The Last Asylum

A Memoir of Madness in Our Times

By: Barbara Taylor

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Paperback | 22 April 2015 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
320 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
19.8 x 13.0 x 2.0

Paperback

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In July 1988, Barbara Taylor, then an acclaimed young historian, was admitted to what had once been England's largest psychiatric institution- Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum, later known as Friern Hospital. This searingly honest, thought-provoking and beautifully written memoir is the story of the author's madness years, set inside the wider story of the death of the asylum system in the twentieth century. It is a meditation on her own experience of breakdown and healing, but also that of the millions of other people who have suffered, are suffering, will suffer mental illness. 'Personal story, psychoanalytic process, the experience of madness, the feel of being an inpatient in the last days of Friern, the history of the asylum . . . A beautiful memoir, engrossing.' Independent 'Moving, brave and intelligent.' Susan Hill, The Times 'Tells, quite brilliantly, several stories- the account of a successful young academic who spiralled from unhappiness to anxiety to total breakdown . . . her progress through treatments as well as her time in the asylum . . . the history of mental health care in Britain. Truly haunting.' Metro 'Vivid and harrowing.' Times Educational Supplement 'Dazzling, moving from memoir to poetry, diary entries, conversations with her analyst, and a history of asylums. A tale that compels you to keep turning the pages, even as your stomach lurches. A great achievement, full of life and hope.' Sunday Telegraph 'Bold, riveting.' Prospect 'Essential reading for anyone interested in the intricacies of psychoanalysis or keen to get a picture of what life in the lost age of the asylum was like.' Literary Review

Industry Reviews

Eloquent, compassionate, and utterly absorbing . . . The Last Asylum is the best sort of memoir, transcending the purely personal to confront a larger social history -- Sarah Waters
Beautiful . . . it is hard to write well enough about this book because it is so good -- Susie Orbach * Independent *
A wise, considered and timely book -- Hilary Mantel
Moving, brave and intelligent -- Susan Hill * The Times *
Superb. Riveting, insightful and relentlessly honest -- Darian Leader
An impressive book, strong on narrative, deeply felt and measured in tone... The Last Asylum will stand the test of time. * Literary Review *
A gripping (often painful) account of madness, a fascinating description of psychoanalysis, a historical reflection on asylums and a meditation of the interrelationships between care and cure... Unsparing [and] subtly theoretical, an endeavor not only worth reading, but worth emulating. * LA Review of Books *
A fascinating if harrowing journey . . . Taylor is a deft and engaging historian * Washington Post *
Barbara Taylor's [memoir] is not to be missed . . . An extraordinarily measured, fascinating and honest account, that stands out within the genre... Her book can be compared with Helen Macdonald's H is for Hawk . . . Barbara Taylor is to be applauded for an important and original contribution * Metapsychology *

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