
That being said, the book does offer exellent insights into the history of epilepsy. How sufferers were/are treated/mistreated, how medicine has developed to more effectively treat epilepsy [ "Technology often attempts to solve a problem by mirroring a function of nature" ], and it even touches upon the 'should we treat epilepsy'? A minority of people enjoy their seizures, and a larger minority do not want to be medicated/treated despite not enjoying their seizures. Overall, a bit of a slog to get through, useful info for those that want to learn more about epilepsy, but maybe not the best reflection of the individualistic nature and experience of epilepsy. I for one, don't identify with many of the statements Grant makes.
The book is framed as a memoir, but crucially the author does not have epilepsy himself and is not a neurologist working with people with epilepsy. His exposure is second-hand through his brother who criticically cannot speak for himself since he has died from SUDEP and his academic/clinical encounters with epilepsy as a physician. I feel that this book would have worked better as one or the other. e.g. a memoir of Dr Grant's personal experience with his brother's epilepsy, or a factual history of epilepsy. It seemed incongrous to me smushing the two together and I found the readability of the book difficult. This may be because I found Grant's reflections on his brother Christopher as paternalistic and infantilising; something I find infuriating in my own experience with epilepsy. There were moments where I did relate though, especially with M's story on pg174-175, where he describes missing 'his brighter self' from before being medicated.
That being said, the book does offer exellent insights into the history of epilepsy. How sufferers were/are treated/mistreated, how medicine has developed to more effectively treat epilepsy [ "Technology often attempts to solve a problem by mirroring a function of nature" ], and it even touches upon the 'should we treat epilepsy'? A minority of people enjoy their seizures, and a larger minority do not want to be medicated/treated despite not enjoying their seizures. Overall, a bit of a slog to get through, useful info for those that want to learn more about epilepsy, but maybe not the best reflection of the individualistic nature and experience of epilepsy. I for one, don't identify with many of the statements Grant makes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism and Medical content
amberinbookland's review
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, and Medical content
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