The world is plagued by madness. With leaders bent on insane policies and too many citizens locked in crippling depression, normality seems elusive and questionable. Part travelogue, part indictment of mad medicine, Depresso is Tom Freeman's hilarious journey through the vagaries of the system to emerged scathed but content with being 'bonkers'. The story unfolds over several years, in China and the UK, during which anti-depressants reduce Tom to a zombie and alternative therapies drive him to comic re-examinations of his life, his work and relationships.
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.70
Trade in Depresso for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.70, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Learn more
|
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
I defy anyone who is interested in graphic novels not to devour this book
20 Nov 2010
By D Belbin
Format:Paperback
The title of this graphic novel makes the subject matter clear. However, it's anything but a depressing read. Brick has been the UK's leading cartoonist on development and environmental issues for decades, as well as a cycling journalist. His style and subject matter are eclectic, wide ranging and ambitious. 'Depresso' is a lightly fictionalised account of the mental breakdown he suffered after years of dealing with bleak subjects but hiding from his own demons. The story shows how the NHS deals and fails to deal with depression. The book also stands as a vivid autobiography, told with so much visual flair that the only apt comparison I can think of is David B's 'Epileptic', a similarly ambitious (and wonderful) graphic novel. Brick's account is harrowing at times, but never loses its wry sense of humour. He throws in cinematic and rock'n'roll references (and a superb section set in China) while tackling both the history and science of depression. It's in a different league to any other work I've seen on this subject and I devoured it more quickly than I wanted to, forcing myself to stop every other chapter so as to have some left. I defy anyone who is interested in graphic novels not to devour this book, which will reward rereading many times.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Jennie
Format:Paperback
Recounting tough times with humour and humility, and sometimes well justified anger (I raged against the short comings of NHS and benefits systems he faces). This graphic novel follows the journey of Brick's depression, taking in its many challenges and treatments - medical and alternative, past and current, as well as Chinese history, movies, music and much more.
Depresso is not in itself depressing - you will smile and probably laugh and certainly have a greater understanding of depression - all told through talented artwork. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Depresso is not in itself depressing - you will smile and probably laugh and certainly have a greater understanding of depression - all told through talented artwork. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By MR
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The story is well-told and the drawings are apt, if you like the cartoonish style, which I do. It's an individual's account of an individual's experience of depression, and where it limits itself to that it works very well. Where it tries to make broader points about depression, healthcare and education it fails, however. Anyone attempting to engage with the arguments he makes around the medicalisation of mental illness etc. will find themselves frustrated by the bias and the lack of detail or proper consideration. It's a nice story but it doesn't (contra a lot of other reviews I've read) help you to understand depression - only one man's experience.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see the review
4.0 out of 5 stars
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting yet a little tiring.
A good graphic novel, with an interesting subject as depression.It is not an easy read, since it has a lot of scientific information and the drawing is usually "stuffed" . Read more
Published 7 months ago by Elena
5.0 out of 5 stars
A prefect example of what comics are really capable of.
I've been a fan of comics & graphic novels all my life and have been looking for more personal and innovative examples within the medium. Depresso was just what I needed. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Clode9mm
1.0 out of 5 stars
Boring
The drawings are like those in the newspapers - reminds me of Garfield. This kind of technique is ok when it is used in 3 or 4 pictures to tell a joke, but in a book with over 100... Read more
Published 11 months ago by P. Rö
5.0 out of 5 stars
a brilliant and witty portrait of what it means to live with...
Some pages of Depresso have sent me laughing hysterically and some have reduced me to tears-both being really cathartic. Read more
Published 18 months ago by dina
5.0 out of 5 stars
Moving, insightful, illuminating and a great read, brilliantly drawn
I loved this book. It takes the reader through Tom's experiences of his breakdown, allowing us to share his anxieties, bafflement, lostness, despair, frustration, rage, love and... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Ada Mann
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
This is an excellent piece of work. In many ways I would echo what has been said in previous reviews. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Mr. M. Simpson
5.0 out of 5 stars
a masterpiece
As someone who hasn't looked at a comic book since reading Tin Tin to my children nearly 30 years ago, and who tends to be rather snooty about the French male addiction to this... Read more
Published on 26 Feb 2011 by nick duffell
5.0 out of 5 stars
Making sense, and fun, of depression
Clinical depression might seem an unlikely topic for comic book treatment but Depresso is an important and welcome contribution to the literature on a condition which often remains... Read more
Published on 7 Feb 2011 by I.S.Brookes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best book I've read in ages...
This is Brick's first outing on a mental health theme. How much of the story is fact and how much is fiction is not known. Read more
Published on 28 Jan 2011 by Theo Stickley
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting, poignant, meaningful and FUNNY!
Having followed the work of the author and satirical comic genius "Brick" for some time I was looking forward to the release of this semi-biographical life story, and it doesn't... Read more
Published on 26 Nov 2010 by Mr A Traska
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
