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The Comforts of Madness
  
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The Comforts of Madness (Hardcover)

by Paul Sayer (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 120 pages
  • Publisher: Doubleday; First Edition edition (Jan 1990)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0385267770
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385267779
  • Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14.2 x 1.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 2,223,870 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Strange disturbing but worth reading, 4 July 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Comforts of Madness (Paperback)
This is a bleak novel recounting the tale of Peter, a young man in a catatonic state. At times it is humourous, but you feel you are reading a satire or, even harsher, an indictment. But of what ? The failure of Social Services to care for a boy in an abusive household who is not able to speak ? Mental health services ? Whilst the treatment is often brusque and uncaring, with Peter perceived as an opportunity for the Director of the new fangled institute to make his name, generally they seem to be doing the best for him. Finally they "experiment" with euthanasia, but in the circumstances one can but feel that it a justification of assisted death. He has nothing to live for, is in physical pain and deteriorating and has been rejected by his sister. If this was a novel written in the former Soviet Union this could be read as an allegory for the citizen under Communism. In the west you are left wondering where the target lies. Notwithstanding this it is a fine piece of writing.
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3.0 out of 5 stars A dark, descriptive novel, 17 Oct 2009
This review is from: The Comforts of Madness (Paperback)
The Comforts of Madness is a strange, dark novel. Told from the perspective of a catatonic Peter, we follow his circular journey from a mental hospital through the One World Intensive Rehabilitation Centre and back to the hopital where he has spent the majority of his existence. Throughout his barbaric 'rehabilitation', Peter is comforted by the fact that he will ultimately be left alone to reside within his own head for he knows he has no power to resist whatever the staff or patients wish to do to him.

This novel draws attention to the fact that we can never really be sure what is going on in the minds or imaginations of people who are unable to express themselves. The reader feels helpless to stand up for the injustices Peter is subjected to. Ultimately, this novel is a good example of descriptive prose that highlights the alienation of the characters from the so-called normal life. However, it is a very dark and quite traumatic read.
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